Chullin

It is the root of succory. R. Judah said: He who eats three tiklas1 of asafoetida on an empty stomach will shed his skin. R. Abbahu said: It actually happened with me when I once ate one tikla of asafoetida; and, indeed, had I not sat in water,2 I should have lost my skin. I thus applied to myself the verse: Wisdom preserveth the life of him that hath it.3 R. Joseph said: He who eats sixteen eggs, forty nuts and seven caperberries, and drinks one quarter of a log of honey [in one meal] on an empty stomach, in the summer months,4 snaps his heart strings5 asunder. There came before the Resh Galutha6 a young deer whose hind legs were broken. Rab examined it in the region of the juncture of the tendons and declared it to be permitted. He was about to eat a portion of it grilled.7 when Samuel said to him, ‘Master, have you no fears lest it has been bitten by a snake’. ‘Then, what is the remedy’? he asked. ‘Let it be put into an oven and it will expose itself’. It was immediately put into an oven and it fell to pieces. Samuel applied to Rab the verse: There shall no mischief befall the righteous,8 and Rab applied to Samuel the verse: No secret troubleth thee. 9 MISHNAH. THE CHARACTERISTICS10 OF CATTLE AND OF WILD ANIMALS ARE STATED IN THE TORAH. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF BIRDS ARE NOT STATED, BUT THE SAGES HAVE SAID, EVERY BIRD THAT SEIZES ITS PREY11 IS UNCLEAN. EVERY BIRD THAT HAS AN EXTRA TOE,12 A CROP, AND A GIZZARD THAT CAN BE PEELED,13 IS CLEAN. R. ELIEZER, SON OF R. ZADOK SAYS, EVERY BIRD THAT PARTS ITS TOES14 IS UNCLEAN. OF LOCUSTS: ALL THAT HAVE FOUR LEGS, FOUR WINGS, LEAPING LEGS, AND WINGS COVERING THE GREATER PART OF THE BODY, [ARE CLEAN]. R. JOSE SAYS, IT MUST ALSO BEAR THE NAME LOCUST’. OF FISHES: ALL THAT HAVE FINS AND SCALES ARE CLEAN. R. JUDAH SAYS, THERE MUST BE [AT LEAST] TWO SCALES AND ONE FIN. THE SCALES ARE THOSE [THIN DISCS] WHICH ARE ATTACHED TO THE FISH, THE FINS ARE THOSE [WINGS] BY WHICH IT SWIMS. GEMARA. Our Rabbis taught: The following are the characteristics of cattle: Every beast that parteth its hoof etc.15 If an animal chews the cud one may be certain that it has no upper teeth and it is therefore clean. Is this a general rule? Behold the camel chews the cud and has no upper teeth and yet is unclean! — The camel has canines. But the young camel has not even canines!16 Furthermore, the rock-badger and the hare chew the cud, nevertheless they have upper teeth and are unclean! Now are teeth mentioned at all in the Torah? — Rather this is the meaning of the passage: If an animal has no upper teeth17 one may be certain that it chews the cud and parts the hoof, and it is therefore clean. But one can examine its hoofs? — We must suppose that its hoofs were cut off. And this accords with R. Hisda's statement, for R. Hisda said: If a man was walking in the desert and found an animal with its hoofs cut off, he should examine its mouth; if it has no upper teeth he may be certain that it is clean, otherwise he may be certain that it is unclean; provided, however, he recognizes the camel. But the camel has canines! — Read, provided he recognizes the young camel. You admit then that there is the young camel [which is the exception to the rule]. But there might well be other species similar to the young camel? — That should not enter your mind. For a Tanna of the school of R. Ishmael taught: It is written: The camel because it cheweth the cud.18 The Ruler of the universe knows that there is no other beast that chews the cud and is unclean except the camel; therefore the verse particularly stated ‘it’. R. Hisda further said: If a man was walking in the desert19 and found an animal with its mouth mutilated, he should examine its hoofs; if they are parted he may be certain that it is clean, but if not he may be certain that it is unclean; provided, however, he recognizes the swine. You admit then that there is the swine [which is the exception to the rule]. But there might well be other species similar to the swine? — That should not enter your mind. For a Tanna of the school of R. Ishmael taught: It is written: And the swine because it parteth the hoof.20 The Ruler of the universe knows that there is no other beast that parts the hoof and is unclean except the swine; therefore the verse particularly stated ‘it’. R. Hisda further said: If a man was walking in the desert and found an animal with its hoofs cut off and its mouth mutilated, he should examine its flesh; if it runs crosswise21 he may be certain that it is clean, but if not he may be certain that it is unclean; provided however, he recognizes the ‘arod.22 You admit then that there is the ‘arod [which is the exception to the rule]. But there might well be other species similar to the ‘arod? — There is a tradition that there are not. Where should he examine the flesh? — Abaye (others say: R. Hisda) said: Under the rump. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF WILD ANIMALS. Our Rabbis taught: The following are the characteristics of wild animals . . . But surely the wild animal is included under cattle with regard to the characteristics [of cleanness]!23 — R. Zera said, terms clean and unclean mean permitted to be eaten and forbidden respectively. interpretations have been suggested: (i) a bird which seizes prey in flight without alighting upon the ground (R. Gershom); (ii) a bird which holds down the prey with its claws whilst it pecks away with its beak to eat it (Rashi and Maim.); (iii) a bird which eats its prey whilst it still lives and does not wait until it dies (Tosaf. s.v. xrusv p. 61a). The camel forms the exception to this order for it has canines in both jaws. another running transversely. 2 expressly mentions the wild animal in the same verse with cattle.