1. Machlokes about אוחז בקטן וגדול עולה עמו

On the previous Daf, Rebbe Meir said that the blood of a shechted animal effects הכשר for its dangling אבר, even without the blood touching the אבר itself, but Rebbe Shimon disagrees. This machlokes is explained in six ways. Abaye says they argue about אוחז בקטן ואין גדול עולה עמו – a partially divided item where, if one holds and lifts the smaller part, the larger part does not come up with it, but breaks away. Rebbe Meir holds הרי הוא כמוהו – [the smaller part] is still considered like one with [the larger part]. Therefore, the אבר is still considered part of the animal regarding הכשר. Rebbe Shimon holds it is considered separate. Rebbe Yochanan asks that this contradicts another ruling of Rebbe Meir regarding אוכל שנפרס – food [of terumah] which broke but remains partially attached. Rebbe Meir says אם אוחז בקטן וגדול עולה עמו – if one can hold and lift the smaller part and the larger part will come up with it, they are considered one item, and a טבול יום who touches the smaller part is metamei the larger part. Rebbe Yochanan concluded: מוחלפת השיטה – [Rebbe Meir’s] opinion is reversed here. Although one might argue that a טבול יום is more lenient, Rebbe Yochanan’s point was according to Rebbe, who equates a טבול יום with ordinary tumah.

1. Can a live animal serve as a יד for a dangling אבר?

Rabbah asked: בהמה בחייה מהו שתעשה יד לאבר – can a living animal become a יד for a dangling limb? The אבר can become susceptible to food tumah, but the animal itself is not. If tumah touches the animal, will the אבר become tamei? This question is left unresolved. Amoraim ask four additional questions about whether specific items which are not themselves susceptible to tumah can serve as a יד. For example, if a cucumber is planted in a non-perforated pot, Rebbe Shimon says that although the leaves inside the pot are impervious to tumah, the leaves which protrude outside the pot are susceptible to tumah. Abaye asked whether the inside leaves can serve as a יד for the outside leaves. This question, as well as the three which follow, remains unresolved.

1. בשר הפורש מן החי is not metamei

The Mishnah taught that after an animal dies, its dangling אבר is tamei as אבר מן החי, but not as נבילה. The Gemara explains that the practical difference concerns בשר which separates from the אבר: בשר which separates from אבר מן החי is not metamei, whereas בשר from נבילה is metamei. We derive that אבר מן החי is metamei from וכי ימות מן הבהמה – and if there shall die “from” an animal, implying that even part of an animal (an אבר) is metamei. Tannaim exclude בשר מן החי from being metamei in three ways from this passuk: Rebbe Yose HaGlili says מה מיתה שאינה עושה חליפין – just as death does not generate a replacement, so too anything severed from a live animal is only metamei if it does not generate a replacement (i.e., an אבר). This excludes בשר, which can regenerate. Rebbe Akiva says that just as an animal has גידים ועצמות – sinews and bones, so too only something with sinews and bones which separates from a live animal is metamei, excluding בשר. They therefore disagree whether the כוליא – kidney and ניב שפתים – upper lip are metamei (they cannot regenerate, but lack גידין ועצמות). Rebbe says that only an אבר containing בשר, גידין, and עצמות is metamei, thus excluding the ארכובה – lower leg joint, which lacks flesh.