Gemara Clarity

Chullin 54b

חולין נ״ד ע״ב

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

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Topic

רב מתנא's dislocated thigh bone, the size of a hole in the windpipe, standing for scholars, and whether 'until' includes the measure

Overview

The גמרא finishes explaining how רבי יוחנן and ריש לקיש read the extra phrases in the משנה. Each uses רב מתנא's case of a thigh bone that slipped out of its socket. Then the גמרא looks at that case directly: רב מתנא says the animal is טרפה, and רבא says it is כשרה unless the sinew is torn. The final הלכה is that it stays כשרה until the sinew decays. Next, זעירי gives the size of the hole in the windpipe using a coin people in בבל knew. A story about רבי יוחנן asking a money changer for that coin leads to a side discussion: workers do not stand up for תלמידי חכמים while working, but they do stand for people bringing ביכורים. Last, רב נחמן rules that an exact measure counts as more than the measure, so 'until' does not include the measure. The גמרא defends this against challenges from a משנה about a rope hanging off a bed, and it begins a new test from a משנה about tiny clay vessels that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

וְחַזְיַיהּ לִדְרַב מַתְנָא

And he saw the case of Rav Mattana

דְּאָתְיָא בְּזֶה הַכְּלָל,

that it would fall under 'this is the principle.'

מַאי טַעְמָא? דְּדָמְיָא לִנְטוּלֵי.

What is the reason? Because it resembles 'removed' organs.

תְּנָא ״אֵלּוּ טְרֵפוֹת״ –

So he taught 'These are tereifot':

The steps (17)

  1. ResolutionHow רבי יוחנן explains the phrase 'these are טרפות'
  2. ResolutionHow ריש לקיש explains the phrase 'these are kosher'
  3. Statementרב מתנא and רבא argue about a thigh bone that slipped out of its socket
  4. ConclusionThe final הלכה: kosher until the sinew decays
  5. Statementזעירי explains the size of the hole in the windpipe
  6. Statementרבי יוחנן tells the money changer to stay seated
  7. ChallengeBut workers stand for those bringing first fruits
  8. ResolutionThey stand for ביכורים bringers, not for scholars
  9. StatementHow precious a מצוה done at its time is
  10. RejectionMaybe they stand only to keep them coming back
  11. StatementAn exact measure counts as more than the measure
  12. ConclusionSo 'until' does not include the measure
  13. ChallengeChallenge from a rope hanging off a bed
  14. ResolutionExactly five counts with the larger amount
  15. ChallengeSecond challenge from the end of the same משנה
  16. ResolutionExactly ten counts with the larger amount
  17. ChallengeA new משנה about tiny earthenware vessels