Chullin

I might say that it is the same with regard to this too;1 the text therefore states: ‘And he shall give thy valuation in that day as a holy thing unto the Lord’; that is to say, it is still consecrated [in thy hand] until it reaches the hand of the Temple treasurer.2 — Rather if this statement was reported it must have been reported as follows: R. Hamnuna said: All agree that regarding vows of valuation, even though a man did not say ‘I take upon myself’, he is bound to make restitution, for it is written: ‘And he shall give thy valuation etc.’, that is to say, it is still consecrated in thy hand until it reaches the hand of the Temple treasurer. THE LAW OF COVERING UP THE BLOOD IS OF WIDER APPLICATION etc. Our Rabbis taught: It is written: If a bird's nest chance to be before thee [in the way, in any tree or on the ground].3 What does Scripture teach thereby? But because it is also written: Thou shalt in any wise let the dam go, but the young thou mayest take unto thyself,4 I might suppose that one should go searching over mountains and hills to find a nest, the text therefore states: ‘chance to be’, that is, if it happens to be before you. ‘A nest’, that is, any nest whatsoever.5 ‘A bird's’, that is, of a clean but not of an unclean bird. ‘Before thee’, that is, in a private domain.6 ‘In the way’, that is, in a public place. Whence do I know even [if found] on trees? The text states: ‘In any tree’. Whence do I know even [if found] in cisterns, ditches or caverns? The text states: ‘Or on the ground’. But since in the end we include everything, wherefore [does Scripture say], ‘Before thee in the way’? To teach you, just as on the way the nest cannot be said to be ready at your hand,7 so everywhere the nest must not be ready at your hand; hence they said, [Wild] doves of the dove-cote, and doves of the loft, and birds which made their nests in the cornices8 [in the walls] in large houses, and geese and fowls that made their nests in the open field,9 one is bound to let the dam go; but if they made their nests within a house, or in the case of Herodian doves, one is not bound to let the dam go. The Master said: ‘Just as on the way the nest cannot be said to be ready at your hand, so everywhere the nest must not be ready at your hand’. Is this [teaching] necessary? It is surely inferred from the expression ‘chance to be’ thus, ‘chance to be’, but not what is at one's disposal! Moreover, what is the significance of the expression ‘before thee’? — Rather we must say: The expression ‘before thee’ serves to include those birds that were once before you and which later broke loose; and the expression ‘in the way’ points to the teaching of Rab Judah in the name of Rab. For Rab Judah said in the name of Rab: If a man found a nest in the sea10 he is bound to let the dam go, since it is written: Thus saith the Lord, who maketh a way in the sea.11 Then, in like manner, if a man found a nest in the sky,12 inasmuch as it is written: The way of an eagle in the sky,13 he should also, should he not, be bound to let the dam go? — It [the sky] is referred to as ‘the way of an eagle’, but never simply as ‘way’. The Papunians14 asked of R. Mattenah: What if one found a nest upon a man's head? — He replied, lt is written: And earth upon his head.15 Where is Moses indicated in the Torah?16 [they asked]. — In the verse: For that he also is flesh.17 Where is Haman indicated in the Torah? — In the verse: Is it [hamin] from the tree?18 Where is Esther indicated in the Torah? — [In the verse,] And I will surely hide [asthir] my face.19 Where is Mordecai indicated in the Torah? — In the verse: Flowing myrrh,20 which the Targum renders as mira dakia.21 WHICH ARE THEY THAT ARE ‘NOT AT ONE'S DISPOSAL’? etc. R. Hiyya and R. Simeon [b. Rabbi differ]: One reads [in the Mishnah] ‘Hadresioth’, and the other reads ‘Hardesioth’. He who reads ‘Hardesioth’22 derives the word from the name of Herod; and he who reads ‘Hadresioth’ derives it from their place of origin.23 R. Kahana said: ‘I once saw them, and there were sixteen rows of them, each row extending over one mil, and they were calling out, kiri kiri.24 One, however, did not call out kiri kiri, and its neighbour said to it, ‘You blind fool, call out kiri kiri’. The other replied: ‘You blind fool, call out rather kiri keri’.25 Straightway she was taken and slaughtered. R. Ashi said: R. Hanina told me that all this was empty words. Empty words! surely not!26 — Say, rather: All this [conversation]27 was effected by magic spells.28 AN UNCLEAN BIRD ONE IS NOT BOUND TO LET GO. Whence is this derived? — R. Isaac said: From the verse: If a nest of a bird [zippor] chance to be before thee.29 Now the term ‘ ‘of’30 applies both to clean and unclean birds, but as for the term ‘zippor’, we find clean birds referred to as zippor but not unclean birds. Come and hear: It is written: The likeness of any winged zippor.31 Surely ‘zippor’ includes both clean and unclean birds, and ‘winged’ includes locusts! — No, ‘zippor’ refers only to clean birds, and ‘winged’ includes both unclean birds and locusts. Come and hear: It is written: Beasts and all cattle, creeping things and winged zippor.32 Surely ‘zippor’ includes both clean and unclean birds, and ‘winged’ includes locusts. — No, ‘zippor’ refers only to clean birds, and ‘winged’ includes both unclean birds and locusts. Come and hear: It is written: Every zippor of every sort.33 Surely the interpretation is as suggested in the above objection! — No, it is as suggested in the above reply. Come and hear: It is written: And thou, son of man, [thus saith the Lord God]: Speak unto the zippor of every sort.34 Surely the interpretation is as suggested in the above objection! — No, it is as suggested in the above reply. Come and hear: R. Hamnuna. unguarded or has no fences round it. Cf. B.M. 11a. 124, nn. 3-4. likewise a nest upon a man's head is also looked upon as on the ground, and so the law of letting the dam go applies. the name of Moses even in Genesis, the First Book of Moses. Moreover this verse adds: Therefore shall his days be a hundred and twenty years, which corresponds with the years of the life of Moses. which Haman was hanged; cf. Esth. VII, 10. sound. The verse in general foretells the many evils and troubles that shall befall Israel when they forsake the ways of God, and this was the case at the time of Esther, cf. Meg. 12a. sound resemble hfsrn, Mordecai.