Gemara Clarity

Chullin 56b

חולין נ״ו ע״ב

Learn Chullin 56b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Chullin 56b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Birds that fell into fire or were injured: color changes in the innards, the crop, and intestines that came out

Overview

This amud opens by finishing the previous discussion: a bird's brain membrane is checked with a wheat straw, and רב שיזבי rules that our geese are treated like water birds. Next comes the משנה's case of a bird that fell into fire. Any amount of greening of the innards makes it a טרפה, and a liver that turned green facing the intestines is a טרפה because it shows the intestines were singed. Two stories teach that the color rule is about change: green is bad only in the naturally red organs (gizzard, heart, liver), and naturally green organs that turned red are also a טרפה. Boiling can reveal whether a color change was only smoke or a real burn, but the גמרא rejects רב אשי's demand to always boil, since we do not presume a defect. A trampled or slammed bird must be checked. A new משנה then lists injuries that leave a bird kosher, and the גמרא discusses רבי's view on a removed crop (ending in תיקו) and the 'roof' of the crop, which is treated like the ושט. Finally, intestines that came out are kosher only if not put back in the wrong order, based on 'הוא עשך ויכוננך', and a story about a man whose intestines came out begins and continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

בְּגִילָא דְּחִיטְּתָא.

With a wheat straw.

אָמַר רַב שֵׁיזְבִי:

Rav Sheizvi said:

הָנֵי אֲוָוזֵי דִּידַן

These geese of ours

כְּעוֹף שֶׁל מַיִם דָּמְיָין.

are considered like water birds.

The steps (30)

  1. ResponseChecking the membrane with a wheat straw
  2. StatementOur geese count as water birds
  3. StatementAny amount of greening is like any size hole
  4. QuestionA liver that turned green facing the intestines
  5. ResponseThe bird is a טרפה
  6. ChallengeIt should be no worse than a removed liver
  7. ResolutionThe green liver shows the intestines were singed
  8. StatementA green-innards hen is ruled kosher
  9. ChallengeBut the משנה says green is unfit
  10. ResolutionGreen is unfit only in the gizzard, heart and liver
  11. ProofA ברייתא says the same thing
  12. StatementA red-innards hen is ruled a טרפה
  13. ChallengeBut the משנה says red is kosher
  14. ResolutionAny change from an organ's natural color is a טרפה
  15. StatementGreen that turns red again after boiling is kosher
  16. StatementRed that turns green after boiling is a טרפה
  17. Statementרב אשי: always boil before eating
  18. RejectionWe do not assume a defect
  19. StatementA trampled or slammed bird needs checking
  20. StatementThe משנה lists bird injuries that leave it kosher
  21. StatementTwo sages ruled on a removed womb like רבי on the crop
  22. QuestionWas it two rulings or one comparison?
  23. ConclusionThe question stays unresolved
  24. StatementThe roof of the crop is treated like the gullet
  25. QuestionWhere exactly is the roof of the crop?
  26. ResponseThe roof is whatever stretches along with the gullet
  27. StatementIntestines put back in the wrong order make the bird a טרפה
  28. ProofThe פסוק proving each organ has a fixed place
  29. Statementרבי מאיר: the Jewish people is a complete city
  30. StatementA story begins: a Roman sees a man whose intestines came out