Chullin Daf 73 צולין דַף 73

Ravina says that the protruding limb of a fetus is metamei the rest of the fetus. Although it would seem to be טומאת בית הסתרים – tumah in a concealed area (the point of attachment), עובר לחתיכה קאי – the protruding limb of a fetus stands to be severed, וכל העומד לחתוך כחתוך דמי – and anything which stands to be severed is considered as if it was already severed, and is not considered “concealed.” The Gemara asks if this specifically follows Rebbe Meir, who says in a Mishnah: כל ידות הכלים שהן ארוכות  – regarding all handles of utensils which are too long, ועתיד לקצצן – and one intends to cut off the surplus amount, מטביל עד מקום מדה – one only needs to immerse the כלי in a mikveh until the measure he intends to keep, but the extra length is considered cut off and does not require tevilah. The other Tanna disagrees, requiring the entire כלי’s immersion. The Gemara answers that Ravina’s answer can conform with all Tannaim, because חבורי אוכלין כמאן דמפרתי דמי – food attachments which stand to be cut apart are considered already separated, ונגיעי בהדדי – and the parts are touching each other. Therefore, the fetus and its limb are considered detached (and not “concealed”), and touching each other.

In the Mishnah, the Rabbonon and Rebbe Meir argued whether the shechitah of the mother prevents the fetus’s protruding limb from becoming tamei. The Rabbonon said it does, like shechitah of a tereifah prevents it from becoming tamei, and Rebbe Meir said this is only for דבר שגופה – something which is its own body, but not for the עובר’s protruding limb, which is not part of the mother’s body. Amoraim debate if this machlokes also applies to shechitah preventing tumah from אבר המדולדל בה – a limb which is mostly detached from the animal but is dangling from it.  Rebbe Shimon ben Lakish says that the same machlokes applies to these limbs: the Rabbonon say the shechitah prevents them from being tamei as נבילה, whereas Rebbe Meir holds it does not. Rebbe Yochanan says that regarding a limb of the animal itself, דברי הכל אין שחיטה עושה ניפול – all agree that shechitah does not effect [halachic] detachment from the animal, and Rebbe Meir would agree it is tahor. Rebbe Yose bar Rebbe Chanina explains: האי גופה – this [אבר המדולדל] is part of [the shechted animal’s] body, והאי לאו גופה – but that [עובר’s protruding limb] is not part of [the animal’s] body.

Rav Yitzchak bar Yosef said in Rebbe Yochanan’s name: הכל מודים שמיתה עושה ניפול – all agree that death effects [halachic] detachment for dangling limbs, ואין שחיטה עושה ניפול – but shechitah does not effect detachment. Since Tannaim argue about shechitah’s effectiveness for an עובר’s protruding limb, this statement must instead refer to the dangling limb of the animal itself. If the animal was shechted, all agree the limb is considered attached and tahor, and if it dies, all agree it is considered detached, and not נבילה. [Although אבר מן החי is also tamei, this is only true for a “limb” consisting of bone, sinew, and meat. If meat alone is torn off, it would be tahor.] The Gemara objects that the law that death effects detachment is already taught by a Mishnah, in which Rebbe Meir says that if an animal dies with a limb and meat dangling from it, הבשר צריך הכשר – the meat requires preparation of a liquid to make it susceptible to tumah, and the limb is tamei as אבר מן החי, but is not tamei as a נבילה. The Gemara proceeds to explain the novelty of the second half of Rebbe Yochanan’s statement.