Chullin 54a

חולין נ״ד ע״א

Learn Chullin 54a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Chullin 54a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Clawing (דרוסה) and how to check for it, רב's ruling on a dislocated windpipe, why we do not add to the טריפות, and the new משנה of כשרות

Overview

The amud opens by settling a question: a דרוסה (predator's clawing) on either the וושט or the קנה makes the animal a טריפה at any size, because the venom keeps burning. Two stories follow. In each, scholars say a clawed animal only needs checking near the intestines, and someone swears that רב taught the check runs from the skull to the thigh. When ריש לקיש says he does not know who רב is, רבי יוחנן reminds him how great רב was. ריש לקיש then praises רב and quotes his ruling that a windpipe found loose after שחיטה is כשרה. רבי יוחנן says to test it by comparing cuts, and רב נחמן limits רב's rule to a case where the שוחט did not hold the סימנים. The גמרא explains that the משנה's זה הכלל adds seven more טריפות. Two hunter stories show that we do not add new טריפות, since medicine could heal those wounds. A new משנה then lists injuries that leave an animal כשרה. The גמרא opens with רבי יוחנן and ריש לקיש arguing over which list is complete, and starts testing their views on רב מתנא's case of a dislocated hip, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (28)

1. QuestionHow much clawing on the windpipe makes it a טריפה?
2. ResponseBoth organs become טריפה from clawing of any amount
3. ResponseWhy any amount: the venom keeps burning
4. StatementA clawed animal must be checked near the intestines
5. Challengeרב נחמן swears that רב required a much wider check
6. QuestionWhat is the כפא? Not the shoulder
7. ResponseThe כפא is the skull
8. StatementIn ארץ ישראל, רבי יוחנן and ריש לקיש say the same narrow rule
9. Challengeרב חייא בר יוסף swears by רב's wider check
10. Rejectionריש לקיש: Who is this רב? I don't know him
11. Rejectionרבי יוחנן defends רב's greatness
12. Statementריש לקיש quotes רב's ruling on a dislocated windpipe
13. Statementרבי יוחנן says to test by comparing cuts
14. Statementרב נחמן limits רב's rule to when the סימנים were not held
15. QuestionWhat does the rule 'This is the principle' add?
16. ResponseIt includes the seven extra rulings
17. StatementThe hunters who struck the sciatic nerve
18. StatementThe hunters who struck the kidney
19. ChallengeBut we see these animals die
20. ResolutionWith medicine, the animal would live
21. StatementNew משנה: A Pierced or Cracked Windpipe Is Kosher
22. StatementInjuries That Stop Just Short: Skull, Heart, Spine, Liver
23. StatementMore Kosher Cases: Stomachs, Removed Organs, Shriveled Lung
24. StatementA Skinned Animal: רבי מאיר vs. חכמים
25. StatementWhich List Is Exact? רבי יוחנן vs. ריש לקיש
26. QuestionWhat Case Do They Argue About?
27. ResponseThe Case: רב מתנא's Dislocated Hip Joint
28. Responseרבי יוחנן's View: זה הכלל Covers the Hip Case