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Chullin 87a

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Babylonian Talmud · folio map

Chullin 87a

Chullin 87a. The full printed text of this folio side — 14 numbered segments, about 369 words — with the classic commentaries printed on the page.

Original text

Segment 1

הָכִי הַשְׁתָּא?! הָתָם מִשְׁתֵּא וּבָרוֹכֵי בַּהֲדֵי הֲדָדֵי לָא אֶפְשָׁר, הָכָא אֶפְשָׁר דְּשָׁחֵיט בַּחֲדָא וּמְכַסֵּי בַּחֲדָא.

The Gemara rejects this: How can these cases be compared? There, in the incident involving the students of Rav, it is impossible to drink and recite a blessing simultaneously. Accordingly, by requesting a cup over which to recite the blessing of Grace after Meals, they demonstrated their desire to cease drinking. Here, when one covers the blood of the undomesticated animal before slaughtering the bird, it is possible to slaughter the bird with the one hand and cover the blood of the undomesticated animal with the other one. Accordingly, the act of covering the blood of the undomesticated animal is not considered an interruption of the acts of slaughter, since they could have been performed simultaneously.

Segment 2

מַתְנִי׳ שָׁחַט וְלֹא כִּסָּה, וְרָאָהוּ אַחֵר – חַיָּיב לְכַסּוֹת. כִּסָּהוּ וְנִתְגַּלָּה – פָּטוּר מִלְּכַסּוֹת. (כִּסָּהוּ) [כִּסַּתּוּ] הָרוּחַ – חַיָּיב לְכַסּוֹת.

MISHNA: If one slaughtered an undomesticated animal or bird and did not cover the blood, and another person saw the uncovered blood, the second person is obligated to cover the blood. If one covered the blood and it was then uncovered, he is exempt from covering it again. If the wind blew earth on the blood and covered it, and it was consequently uncovered, he is obligated to cover the blood.

Segment 3

גְּמָ׳ תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: ״וְשָׁפַךְ וְכִסָּה״ – מִי שֶׁשָּׁפַךְ יְכַסֶּה. שָׁחַט וְלֹא כִּסָּה, וְרָאָהוּ אַחֵר, מִנַּיִן שֶׁחַיָּיב לְכַסּוֹת? שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וָאֹמַר לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל״ – אַזְהָרָה לְכׇל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.

GEMARA: The Sages taught in a baraita : The verse states: “And he shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth” (Leviticus 17:13), indicating that the one who poured out its blood, i.e., slaughtered the animal, shall cover it. If one slaughtered the animal or bird and did not cover the blood, and another person saw the uncovered blood, from where is it derived that the person who saw the blood is obligated to cover it? It is derived from the following verse, as it is stated: “Therefore I said to the children of Israel” (Leviticus 17:12), which is a warning to all the children of Israel to fulfill the mitzva of covering the blood.

Segment 4

תַּנְיָא אִידַּךְ: ״וְשָׁפַךְ וְכִסָּה״, בַּמֶּה שֶׁשָּׁפַךְ – בּוֹ יְכַסֶּה, שֶׁלֹּא יְכַסֶּנּוּ בָּרֶגֶל, שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיוּ מִצְוֹת בְּזוּיוֹת עָלָיו. תַּנְיָא אִידַּךְ: ״וְשָׁפַךְ וְכִסָּה״, מִי שֶׁשָּׁפַךְ – הוּא יְכַסֶּנּוּ. מַעֲשֶׂה בְּאֶחָד שֶׁשָּׁחַט, וְקָדַם חֲבֵירוֹ וְכִסָּה, וְחִיְּיבוֹ רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל לִיתֵּן לוֹ עֲשָׂרָה זְהוּבִים.

It is taught in another baraita : The verse states: “And he shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth,” indicating that with that which he poured out the blood he shall cover it, i.e., he must use his hand, and he may not cover it with his foot, so that mitzvot will not be contemptible to him. It is taught in another baraita : The verse states: “And he shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth,” indicating that the one who poured out the blood shall cover it. An incident occurred involving one who slaughtered an undomesticated animal or bird and another individual preempted him and covered the blood, and Rabban Gamliel deemed him obligated to give ten gold coins to the one who performed the act of slaughter.

Segment 5

אִיבַּעְיָא לְהוּ: שְׂכַר מִצְוָה אוֹ שְׂכַר בְּרָכָה? לְמַאי נָפְקָא מִינַּהּ? לְבִרְכַּת הַמָּזוֹן. אִי אָמְרַתְּ שְׂכַר מִצְוָה – אַחַת הִיא, וְאִי אָמְרַתְּ שְׂכַר בְּרָכָה – הָוְיָין אַרְבָּעִים. מַאי?

A dilemma was raised before the Sages: Are these ten gold coins compensation for the stolen mitzva or are they compensation for the stolen blessing recited over the mitzva? The Gemara elaborates: What is the practical difference? The difference is with regard to a similar case involving Grace after Meals. If you say the coins are compensation for the mitzva, then with regard to Grace after Meals, since all its blessings constitute one mitzva, one would be obligated to give only ten gold coins. But if you say they are compensation for the lost blessing, then with regard to Grace after Meals the compensation is forty gold coins, since Grace after Meals comprises four blessings. What is the conclusion?

Segment 6

תָּא שְׁמַע, דַּאֲמַר לֵיהּ הָהוּא מִינָא לְרַבִּי: מִי שֶׁיָּצַר הָרִים לֹא בָּרָא רוּחַ, וּמִי שֶׁבָּרָא רוּחַ לֹא יָצַר הָרִים, דִּכְתִיב: ״כִּי הִנֵּה יוֹצֵר הָרִים וּבֹרֵא רוּחַ״. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: שׁוֹטֶה, שְׁפֵיל לְסֵיפֵיהּ דִּקְרָא – ״ה׳ צְבָאוֹת שְׁמוֹ״.

The Gemara suggests: Come and hear a proof from an incident in which a certain heretic said to Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi: He who created mountains did not create wind, and he who created wind did not create mountains; rather, each was created by a separate deity, as it is written: “For behold, He Who forms the mountains and He Who creates the wind” (Amos 4:13), indicating that there are two deities: One who forms the mountains and one who creates the wind. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said to him: Imbecile, go to the end of the verse, which states: “The Lord, the God of hosts, is His name.” The verse emphasizes that God is the One Who both forms and creates.

Segment 7

אֲמַר לֵיהּ: נְקוֹט לִי זִימְנָא תְּלָתָא יוֹמֵי וּמַהְדַּרְנָא לָךְ תְּיוּבְתָּא. יְתֵיב רַבִּי תְּלָת תַּעֲנִיָּתָא. כִּי הֲוָה קָא בָּעֵי מִיבְרָא, אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: מִינָא קָאֵי אַבָּבָא. אֲמַר: ״וַיִּתְּנוּ בְּבָרוּתִי רוֹשׁ וְגוֹ׳״.

The heretic said to Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi: Give me three days’ time and I will respond to you with a rebuttal of your claim. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi sat and fasted three days of fasting while awaiting the heretic, in order that he would not find a rebuttal. When Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi wanted to have a meal at the conclusion of those three days, they said to him: That heretic is standing at the doorway. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi recited the following verse about himself: “They put gall into my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink” (Psalms 69:22), i.e., my meal is embittered with the presence of this heretic.

Segment 8

אֲמַר לֵיהּ: רַבִּי, מְבַשֵּׂר טוֹבוֹת אֲנִי לָךְ, לֹא מָצָא תְּשׁוּבָה אוֹיִבְךָ וְנָפַל מִן הַגָּג וָמֵת. אָמַר לוֹ: רְצוֹנְךָ שֶׁתִּסְעוֹד אֶצְלִי? אָמַר לוֹ: הֵן. לְאַחַר שֶׁאָכְלוּ וְשָׁתוּ, אָמַר לוֹ: כּוֹס שֶׁל בְּרָכָה אַתָּה שׁוֹתֶה אוֹ אַרְבָּעִים זְהוּבִים אַתָּה נוֹטֵל? אָמַר לוֹ: כּוֹס שֶׁל בְּרָכָה אֲנִי שׁוֹתֶה. יָצְתָה בַּת קוֹל וְאָמְרָה: כּוֹס שֶׁל בְּרָכָה שָׁוֶה אַרְבָּעִים זְהוּבִים.

When Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi came to the door he saw that it was in fact a different heretic, not the one who asked for three days to prepare a rebuttal. This heretic said to him: Rabbi, I am a bearer of good tidings for you: Your enemy did not find a response, and he threw himself from the roof and died. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said to the heretic: Since you have brought me good tidings, would you like to dine with me? The heretic said to him: Yes. After they ate and drank, Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said to the heretic: Would you like to drink the cup of blessing, i.e., the cup of wine over which the Grace after Meals is recited, or would you like to take forty gold coins instead, and I will recite the Grace after Meals? The heretic said to him: I will drink the cup of blessing. A Divine Voice emerged and said: The cup of blessing is worth forty gold coins. Evidently, each one of the blessings in the Grace after Meals is worth ten gold coins.

Segment 9

אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק: עֲדַיִין יֶשְׁנָהּ לְאוֹתָהּ מִשְׁפָּחָה בֵּין גְּדוֹלֵי רוֹמִי, וְקוֹרְאִין אוֹתָהּ מִשְׁפַּחַת בַּר לוּיָאנוּס.

The Gemara adds: Rabbi Yitzḥak says: That family of the heretic who dined with Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi still exists among the prominent families of Rome, and that family is called: The family of bar Luyyanus.

Segment 10

כִּסָּהוּ וְנִתְגַּלָּה. אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַב אַחָא בְּרֵיהּ דְּרָבָא לְרַב אָשֵׁי: מַאי שְׁנָא מֵהֲשָׁבַת אֲבֵדָה, דְּאָמַר מָר: ״הָשֵׁב״ – אֲפִילּוּ מֵאָה פְּעָמִים.

§ The mishna teaches that if one covered the blood and it was then uncovered he is not obligated to cover it again. Rav Aḥa, son of Rava, said to Rav Ashi: What is different about this case from the mitzva of returning a lost item, where the Master said: The verse states with regard to the obligation to return a lost item: “You shall return them to your brother” (Deuteronomy 22:1), even one hundred times?

Segment 11

אֲמַר לֵיהּ: הָתָם לָא כְּתִיב מִיעוּטָא, הָכָא כְּתִיב מִיעוּטָא ״וְכִסָּהוּ״.

Rav Ashi said to Rav Aḥa: There, in the verse discussing the obligation to return a lost item, a restriction is not written in the verse to limit the obligation. Here, in the verse discussing the obligation to cover the blood, a restriction is written, as the verse states: “And he shall cover it.” The usage of the term “it” indicates that one must cover the blood only one time.

Segment 12

כִּסָּהוּ הָרוּחַ. אָמַר רַבָּה בַּר בַּר חָנָה אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: לֹא שָׁנוּ אֶלָּא שֶׁחָזַר וְנִתְגַּלָּה, אֲבָל לֹא חָזַר וְנִתְגַּלָּה – פָּטוּר מִלְּכַסּוֹת. וְכִי חָזַר וְנִתְגַּלָּה מַאי הָוֵי? הָא אִידְּחִי לֵיהּ! אָמַר רַב פָּפָּא: זֹאת אוֹמֶרֶת אֵין דִּיחוּי אֵצֶל מִצְוֹת.

§ The mishna teaches that if the wind blew earth on the blood and covered it one is obligated to cover the blood. Rabba bar bar Ḥana says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says: They taught this halakha only if the blood was again uncovered. But if the blood was not again uncovered one is exempt from the obligation to cover it. The Gemara asks: And when the blood was again uncovered, what of it? Isn’t it already rejected from the mitzva of covering since it was covered by the wind? Rav Pappa said: That is to say that there is no permanent rejection with regard to mitzvot. Although the wind covered the blood, the mitzva to cover it was not rendered null; rather, the mitzva simply could not be performed. Consequently, once the blood is again uncovered, the mitzva to cover the blood remains in place.

Segment 13

וּמַאי שְׁנָא מֵהָא דְּתַנְיָא: הַשּׁוֹחֵט וְנִבְלַע דָּם בַּקַּרְקַע – חַיָּיב לְכַסּוֹת. הָתָם כְּשֶׁרִשּׁוּמוֹ נִיכָּר.

The Gemara asks: But even if the wind covered the blood and it remained covered, why is one exempt from performing the mitzva of covering the blood? What is different about this case from that which is taught in a baraita : In a case where one slaughters an undomesticated animal or a bird and its blood is absorbed by the ground, one is obligated to cover the blood? The Gemara responds: There, the baraita is referring to a case where the impression of the blood is still recognizable, i.e., it was not entirely absorbed in the ground.

Segment 14

מַתְנִי׳ דָּם שֶׁנִּתְעָרֵב בְּמַיִם, אִם יֵשׁ בּוֹ מַרְאִית דָּם – חַיָּיב לְכַסּוֹת. נִתְעָרֵב בְּיַיִן – רוֹאִין אוֹתוֹ כְּאִילּוּ הוּא מַיִם. נִתְעָרֵב בְּדַם הַבְּהֵמָה

MISHNA: In a case of the blood of an undomesticated animal or bird that was mixed with water, if there is in the mixture the appearance of blood one is obligated to cover it. If the blood was mixed with wine one views the wine as though it is water, and if a mixture with that amount of water would have the appearance of blood one is obligated to cover it. Likewise, if the blood of an undomesticated animal or a bird was mixed with the blood of a domesticated animal, which one does not have to cover,

Chullin 87a

Chullin 87a

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