חולין 47 — Soncino English Talmud

¹Raba further said: If two cysts are contiguous, no examination thereof can avail. If one cyst appears like two, we must take a thorn and burst it; if [the mucous] runs from one into the other, it is clear that there is here only one cyst, and it is permitted, but if not, there are here two distinct cysts [which are contiguous], and it is trefah. Raba further said: The lungs have five lobes, three on the right side and two on the left [that is, when held up with] the front facing the examiner. If there was one lobe missing or one too many, or if the number of lobes was transposed, the animal is trefah. There once was brought before Meremar [a pair of lungs with] an additional lobe. R. Aha who was sitting at the entrance [of Meremar's house] asked [the butcher as he was leaving], ‘What did he say about it’? He replied: ‘He declared it to be permitted’. ‘Then take it in to him again’, said R. Aha. Whereupon Meremar said: ‘Go, tell him that sits at the door that the law is not in accordance with Raba in the case of an additional lobe’. This is the rule, however, only if the additional lobe was in line with the other lobes, but if it was interjacent between the lungs, it is trefah. There once was brought before R. Ashi [a pair of lungs that had] an interjacent lobe. He was about to declare it trefah when R. Huna Mar b. Awia said to him, But all beasts that pasture in the open field have this [interjacent lobe], and it is called by butchers ‘the little rose-lobe’, This is the rule, however, only if it is found in front,^ᵃ^ᵇ^ᶜ^ᵈ^ᵉ^ᶠ^ᵍ^ʰ

^ᵃnote:Raba is of the opinion that where two or more cysts are contiguous they must have been caused by an underlying perforation.
^ᵇnote:I.e., there appears a dividing line in the cyst.
^ᶜnote:This does not take into account the main or diaphragmatic lobe which in Hebrew is tnut, as distinguished from vbut, the other lobes.
^ᵈnote:I.e., when the animal is suspended after the slaughtering by its hind legs ventrally towards-the examiner.
^ᵉnote:I.e., there were two lobes on the right side and three on the left.
^ᶠnote:Or anywhere else on the lungs not in line with or in the range of the other lobes.
^ᵍnote:MS.M. and a number of other MSS. add: ‘And others say: All goats that pasture in the open field have it’. V. Tosaf. ad loc.
^ʰnote:So called on account of its thinness like the petal of a rose, and also because of its pinkish colour.

²but if it is found on the back of the lungs, even though it is as small as a myrtle leaf, it is trefah. Rafram said: If the lung was like wood, it is trefah. Some explain, [like wood] in colour; others, [like wood] in touch. The former say: ‘in colour’, meaning thereby that when distended it is pale [like wood]; but the others say: ‘in touch’, meaning thereby that it is hard [like wood], or, as some say, that it is quite smooth and has no fissures marking the lobes. Raba said: If [the lung was] blue it is permitted, if black like ink it is trefah; for R. Hanina said: Black [blood] is [in reality] red blood which has turned black by disease. If green it is permitted, in accordance with R. Nathan; if red it is also permitted, in accordance with R. Nathan. For it was taught: R. Nathan said: ‘I once came to a coastal town and was approached there by a woman who, having circumcised her first son and he died and her second son and he also died, brought her third son to me. I saw that the child was red so I said to her, "My daughter, wait until the blood will become absorbed in him". She accordingly waited and thereafter circumcised her child and he lived and was named Nathan the Babylonian after me. On another occasion when I went to Cappadocia I was approached by a woman who, having circumcised her first son and he died and her second son and he also died, brought her third son to me. I saw that the child had a greenish colour; I examined him and found that he was anaemic, without blood for circumcision. I said to her, "My daughter, wait until the blood will circulate more freely in the child". She accordingly waited and thereafter circumcised her child and he lived and was named Nathan the Babylonian after me’. R. Kahana said: If [the lung] resembles liver it is permitted, if it resembles meat it is trefah; and in order to remember this, think of the verse: Flesh that is torn of beasts [trefah] in the field. R. Sama, son of Raba, said: If the lung resembles cuscuta or the crocus or [the yolk of] an egg, it is trefah. But what is meant by the statement above, ‘If green it is permitted’? — That it resembles the leek in colour. Rabina said: If there is an obstruction in the lung, we must fetch a knife and cut open the obstruction. If there is found there an accumulation of pus, then it is clear that the obstruction was caused by the pus, and it is therefore permitted. If there is no pus, we must then place over the obstruction a feather or spittle; if it stirs, it is permitted, otherwise it is trefah. R. Joseph said: A membrane which had formed on the lungs in consequence of a wound is not a proper membrane. R. Joseph further said: If the lung produces a sound [when inflated] and the source of the sound can be located, we must place over that spot a feather or a straw or spittle; if it stirs it is trefah, otherwise it is permitted. If the source cannot be located, we must then take a basin of luke-warm water and put the lung therein. (The water must not be too hot, for then the lungs would shrivel up, nor too cold, for then they would harden; but it must be luke-warm.) We then inflate the lung; if it bubbles it is trefah, otherwise it is permitted, for then it is clear that the inner membrane only has been perforated, but not the outer one, and the sound is caused merely by the air vibrating between the two membranes. Ulla said in the name of R. Johanan: If the substance of the lung [decayed so that it] tosses about as [water] in a jug, it is permitted. Evidently he is of the opinion that a deficiency of substance within an organ is not considered a defect. R. Abba raised this objection against Ulla. We have learnt: IF THE LUNG WAS PIERCED OR WAS DEFICIENT. Now what does ‘DEFICIENT mean? Should you say it means a deficiency from the outside, but that would be identical with ‘pierced’. It must mean therefore a deficiency within, thus proving that a deficiency within is considered a defect! — No; it really means a deficiency from the outside and as for your objection that it would then be identical with pierced, [I say that] it is stated in the Mishnah only on account of R. Simeon's view. For he said: PROVIDED IT WAS PIERCED AS FAR AS THE MAIN BRONCHI. Now this is his view only where there is a hole without any loss of substance, but where there is a hole with loss of substance even R. Simeon would agree. Once when R. Hananiah was in R. Nathan and all the great men of that age came to visit him. There was then brought in to him [R. Hananiah] a lung whose substance [had decayed and] was tossing about within as [water] in a jug, and he declared it to be permitted. Raba said: Provided, however, the bronchial tubes within were intact. R. Aha, son of Raba, asked R. Ashi, How would we know it? — He replied: We take a glazed earthen basin, [pierce the lung] and pour it out into the basin, if there are seen any white streaks it is trefah, but if not, it is permitted. R. Nahman said: If the substance of the lung decayed within but the entire external covering was intact, it is permitted. It was taught likewise: If the substance of the lung decayed within but the entire external covering was intact, it is permitted, even though [the cavity within] would hold a quarter log. If the womb of an animal was gone,^ⁱ^ʲ^ᵏ^ˡ^ᵐ^ⁿ^ᵒ^ᵖ^ᵠ^ʳ^ˢ^ᵗ^ᵘ^ᵛ^ʷ

^ⁱnote:There are many variants in the text of this passage; the translation, however, follows the text as found in MS.M. and other MSS. V. D.S. V. also Alfasi.
^ʲnote:V. Nid. 19a. Hence black is a symptom of decay and disease.
^ᵏnote:Heb. veurh. This may mean either green or yellow. From the second anecdote of R. Nathan (v. infra) it would seem that yellow is intended, for this would very likely be the colour of the anaemic child; but v. p. 255, n. 1.
^ˡnote:I.e., hepatization — a consolidation of the lungs resulting in a liver-like solidification; this occurs in pneumonia.
^ᵐnote:I.e., carnification — a state of certain organs in which the tissue becomes changed so as to resemble flesh.
^ⁿnote:Ex. XXII, 30. Suggesting that if it is like flesh it is trefah.
^ᵒnote:veurh therefore means green and not the various shades of yellow, for these are trefah. V. p. 254, n. 3.
^ᵖnote:So that when the lungs are inflated some part will not distend.
^ᵠnote:For this indicates that the air can penetrate.
^ʳnote:It does not form a strong and effective protection over the wound; it will most certainly break and it is therefore trefah.
^ˢnote:V. supra 46b.
^ᵗnote:And in that case it would be unnecessary to state it expressly in the Mishnah.
^ᵘnote:That it is trefah even though the perforation does not extend as far as the main bronchi.
^ᵛnote:The white streaks are particles of the bronchial tubes which have been destroyed within.
^ʷnote:It is difficult to distinguish this case from that of Ulla supra, and indeed Maim, regards both statements as one. Rashi, however, distinguishes between the two cases and interprets this statement of R. Nahman thus: If the lung was depleted. i.e., a cavity was formed within but the rest of the pulmonary substance was sound etc.