Chullin 103 – How to Eat an Olive's Volume

If one ate a live small kosher bird, is he liable for eating limbs from a live animal? Rabbi Yehudah the Prince says that he is not liable, since a live bird is a creature in its own right, not a collection of limbs. Neither is he liable for eating its meat, because it is small, less than an olive volume. Rabbi Elazar bar Rabbi Shimon disagrees: if he is liable to each limb, then of course he is liable for the whole bird, which is the best limb of all!

If one took a small piece of a limb from a living animal, the size of an olive, but cut it in two, and then ate them, he is not liable. However, if he cut it in two inside his mouth with his teeth, then he is liable, because his throat enjoyed an entire olive's volume at one time – so says Rabbi Yochanan. However, Resh Lakish disagrees, because less than an olive's volume went into his stomach at one time. Now, since people chew their food, then according to Resh Lakish, he would never be liable!? – Truly, he would, if he ate a small whole bone.

Art: Martin Johnson Heade - Amethyst Hummingbirds And Red Flowers