Chullin 57a

חולין נ״ז ע״א

Learn Chullin 57a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Broken and dislocated limbs in birds and animals, whether a bird's lung can make it טריפה, and רב's rulings on a dislocated thigh

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a story about a man whose insides came out and who still survived. Then it returns to the משנה's case of a bird with broken legs: רבא checks such birds at the צומת הגידין and rules them כשר. רב lists which dislocated limbs make an animal or bird טריפה. For a dislocated wing, he worries the lung was punctured, while שמואל and רבי יוחנן say to check it. חזקיה says a bird has no lung, and רבי יוחנן says it does. The גמרא tries several softer readings of חזקיה, but in the end concludes he simply was not familiar with chickens. Next come two opposite reports of רב on a bird with a dislocated thigh. רב הונא explains that each place follows its own custom. A story with רבי אבא and רב ירמיה בר אבא then shows that רב distinguished a thigh that slipped out (כשרה) from one that was cut (פסולה). Finally, in ארץ ישראל, רבי אבא hears רבי זירא quote רב as saying טריפה, and his reply continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (24)

1. StatementEnd of the story: the father faints and is sewn up
2. Statementרבא checks a basket of birds with broken legs
3. Statementרב's rulings on dislocated limbs
4. Statementשמואל and רבי יוחנן: check the lung
5. StatementDoes a bird have a lung?
6. QuestionWhat did חזקיה mean?
7. RejectionIt can't mean birds have no lung at all
8. ResponseMaybe he means a lung problem doesn't make a bird טריפה
9. ChallengeLevi's ברייתא: bird טריפות match animal טריפות
10. ResolutionA new reading: the lung does not need checking after a fall or burning
11. ResponseWhy the lung needs no checking: the ribs protect it
12. Challengeרבי יוחנן's reply shows חזקיה meant there is no lung at all
13. Conclusionחזקיה simply was not familiar with chickens
14. StatementA dislocated thigh in a bird is kosher
15. ChallengeA conflicting report from פומבדיתא says it is טריפה
16. ResolutionEach place follows its own custom
17. ChallengeWhy check the צומת הגידין if a dislocated thigh is kosher?
18. ResolutionThe משנה and רב say the צומת הגידין rule applies to birds too
19. Challengeרב's two rulings seem to contradict each other
20. ResolutionSilence, then a suggested distinction between slipped out and cut
21. Proofרב said the distinction explicitly
22. ResolutionDo not be surprised: where and how you cut matters
23. StatementIn ארץ ישראל, רבי זירא quotes רב that a dislocated thigh is טריפה
24. Challengeרבי אבא begins to respond to רבי זירא