Tosefta for Chullin 4:4

בְּהֵמָה הַמַּקְשָׁה לֵילֵד, וְהוֹצִיא עֻבָּר אֶת יָדוֹ וַחֲתָכָהּ וְאַחַר כָּךְ שָׁחַט אֶת אִמּוֹ, הַבָּשָׂר טָהוֹר. שָׁחַט אֶת אִמּוֹ וְאַחַר כָּךְ חֲתָכָהּ, הַבָּשָׂר מַגַּע נְבֵלָה, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, מַגַּע טְרֵפָה שְׁחוּטָה. מַה מָּצִינוּ בַטְּרֵפָה שֶׁשְּׁחִיטָתָהּ מְטַהַרְתָּהּ, אַף שְׁחִיטַת בְּהֵמָה תְּטַהֵר אֶת הָאֵבָר. אָמַר לָהֶם רַבִּי מֵאִיר, לֹא, אִם טִהֲרָה שְׁחִיטַת טְרֵפָה אוֹתָהּ, דָּבָר שֶׁגּוּפָהּ, תְּטַהֵר אֶת הָאֵבָר, דָּבָר שֶׁאֵינוֹ גוּפָהּ. מִנַּיִן לַטְּרֵפָה שֶׁשְּׁחִיטָתָהּ מְטַהַרְתָּהּ. בְּהֵמָה טְמֵאָה אֲסוּרָה בַאֲכִילָה, אַף טְרֵפָה אֲסוּרָה בַאֲכִילָה. מַה בְּהֵמָה טְמֵאָה אֵין שְׁחִיטָתָהּ מְטַהַרְתָּהּ, אַף טְרֵפָה לֹא תְטַהֲרֶנָּה שְׁחִיטָתָהּ. לֹא, אִם אָמַרְתָּ בִּבְהֵמָה טְמֵאָה שֶׁלֹּא הָיְתָה לָהּ שְׁעַת הַכֹּשֶׁר, תֹּאמַר בִּטְרֵפָה שֶׁהָיְתָה לָהּ שְׁעַת הַכֹּשֶׁר. טֹל לְךָ מַה שֶּׁהֵבֵאתָ, הֲרֵי שֶׁנּוֹלְדָה טְרֵפָה מִן הַבֶּטֶן מִנַּיִן. לֹא, אִם אָמַרְתָּ בִּבְהֵמָה טְמֵאָה שֶׁכֵּן אֵין בְּמִינָהּ שְׁחִיטָה, תֹּאמַר בִּטְרֵפָה שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּמִינָהּ שְׁחִיטָה. בֶּן שְׁמֹנָה חַי, אֵין שְׁחִיטָתוֹ מְטַהַרְתּוֹ, לְפִי שֶׁאֵין בְּמִינוֹ שְׁחִיטָה:

“[For] an animal that has difficulty giving birth, and the fetus protruded its fore-leg, someone cut it off, and afterward slaughtered its mother, the flesh [removed from the fetus] is pure. [If] someone slaughtered its mother and afterwards cut [the fore-leg off], the flesh [has the impurity level] of touching a nevelah [an improperly slaughtered animal of a permitted species],” in the words of Rabbi Meir. The Sages say, "[The impurity level] of touching a slaughtered terefah [an animal with a mortal condition such that it would die within one year]. Just as we find for a terefah that its slaughtering purifies it, so too the slaughtering of an animal purifies the [protruding] limb.” Rabbi Meir said to them, "Not so, for if the slaughtering of a terefah renders clean that which is part of its body, does it render clean the limb which is not of its body?” From where is it derived for a terefah that its slaughtering purifies it? An unfit animal is forbidden for eating [and] so too a terefah is forbidden for eating. Just as an impure animal is purified by its slaughter, is a terefah not purified by its slaughter? No. If you say [something] about an unfit animal which did not have a moment of validity, would you say [as such] about a terefah which had a time of validity? Take away what [the argument] you brought. Behold, if it is born as a terefah from the womb, from where would we derive this? [Rather], no. If you say about an unclean animal that for its kind is not [affected] by slaughtering, would you say it for a terefah whose kind [affecting] by slaughtering? Born alive at eight [months], its slaughtering does not render it pure, for its kind is not [affected] by slaughtering.

Explore tosefta for Chullin 4:4. In-depth commentary and analysis from classical Jewish sources.

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