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Perek 4

Mishnayos Chullin Perek 4 Mishnah 7

חולין פרק ד׳ משנה ז׳

7
In the case of one who slaughters an animal and finds a placenta in its womb, one with a hearty soul [nefesh hayafa], i.e., who is not repulsed by it, may eat it, as its consumption was permitted by virtue of the slaughter of the mother. Nevertheless, since generally speaking, people do not consume such placentas, it is not regarded as food and so it cannot become impure with the ritual impurity of food even were it to come into contact with a source of impurity. And furthermore, it does not impart the ritual impurity of animal carcasses as it was permitted by virtue of the slaughter of the mother. But if one intended to eat it, one thereby elevated it to the status of food, and the placenta becomes impure with the ritual impurity of food if it comes into contact with a source of impurity. But even so, it still does not impart the ritual impurity of animal carcasses. With regard to a placenta, part of which emerged from the womb before the mother was slaughtered, its consumption is prohibited even after the mother animal is slaughtered because the emergence of the placenta is an indication of a fetus in a woman and an indication of a fetus in an animal. Accordingly, there is a concern that the head of the fetus might have emerged in that part of the placenta, thereby rendering the fetus as having been born, a status that precludes it from being permitted by the slaughter of its mother. Since the offspring is prohibited, its placenta is likewise prohibited. If an animal that was giving birth to its firstborn expelled a placenta, one may cast it to the dogs, and one does not need to be concerned that the placenta came from a male fetus that has the consecrated status of a firstborn. But in the case of sacrificial animals the placenta must be buried, because it came from a fetus that is assumed to have been sacred. The mishna adds: But one may neither bury it at an intersection, nor may one hang it on a tree, superstitious rites intended to prevent the animal from miscarrying again, due to the prohibition against following the ways of the Amorite, which prohibits Jews from practicing the superstitious rites observed by gentiles.
הַשּׁוֹחֵט אֶת הַבְּהֵמָה וּמָצָא בָהּ שִׁלְיָא, נֶפֶשׁ הַיָּפָה תֹּאכְלֶנָּה, וְאֵינָהּ מְטַמְּאָה לֹא טֻמְאַת אֳכָלִין וְלֹא טֻמְאַת נְבֵלוֹת. חִשֵּׁב עָלֶיהָ, מְטַמְּאָה טֻמְאַת אֳכָלִין אֲבָל לֹא טֻמְאַת נְבֵלוֹת. שִׁלְיָא שֶׁיָּצְתָה מִקְצָתָהּ, אֲסוּרָה בַאֲכִילָה. סִימַן וָלָד בָּאִשָּׁה, וְסִימַן וָלָד בַּבְּהֵמָה. הַמְבַכֶּרֶת שֶׁהִפִּילָה שִׁלְיָא, יַשְׁלִיכֶנָּה לִכְלָבִים. וּבַמֻּקְדָּשִׁין, תִּקָּבֵר. וְאֵין קוֹבְרִין אוֹתָהּ בְּפָרָשַׁת דְּרָכִים, וְאֵין תּוֹלִין אוֹתָהּ בְּאִילָן, מִפְנֵי דַּרְכֵי הָאֱמֹרִי:
ז׳

שליא (placenta–after-birth) – a jind of pocket where the fetus is placed into it.

נפש היפה – for it is not counted on in his mind (and therefore forbidden to handle) on account of its repulsiveness.

תאכלנה – but we don’t say that it is the limb from a living animal (i.e., one of the seven Noahide commandments), but also is a remnant from the ritual slaughtering of the mother [animal].

ואינה מטמאה – as it is not considered food.

ולא טומאת נבילות – if the animal died.

מטמאה טומאת אוכלין (if he gave thought to it – for use as food) – of it came in contact with defilement, that his thought considers it as food. But not the uncleanness of carrion, for it is not meat but rather, merely like the rest of food in general.

אסורה באכילה – and even though only a small part of it (i..e, the placenta–after-birth) came out, and it is obvious that all that all of the cleansing of the fetus was not there, we are concerned perhaps that with that particular piece, the head of the offspring came out and that is considered like it is born.

[הכי גרסינן] סימן ולד באשה. וסימן ולד בבהמה: המבכרת – this is her first issue of her womb.

ישליכנה לכלבים – for there is no sanctity in it. For even though there is no placenta–after-birth without a offspring, here, the majority is not sanctified, for perhaps it was a female, or it was an animal suspected of looking like one (i.e., a lamb looking like a kid and vice-versa – or a hybrid), and it is not holy (see Mishnah 1 of this chapter).

ובמוקדשין – as, for example, the cattle of peace-offering–well-being which expelled the after-birth–placenta.

תקבר – for since there is no after-birth–placenta without offspring, it is sanctified, for whether a male or a female that left from the animal that was sanctified to the Temple is holy.

בפרשת דרכים – a place where the paths separate into two. And the path of diviners to bury her there in order that she will not abort anymore.

דרכי האמורי – sorcery, as it is written (Exodus 23:24}: “[you shall not bow down to the gods in worship] or follow their practices.”

שליא. כמין כיס שהעובר מונח בתוכו:

נפש היפה. שאין דעתו קצה בה מחמת מיאוס:

תאכלנה. ולא אמרינן אבר מן החי הוא, אלא גם היא ניתרת בשחיטת האם:

ואינה מטמאה. דלא חשיבא אוכל:

ולא טומאת נבילות. אם מתה הבהמה:

מטמאה טומאת אוכלין. אם נגעה בטומאה, דמחשבה משויא ליה אוכל. אבל טומאת נבילות לא, דלאו בשר הוא אלא כשאר אוכל בעלמא הוא:

אסורה באכילה. ואע״ג דלא נפק אלא פורתא ופשיטא דכל מיחוי הולד לא היה שם, מכל מקום חיישינן שמא באותו מקצת יצא ראש הולד והרי הוא כילוד:

[הכי גרסינן] סימן ולד באשה. וסימן ולד בבהמה. המבכרת. זהו פטר רחם שלה:

ישליכנה לכלבים. שאין קדושה בה. דאע״ג דאין שליא בלא ולד, הכא רובא לאו בת מקדשא היא, דדילמא נקבה הוות או נדמה הוה ולא קדיש:

ובמוקדשין. כגון בהמת שלמים שהפילה שליא:

תקבר. דכיון דאין שליא בלא ולדש קדשה, דבין זכר ובין נקבה דנפיק מבהמת הקדש קדיש:

בפרשת דרכים. מקום שהדרכים מתפשרשים לשנים. ודרך המנחשים לקברה שם כדי שלא תפיל עוד:

דרכי האמורי. ניחוש. וכתיב לא תעשה כמעשיהם: