הַמַּפְשִׁיט בַּבְּהֵמָה וּבַחַיָּה, בַּטְּהוֹרָה וּבַטְּמֵאָה, בַּדַּקָּה וּבַגַּסָּה, לְשָׁטִיחַ, כְּדֵי אֲחִיזָה. וּלְחֵמֶת, עַד שֶׁיַּפְשִׁיט אֶת הֶחָזֶה. הַמַּרְגִּיל, כֻּלּוֹ חִבּוּר לַטֻּמְאָה, לִטָּמֵא וּלְטַמֵּא. עוֹר שֶׁעַל הַצַּוָּאר, רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן נוּרִי אוֹמֵר, אֵינוֹ חִבּוּר. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, חִבּוּר, עַד שֶׁיַּפְשִׁיט אֶת כֻּלּוֹ:
When a person removes the skin of a domestic or wild animal, whether clean or unclean, large or small, in order to cover himself therewith, pollution is contracted and communicated when as much skin is removed as can be taken hold of, and if to make a bottle of skin, until the skin over the breast is removed. If the skinning was commenced from the legs, the whole is considered as connecting, and subject to contract and communicate pollution. The skin covering the neck is not considered as connecting by R. Jochanan ben Nouri, but the sages do so consider it until the whole skin is removed.
Tosefta Chullin
One who flays the skin of an animal [by pulling it from the feet toward the neck (see Jastrow, "מרגל")] and [then] slaughtered [the animal], his slaughter is valid. A detached tooth or a detached fingernail -- we may slaughter with it (Hul. 1:2). A scythe [may only be used to slaughter] by [cutting] in the direction it normally traverses (alt., moving it forward) (ibid). Beit Shammai invalidate it and Beit Hillel validate it. And if the teeth of the scythe are filed away, behold, it is like a [regular] knife. One who [intended to] stick a knife in the earth by throwing it [באַטְלֵק not באטלס, see Jastrow] and slaughtered with it, his slaughter is invalid. A knife that has many notches (lit., "notches notches"), behold, that is like a saw. If there is between one notch and the next notch [a space equivalent to the space] between the two [simanim] in the neck, his slaughter is valid. [If] there is but a single notch, if it would get caught, the slaughter is [nonetheless] valid, [but] if it strangles, it is invalid.
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