Gemara Clarity

Chullin 88a

חולין פ״ח ע״א

Learn Chullin 88a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Chullin 88a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Liquids from impure sources (a זב versus a מת), and the laws of כיסוי הדם: which blood must be covered and with what materials

Overview

The גמרא finishes a teaching about liquids that come out of a טבול יום and out of other impure sources. It explains that 'major' sources means a זב, not a מת. It also explains why the רבנן made a גזירה about liquids from a זב but not from a מת: people stay away from a corpse on their own. Then the גמרא turns to כיסוי הדם. Two ברייתות discuss blood that spurted or stayed on the knife, and the גמרא shows that the רבנן, רבי יהודה and רבן שמעון בן גמליאל each read the word 'דמו' differently. A new משנה lists which materials may be used to cover the blood: fine, earth-like material, or in רבן שמעון בן גמליאל's words, anything plants can grow in. The גמרא defines 'fine sand' with a potter test, in two versions, and shows how the versions differ. Finally, a ברייתא learns from 'בעפר' that stones and an upside-down vessel are not allowed. It begins asking which other fine materials are included, and that question continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

וְאֵלּוּ וָאֵלּוּ אֵין מְטַמְּאִין,

And both these and those do not impart impurity,

וּשְׁאָר כׇּל הַטְּמֵאִין,

And all other impure sources,

בֵּין קַלִּין בֵּין חֲמוּרִין –

whether minor or major —

מַשְׁקִין הַיּוֹצְאִין מֵהֶן

liquids that come out of them

The steps (20)

  1. StatementLiquids from a טבול יום versus liquids from other impure sources
  2. ChallengeDoes 'major' mean a corpse?
  3. Resolution'Major' means a זב
  4. QuestionWhy a גזירה for a זב but not for a מת?
  5. ResponsePeople stay away from a corpse but not from a זב
  6. StatementBlood that spurted or stayed on the knife must be covered
  7. Statementרבי יהודה: only when there is no other blood
  8. StatementAnother ברייתא: all the blood must be covered
  9. Statementרבן שמעון בן גמליאל limits the rule to when the main blood was not covered
  10. QuestionWhat is the root of their disagreement?
  11. ResponseThree ways to read the word 'דמו'
  12. Statementמשנה: what may and may not be used to cover the blood
  13. Statementרבן שמעון בן גמליאל's general rule: anything plants grow in
  14. QuestionWhat counts as 'fine sand'?
  15. ResponseFine sand is sand a potter does not need to crush
  16. StatementA second version: רבי יוחנן was defining 'coarse sand'
  17. QuestionWhat is the difference between the two versions?
  18. ResponseThe difference is sand that only crumbles by hand
  19. StatementThe פסוק excludes stones and an upside-down vessel
  20. QuestionWhich other fine materials are included beyond earth?