Comentario sobre Hulín 2:9
אֵין שׁוֹחֲטִין לֹא לְתוֹךְ יַמִּים, וְלֹא לְתוֹךְ נְהָרוֹת, וְלֹא לְתוֹךְ כֵּלִים. אֲבָל שׁוֹחֵט הוּא לְתוֹךְ עוּגָא שֶׁל מַיִם, וּבִסְפִינָה, עַל גַּבֵּי כֵלִים. אֵין שׁוֹחֲטִין לְגֻמָּא כָּל עִקָּר, אֲבָל עוֹשֶׂה גֻמָּא בְתוֹךְ בֵּיתוֹ בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁיִּכָּנֵס הַדָּם לְתוֹכָהּ. וּבַשּׁוּק לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה כֵן, שֶׁלֹּא יְחַקֶּה אֶת הַמִּינִין:
No es lícito sacrificar [para que la sangre corra] en el mar, o en un río, o colocar al animal dentro de una embarcación; pero es legal sacrificarlo en una zanja húmeda o dentro de un utensilio a bordo de un barco. No está permitido sacrificar en ningún hoyo, pero es legal hacer un hoyo dentro de la casa, para que la sangre se acumule allí; pero esto no está permitido en la calle pública, no para tolerar la costumbre de los herejes.
Bartenura on Mishnah Chullin
אין שוחטין לתוך ימים – that he [who is performing the act of ritual slaughter] should not say, that to the Prince of the Sea he is performing the act of ritual slaughter.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Chullin
Introduction
Our mishnah deals with various prohibitions concerning where one lets the blood flow from the animal’s neck when he slaughters. The point of the mishnah is to ensure that the way that Jews slaughter their animals does not look like the way that idolaters slaughter their animals. It is interesting that with regard to this specific issue it was deemed important to distinguish between Jews and idolaters. Since slaughtering an animal is such an important moment in society, both economically and socially, it probably very frequently had religious significance. As a moment fraught with such meaning, the rabbis felt it crucial to distinguish Jewish practice from the practices of others.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Chullin
ולא לתוך הכלים – that they should not say that he is sprinkling its blood for idolatrous purposes that he is worshiping.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Chullin
One may not slaughter [so that the blood runs] into the sea or into rivers, or into vessels, If one slaughters and lets the blood flow into the sea or a river, it may look as if the person is using the animal’s blood to worship the sea or river. If he slaughters into a vessel it may look as if he is collecting the blood to use it in worship. Alternatively, this may look as if he is performing a Jewish sacrifice outside of the Temple. Therefore, all of these practices are prohibited.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Chullin
But one may slaughter into a pool (or of water. The correct reading of this mishnah is probably not “pool of water” but “vessel with water.” While one cannot slaughter into a vessel, lest it look as if he is going to use the blood for a sacrifice, if there is water mixed in, it doesn’t look like he is going to use the blood, because that is not how sacrificial blood is collected.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Chullin
עוגה של מים – and specifically murky waters, but not in clear waters, lest people say that he is performing the act of ritual slaughter to the full face that appears in the water.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Chullin
And when on board a ship on to vessels. When he is on a ship, he can let the blood drain into a vessel, and even one without water. On the ship it would be clear to all witnessing the slaughter that the reason he uses a vessel is to avoid a mess. Furthermore, he wouldn’t want to use the water which has to be preserved for drinking.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Chullin
ובספינה – He may perform the act of ritual slaughter on the utensils and the blood will flow gently and descend into the sea. For he who sees it would say that he did it, in order to not soil the ship.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Chullin
One may not slaughter at all into a hole, but one may dig a hole in his own house for the blood to run into. In the street, however, he should not do so as not to follow the ways of the heretics. As we can see at the end of the section, it seems that the heretics, who here refer to idolaters (and not heretical Jews), used to slaughter into holes dug into the ground. Therefore, a Jew should not do so. However, in his own house he can dig a hole and slaughter so that the blood flows into the hole, but not directly into the hole. In the streets, one shouldn’t even do this.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Chullin
אין שוחטין לגומא כל עיקר – and even in the house, and the reason that in a hole [it is not permitted], is because it is seen as an imitation of the sectarians.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Chullin
אבל עושה גומא – The Gemara explains that this is how it should read: One does not perform an act of ritual slaughter in a hole at all. But if one desires to bore into his courtyard, how would he do it. He would create a space outside of the hole and he would perform the act of ritual slaughter and the blood would gently flow and descend into its hole.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Chullin
יחקה את המינים – He would strengthen their hands in their customs; יחקה–imitate is from the word חק– custom
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy