Chullin

no verse is necessary to include them, but a verse is necessary to include the [forbidden] sciatic nerve when still attached [to the thigh]. And the Rabbis? — [They say,] It is written: ‘From the liquor of Israel’,1 that is, from that which is permitted to Israel. And Rabbi? — [He says,] It is on the same footing as the [forbidden] fat and blood.2 And the Rabbis? — [They say,] These are on a different footing, since with regard to these there is an express command.3 R. Huna said: The sciatic nerve of a burnt-offering must be cut away [and thrown] on to the ash-heap.4 Said to him R. Hisda: O master of this [teaching]! Is it written: ‘Therefore the altar shall not consume’? It is written: Therefore the children of Israel do not eat.5 And R. Huna? — [He maintains,] It is written: ‘From the liquor of Israel’, that is, from that which is permitted to Israel. An objection was raised from the following: The sciatic nerve of a peace-offering6 must be swept into the channel,7 that of a burnt-offering must be offered up. Presumably this means, it must be offered up and burnt! — No, it means, it must be offered up and then cut away. But if he must cut it away why is it necessary to offer it up? Because it is written: Present it now unto thy governor.8 There was taught a Baraitha which supports R. Huna, viz., The sciatic nerve of a peace-offering must be swept into the channel, and that of a burnt-offering must be cut away [and thrown] on to the ash-heap. We have learnt there:9 ‘There was an ash-heap in the middle of the altar and sometimes there were on it about three hundred kor10 [of ashes]’. Said Raba: It is an exaggeration. ‘They gave [the lamb which was to be] the Daily Offering to drink from a cup of gold’.11 Said Raba: It is an exaggeration. R. Ammi said: The Torah, the prophets, and the Sages sometimes spoke in exaggerated terms. The Sages spoke in exaggerated terms as in the cases we have just quoted. The Torah spoke in exaggerated terms as in the verse: The cities are great and fortified up to heaven.12 The prophets spoke in exaggerated terms as in the verse: So that the earth rent with the sound of them. 13 R. Isaac b. Nahmani said in the name of Samuel: In three places the Sages spoke in exaggerated terms, namely, about the ash-heap, the vine, and the curtain. About the ash-heap as we have quoted above. About the vine, we have learnt:14 A golden vine stood at the entrance to the Temple trained over posts, and whosoever presented a leaf or a berry or a cluster15 would bring it and hang it thereon. R. Eleazar b. R. Zadok said: It once happened that three hundred priests were appointed to clear it.16 About the curtain we have learnt:17 R. Simeon b. Gamaliel said in the name of R. Simeon the Deputy [High-priest]: The curtain was a handbreadth thick and was woven on seventy-two strands, and each strand consisted of twenty-four threads; ‘its length was forty cubits and its breadth twenty cubits, and was made up out of eighty-two myriads [of threads].18 They used to make two every year; and three hundred priests were required to immerse it. 19 TO THE RIGHT AND LEFT HIP. Our Mishnah does not agree with R. Judah, for it was taught: R. Judah says: It only applies to one [hip], and reason decides in favour of the right [hip].20 It was asked: Was R. Judah certain about it and by ‘reason’ he meant the reasoned interpretation of the Torah, or was he in doubt about it and by ‘reason’ he meant the probable meaning? — Come and hear: It was taught: The bones and nerves [of the Paschal lamb] and also [the flesh] that was left over must be burnt on the sixteenth day.21 And we argued upon it as follows: What nerves are meant? If you say, the nerves in the flesh,22 then why does he not eat them? And if they happened to be left over, then they came under the heading of [flesh] ‘that was left over’? And if you say, the nerves of the throat, but surely since they are not like flesh he may throw them away.23 And R. Hisda suggested: It can only refer to the sciatic nerve, and the Tanna adopts the view of R. Judah who said that it only applies to the one hip. Now if you say that he was in doubt about it,24 it is well;25 but if you say that he was certain about it,24 then he should eat the permitted one and throw away the forbidden one! — R. Ika b. Hanina said: Indeed I maintain that he was certain about it, but here we must suppose that they26 were first distinguished but subsequently were mixed up.27 be offered upon the altar, hence under no circumstances can the forbidden sciatic nerve be offered upon the altar. precincts; the peace-offering, however, could be eaten anywhere within the city of Jerusalem. Accordingly Rashi prefers to strike out, ‘peace-offering’ and substitute ‘sin-offering or guilt-offering’, for the meat of these could only be eaten by the priests within the Sanctuary. If ‘peace-offering’ is to be retained, Rashi and Tosaf. offer the suggestion that it refers to the eating by the priests either of their own peace-offerings or of the priestly dues of the ‘breast and thigh’ portions, and these the priests usually ate within the Sanctuary. MS.M. reads: ‘Peace-offering or sin-offering or guilt-offering’. altar. A limb which has been cut up for the removal of the sciatic nerve does not present a fine appearance, and it is therefore suggested that the limb must first be brought up whole upon the altar and while on the altar the nerve must be removed from it. burnt as nothar i.e., consecrated flesh kept longer than the period prescribed for its consumption. forbidden and which permitted.