Chullin 71a

חולין ע״א ע״א

Learn Chullin 71a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Chullin 71a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

The two categories בְּהֵמָה (domesticated animal) and חַיָּה (wild animal) include each other in the Torah's language, as רבי ישמעאל taught. The גמרא finds the פסוקים for this and begins explaining what each inclusion is for.

Overview

The amud opens at the end of רבי ישמעאל's teaching that in the Torah's language the words בהמה and חיה include each other, and בן עזאי wishes he had served him. The גמרא finds a פסוק for each direction, one in דברים and one in ויקרא. It then explains what each inclusion is used for: the kosher signs, the ban on mating different kinds, רבי's גזירה שוה showing that ויקרא 5:2 is about טומאת קודש, and the laws of a miscarried fetus. That last use follows רבי מאיר in a משנה from נדה; the חכמים say only a human-shaped fetus counts as a birth. The גמרא then explains that the רבנן of our משנה use all of ויקרא 5:2 for רבי's teaching. A new משנה rules that a midwife who touches a dead fetus inside its mother becomes טמא for seven days, but the mother stays טהור until the fetus comes out. רבה teaches that swallowed impurity does not make things impure, and swallowed purity cannot become impure. The גמרא proves the first half from someone who ate נבלה just before sunset, and defends the proof for both רבי יוחנן and בר פדא. It then starts a קל וחומר from a sealed clay vessel to prove the second half, which finishes on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (26)

1. StatementDomesticated and wild animals are counted together, for non-kosher and kosher alike
2. Statementבן עזאי wishes he had learned from רבי ישמעאל
3. QuestionWhere do we learn that a wild animal is called a domesticated animal
4. ResponseThe Torah lists deer and gazelle under the heading 'בהמה'
5. QuestionWhere do we learn that a domesticated animal is called a wild animal
6. ResponseThe Torah says 'these are the חיה' and then speaks of בהמה
7. StatementIncluding kosher wild animals under kosher domesticated animals teaches the kosher signs
8. StatementNon-kosher wild animals are included in the mating ban
9. StatementNon-kosher domestic animals are included for רבי's teaching
10. Questionרבי asks why the verse mentions בהמה at all
11. ResponseA גזירה שוה shows the verse is about טומאת קודש
12. StatementThe last inclusion is for the laws of formation
13. ProofThe משנה about a woman who miscarries an animal-shaped fetus
14. ProofThe חכמים say only a human-shaped fetus counts as a birth
15. QuestionWhy do the רבנן need this verse?
16. ResponseThe whole verse comes for רבי's teaching
17. StatementA midwife who touches a dead fetus inside the mother
18. Statementרבה's rule: enclosed impurity and enclosed purity
19. QuestionWhat is the source that swallowed impurity does not spread?
20. ResponseProof from someone who eats נבלה close to sunset
21. RejectionMaybe the swallowed נבלה is just no longer fit for a גר
22. ResolutionThe proof still works according to רבי יוחנן
23. ChallengeDoes the proof still work according to בר פדא?
24. ResolutionSwallowed food is still fit if you did not see it swallowed
25. QuestionWhere do we learn that swallowed purity cannot become impure?
26. ResponseStarting a קל וחומר from a sealed clay vessel