Playback speed

Chulin 3:1-2

Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb
Download
English Synopsis Hebrew Text

Chulin 3:1

The following injuries cause animals to be considered treifa (torn): if the esophagus is pierced; the trachea is torn; the inner membrane of the brain is pierced; the heart is pierced into the cavity; the spine is broken and the spinal cord severed; the liver is completely gone; the lungs are pierced or missing a lobe – Rabbi Shimon says that an animal is a treifa even if just the primary pulmonary artery is pierced; the abomasum* is pierced; the gall bladder is pierced; the intestines are pierced; the rumen* is pierced; the major part of the abdominal muscle is torn – Rabbi Yehuda says a handbreadth (about 3”) in large animals (like cattle) and the major part in small animals (like sheep and goats); the omasum* or the reticulum* is pierced on the outside; if an animal fell off a roof; if most of its ribs were broken; if it was mauled by a wolf – Rabbi Yehuda says a small animal if mauled by a wolf and a large animal if mauled by a lion. A small bird (like a dove) is a treifa if mauled by a hawk and a large bird (like a goose) is a treifa if mauled by a falcon. [The identification of the larger bird of prey is tentative.] The general principle is that if an animal could not generally live in such a condition, it is a treifa.

Chulin 3:2

An animal remains kosher with the following injuries: if the trachea is pierced or slit – Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel permits a hole up to the size of an Italian issar (a denomination of coin); the skull is defective but the membrane of the brain remains intact; the heart is pierced but not into the cavity; the spine is broken but the spinal cord is not severed; most of the liver is gone but an olive-sized piece of it remains; the omasum* and reticulum* are pierced into one another where they meet; the spleen, kidneys, lower jaw or womb is gone; if the lungs dried up because of an “act of God.” If an animal has been stripped of its hide, Rabbi Meir says that it remains kosher but the Sages declare it a treifa.

*Abomasum, rumen, omasum and reticulum are the four compartments of a cow’s stomach.

Author: Rabbi Jack Abramowitz