1)

(a)The Machlokes between Rebbi Akiva and Rebbi Yishmael is two-fold. Rebbi ...

1. ... Akiva holds that - Basar Ta'avah was never forbidden.

2. ... Yishmael holds that - Basar Nechirah was never permitted.

(b)Rebbi Akiva therefore learns from the Pasuk ...

1. ... "ve'el Pesach Ohel Mo'ed Lo Hevi'o" - the Isur of Shechting Kodshim outside the Ohel Mo'ed (Shechutei Chutz).

2. ... "be'Chol Avas Nafsh'cha Tochal Basar" that - one should not eat meat S'tam, unless one has a desire for it (as we will learn in the sixth Perek).

(c)Even though the Pasuk "ve'Chi Yirchak ... Vezavachta" is speaking about Pesulei ha'Mukdashin, Rebbi Akiva nevertheless learns the Chiyuv Shechitah by ordinary Chulin from there - since the Torah adds "ka'Tzevi ve'cha'Ayal", comparing 'Tzvi ve'Ayal' of Chulin to Pesulei ha'Mukdashin in this regard.

2)

(a)According to Rebbi Yishmael, perhaps the Pasuk inserts "Vezavachta ... " in the Pasuk of " ... ki Yirchak Mimcha ha'Makom", because it is natural to do so when speaking about eating meat. We also learn from ...

1. ... "Ve'zavachta Ve'achalta" that - once Pesulei ha'Mukdashin are redeemed, they may be eaten, but not shorn for their wool or worked with.

2. ... " ... ki Yirchak ... Vezavachta" that - Chulin may not be Shechted in the Azarah.

(b)Rebbi Akiva, who maintains that Shechitah only became a requisite after they entered Eretz Yisrael, explains the Pasuk ...

1. ... (in connection with the Korban Olah) "Veshachat es ben ha'Bakar" - with regard to Kodshim (which required Shechitah in the desert too).

2. ... (in connection with the quails) "ha'Tzon u'Vakar Yishachet Lahem" - as a manner of speech (inasmuch as Nechirah is their Shechitah).

3)

(a)The Mishnah rules in Perek Kisuy ha'Dam that - the blood of a Chayah that has been improperly Shechted, torn open or whose Si'manim have been torn out - does not require Kisuy.

(b)This poses a Kashya on Rebbi Akiva - because we assume that, since according to him, it required Kisuy ha'Dam in the desert, it should require it now as well.

(c)We answer that - since Basar Nechirah became Asur, a Chayah on which Nechirah was performed, no longer required Kisuy.

4)

(a)We learn from the Pasuk in Re'ei (in connection with Pesulei ha'Mukdashin) "Ach Ka'asher Ye'achel es ha'Tzvi ve'ha'Ayal kein Tochlenah" that - just as Tzvi ve'Ayal (which even in the desert, were permitted to be eaten as Chulin, and) could be eaten even be'Tum'ah, so too, may one eat Bakar va'Tzon be'Tum'ah (even though the latter are compared to Kodshim regarding Shechitah) ...

(b)... and Rebbi Yishmael will agree with the implication that Tzvi ve'Ayal could be eaten in the desert as Chulin - since they were not fit to be brought on the Mizbe'ach.

5)

(a)Rebbi Yirmiyah asks - whether Yisrael were allowed to eat the limbs of Basar Nechirah that they brought into Eretz Yisrael from the desert.

(b)The point of the She'eilah - which is no longer practical, is D'rosh ve'Kabeil S'char (to receive reward for understanding what happened, even though it is no longer pertinent [see also Rosh, Si'man 23]).

(c)The problem with Rebbi Yirmiyah's She'eilah - is the Pasuk in Re'ei "u'Batim Mele'im Kol Tuv", from which Rebbi Yirmiyah bar Aba extrapolates that Yisrael were allowed to eat whatever they found in Eretz Yisrael during the seven years of Kibush [capturing the land], even sides of salted bacon). Consequently, if Rebbi Yirmiyah's She'eilah refers to the period of the seven years of Kibush, it is obvious from Rebbi Yirmiyah bar Aba's D'rashah that they were permitted.

(d)We therefore establish the She'eilah with regard to - the post-Kibush period.

6)

(a)We conclude that in fact, it might even concern the seven-year period of Kibush - on the grounds that the Pasuk "u'Batim Mele'im Kol Tuv" refers exclusively to the booty that they captured from the Cana'anim, but not to their own food that had now become forbidden.

(b)The outcome of the She'eilah is - Teiku (Tishbi Yetaretz Kushyyos ve'Ibayos).

7)

(a)We explained the statements in our Mishnah ha'Kol Shochtin (to include birds), and Le'olam Shochtin (to preclude Basar Nechirah after going into Galus). We still need to explain - ba'Kol Shochtin.

(b)Rava objects to the suggestion that ba'Kol Shochtin comes to include Shochtim with a detached rock, a piece of glass or the sharp edge of a reed - because that would mean that it pertains to Shochtin (what one Shechts with), whereas ha'Kol Shochtin and Le'olam Shochtin pertain to Nishchatin (the ones that are being Shechted as we learned earlier).

(c)Rava therefore accepts the original suggestion with regard to ba'Kol Shochtin. And he establishes ...

1. ... the two ha'Kol Shochtin (in the first two Mishnahs) - one to include a Kuti (under the supervision of a Yisrael), and the other, to include a Yisrael Mumar (who is handed a knife that has been inspected).

2. ... Le'olam Shochtin - to incorporate both by day and by night (by torch-light), both on top of a roof and on top of a boat (as we explained earlier).

8)

(a)Shmuel's father made notches in Shechitah knives and sent them to Eretz Yisrael - to find out which kind of notch renders a knife Pasul for Shechitah, and which kind does not.

(b)After he had done this two or three times, they sent him a message like a saw meaning that - if, like the teeth of a saw, one's finger-nail catches on one end of a notch when moving in one direction of the knife, and on the other end when moving in the opposite direction, then it is Pasul. But if it only catches when moving in one direction (all the teeth are pointing in the same direction, in which case, the fingernail does not get caught when moving in the that direction [or if the other side of the notch is round and not sharp]), then the knife is Kasher (and one is permitted to Shecht moving the knife in the opposite direction to the notch).

9)

(a)The Beraisa rules that - a knife that has many notches - is Pasul (like a saw).

(b)In the event, however, that it has only one, then if it is Ogeres, it is Pasul; Mesuchseches, it is Kasher (Bedi'eved). Rebbi Elazar describes ...

1. ... Ogeres as - where the notch has two sharp edges (on which the finger-nail gets caught) ...

2. ... Mesuchseches (meaning that the knife becomes enmeshed in the flesh) - where it has only one sharp edge (because the other one has been rounded using a whetstone).

(c)We ask that even Mesuchseches ought to be Pasul - because, just as Ogeres, the first sharp edge weakens the Siman, and the second edge tears it out, so too, has the knife that precedes the one sharp edge already weakened it, and the sharp edge will tear it on contact.

(d)We therefore establish the case where the sharp edge is situated at the beginning of the knife (at the point where the Shochet begins to Shecht), so that the Simanim have not yet been weakened by the time the sharp edge cuts them, in which case it will not tear them. And it speaks where the knife is long enough to perform the Shechitah without needing to do Halichah without Chazarah).

(e)Mesuchseches is nevertheless Pasul Lechatchilah - because we are afraid that the Shochet may make Halichah and Chazarah, rendering the animal a Neveilah, as at the last moment, the sharp edge tears the Simanim.

10)

(a)A sickle (which is full of notches and which Beis-Hillel in the next Mishnah validate Bedi'eved, provided one Shechts only in the direction going against the notches) is better than a Mesuchseches - because the notches are at an acute angle, which will prevent them from tearing the pipes at all (unlike a Mesuchseches, which tears them a little as the knife drops where the notch is).

(b)Rava lists three kinds of knives, an Ogeres, a Mesuchseches (which we have already discussed) and an Oleh ve'Yored - one deep notch in the middle or two deep notches at the ends that have been removed (using a whetting-stone), leaving rounded grooves or bumps (respectively) in their place.

(c)Rava rules that - it is Kasher Lechatchilah.

(d)And when Rav Huna b'rei de'Rav Nechemyah queried Rav Ashi's ruling in the name of Rava rendering Pasul a Mesuchseches, from the Beraisa that renders it Kasher, he answered that - the Beraisa is speaking where he made Holachah or Hova'ah only, as we explained earlier, whereas Rava is speaking where he made both.

11)

(a)Rav Acha b'rei de'Rav Ivya asked Rav Ashi about a knife that is like a Sa'as'ah (a beard of wheat) - by which he meant that it has a rough edge, but no actual defect.

(b)Rav Ashi answered that - if someone would offer him such a knife with which to Shecht, he would gladly use it.

12)

(a)Rav Chisda learns from the Pasuk in Shmuel "u'Shechat'tem ba'Zeh" - (which was said by King Shaul before handing the people a knife with which to Shecht animals), that a Shechitah-knife requires inspection before use.

(b)The Pasuk must be referring specifically to the Bedikah before the Shechitah - because after the Shechitah, where there is a Safek that the Shochet may have made a hole in the Veshet before Shechting it (rendering the animal a Neveilah), it is obvious that the knife must be examined.

(c)Rebbi Yochanan ascribes the obligation to examine the Shechitah knife before the Shechitah - to Kavod ha'Rav.

(d)We reconcile Rav Chisda's source with Rebbi Yochanan - by turning the Pasuk into a mere Asmachta (a support from the Pasuk, though the actual ruling is no merely a de'Rabbanan).

13)

(a)In Eretz Yisrael (which is very sunny), they used to examine a knife in the sun, and in Neherda'a (where there was more water than sunshine), they examined it in water. This might mean holding the knife up to the sun, and skimming the tip of the knife along the water and looking out for ripples. By ...

1. ... ba'Shemesh, they might also mean - holding the blade upwards, against the sun, and examining the shadow for defects.

2. ... be'Maya - holding the knife, blade upwards, at a slant, and allowing a drop of water to run down it, and see whether it gets caught in a notch.

(b)Rav Acha bar Ya'akov would run a hair along the length of the knife. In Sura, they would examine the knife with flesh - meaning either the flesh of one's finger, or of one's tongue - because, they maintained, seeing as it is flesh that the knife will cut, it stands to reason that it should be examined by flesh.

(c)Rav Papa is the strictest of all. He requires two Bedikos - one by flesh, and the other, by a finger-nail (see Tosfos DH 'a'Bisra').

(d)When he added 've'a'Terei Gisni', hemeant - that one must also examine the two sides.

14)

(a)Ravina asked Rav Ashi whether, what Rav Sama b'rei de'Rav Mesharshaya quoted him as saying in the name of Rava, was correct. The latter purportedly corroborated Rav Papa's ruling ('a'Bisra, a'Tufra, ve'a'Terei Gisni').

(b)In reply to Ravina's question, Rav Ashi conceded to part of the quotation, but denied part. According to one Lashon, he denied having added a'Telasa Rushsa; whereas according to the other Lashon - he denied having quoted Rava.

(c)When Rav Ashi handed Rav Acha b'rei de'Rava a knife to examine - he did exactly what Rav Ashi ruled one should do ('a'Bisra, a'Tufra, ve'a'T'las Ruchsa'.

(d)Rav Kahana agreed with Rav Ashi's comment - Ye'asher (Kochacha [which is akin to 'Thank you']).

15)

(a)Rav Yeimar disagreed however, on the basis of a ruling of Rav Zeira Amar Shmuel who said that - the sharpness of the knife precedes the heat of the red-hot blade, and that such a Shechitah is therefore Kasher, because the Shechitah precludes the burning.

(b)The ruling of Rav Ashi and Rav Kahana clashes with Rebbi Zeira - inasmuch as, according to the latter, it will not be necessary to examine the sides of the knife (since they do not come into contact with the two walls of the cut neck, which open outwards).

(c)The Halachah however - is like Rav Ashi and Rav Kahana.