Chullin 10 – A Nick Was Found on a Knife

Due to prevalence of poisonous snakes in Babylon, if a liquid – water, wine and milk – is left uncovered, one should not drink it, because a snake might have drunk from it. Because of mystical reasons, some people observe this law even nowadays.

If the knife was not inspected immediately after slaughter, but only some time afterward, and a nick was found on it, then Rav Huna declares the slaughter invalid. This is true even if the butcher was later smashing bones with the knife later in the day, and it is likely that the nick originated then. Rav Huna is consistent with his own opinion that an animal is considered forbidden for consumption unless for know with certainly how it was slaughtered.

Rav Chisda, however, declares the meat kosher. What is his logic? The nick may have been caused by the animal's hide or by a bone. The hide is unlikely to cause the nick, while the bone is likely to do so. Weighing unlikely against the likely, we say that the nick was caused by a bone later on, and the slaughter was done with a good knife and is therefore valid.

Art: Frans Wilhelm Odelmark - The Snake Charmer

Chullin 9 – Need to Validate Slaughter After It Is Done

A Torah scholar must learn how to do three things which require effort and practice: signing his name as a judge or witness, slaughtering, and circumcision.

If while slaughtering one paused, this invalidates the slaughter. How long is the pause? Enough to inspect the pipes, that is, the trachea and esophagus, to make sure that the majority of both pipes were cut and that the knife did not leave the area designated for slaughtering.

After slaughtering, he must indeed inspect the pipes as explained above, and if he did not inspect them, the meat is forbidden to eat. Rabbi Eliezer ben Antignos said that it is forbidden as terefah (sick or incorrectly slaughtered animal), but others say that it is forbidden as nevelah (meat that was not slaughtered at all).

What is the argument? Both agree to the principle of Rav Huna, “An animal during its lifetime is in a prohibited state, until it becomes known that it was slaughtered properly. Once it has been slaughtered, it is in a permitted state, unless we know that it became a terefah,” but they argue about how far to take its prohibited state.

Art: Benjamin Gerritsz. Cuyp - The Circumcision

Terefah and Nevelah - Two Categories of Animals That May Not Be Eaten

A terefah is an animal or bird possessing one a well-defined group of life-threatening body defects that will results in its death within twelve motnhs. The meat of an animal or bird that is terefah may not be eaten even if the animal was killed through ritual slaughter, or shechitah.

A nevelah, on the other hand, is the carcass of an animal or bird that did not undergo a proper shechitah.

Chullin 8 – Hot Knife

Rabbi Zeira said in the name of Shmuel, “If someone made a knife white-hot and slaughtered with it, his slaughter is valid, since the knife first cuts and then later burns, and thus the shechitah happens because of the sharpness of the knife, not because of its heat.”

One is allowed to slaughter with the knife of idolatry, because he damages the animal by killing it, and does not derive benefit, but he is not allowed to cut the meat with this knife, because this improves it.

However, the forbidden fat collected on the knife of idolatry surely makes the meat non-kosher!? Rav agrees and says that one must peel away some meat at the place of incision, and Rabbah bar bar Channah says that one needs only wash the meat. What is the argument? Rav considers the place of the incision hot enough to absorb the forbidden fat. Alternatively, both consider it hot, but Rabbah says that the pipes are busy expelling the blood and do not absorb fat. Or perhaps both consider the place of incision cold, yet Rav says that it absorbs the forbidden fat because of the pressure exerted by the knife.

Art: Francis Wheatley - Knives, Scissors and Razors to Grind

Chullin 7 – Even the Animals of the Righteous Do Not Eat Forbidden Foods

Previously we saw a few cases of practical applications of the rule that truly righteous do not accidentally eat forbidden foods. This rule itself is based on the same rule about their animals.

Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair was on his way to redeem captives – which is one of the most important commandments – when he encountered the river Ginai. He said to the river, “Ginai, split your waters, so that I may cross through you.” The river answered, “You are trying to do the will of your Maker, but you may or may not succeed, while I will certainly accomplish the will of my Maker and continue to flow.” Rabbi Pinchas said, “If you do not split, I decree that water shall never flow again through you,” at which the river split.

There was a man with Rabbi Pinchas, bringing flour for matzah. “Split also for him!” - commanded Rabbi Pinchas, and the river obeyed. There also was an Arab merchant with them, and Rabbi Pinchas made the river split for him yet again.

When Rabbi Pinchas arrived at an inn, they poured barley for his donkey, but it refused to eat. They sifted and then cleaned the barley, but it still did not eat. “Perhaps you bought it from a source that cannot be trusted to separate the tithes,” - suggested Rabbi Pinchas - “The poor creature is going to perform the will of its Maker, so it should not be given forbidden foods.” Then the donkey ate.

But, when one buys grain for an animal, he needs not tithe it? - True, if he buys it initially for the animal. In this case, however, they bought it for the needs of Rabbi Pinchas, who was known to never accept presents, and thus the exemption from tithing did not apply.

Art: Willem Maris - A Herdboy With Donkeys On Scheveningen Beach

Chullin 6 – Truly Righteous Do Not Accidentally Eat Forbidden Foods

Once Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar was sent by Rabbi Meir to bring wine from some Cutheans (Samaritans). On his way, a certain elder (some say, prophet Elijah) told him, “Put a knife to your jaw, if you are man of spirit.” Upon hearing this, Rabbi Meir declared the wine of Cutheans prohibited, because some Cutheans were discovered to be idol worshipers, and to Rabbi Meir even a minor probability of transgression was significant.

Later, Rabbi Yochanan drank their wine. Did he not hear about Rabbi Meir's decree, or did he not agree to it? Based on the rule that the righteous do not accidentally eat forbidden foods, we can deduce that he knew about it, but did not agree to it.

Rabbi Zeira and Rav Assi were served roasted eggs mixed with wine, and Rabbi Zeira did not eat them, because he suspected that tithes were not separated from the wine. However, seeing that Rav Assi ate the food, he reasoned that the righteous do not accidentally eat forbidden food, searched the stores of his knowledge and found that one should not worry about doubtful tithes when they are served in a mixture.

Art: Antoine Vollon - Still Life with a Pen, Jug, Bottle and Eggs on a Table

Chullin 5 – An Idol-Worshiping Jew Cannot Do Shechitah

Previously was learned the opinion of Rav Anan that an idol-worshiping Jew can do kosher slaughter of animals. Here is a challenge to it.

The Torah said, “When a man among you brings an offering to God: from the animals...” The words “among you” tell us that some people are excluded from bringing voluntary offerings to God, namely, completely non-observant Jews. Further, “among you” means that only to Jews can the term “non-observant” apply, but all non-Jews can bring offerings. The words “from the animals” are extra and teach another law: people who are similar to animals in that they do not recognize their Creator are included and are still allowed to bring sacrifices, in the hope that they will improve their behavior.

Then who is considered non-observant? Those who deny the complete Torah, that is, those who pour libations to idols and those who violate Shabbat in public. With this, Rav Anan's proof is refuted, and only people who observe Shabbat but violate some commandments, such as eating non-kosher meat, are allowed to do shechitah.

Art: Sir Edwin Henry Landseer - Isaac van Amburgh and his Animals