Talking Talmud

2 small mishnayot: 1. On vessels of wood and metal, how they each have that which is stringent and that which is lenient, as compared to the other. 2. On bitter almonds and sweet almonds, how they each have that which is obligated in the one and exempt in the other, and vice versa. Note the two different kinds of almond trees. And note that roasting almonds counteracts the cyanide at its core. Als...

2 tiny mishnayot: 1 - There is that which is problematic for kohanim - to do the Temple service (namely blemishes) - that are not a problem for levi'im (Levites), and vice versa, where Levites can only serve at certain ages of majority and not for life. 2 - There is that which is impure for earthenware vessels that is pure for all other vessels, and vice versa. The Gemara goes on to explain th...

One who takes an oath to offer a burnt offering of a ram -- that is, at least 13 months old -- or a lamb -- 12 months, and then offers a "palgeis" -- the animal during that month from age 12 to 13 months. Has he fulfilled his oath? Given that he also brings the accompanying elements, like the grain offering and libations, one might think yes, but he didn't fulfill his own word. Plus,...

A new mishnah! On bird offerings - and at what age they are suitable for offerings, depending on whether they are "doves" or "pigeons." What about the transition age? Note that both ages need to be stipulated because logic might steer us astray otherwise. Also, the Torah is specific to prevent us to think that all doves and/or all young pigeons would be acceptable. With key yel...

If a neckbone of person were person - in parallel to the bird's neck the other day - the question arises as to whether or when the status of impurity kicks in. With the example of Eli the high priest of the Book of Samuel (I), who fell, whose neckbone broke, and who died, "because he was old." Also, a beraita on the melikah of a bird burnt-offering. And how it's different from a...

Diving into the details of melikah -- specifically the process, and the debated points of that process. Also, some ways in which melikah is different from shechitah, the slaughtering of the animals that are not birds. Also, on what happens if the bird's neckbone breaks in such a way that it cuts the flesh as well, then there's no shechitah - and the animal is a "neveilah" - with...

A descriptive daf... of details of slaughtering. That is, cutting the trachea in ways that are not obviously kosher, but may be so, and that leads to disputes over how and when which cutting took priority to determine the kashrut of the shechitah. Plus, a description of the sages sitting in rows and learning, considering different permutations where the shechitah is kosher or not. Also, what if th...

In the case of a person who doesn't send his knife to be approved by a Torah scholar, the shochet should be ostracized or, alternatively, removed from his position, depending on whose opinion or the specific circumstances. And "removing from his position" doesn't stop there - he can't sell his meat as kosher, and it is to be wiped with feces so that it can't be sold to no...

On the phrasing of everyone can slaughter, everywhere and when, and with anything that can do proper slaughter (for example, a shard of glass). The Gemara shifts the focus from the animal to the person during the slaughtering - to include the Samaritan and a sinner, for example. Plus, Shmuel's father sent a knife and a question about it to the sages in the land of Israel to determine the permissib...

What if one accomplishes shechitah by means of a mechanism that slaughters the animal - is that shechitah kosher? The answer lies in how much human involvement there is to activate that mechanism. Also, parsing the statements that "all are slaughtered" -- namely, every animal needs proper slaughtering. Plus, how eating meat in the wilderness was not allowed because shechitah wasn't p...

More on Hilkhot Shabbat - with a baraita that connects between Hullin and Shabbat. One who cooks on Shabbat without intent, one can eat that food (though the person who cooked it may have to wait until after Shabbat, depending on whom you ask) - even before the end of Shabbat. If it was intentional, then the food can't be eaten, even after Shabbat, by anyone. Also, what about doing shechitah f...

A new mishnah (a tiny one)! One who slaughters an animal on Shabbat or Yom Kippur is liable for a death sentence, but the shechitah itself is kosher. But that would only hold true in the case where nothing could have been done to prepare the same shechitah before Shabbat (at the latest, some time on Friday) -- otherwise, it has to be prepared in advance. Especially if meat were to be given to dogs...

A case where one brings produce to the roof of a building to keep it away from insects, but it gets wet from dew, which makes the produce eligible to become impure. Plus, the ways in which intent (or lack thereof) has impact on the kashrut of one's shechitah (or one's sacrifice). Also, two very brief mishnayot: 1. If a non-Jew slaughters an animal in a way that would be kosher if it were d...

Do you need to see the entire process of shechitah to be able to trust that it was done properly? The Gemara has a case that does require one to see the entirety of the process, but we know that that isn't usually how it works (so often, we do not see any of the process of shechitah!), so the sages delve into the particulars of the case. Perhaps it's a question of whether you know the shoc...

A quantifiable majority determines the outcome of an unknown, as per the biblical verse: "Follow the majority." But with an unquantifiable majority - what is the source for the principle to apply in those cases as well? Note that the Gemara supports this principle with 9 examples -- that is, 9 sources as possibilities from which it is understood or derived. Note also that checking the re...

Given that the knife for shechitah cannot be notched, there was an event when a knife was discovered to be notched after it was used to slaughter 13 animals. But if he only discovered that to be the case after the last animal's shechitah, then maybe it became notched along the process and the first animal(s) were not a problem. The big - and perhaps indeterminable - question is when did the knife...

A Torah scholar must learn 3 skills: writing, kosher slaughtering, and circumcision. And 3 additional things are subject to dispute - whether they are skills that are required or commonplace: tying the knot of tefillin, the blessing for the wedding, and tying tzitzit. Also, standards of presumption regarding an animal: while it's alive, the presumption is that it's not going to be kosher....

If you heat a knife to white-hot, the shechitah done with that knife is kosher, because it was already sharp enough before it was hot. The concern is whether the slaughtering was done with the knife's blade or if it was done via the heat and a burn. The Gemara contrasts the issues that pertain here to the details of tzara'at, which has a long-standing tradition "halakhah le-Moshe mi-S...

Does produce from Beit She'an need tithing? How is this even a question - Beit She'an is clearly part of the land of Israel. Note the Gemara's initial focus on how a sage isn't going to change his mind -- with various interpretations of the Hebrew term used here to note that he won't be dissuaded. Back to Beit She'an - it all goes to the human consecration (and re-consecrat...

A story involving R. Asi and R. Zeira about eggs that were cooked on wine - did that combination carry a risk of "demai" (possibly untithed produce)? Where even R. Asi wasn't thinking about this concern - and how God prevents error by those who are righteous. Which leads us into the ongoing discussion of mixtures or combinations. Also, what about the concern of the population of thos...

On the way Yehoshafat stuck by Achav, even when it came to the reliability of his shechitah, despite Achav being guilty of worshipping idols. Note the relationship between the king of Yehudah and the king of Yisrael, despite the divine among the tribes. Plus, the ravens who brought Eliyahu (Elijah) the Prophet his daily bread and meat... ostensibly from Achav's slaughterhouse (so how can Eliya...

If one finds a string of birds in the possession of a Kuti, there are various ways of increasing rigor to test whether the Kuti had done the slaughtering properly, each of which concludes with determining whether the Kuti himself would eat from his shechitah. That is, where they accepted the halakhic requirements, they were incredibly careful -- and if they didn't accept the requirement to beg...

More on the contradiction in the first mishnah of the tractate, with attempts to determine what caveat works for the distinction between the ideal circumstances for kosher slaughtering as compared to after the fact. With a spotlight on the case of the "Kutim" (Samaritans) whose shechitah was accepted if overseen by an observant Jew. [Who's Who: Kutim/Samaritans] The question is what...

An introduction to Hullin, including the meaning of the term and the likely original title of the tractate. Also, details of how to manage ritual slaughter (for any kind of slaughter, including non-consecrated meat). And the first mishnah! Everyone is eligible to do this slaughtering -- except for the usual 3 (deaf-mute, cognitively impaired, or a minor). Though, if they did it, and under supervis...

The Gemara picks up on yesterday's mention of King Hizkiyahu, one of the few truly righteous kings of Israel, and how he not only was a good example among Israel, but also for the neighboring nations. Plus, the Mediterranean region from Tyre to Carthage (likely) were said to have known God, though the rest of the world may not have. Also, the recognition of Torah study as of supreme value, esp...