Chullin 54b — the Talmud in English

And he saw it,

the tanna of our Mishna saw

the case of Rav Mattana

what Rav Mattana said: a buka de-atma that has slipped from its place is treifa],

that it too comes

also

within “This is the general rule.”

That is, we would have said that it too is included in “This is the general rule,” and it is treifa, in accordance with the words of Rav Mattana. And therefore the tanna taught the limiting phrase “These are the treifot.”

And the Gemara explains:

What is the reason

would we have included Rav Mattana’s case in the Mishna’s “This is the general rule” [were it not for the limiting phrase]? Because

it resembles

this buka de-atma that has slipped from its place

, the case of something removed,

the category of netula treifot, since it has been removed from its place.

Therefore,

he taught, “These are treifot,”

in order to teach us that only

these are treifa. But this case of Rav Mattana is kasher.

And Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: “

These are kasher” -

Specifically.

For when

he taught,

the tanna initially taught “These are

treifot,” and he also taught

also “

This is the general rule,” and he saw,

the tanna saw

the case of Rav Mattana —

that it does not come within this general rule.

For we would not have included it in “This is the general rule.”

What is the reason?

For this buka de-atma that has slipped from its place

, does not resemble the case of something perforated, nor the case of something severed, and it likewise does not resemble the case of something removed.

For it was not entirely removed, but merely moved from its place.

Therefore,

he taught, “These are kasher,”

to tell us that only

these are kasher,

but

this case of Rav Mattana —

is treifa.

The body of the matter itself: Rav Mattana said: This buka de-atma that has slipped from its place —

is treifa!

And Rava said: It is kasher!

And if its tendon was severed,

for the tendon connecting the head of the thighbone to the rump bone was severed —

it is treifa!

And the halakha is —

if its

tendon

was likewise severed, it is kasher until it is completely decayed,

until it rots.

We learned in the Mishna: To what extent may there be missing

from the windpipe?

Ze’iri said: You, who have never seen

—

the measure

of the Italian issar in your lives —

its measure is a Cordyenean dinar,

from the mountains of Ararat, which they knew.

And its

circumference

is like a small peshita,

like a small peruta,

and it is found among the peshitei,

and it is found among the perutot

of Pumbedita.

Rabbi Hana the money changer said,

who was a money changer, and many coins were before him, and he earned from money that other people had entrusted to him, to trade with it and receive half the profit:

above me,

above

stood Bar Nappaha, and he asked me for

and requested from me

a Cordyenean dinar

in order

to measure a treifa with it.

And I wished to stand before Bar Nappaha, but he did not let me! He said to me: Sit, my son, sit!

For

craftsmen,

when they are occupied with the work of others

, are not permitted to stand before Torah scholars while they are occupied with their work.

And the Gemara raises a difficulty:

Are they not

permitted!?

But we learned

in tractate Bikkurim [3:3]:

All craftsmen stand before them

of those bringing first fruits,

and they inquire after their welfare, and they say to them: Our brothers, men of such-and-such a place —

may your arrival be in peace!

And we answer:

Rabbi Yohanan said: Before them they stand,

in order to make the mitzva beloved to them.

Before Torah scholars

there is no

standing.

Rabbi Yosei bar Avin said: Come and see how beloved a mitzva is at its proper time. For before them

of those bringing first fruits

they stand,

craftsmen even when they are occupied with their work, whereas

before Torah scholars they do not stand!

And we reject this:

From where

is it that this is because its mitzva is beloved at its proper time?

Perhaps

they stood before them

so that you would not find yourself causing them to stumble in the future?!

For if they do not receive those bringing first fruits with honor, they will in the future refrain from bringing them because of the exertion of the journey.

Rav Nahman said:

In a place where the Sages stated a measure

of a sela,

they stated precisely a sela, so that if it is the size of a sela, its law is

like more than a sela.

And likewise, in a place where they stated a measure

of an issar,

as in our Mishna, where they said, “To what extent may there be missing [from the windpipe]? Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: Until an issar,” if the windpipe is missing exactly an issar, its law is as though it were missing

more than an issar,

and it is treifa!

Evidently, Rav Nahman holds

that when the tanna teaches in our Mishna, “To what extent may there be missing and remain kasher? Until an Italian issar,” the intention of the tanna is to say:

Until

the measure of the issar,

but not including the endpoint.

For at precisely the measure of an issar, it is treifa.

Rava raised an objection to Rav Nahman

from what we learned in tractate Kelim [19b]: A bed that was woven with a rope, and after the weaving of the bed was completed a little of the rope remained, hanging downward, that

rope that protrudes from the bed,

if the length of the rope was small,

up to five handbreadths,

it is fit for nothing and is not considered part of the bed. Therefore, if the bed became impure, it is

pure.

And Rava infers:

Is it not

that if the rope was

five

handbreadths long, it is

like less than

five, and it is pure. And it is proven that we say, “Until” includes the endpoint”!

And we reject this:

No!

If the rope was

five

handbreadths long, its law is

like more than

five handbreadths, and it is impure.

Come and hear

from what we learned there: And if the length of the rope was

from five up to ten

handbreadths —

it is impure.

But if it was longer than ten and onward, it is pure, since at such a length it is destined to be cut off from the bed.

And Rava infers:

Is it not, ten —

like less than [ten]?!

And we reject this:

No!

Ten is

like more than [ten]!

Come and hear

from what we learned in tractate Kelim [2:2]:

The thin ones among earthenware vessels,

that is, earthenware vessels that are thin,

they are,

whether they themselves hold a small amount of oil sufficient for anointing a small child, and whether they broke

and their bottoms,

the bottoms of the vessels that remained after the breaking,

and their sides

that remained, and the fragments can be

sitting without being supported,

without support,