חולין 93 — Soncino English Talmud

¹Fat that is covered with flesh is permitted. It is evident therefore that the Divine Law spoke of that which is ‘upon the loins’ and not of that which is in the loins; likewise here, the Divine Law spoke of that which is ‘above the kidneys’ and not of that which is in the kidneys. [To revert to] the above text. ‘R. Abba said in the name of Rab Judah on the authority of Samuel: Fat that is covered with flesh is permitted’. But this cannot be, for has not R. Abba also said in the name of Rab Judah on the authority of Samuel that the fat which is under the loins is forbidden? Abaye answered: An animal whilst alive has its limbs dislocated. Even as R. Johanan said: ‘I am no butcher nor the son of a butcher, but I remember this statement that was generally quoted in the Beth-Hamidrash, "An animal whilst alive has its limbs dislocated"’. R. Abba said in the name of Rab Judah who said it in the name of Samuel: The fat which is upon the omasum and reticulum is forbidden and one is liable to the penalty of Kareth on account of it; this is the fat that is ‘upon the in wards’. R. Abba further said in the name of Rab Judah who said it in the name of Samuel: The fat which is upon the innominate bone is forbidden and one is liable to the penalty of Kareth on account of it; this is the ‘fat which is upon the loins’. R. Abba also said in the name of Rab Judah who said it in the name of Samuel: The small veins in the fore-limb are forbidden. Said R. Safra: You Moses! Does the Divine Law forbid the eating of meat? — Raba replied: You Moses! Does the Divine Law allow the eating of blood? But if it [the fore-limb] was cut and salted it may even [be cooked] in a pot. Rab Judah said in the name of Samuel: [The fat upon] the first cubit of the intestines must be scraped away; this is the fat upon the intestines. Rab Judah said: The veins in the rump are forbidden. There are five veins in the loins, three on the right side and two on the left. Each one of the three veins branches into two, and each one of the two veins branches into three. The practical importance of this is that if one removes then, while the flesh is still warm they will slip out easily, otherwise one must follow them up [to this number]. Abaye (others say: Rab Judah) said: There are five veins, three are forbidden on account of fat and two on account of blood. The veins in the spleen, in the loins and in the kidneys are forbidden on account of fat; those in the fore-limb and in the cheeks on account of blood. What is the practical difference here? — Those forbidden on account of blood, if cut up and salted may be eaten; but the others have no remedy at all. R. Kahana (others say: Rab Judah) said: There are five membranes, three are forbidden on account of fat, and two on account of blood; that of the spleen, the loins, and the kidneys is forbidden on account of fat; that of the testicles and of the brain on account of blood. R. Judah b. Oshaia was once scraping [the fat from] the spleen for Levi the son of R. Huna b. Hiyya, and was cutting away [the fat] only at the upper end, whereupon the latter said to him, ‘Go lower down too’. When his father came and found him doing this, he said: Thus said your mother's father (that is, R. Jeremiah b. Abba) in the name of Rab: The Torah forbade only [the fat] at the top. But this surely cannot be, for R. Hamnuna reported that a Tanna taught: The membrane which is upon the spleen is forbidden but one is not liable on account of it. Now what can this mean? If it means, [the fat] which is at the top, then why is one not liable on account of it? It must therefore mean the fat over the whole [of the spleen]! — He replied: If it was so taught then it was taught. [To revert to] the main text. ‘R. Hamnuna reported, that a Tanna taught: The membrane which is upon the spleen is forbidden but one is not liable on account of it’. The membrane which is upon the kidney is forbidden but one is not liable on account of it. But it has been taught: One is liable on account of it! — With regard to the spleen there is no contradiction because the latter ruling refers to the fat which is at the top and the former to that which is not at the top. And with regard to the kidney there is no contradiction because the latter ruling refers to the upper membrane and the former to the lower membrane. As to crushed testicles [there is a dispute between] R. Ammi and R. Assi, one forbids them and the other permits them. He who forbids them [argues thus]:^ᵃ^ᵇ^ᶜ^ᵈ^ᵉ^ᶠ^ᵍ^ʰ^ⁱ^ʲ^ᵏ^ˡ^ᵐ^ⁿ^ᵒ^ᵖ^ᵠ

^ᵃnote:In connection with sacrifices, e.g., Lev. III, 4. The prohibition of fat applies only to such fat as was burnt in a sacrifice on the altar.
^ᵇnote:Although this fat is covered by the loins.
^ᶜnote:When the animal is in motion its limbs and muscles slip away from their normal positions and are temporarily dislocated. Consequently the fat under the loins is not always covered with flesh, and it is therefore forbidden.
^ᵈnote:Referred to frequently in Scripture in connection with sacrifices, e.g., Lev. III, 3.
^ᵉnote:I.e., the hip-bone. According to Rashi the text refers to the sacrum. V. Katzenelsohn, p. 269, n. 2.
^ᶠnote:A title of honour; or a form of oath, ‘By Moses’! Cf. Bezah 38b.
^ᵍnote:The veins in the fore-limb are forbidden only on account of the blood contained in them; if therefore the meat was cut up and the veins cut too, it is permitted for all purposes.
^ʰnote:About which there was a dispute between R. Akiba and R. Ishmael, v. supra 49b.
^ⁱnote:These ‘veins’ or stringy fibers are forbidden as fat and are included in the prohibition of fat.
^ʲnote:I.e., there are five places where the veins are prohibited, either because of fat or of blood.
^ᵏnote:The arteries of the neck, i.e., the carotid arteries, are certainly forbidden because of their blood; here however only the minor veins are reckoned.
^ˡnote:At the thick part, i.e., the area of attachment to the rumen.
^ᵐnote:Lit., ‘on the breast’; i.e., the membrane which lies over the thick part of the spleen.
^ⁿnote:But I shall not alter my opinion on account of it. V. Rashi Nid. 23b s.v. thb, thb, ht.
^ᵒnote:Both with regard to the spleen and the kidney.
^ᵖnote:This is absolutely forbidden and entails the penalty of kareth.
^ᵠnote:According to others, the testicles had been torn away and were lying loose in the scrotum.

²since they will never recover, they are to be considered as a limb torn loose from the living animal. And he who permits them [argues thus]: since they do not rot there is obviously vitality in them. And the former? — He maintains that they do not rot only because the outside air does not penetrate into them. And the latter? — He maintains that they do not recover only because emaciation has set in. R. Johanan said to R. Shaman b. Abba: Crushed testicles are permitted, but you must not eat them for it is written: Forsake not the teaching of thy mother. Mar son of R. Ashi said: The testicles of a kid that is not yet thirty days old, are permitted without having to peel off the membrane; thereafter, if they contain semen they are forbidden, if they do not contain semen they are permitted. How does one know this? — If there are red streaks [in the membrane], they are forbidden; I if there are no red streaks, they are permitted. As to [dark red] meat, testicles, and the arteries [of the neck], there is a dispute between R. Aha and Rabina. (In any law of the Torah [whenever there is a dispute between them], Rabina always adopts the lenient view and R. Aha the strict view, and the law is always in accordance with Rabina's view thus tending towards leniency; excepting in these three cases, where R. Aha adopts the lenient view and Rabina the strict view, and, the law is in accordance with R. Aha's view and thus tending towards leniency.) As to dark red meat if it was cut up and salted, it is even permitted [to be cooked] in a pot; if it was thrust on a spit [and held over the fire], the blood would easily flow out; if it was placed on the coals, in this there is a dispute between R. Aha and Rabina: one says that they [the coals] would draw out the blood, and the other says that they would cause [the meat] to contract. The same rules apply to the testicles, and also to the arteries [of the neck]. If a head was put on hot ashes and it was made to stand up upon the open cut of the neck, the blood would then flow out and it is permitted; if it was placed upon its side, the blood would become clotted and it is forbidden; if it was made to stand up upon its nostrils and something was thrust into them, it is permitted; otherwise it is forbidden. Some there are who say, [If it was made to stand up] upon its nostrils or upon the cut of the neck, the blood would flow out; if it was placed upon its side and it was pierced with something it is permitted, otherwise it is forbidden. [To revert to] the above text: Rab Judah said in the name of Samuel, ‘It consists of two nerves, the inner, next to the bone, is forbidden, and one is liable on account of it, the outer, next to the flesh, is forbidden, but one is not liable on account of it’. But it was taught that the inner is nearer the flesh! — R. Aha explained in the name of R. Kahana, [That is so further on] where it is embedded in the flesh. But it was taught that the outer is nearer the bone! — Rab Judah answered: That is so only [at the part] where the butchers cut it open. It was stated: If a butcher was found to have overlooked forbidden fat, even only as much as a barley grain, says Rab Judah, [he is punishable]. R. Johanan says, [Only if he overlooked] as much as an olive's bulk. R. Papa said: They do not disagree, for here it is a question of punishing him with stripes, and there of removing him. Mar Zutra said, [If there was found] as much as a barley grain in one place or as much as an olive's bulk scattered in two or three places [he is punishable]. The law is: in order to punish him with stripes [he must have overlooked] as much as an olive's bulk, and in order to remove him even if [he overlooked] only as much as a barley grain. BUTCHERS ARE NOT TRUSTWORTHY etc. R. Hiyya b. Abba said in the name of R. Johanan. Later they held that they were to be trusted. R. Nahman exclaimed: Have the generations become more virtuous? — At first they [the Sages] held the view of R. Meir and so they were not to be trusted, but later they held the view of R. Judah. Others report this with reference to the last clause, THE SAGES SAY, THEY ARE TRUSTWORTHY WITH REGARD TO IT AS WELL AS WITH REGARD TO THE [FORBIDDEN] FAT. R. Hiyya b. Abba said in the name of R. Johanan: Later they held that they were not to be trusted. R. Nahman said: Today they are to be trusted. Have the generations then become more virtuous? — At first they [the Sages] held the view of R. Judah, and later they held the view of R. Meir; and as long as people still remembered the view of R. Judah, they were not to be trusted, but now that R. Judah's view has been forgotten they are to be trusted. AS WELL AS WITH REGARD TO THE [FORBIDDEN] FAT. But who has mentioned the forbidden fat at all? — This is what he [R. Meir] said: They are not trustworthy with regard to it nor with regard to the forbidden fat. But the Sages say: They are trustworthy with regard to it as well as with regard to the forbidden fat. MISHNAH. ONE MAY SEND TO A GENTILE A THIGH IN WHICH THERE IS YET THE SCIATIC NERVE, BECAUSE ITS PLACE IS KNOWN. GEMARA. Only a whole thigh one may [send] but not if it was cut up. But what are the circumstances? If we are speaking of a place where they do not proclaim it, 23^ʳ^ˢ^ᵗ^ᵘ^ᵛ^ʷ^ˣ^ʸ^ᶻ^ᵃᵃ^ᵃᵇ^ᵃᶜ^ᵃᵈ^ᵃᵉ^ᵃᶠ^ᵃᵍ^ᵃʰ^ᵃⁱ^ᵃʲ^ᵃᵏ^ᵃˡ^ᵃᵐ^ᵃⁿ

^ʳnote:Prov. I, 8. R. Shaman came from Babylon where the rule was not to eat them because of the difference of opinion between R. Ammi and R. Assi.
^ˢnote:Or any other young animal.
^ᵗnote:If the membrane has not been removed because of the blood it contains.
^ᵘnote:V. p. 522, n. 7.
^ᵛnote:Caused by a blow which the animal received while alive and the blood was congested in this spot; v. Marginal note. [Aliter: meat pickled in vinegar.]
^ʷnote:So that the blood would not flow out and it is therefore forbidden.
^ˣnote:In order to remove the hair the more easily.
^ʸnote:To keep clear the passage in the nostrils so as to allow the blood to run out freely.
^ᶻnote:Inserted by Bah. V. Supra 91a.
^ᵃᵃnote:Sc. the sciatic nerve.
^ᵃᵇnote:The great sciatic nerve is derived from the lumbosacral plexus and as it emerges from the pelvis it descends first behind the hip joint and then behind the femur in the thigh. It gives off branches to the muscles behind the femur, but its longest branch is the common peroneal. The ‘inner’ is probably the great sciatic nerve, and the ‘outer’ the common peroneal.
^ᵃᶜnote:When they are about to ‘porge’ the meat. There the outer nerve is near to the bone.
^ᵃᵈnote:In that case he must have overlooked at least an olive's bulk of fat. In addition to stripes he is barred from trading as a butcher (R. Nissim). ‘Stripes’ here is not that ordained by the Torah but corporal punishment inflicted for disobeying a Rabbinic law, i.e., Makkath Marduth, stripes for rebellion. (cf. Yoreh Deah, LXIV, 21).
^ᵃᵉnote:From trading as a butcher. This is so even though he only overlooked as much as a barley grain of fat.
^ᵃᶠnote:It is not clear what is to be his punishment, removal from his trade or stripes. V. however Rashal. a.l.
^ᵃᵍnote:[He is however reinstated on undertaking never to repeat the offence. V. ,usunj hrcs on Asheri a.l.]
^ᵃʰnote:With regard to the sciatic nerve (Tosaf.).
^ᵃⁱnote:That the sciatic nerve must be removed with all its roots; and as this entailed much trouble the butchers were not be trusted for it.
^ᵃʲnote:That only the upper surface of the nerve must be removed; for this all butchers were trustworthy.
^ᵃᵏnote:This paragraph is not found in MS.M.
^ᵃˡnote:We need not apprehend lest another Jew, seeing the gentile receiving the thigh from this Jew, will assume that the nerve had been removed and will buy it from the gentile, because it can easily be seen whether the nerve has been removed or not.
^ᵃᵐnote:I.e., a portion of the thigh. This is the inference from our Mishnah which states A THIGH, implying a whole thigh.
^ᵃⁿnote:Sc. that an animal was found to be trefah. This is the custom where all the butchers are Jews. Where the practice of announcing it is not in vogue, there Jews are not allowed to buy meat from gentiles under any circumstances, for the Jewish butchers may have disposed of the trefah animal to a gentile and did not trouble to make this fact known.