{"id":13863,"date":"2011-07-21T21:38:35","date_gmt":"2011-07-21T21:38:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/production.ou.org\/life\/other\/masechet_hulin_26a32b\/"},"modified":"2015-11-03T06:15:48","modified_gmt":"2015-11-03T11:15:48","slug":"masechet_hulin_26a32b","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/torah\/masechet_hulin_26a32b\/","title":{"rendered":"Masechet Chullin 26a-32b"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Coming Week’s Daf Yomi by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz<\/em><\/p>\n

This essay is based upon the insights and chidushim (original ideas) of Talmudic scholar Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, as published in the Hebrew version of the Steinsaltz Edition of the Talmud.<\/em><\/p>\n

Chullin 26a-b: Announcing the approach of Shabbat<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

How were people informed of the time when Shabbat<\/a><\/em> began in an era without clocks or modern communication?<\/p>\n

The Mishnah<\/a> on today’s daf<\/em> discusses the role of the tekiah<\/em>, or shofar<\/a><\/em> blast, that served that purpose.<\/p>\n

According to the Mishnah in Sukkah<\/a><\/em> (daf 53b<\/a><\/em>), during Temple<\/a> times the tradition was to blow the shofar<\/em> three times on Friday in the early afternoon in order to indicate to the people that Shabbat<\/em> was approaching and that they should put aside their work in the fields or in their businesses in order to prepare for Shabbat<\/em>. Later in the afternoon there were three more shofar<\/em> blasts that warned that Shabbat<\/em> was imminent; with the final sound of the shofar<\/em>, all work was forbidden. Similar announcements were made in Jewish communities throughout the generations. Rashi<\/a> and Rabbeinu Chananel<\/a> suggest that a similar series of shofar<\/em> blasts were sounded on the eve of holidays, as well, even though there is no clear source for this in the Gemara<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Rambam<\/a> writes that there were shofar<\/em> blasts sounded at the close of Shabbat<\/em>, as well, whose purpose was to permit the people to return to work. This appears to contradict the Mishnah on today’s daf<\/em>, which teaches that when havdalah<\/a><\/em> was made the shofar<\/em> was not sounded. The Ohr Sameach<\/a><\/em> suggests that the Rambam is based on the Gemara in Shabbat<\/a><\/em> (daf 114b<\/a><\/em>) which is discussing the practice in Babylonia, while our Mishnah refers to the practice in the Temple.<\/p>\n

The description of the shofar<\/em> blasts in the Mishnah is supported by Josephus who records that there was a tower in the walls of the Temple Mount where the trumpeter stood and sounded the shofar<\/em> on Friday afternoon in order to announce that the laborers should stop their work. In fact, archaeological excavations in the area of the Southern Wall of the Temple have uncovered the remains of a large stone fragment,<\/a> which has inscribed on it “\u2026to the trumpeting house.” This rock was discovered in the south-west corner of the Temple Mount which faced the business district, as well as the fields on the slopes of the Jerusalem hills.<\/p>\n

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Chullin 27a-b: Creation and ritual slaughter<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Mishnah<\/a> on today’s daf<\/em> \u2013 the opening Mishnah of the second perek<\/em> in Masechet<\/a> Chullin<\/a><\/em> \u2013 teaches one of the most basic rules of ritual slaughter. When performing shechita<\/em> the slaughterer must cut two simanim<\/em> \u2013 the esophagus and trachea \u2013 in an animal, and a single siman<\/em> \u2013 either the esophagus or the trachea \u2013 in a bird. In both cases, it would be sufficient to cut the majority of the simanim<\/em> (or one of the simanim<\/em> in the case of a bird). Rabbi Yehuda<\/a> requires that the arteries should be cut, as well.<\/p>\n

The Gemara<\/a> discusses the source for these laws and for the difference between the requirements for kosher slaughter for an animal in contrast to those of a bird. Aside from Biblical passages that are brought, the Gemara also quotes a teaching from a certain Galilean traveler who suggested that animals were created by God from the dirt of the earth, so the requirement for their slaughter is two simanim<\/em>. Fish were created from water, so there is no need for any sort of slaughter. Birds, which were created from mud, need a single siman<\/em> for ritual slaughter.<\/p>\n

Rashi<\/a> explains this reasoning by suggesting that the more solid the raw material used in creation, the greater the life-force of the creation, and consequently the greater the need for a more significant act of slaughter. Other commentators took a spiritual direction in explaining this matter.<\/p>\n