Chullin 69b

חולין ס״ט ע״ב

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Topic

The source for permitting a fetus through its mother's שחיטה, and when a בכור becomes holy during birth

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a discussion of which פסוק permits a fetus found inside a slaughtered animal. Under the "hoof" reading, a dove-shaped fetus is forbidden because it has no hooves. A fetus with uncloven hooves is still permitted, because דבי רבי ישמעאל reads "פרסה" as enough by itself. רב שימי בר אשי instead keeps the first source, "בהמה בבהמה". He explains that the משנה forbidding תמורה of fetuses follows רבי שמעון, who compares תמורה to מעשר בהמה. The גמרא tries to prove this attribution from רבי יוסי's argument and a ברייתא about declaring an animal's leg an עולה. It then rejects the proof, since רבי יוסי may only be explaining his own view. A new משנה teaches that a firstborn stuck during birth may be cut up and thrown to the dogs, but once most of it is out it is holy and must be buried. רב הונא holds that a בכור's holiness works backwards (למפרע), and רבה holds that it starts only once most of it is out (מכאן ולהבא). They apply these views to a partial sale to a גוי and to a birth that was partly through the side wall. The גמרא then begins explaining why both cases are needed.

Opening lines

The steps (18)

1. ResolutionA dove-shaped fetus is forbidden because it has no hooves
2. ChallengeThen a fetus with uncloven hooves should be forbidden too
3. ResolutionThe school of רבי ישמעאל reads "a hoof" on its own
4. Resolutionרב שימי בר אשי keeps the first source and says the תמורה משנה follows רבי שמעון
5. QuestionHow do we know that משנה is רבי שמעון's view?
6. Proofרבי יוסי says naming a leg for תמורה makes the whole animal a substitute
7. QuestionWho is רבי יוסי arguing with?
8. Proofרבי מאיר and רבי יהודה say only the leg becomes holy
9. Proofרבי יוסי and רבי שמעון say the whole animal becomes holy
10. ProofSo רבי יוסי must be arguing with רבי שמעון
11. Rejectionרבי יוסי may simply be giving his own reason
12. StatementA firstborn animal stuck during birth
13. StatementSelling a partly-born firstborn to a gentile
14. Statementרב הונא: holiness works backwards
15. Statementרבה: the sale to the gentile works, so the firstborn is not holy
16. StatementThe same two sages argue in a second case: partly born through the side wall
17. StatementExplaining each side in the side-wall case
18. StatementWhy both cases are needed: the first half of the reason