Overview
Chullin 117 concludes the eighth perek by comparing the halachic status of cheilev and dam in sacrificial animals. Although both are severe prohibitions, the Gemara demonstrates that the Torah assigned them very different legal consequences. The daf then opens a new perek dealing with the laws of tumah, specifically which animal components combine together to create food impurity and neveilah impurity.
Cheilev Is Subject to Meโilah
The Mishnah teaches that sacrificial fats (cheilev) are subject to:
- Meโilah
- Piggul
- Notar
- Tumah
The Gemara asks for the source and derives it from the comparison between the fats removed from a Korban Shelamim and those of the Par Kohen Mashiach.
Rabbi Chanina challenges the derivation, suggesting that it should instead come from the verse:
ืื ืืื ืืโ
which includes the sacrificial fats in the laws of meโilah.
The Gemara ultimately explains why both derivations are necessary.
The Special Status of the Tail (Alyah)
The Gemara discusses whether the sheepโs fatty tail (alyah) is included under the general term cheilev.
This issue is important because if it were fully treated as ordinary cheilev, it might become prohibited for consumption.
The Gemara concludes that while the Torah sometimes classifies the tail together with sacrificial fats, it is not automatically included under the ordinary prohibition of cheilev.
Why Blood Is Different
The Mishnah stated:
What applies to cheilev does not apply to blood.
The Gemara asks for the source.
Several answers are given:
- From the word โืืืโ โ blood was given to Israel for atonement.
- From โืืืคืจโ โ it was designated for atonement, not meโilah.
- Rabbi Yochanan derives from โืืืโ that blood has the same status before and after atonement.
The result:
Blood is excluded from the laws of meโilah.
Once a Mitzvah Is Completed
The Gemara asks why blood should lose meโilah after it has fulfilled its purpose.
This leads to a broader principle:
Generally, once an itemโs mitzvah has been performed, meโilah no longer applies.
The Gemara compares this to:
- Terumat HaDeshen
- Bigdei Kehunah
- Eglah Arufah
and analyzes why those cases do not prove otherwise.
Beginning of Perek HaOr VeHaRotav
The new Mishnah opens:
ืืขืืจ ืืืจืืื ืืืงืืคื ืืืืืโฆ
The subject now changes completely.
The Mishnah discusses:
- Hide
- Broth
- Residual tissue
- Bones
- Sinews
- Horns
- Hooves
and asks whether they combine with meat for purposes of Tumat Ochlin and Tumat Neveilah.
Tumat Ochlin vs. Tumat Neveilah
The Mishnah establishes an important distinction:
These attached substances may combine to create:
โ Tumat Ochlin
but generally not:
โ Tumat Neveilah
The Gemara immediately connects this to the concept of shomrim (protective coverings).
Shomer for Light Tumah but Not for Neveilah
The Gemara brings the teaching:
ืฉืืืจืื ืืืืืื ืงืื ืืื ืืืืืื ืืืืจื
Protective coverings count for ordinary food impurity but not for the more stringent tumah of neveilah.
The proof comes from:
- โืขื ืื ืืจืข ืืจืืขโ regarding food impurity.
- โืื ืืืชืโ excluding certain attached materials from tumat neveilah.
Big Idea of the Daf
The daf serves as a transition:
The end of Kol HaBasar clarifies why sacrificial cheilev and dam are treated differently regarding meโilah and other sacrificial laws.
The beginning of HaOr VeHaRotav shifts to an entirely new subject: determining what parts of an animal are considered significant enough to create or combine for tumah.
This is the true structure of Chullin 117.