Chullin 47b

חולין מ״ז ע״ב

Learn Chullin 47b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Chullin 47b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Lung colors, textures, and tests that decide whether an animal is a טרפה, and whether damage inside the lung counts as a missing piece.

Overview

This amud finishes a ruling about a defect on the back of the lung, then goes through many lung conditions. רפרם rules that a lung 'like a chip of wood' is a טרפה, and several opinions explain what that means. רבא says a lung dark like eye shadow is כשרה but black like ink is a טרפה, because black is red that went bad. Green and red lungs are כשרה, proven from two stories of רבי נתן about babies whose ברית מילה was delayed until they recovered. רב כהנא and רב סמא add more appearances: liver-like and leek-green are כשרה, while meat-like and yellowish shades are a טרפה. רבינא and רב יוסף then give hands-on tests for a sealed spot and for a whistling lung, using a feather, saliva, or lukewarm water. Finally, a lung that turned to liquid, or wasted away inside, is כשרה if the outer skin and airway tubes are whole. רבי אבא's challenge from the משנה is answered with the view of רבי שמעון. A new ruling begins at the very end and continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (27)

1. StatementOn the back of the lung, even a tiny defect makes it a טרפה
2. StatementA lung like a chip of wood is a טרפה
3. StatementDifferent views on what 'like wood' means
4. StatementDark like eye shadow is כשרה; black like ink is a טרפה
5. ProofWhy black is bad: it is red that went bad
6. StatementGreen and red lungs are כשרה
7. Proofרבי נתן and the red baby who survived his ברית
8. Proofרבי נתן's second story: the pale baby who waited for his blood
9. StatementA lung like liver is kosher, a lung like meat is not
10. StatementYellowish shades that make a lung treif
11. QuestionSo which green is the kosher green?
12. ResponseLeek-green is the kosher green
13. StatementHow to check a sealed spot in the lung
14. StatementA membrane that grew over a lung wound does not count
15. StatementHow to check a lung that makes a whistling sound
16. StatementWhy the water must be lukewarm
17. StatementThe result of the water test and why a lung can whistle without being a טרפה
18. StatementA lung that turned to liquid inside is כשרה
19. ConclusionThe principle: damage on the inside is not counted as missing
20. Challengeרבי אבא challenges עולא from the משנה
21. ResolutionThe Missing Piece in the משנה Is on the Outside
22. Proofרבי חנניה Rules a Liquefied Lung Kosher
23. StatementOnly If the Airway Tubes Are Still Whole
24. QuestionHow Do We Know the Tubes Are Whole?
25. ResponsePour It into a Glazed Vessel and Look
26. StatementA Shrunken Lung with Its Skin Whole
27. ProofA ברייתא Supports רב נחמן