2,711 pages of Talmud. A gem a day.

Chullin 63

There are so many times when an entire meeting is held for what could have been a short email. Times in which a sermon could have been a brief paragraph of reflection. Where a story goes on so long you begin to tune out – and completely end up missing the point. That’s the danger of rambling on – losing the point.

God knows this, as our daf points out:

It is taught in a baraita: Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi says: It is revealed and known before the One Who spoke and the world came into being that the species of non-kosher animals are more numerous than the kosher ones. Therefore, the Torah lists the kosher animals, teaching that all the rest are non-kosher. On the other hand, it is revealed and known before the One Who spoke and the world came into being that the species of kosher birds are more numerous than the non-kosher ones. Therefore, the Torah lists the non-kosher birds. The Gemara asks: What is this baraita teaching us? The Gemara responds: As Rav Huna says that Rav says, and some say that Rav Huna says that Rav says in the name of Rabbi Meir: A person should always teach his student in a concise manner, just as the Torah is concise in its language.

That’s the KISS rule: Keep It Simple Stupid.

Sometimes we think longer is better, and sometimes it is; however, sometimes it just allows our minds to wander – especially if we are trying to learn something new and retain it.

Now before I go on too long. . . .

Chullin 62

Today’s daf lead me down a rabbit hole trying to discern who “Piruz the Evil” was. In discussing which birds are kosher, we get this line: And your mnemonic to remember this is the known personality Piruz the Evil.

So, who was this guy? An evil king! In Persia (modern day Iran).

Apparently, Sassanid King Peroz I also known as King Peroz I (Firuz I) reigned in the 5th century. When reading about him, he seems a bit like a cartoon villain. He kills his brother for the thrown, he has repeated intense battles against the Caucasian Huns, catastrophic 7 year famines, and conflicts with minority communities. And here’s the important part – historical records detail tension and persecution of Jewish populations.

So, yeah, we saw him as Piruz the Evil.

Here is his gold Dinar depicting him.

Chullin 61

How do we know which birds are kosher?

While the Torah offers indicators make land animals kosher (split hooves and chews its cud) it does not do this for birds (instead we get a list of 24 forbidden birds). Enter the Sages to establish 4 indicators for birds to be kosher:

A bird that hunts its prey is not a kosher bird (no vultures, sorry)
A bird that has an “extra toe,” meaning a raised rear toe in the back. It’s three in front and then one higher up in the back. I will paste a picture below of a chicken foot. To be honest, it makes me nauseous to look at. And so many people eat chicken feet!
A bird that has a crop (okay, now I am pasting a picture of the entire chicken anatomy)
and a gizzard that can be peeled (that’s on the picture)

The gem? That if looking at the chicken feet doesn’t make you nauseous – then you can eat them!

Oh, and just a few days from the 4th of July – the bald eagle is NOT kosher. So fly eagles, fly.

Chullin 60

There are days when it’s hard to find a gem on the daf – then there are days when the daf is dripping with them. Today’s daf begins with a spoiled/demanding daughter of the roman emperor getting exactly what she asked for (and that being a hard lesson to learn for her as it requires she live as a leaper). It tells us of creation and the power of the prayers of the righteous. But the featured gem is the story of the sun and moon. I will paste it in full below, but here’s a summary:

God first created the sun and the moon, they were the same size. The moon pointed out the obvious: “Can two kings wear one crown?” God agreed and told the moon to make itself smaller. But the moon protested, “Why should I be punished for telling the truth?” God tried to comfort the moon by giving it special honors—the Jewish calendar would follow its cycles, and righteous people would bear names associated with its humility. Yet the moon remained unconsoled. Finally, God declared that the New Moon offering would serve as “an atonement for Me,” as if even God acknowledged the pain caused by diminishing another.

So many lessons. There is a key lesson here about sharing leadership and fighting the instinct built in us all to put others down so we can feel “bigger.” And the daf also suggests that even when a difficult decision must be made, the hurt it causes should never be dismissed.

I tell you – dripping in gems!

Here’s the full text.

Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi raises a contradiction between two verses. It is written: “And God made the two great lights” (Genesis 1:16), and it is also written in the same verse: “The greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night,” indicating that only one was great. Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi explains: When God first created the sun and the moon, they were equally bright. Then, the moon said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe, is it possible for two kings to serve with one crown? One of us must be subservient to the other. God therefore said to her, i.e., the moon: If so, go and diminish yourself. She said before Him: Master of the Universe, since I said a correct observation before You, must I diminish myself? God said to her: As compensation, go and rule both during the day along with the sun and during the night. She said to Him: What is the greatness of shining alongside the sun? What use is a candle in the middle of the day? God said to her: Go; let the Jewish people count the days and years with you, and this will be your greatness. She said to Him: But the Jewish people will count with the sun as well, as it is impossible that they will not count seasons with it, as it is written: “And let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years” (Genesis 1:14). God said to her: Go; let righteous men be named after you. Just as you are called the lesser [hakatan] light, there will be Ya’akov HaKatan, i.e., Jacob our forefather (see Amos 7:2), Shmuel HaKatan the tanna, and David HaKatan, i.e., King David (see I Samuel 17:14). God saw that the moon was not comforted. The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: Bring atonement for me, since I diminished the moon. The Gemara notes: And this is what Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish says: What is different about the goat offering of the New Moon, that it is stated with regard to it: “For the Lord” (Numbers 28:15)? The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: This goat shall be an atonement for Me for having diminished the size of the moon.

Chullin 59

Today’s daf has . . . UNICORNS! And giant lions. we will focus on the lion, but first, on our daf, the Keresh (Hebrew קֶרֶשׁ) refers to an enormous, one-horned animal or “unicorn.” It is described as large in size, one horned, and a kosher undomesticated animal!

But before you do down the rabbit hole of “do Jews believe in unicorns” we should put it into context . . . and the context is so good.

The baraita states: And with regard to the animal called a keresh, even though it has only one horn, its fat is permitted for consumption. Rav Yehuda says: The keresh is the gazelle that is native to the area of Bei Ila’ei. The tagras mentioned by the Sages is the lion of Bei Ila’ei. Rav Kahana says: There are nine cubits between the ears of the lion of Bei Ila’ei. Rav Yosef says: The length of the gazelle of Bei Ila’ei is sixteen cubits. The Gemara recounts: The Roman emperor said to Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥananya: Your God is compared to a lion, as it is written: “The lion has roared, who will not fear” (Amos 3:8). But if so, what is His greatness? A cavalryman can kill a lion. Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: God is not compared to that lion which a cavalryman can kill. Rather, God is compared to the lion of Bei Ila’ei. The emperor said to him: I ask that you show it to me. Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: You cannot see it. The emperor said to him: Truly, I wish to see it. Rabbi Yehoshua prayed for mercy, and the lion of Bei Ila’ei set off from its place of origin toward Rome. When it was four hundred parasangs away from Rome, it roared once, and all the pregnant women miscarried, and the wall of Rome fell. When it was three hundred parasangs away, it roared another time, and all the men’s front and back teeth fell out from fear. And even he, the emperor, fell from his throne to the ground. The emperor said to Rabbi Yehoshua: I beg you, pray for mercy with regard to it, that it should go back to the place from which it came. Rabbi Yehoshua prayed for mercy with regard to it, and it returned to the place from which it came.

So the unicorn is not a typical horse with a horn – it’s 16 cubits (between 24-28 feet) long!

And the lion God is compared to? Not your typical lion. It’s head is about 14 feet between the ears. It’s roar makes women miscarry and knocks over walls.

But, the real gem comes next. The same emperor who wants to see the lion, now insists he wants to see God.

The Gemara recounts: The emperor said to Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥananya: I wish to see your God. Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: You cannot see Him. The emperor said to him: Truly, I wish to see Him. Rabbi Yehoshua went and stood the emperor facing the sun in the season of Tammuz, i.e., summer. Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: Look at it. The emperor said to him: I cannot. Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: Now, if with regard to the sun, which is only one of the servants that stand before the Holy One, Blessed be He, you say: I cannot look at it, is it not all the more so with regard to the Divine Presence?

Amen.

Chullin 58

Okay, there is so much I love about this passage. A mosquito gets mad at her partner and is withholding, mosquitoes have their own money, and mosquito years are measured on their own timelines (think dog-years). But what I love the most is the fact that Abaye tells Rav Pappa not to take the story that a mosquito didn’t talk to her husband for 7 years at face value, not because it didn’t happen, but because mosquito years are different than human years!

Rav says: There is no one-day-old mosquito, since all mosquitoes die before they have lived a day. And there is no one-year-old fly.

Rav Pappa said to Abaye: But isn’t there the adage that people say that the female mosquito revolted against the male mosquito seven years, since she said to him: I saw a townsman swimming in the water, and he came out and wrapped himself in sheets, and you sat on him and sucked blood from him, and you did not inform me? Apparently, some boneless creatures can survive at least seven years. Abaye said to him: And according to your reasoning, what about that adage that people say: Six thousand iron dinars hang in a mosquito’s mallet, i.e., its bite is powerful? Is there really such a thing? How much does the mosquito itself weigh? Rather, the saying must be referring to hundreds of their own dinars, i.e., the mosquitoes’ coins. Here, too, the adage is referring to their own years, not human years.

We can learn so much from parables written from others perspective, whether that be another person, an animal, or even a bug. I love this story so much. For all the reasons listed above and for the fact that even the most annoying creature can get annoyed. Even a real-life blood sucker can think others suck! The lesson? Oh so many, but two to highlight: when good things happen, share your bounty with others; and we all have selfish moments when we are annoying – try to be forgiving.

Chullin 57

There is the stereotype of the absentminded professor who is brilliant but at the same time, a bumbling idiot. There are the 80s versions of nerds who are so smart on paper, but socially completely inept. And there is today’s gem.

The Gemara asks: But from the fact that Rabbi Yoḥanan says in response: A bird does have lungs, and they are like a rose petal between the wings, by inference one must conclude that Ḥizkiyya maintains that it has no lungs at all. Rather, one must say as they say in the West, Eretz Yisrael, in the name of Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina: From the statement of the Distinguished, i.e., Ḥizkiyya, it is apparent that he is unfamiliar with chickens.

Here we have a brilliant man, Hizkiyya, who is Distinguished, brilliant beyond compare . . . but clearly doesn’t know his chickens. Or basic biology for that matter – because how could a bird live without lungs?

Alas, there are so many of us who are brilliant in one sphere while being completely clueless in others. Don’t let that make you think any less of them (or you).

Chullin 56

I apologize, but today’s gem is the horror of of the Hebrew term used in the Talmud for vulva (yes, female external sexual organs). The term used is: בֵּית הַבּוֹשֶׁת – Which literally translates to “house of shame.” If you’re thinking – that seems more like it should mean “brothel,” don’t worry, it does in modern Hebrew!

No wonder women were taught for so long to be ashamed of their sexual organs. No wonder so few knew (or know) about them, the names of the different parts, and how to derive pleasure from them.

And, no wonder so many men have no idea what the vulva is.

Chullin 55

Animals have feelings too.

The mishna states: Or if its lung shriveled [ḥaruta] by the hand of Heaven, the animal is kosher. The Sages taught in a baraita: Which is a ḥaruta? It is any animal whose lung shriveled. If this occurred by the hand of Heaven, e.g., if the lung shriveled from fright of thunder and lightning, the animal is kosher. But if it happened by the hands of a person who frightened it, e.g., if it witnessed another animal being slaughtered, it is a tereifa. Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says: Even if the lung shriveled by the hands of any creature, e.g., if it was frightened by a lion’s roar.

One of the things I love about learning Talmud is stumbling across moments when the rabbis seem to notice something that we often think of as modern insight. Chullin 55 contains one such moment.

The discussion centers on an animal whose lung has shriveled. The rabbis distinguish between different causes. If the lung shriveled because of natural events—”by the hand of Heaven,” such as thunder and lightning—the animal remains kosher. But if the lung shriveled because it was frightened by human action, such as witnessing another animal being slaughtered, the animal is considered a tereifah. Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar goes even further, suggesting that terror induced by another creature, such as the roar of a lion, could have the same effect.

At first glance, this sounds like a technical legal discussion about kashrut. But beneath the legal categories lies a remarkable assumption: animals experience fear.

Not only do they experience fear, but that fear can leave a physical mark on their bodies. The rabbis describe terror so intense that it changes the very structure of an organ. They are not speaking metaphorically. They are suggesting that emotional distress and physical health are intertwined.

Modern science has given us language for this connection. We know that chronic stress affects immune systems, hormones, digestion, and cardiovascular health in both humans and animals. Veterinarians recognize that animals can suffer trauma. Farmers know that frightened livestock behave differently and may even become physically ill. What is striking is not that the rabbis knew the biology, but that they paid enough attention to animals to recognize that emotional experiences matter.

Too often, we draw a sharp line between human beings and the rest of creation. We imagine ourselves as the only creatures with inner lives. Yet the Torah repeatedly pushes us in another direction. We are commanded to let our animals rest on Shabbat. We are forbidden from muzzling an ox while it treads grain. We are instructed to send away the mother bird before taking her young. Whether these commandments are primarily for the animals’ sake or for ours, they reflect a world in which animal suffering is morally significant.

This passage invites us to cultivate that same sensitivity. If an animal’s fear matters enough to enter the pages of the Talmud, perhaps we should pay more attention to the creatures who share our world.

Chullin 54

Today’s daf gives a great lesson on the difference between honoring people and honoring actions.

It all starts with discussing how big a hole int he windpipe can be for an animal to still be kosher.

The mishna states: How much can the windpipe be missing and still be kosher? Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: Until the perforation is the same size as an Italian issar. Ze’eiri, who came from Eretz Yisrael, said with regard to this: You, who are not familiar with the measure of an Italian issar, because it is not used in Babylonia, should estimate its measure as a Kurdish dinar. And it is like a small peruta coin and can be found among the perutot of Pumbedita.

Rabbi Ḥana the money changer said: Bar Nappaḥa, i.e., Rabbi Yoḥanan, was standing over me, and he requested of me a Kurdish dinar with which to measure tereifot, in accordance with the statement of Ze’eiri. And I wanted to rise before him out of respect, but he did not let me. Rabbi Yoḥanan said to me: Sit, my son, sit. Tradesmen are not permitted to stand before Torah scholars when they are engaged in their work.

So, this great rabbi wanted to get a Kurdish dinar to be able to measure a gap in the windpipe or an animal. The money changer wanted to honor Rabbi Yohanan and was told that he shouldn’t rise to honor someone because of their title if he is involved in work.

The Gemara asks: And are tradesmen not permitted to stand before Torah scholars? But didn’t we learn in a mishna (Bikkurim 3:3): When the pilgrims bring their first fruits to Jerusalem, all the tradesmen stand before them, and greet them, and say to them: Our brothers from such and such place, welcome? Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Yes, they stand before those bringing first fruits, but they do not stand before Torah scholars. Rabbi Yosei bar Avin says: Come and see how beloved is a mitzva performed in its proper time, as the tradesmen stand before those who brought first fruits, while they do not stand before Torah scholars. The Gemara rejects the statement of Rabbi Yosei bar Avin: From where does one know that they rise out of respect? Perhaps the tradesmen stand only in order not to cause those bringing first fruits to fail and sin in the future. That is, if the tradesmen do not treat those bringing the first fruits with great respect, they may not make the effort to travel to Jerusalem in a subsequent year.

The message is a lovely one. Most of us are quick to honor titles, accomplishments, and expertise. We are less intentional about honoring acts of generosity, kindness, and commitment while they are happening. The daf challenges us to ask: Are we celebrating the people who are doing the work that keeps our communities alive (no matter their title)?

A simple thank you, a public acknowledgment, a note of appreciation—these may seem small. But according to the Gemara, they may be exactly what encourages someone to bring their “first fruits” again next year.

So, don’t forget to honor those who are doing the right thing – whoever they happen to be.