Chullin Daf 89 צולין דַף 89

The passuk says:  לא מרבכם מכל העמים חשק ה' בכם וגו' – not because you are greater than all the nations did Hashem desire you etc. [for you are the smallest of all he nations]. This hints that הקדוש ברוך הוא tells Yisroel: חושקני בכם – I desire you as My people שאפילו בשעה שאני משפיע לכם גדולה אתם ממעטין עצמכם לפני – because even when I bestow greatness upon you, you humble yourselves before Me. Hashem granted greatness to Avraham, and he said "ואנכי עפר ואפר" – though I am but dust and ashes. Moshe and Aharon  said "ונחנו מה" – For what are we? Dovid said "ואנכי תולעת ולא איש" – But I am a worm and not a man. However, regarding idolators, it is not so, and the Gemara demonstrates how Nimrod, פרעה, Sancheirev, and Nevuchadnetzar all became arrogant after attaining power. The Gemara notes: גדול שנאמר במשה ואהרן יותר ממה שנאמר באברהם – that which is said regarding Moshe and Aharon is greater than what is said regarding Avraham, because he said, “I am but dust and ashes,” which have some (minimal) value, whereas Moshe and Aharon said, “for what are we?,” expressing absolute self-effacement.

The Gemara permits performing כסוי הדם with the earth of an עיר הנדחת – a city led astray (to idolatry) which was destroyed. The Gemara objects that the ashes of the destroyed city are forbidden in any benefit!? Ze’iri answers that the Mishnah refers to ordinary ground, which is permitted. Rava answers that the ashes themselves may be used, because מצות לאו ליהנות ניתנו – mitzvos were not given to Yisroel in order to benefit from fulfilling them. The Gemara objects that one who blows a שופר or takes a לולב of idolatry is not יוצא those mitzvos!? Rav Ashi answers that in those cases, שיעורא בעינן – we require a minimum measure of the שופר and לולב to fulfill the mitzvah, ועבודת כוכבים כתותי מכתת שיעורא – and the measure of an idolatrous [item] is considered crushed to powder and lacking its requisite size. In contrast, regarding כסוי הדם, a crushed substance is better for covering blood!

The seventh Perek begins: גיד הנשה נוהג בארץ ובחוצה לארץ – the prohibition against eating the sciatic nerve applies both in Eretz Yisroel and outside Eretz Yisroel, during and after the Beis Hamikdash, and both with chullin animals and kodashim. It applies to both בהמה and חיה, to both the right and left thighs, but not to birds. The Gemara asks that it is obvious that גיד הנשה applies to kodashim: משום דאקדשיה פקע ליה איסור גיד מיניה – just because he was makdish it, the גיד הנשה prohibition should leave it? The Gemara suggests the case is ולדות קדשים – offspring of kodashim, and the Tanna holds that the גיד הנשה prohibition applies to a fetus, and additionally holds that offspring of kodashim במעי אמן הן קדושים – are consecrated while in the mother’s womb, from when they are formed. Thus, both the גיד הנשה and kodashim prohibitions take effect simultaneously (and the Mishnah is teaching that a fetus’s גיד הנשה is prohibited, without which the kodashim prohibition would precede the גיד הנשה prohibition, and prevent it from taking effect). However, the Gemara rejects this, proving that all גידין develop only after the limbs, meaning the kodashim prohibition takes effect first. Therefore, the Gemara explains differently on the following Daf.