Chullin 60a
חולין ס׳ ע״א
Learn Chullin 60a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.
Open Chullin 60a in Gemara Clarity
Topic
Stories of רבי יהושע בן חנניה and the קיסר, רב יהודה's teachings about bulls and אדם הראשון's bull, and creation made complete
Overview
The amud opens with stories of רבי יהושע בן חנניה answering the Roman קיסר and his daughter. The קיסר cannot look at the sun, so he certainly cannot see the שכינה. His feast for God is swept away by wind and rain, which are only God's 'cleaning staff.' The קיסר's daughter mocks God as a carpenter and asks for a distaff. She is struck with צרעת and receives the distaff Rome gave every leper, and God does not take it back. The גמרא then brings teachings of רב יהודה about bulls: what a normal bull looks like, and how the bull of אדם הראשון had one horn and had its horns appear before its hooves. This supports רבי יהושע בן לוי, who says all of creation was made fully grown, with full understanding. רבי חנינא בר פפא adds that the grasses reasoned on their own to grow by their kinds, and the angel of the world praised ה׳. The amud ends as רבינא begins a question about grafting two grasses together, which continues on the next amud.
Opening lines
חָזֵינָא לֵיהּ.
I want to see Him.
אֲזַל אוֹקְמֵיהּ לַהֲדֵי יוֹמָא
He went and stood him facing the sun
בִּתְקוּפַת תַּמּוּז,
in the season of Tammuz.
אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אִיסְתַּכַּל בֵּיהּ.
He said to him: Look at it.
The steps (18)
- ResponseThe emperor cannot even look at the sun
- StatementThe emperor wants to make a feast for God
- ConclusionWind and rain sweep away the feast
- ChallengeThe emperor's daughter mocks God as a carpenter
- ResponseShe is struck with צרעת and receives a distaff
- ConclusionThe daughter sits with her distaff, and God does not take back
- StatementWhat a normal bull looks like, and a donkey is the opposite
- QuestionWhy does this description matter?
- ResponseIt matters for buying and selling
- Statementאדם הראשון's bull had one horn
- ChallengeBut 'horns' means two
- ResolutionThe spelling shows one horn
- StatementThe bull's horns came before its hooves
- ProofThe bull supports the idea that creation was made fully grown
- StatementThe angel's verse and the grasses' reasoning begins
- StatementThe grasses' two-part reasoning
- ConclusionThe grasses grow by kind and the angel praises ה׳
- Questionרבינא's case: grafting two grasses together