Chullin Daf 127 צולין דַף 127

A Baraisa darshens the phrase "הצב למינהו" – the toad according to its variety to allude to several other species, including the "סלמנדרא", a creature created through sorcery from a fire of הדסים. When Rebbe Akiva reached this passuk, he would marvel: מה רבו מעשיך ה' – how wondrous are Your works, Hashem! יש לך בריות גדלות בים – You have creatures which grow up in the sea, ויש לך בריות גדלות ביבשה – and You  have creatures which grow up on dry land. If the sea creatures were to go up onto dry land, or the land creatures were to descend into the sea, they would immediately die. You have creatures which grow up in fire (the סלמנדרא), and creatures which grow up in the air. If those which live in fire were to rise into the air, or those of the air were to descend into fire, they would immediately die. Rebbe Akiva concluded: מה רבו מעשיך ה'!

The next Mishnah states: האבר והבשר המדולדלין בבהמה – the limb and the meat which dangle from an animal מטמאין טומאת אוכלין במקומן – transmit food tumah in their place (even while still attached), but require הכשר with liquid before becoming tamei. [Had they been fully detached, they would be אבר מן החי and בשר מן החי, respectively; אבר מן החי is an independent source of tumah.] If the animal dies, the formerly dangling בשר requires הכשר, but the אבר is now metamei as אבר מן החי, but is not metamei as נבילה (the next Daf will explain the practical difference between the two). Rashi explains that מיתה עושה ניפול – death effects falling off, i.e., considering the dangling limb as if it fell off just before the animal’s death. The Gemara clarifies that if the dangling אבר and בשר are מעלין ארוכה – able to regenerate, they would not even be susceptible to טומאת אוכלין. Although the Mishnah’s case must therefore be a case where they can no longer regenerate, the אבר is still not metamei as an אבר מן החי, because a derashah requires עד שיפול – until it falls off completely.

The Gemara observes that although a dangling אבר is still considered attached to the animal insofar as it is not metamei as an אבר מן החי, it can nevertheless contract and transmit food tumah, and is considered detached in this regard. This supports a similar distinction stated by Rav Chiya bar Ashi in Shmuel’s name: תאנים שצמקו באיביהן – figs which shriveled on their branches are metamei טומאת אוכלין (i.e., and are considered detached), והתולש מהן בשבת חייב חטאת – but one who detaches them on Shabbos is liable to bring a korban chatas (because regarding Shabbos, they are considered attached).