Chullin

[It must be distinguished from cattle] in order that its fat be permitted to be eaten.1 And it should read thus: The following are the characteristics of wild animals whose fat is permitted: All that have horns and [sharp pointed] hoofs. R. Dosa says — Those that have horns need not be examined as to their hoofs, but those that have [sharp pointed] hoofs must still be examined as to their horns. And the Keresh,2 though it has but one horn, is permitted. But is this a general rule? Behold the goat has horns and [sharp pointed] hoofs, nevertheless its fat is forbidden! — We mean horns that are rounded.3 But are not the horns of an ox rounded, yet its fat is forbidden? — We mean horns that are notched.4 But are not the horns of the goat notched, nevertheless its fat is forbidden?5 — We mean horns that are forked.6 But the horns of the deer7 are not forked, nevertheless its fat is permitted! — We mean horns that are pointed.8 Therefore, if its horns are forked, there is no question at all about it.9 But if they are not forked, we then require them to be rounded and pointed and also notched, and the notches must run one into the other. This indeed is the doubt in connection with the Karkuz goat.10 Once there was taken out of a Karkuz goat belonging to the Resh Galutha a basketful of fat. R. Ahai forbade it, but R. Samuel the son of R. Abbahu ate of it, and applied to himself the verse: A man's belly shall be filled with the fruit of his mouth.11 They sent word from there12 saying: The law accords with R. Samuel the son of R. Abbahu, nevertheless give heed to the opinion of R. Ahai for he enlightens the eyes of the exile. ‘And the Keresh, though it has but one horn, is permitted’. Rab Judah said: The Keresh is the deer of Be-Ila'i,13 the Tigris is the lion of Be-Ila'i.13 R. Kahana said: There is a distance of nine cubits from one ear to the other ear of the lion of Be-Ila'i. R. Joseph said: The hide of the deer of Be-Ila'i is sixteen cubits long. The Emperor once said to R. Joshua b. Hananiah, ‘Your God is likened to a lion, for it is written: The lion hath roared, who will not fear? The Lord God hath spoken, who can but prophesy?14 But what is the greatness of this? A horseman can kill the lion’! He replied: ‘He has not been likened to the ordinary lion, but to the lion of Be-Ilai'i!’ ‘I desire’, said the Emperor, ‘that you show it to me’. He replied: ‘You cannot behold it’. ‘Indeed’, said the Emperor, ‘I will see it’. He [R. Joshua b. Hananiah] prayed and the lion set out from its place. When it was four hundred parasangs distant it roared once, and all pregnant women miscarried and the walls of Rome fell. When it was three hundred parasangs distant it roared again and all the molars and incisors of man fell out; even the Emperor himself fell from his throne to the ground. ‘I beseech you’, he implored, ‘pray that it return to its place’. He prayed and it returned to its place. Another time the Emperor said to R. Joshua b. Hananiah, ‘I wish to see your God’. He replied: ‘You cannot see him’. ‘Indeed’, said the Emperor, the fat of wild animals is permitted; hence it is essential to distinguish between the two species. variable rings, as in the case of the ox. (Rashi and Aruch). is no longer essential. certainly forked horns. Possibly the pronghorn antelope is meant. reading is adopted by Aruch and preferred by Rashi. which would be the name of a place, v. Neub. Geog. p. 393. The doubt in connection with this goat is that it has all the characteristics that distinguish the horns of wild animals except that the notches do not run into each other (Tosaf.); it has all the characteristics of wild animals save that it bears the name ‘goat’ (Rashi). the full the fat of this animal. interior Asia, v. Dict. p. 520.