Chullin Daf 17 צולין דַף 17

The Torah says that when Klal Yisroel would enter Eretz Yisroel and someone would want to eat meat, “to your heart’s entire desire you may eat meat.” Rebbe Yishmael explained: לא בא הכתוב אלא להתיר להם בשר תאוה – the passuk only came to permit to them meat of desire, i.e., without being brought as a korban. He holds that in the מדבר, only meat of a korban was permitted, and not "בשר תאוה"; after entering Eretz Yisroel, בשר תאוה became permitted. Rebbe Akiva analyzes the next passuk, which says that when they would be far from the Mikdash (in Eretz Yisroel), “then you shall slaughter from your cattle and your flock as I have commanded you.” Rebbe Akiva says the passuk only came לאסור להן בשר נחירה – to forbid to them meat of animals killed by piercing. He holds that in the מדבר, נחירה was sufficient to permit consumption. [He holds בשר תאוה was never forbidden, and Rebbe Yishmael holds that נחירה was never permitted.] Rebbe Akiva agrees that korbanos always required proper shechitah, even in the מדבר. Also, Rebbe Yishmael agrees that חיות, such as deer, which are not fit for korbanos, were always permitted as בשר תאוה.

Rebbe Yirmiyah asked, what is the halachah of אברי בשר נחירה שהכניסו ישראל עמהן לארץ – limbs of meat of animals killed through piercing which Jews brought with them into Eretz Yisroel from the מדבר? Did it remain permitted since it was killed when this was a valid method of shechitah, or was it prohibited, since full shechitah was required upon entering Eretz Yisroel? The Gemara objects to the question: if the question related to the seven years of conquering Eretz Yisroel, השתא דבר טמא אישתרי להו – if even non-kosher food was permitted to them, as the passuk says: ובתים מלאים כל טוב – and houses full of good things […you will eat], which Rav interpreted to mean even כתלי דחזירי – bacon, then obviously בשר נחירה was permitted!? The Gemara first answers that the question related to after they finished conquering Eretz Yisroel. Alternatively, the question is relevant during the conquest as well, because the permit for non-kosher food only applied to שלל של עובדי כוכבים – spoils taken from the idolators, not food they brought with them, such as בשר נחירה. The question is left unresolved.

The Gemara discusses פגימות – notches in knives, beginning with the rule: כמגירה שנינו – we have learned that notches like a saw disqualify a knife. It proceeds to detail distinctions between the number, form, and location of פגימות, and how the shechitah was performed. A knife must obviously be examined to ensure a valid shechitah. The knife must be shown to a חכם to examine, and Rebbe Yochanan said לא אמרו להראות סכין לחכם אלא מפני כבודו של חכם – they only said to show the knife to a sage because of the sage’s honor. This is clearly מדבנן, and although Rav Chisda quoted a passuk as a source, it is a mere אסמכתא. The Gemara quotes practices of examining a knife in the sun, in water (by examining the resulting ripples), with the tip of one’s tongue, or with a strand of hair. In סורא they said: בישרא אכלה בישרא לבדקה – [a knife] cuts flesh; with flesh one should examine it, i.e., only flesh can properly test a knife for nicks. Rav Pappa says: צריכא בדיקה אבישרא ואטופרא ואתלתא רוחתא – [a knife] requires examination on flesh, and on a fingernail, and on all three sides of the knife (i.e., the two sides and the cutting edge). Several other Amoraim are quoted, some of whom did not require checking the two sides.