Chullin — Daf 127a

ת"ל (ויקרא יא, כט) השורץ כל מקום ששורץ

או אינו אלא השורץ (יכול) כל המשריץ יטמא שאין משריץ לא יטמא אוציא עכבר שחציו בשר וחציו אדמה שאין פרה ורבה

ודין הוא טימא בחולדה וטימא בעכבר מה חולדה כל ששמה חולדה אף עכבר כל ששמו עכבר אביא עכבר שחציו בשר וחציו אדמה

או כלך לדרך זו מה חולדה פרה ורבה אף עכבר פרה ורבה ת"ל (ויקרא יא, כט) בשרץ

אמר ליה ההוא מדרבנן לרבא אימא בשרץ לאתויי עכבר שחציו בשר וחציו אדמה השורץ כל שהוא שורץ ואפילו עכבר שבים ואי משום על הארץ על הארץ יטמא ירד לים לא יטמא

אמר ליה ומאחר דשויתיה לים מקום טומאה מה לי הכא מה לי הכא

והאי על הארץ מיבעי ליה להוציא ספק טומאה צפה דא"ר יצחק בר אבדימי על הארץ להוציא ספק טומאה צפה

תרתי על הארץ כתיבי

ת"ר (ויקרא יא, כט) הצב למינהו להביא הערוד וכן הנפילים וסלמנדרא

וכשהיה ר"ע מגיע לפסוק זה אומר (תהלים קד, כד) מה רבו מעשיך ה' יש לך בריות גדלות בים ויש לך בריות גדלות ביבשה שבים אילמלי עולות ביבשה מיד מתות שביבשה אילמלי יורדות לים מיד מתות

יש לך בריות גדלות באור ויש לך בריות גדלות באויר שבאור אילמלי עולות לאויר מיד מתות שבאויר אילמלי יורדות לאור מיד מתות מה רבו מעשיך ה'

תנו רבנן כל שיש ביבשה יש בים חוץ מן החולדה אמר ר' זירא מאי קראה (תהלים מט, ב) האזינו כל יושבי חלד

אמר רב הונא בריה דרב יהושע ביברי דנרש אינן מן הישוב

אמר רב פפא בשמתא נרש תרביה משכיה ואליתיה (ירמיהו כב, כט) ארץ ארץ ארץ שמעי דבר ה' אמר רב פפא לא אבה נרש שמוע דבר ה'

אמר רב גידל אמר רב נרשאה נשקיך מני ככיך נהר פקודאה לוייך מגלימא שפירא דחזי עלך פומבדיתאה לוייך אשני אושפיזך

אמר רב הונא בר תורתא פעם אחת הלכתי לוועד וראיתי נחש שהוא כרוך על הצב לימים יצא ערוד מביניהם

וכשבאתי לפני ר' שמעון החסיד אמר לי אמר הקב"ה הם הביאו בריה שלא בראתי בעולמי אף אני אביא עליהם בריה שלא בראתי בעולמי

והאמר מר כל שתשמישן ועיבורן שוה יולדין ומגדלין זה מזה וכל שאין תשמישן ועיבורן שוה אין יולדין ומגדלין זה מזה

אמר רב נס בתוך נס האי פורענותא הוא מאי נס בתוך נס לפורענות:

מתני׳ האבר והבשר המדולדלין בבהמה מטמאין טומאת אוכלין במקומן וצריכין הכשר

The text therefore teaches: That creep1 signifies, wherever it creeps2 [it renders unclean]. But perhaps it is not so but that the expression ‘that creep’ signifies, all that breed3 can render unclean, but those that do not breed cannot render unclean, and so I would exclude the mouse which is half flesh and half earth since it does not breed.4 There is, however, a good argument [against this]: [Scripture] declared the weasel unclean and the mouse unclean, therefore as the weasel refers to all that bear the name weasel, so the mouse refers to all that bear the name mouse, and [in this way] I include the mouse which is half flesh and half earth. Or you might argue in this way: As the weasel breeds so the mouse [includes all species that] breed, [and so I would exclude the mouse which is half flesh and half earth]! The text therefore teaches. Among the creeping things. 5 A certain Rabbi said to Raba: Perhaps the expression ‘among the creeping things’ includes the mouse which is half flesh and half earth, and the expression ‘that creep’ signifies all that creep, thus including the sea-mouse, and as for the expression ‘upon the earth’, it would be interpreted as follows: While upon earth it6 can render unclean, but if it went down into the sea it cannot render anything unclean? — He replied: Since you regard the sea as a place of uncleanness, then it is all one, whether here or there.7 But is not the expression ‘upon the earth’ required to exclude a floating uncleanness where there is a doubt [concerning contact]?8 For R. Isaac b. Abdimi stated: The expression ‘upon the earth’ excludes a floating uncleanness concerning which there is a doubt! — ‘Upon the earth’ is written twice.9 Our Rabbis taught: The toad after its kind,10 includes the ‘arod,11 the ben-nephilin,12 and the salamander.13 When R. Akiba read this verse he used to say: ‘How manifold are Thy works, O Lord!14 Thou hast creatures that live in the sea and Thou hast creatures that live upon the dry land; if those of the sea were to come up upon the dry land they would straightway die, and if those of the dry land were to go down into the sea they would straightway die. Thou hast creatures that live in fire and Thou hast creatures that live in the air; if those of the fire were to come up into the air they would straightway die, and if those of the air were to go down into the fire they would straightway die. How manifold are Thy works, O Lord!’ Our Rabbis taught: Every creature that is on the dry land is also to be found in the sea, excepting the weasel. R. Zera said: Where is there proof for this from Scripture? Give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world.15 R. Huna the son of R. Joshua said. The beavers around Naresh16 are not land [creatures].17 R. Papa said. The ban upon Naresh, its fat, its hide, and its tail! 18 O Land, land, land, hear the word of the Lord.19 Said R. Papa. Yet the inhabitants of Naresh would not hear the word of the Lord. R. Giddal said in the name of Rab, If an inhabitant of Naresh has kissed you then count your teeth.20 If a man of Nehar Pekod accompanies you it is because of the fine garments he sees on you.21 If a Pumbedithan accompanies you then change your quarters.22 R. Huna b. Torta said: I once went to Wa'ad23 and saw a snake wrapped round a toad; after some days there came forth an ‘arod from between them. When I came before R. Simeon the pious, [and related this to him,] he said to me: The Holy One, blessed be He, said: They have produced a new creature which I had not created into my world, I too will bring upon them a creature which I had not created in my world.24 (But has not a Master said,25 All creatures whose manner of copulation is the same and whose period of gestation is the same can bear young from each other and suckle each other, but all creatures whose manner of copulation is not the same and whose period of gestation is not the same cannot bear young from each other nor suckle each other?26 — Rab said: It was a miracle within a miracle.27 But this is for chastisement!28 — It was a micracle29 within a miracle even for chastisement!) MISHNAH. LIMBS30 OR PIECES OF FLESH WHICH HANG LOOSE FROM THE [LIVING] ANIMAL ARE RENDERED UNCLEAN IN RESPECT OF FOOD UNCLEANNESS WHILST THEY ARE IN THEIR PLACE.31 AND REQUIRE TO BE RENDERED SUSCEPTIBLE TO UNCLEANNESS.32 the sea and there came into contact with some object. Consequently the term ‘upon the earth’ must be explained with regard to species, thus only land species can render unclean but not the sea species. creature is the product of copulation of the sexes, which is not the case with the mouse that is generated by the earth itself. In some MSS. of Rashi this explanation is not found. have fallen into the sea, cannot render anything unclean. unclean, there is no sufficient reason, indeed it is illogical to limit such uncleanness to the time when it creeps upon the land. with some object, even if the doubt arose in a private domain (in which case the established rule is that the state of doubt is resolved according to its more stringent aspect. i.e., unclean), the object remains clean. This is deduced from the strict interpretation of the expression ‘upon the earth’. V. Nazir 64a. pp. 241-2. (holed). The world (heled) is the specific habitation of the weasel (holed), for the latter is not to be found in the sea. Naresh are not fit for human society’ (i.e., they are in every way wicked, see following statement of R. Papa). Accordingly Bibri (Be-Bari) is taken as the town close to Naresh; cf. ‘Er. 56a and Sot. 10a. V. Tosaf. a.l., and Lewysohn, op. cit. p. 98. [Obermeyer p. 308 renders: Be-Bari and Naresh are not accounted as (inhabited) settlements. They are, that is, sparsely inhabited and infested consequently with wild animals.1 The fat, the hide, and the tail, indicate the various sections of the community. ‘a forest’. years, cf. Bek. 8a, consequently they cannot be crossed. men and vessels like a carcass, whereas a piece of flesh entirely severed from the animal has no uncleanness whatsoever, v. infra 128b. they are in this respect regarded as detached from the animal, provided they were expressly intended to serve as food (for a gentile, cf. ‘Uk. III, 2), so as to contract uncleanness like ordinary foodstuffs and also to convey it. loose.