(Mishnah - R. Yosi ha'Gelili): To roast Korban Pesach, we bring a spit of pomegranate wood and insert it through the mouth to the rump; the feet and innards are [removed to be washed, and placed] inside.

R. Akiva: That is (Me'iri - looks) like Bishul (cooking through water - the feet and innards are cooked by the juice inside the animal, not by the fire)!

Rather, the feet and innards hang [on the spit] outside the animal.

One may not roast Pesach on a [metal] spit or griddle (the animal is cooked by the heat of the griddle, not by the fire);

R. Tzadok says, R. Gamliel once told his slave Tavi to roast Pesach on a griddle.

(Gemara) Question: Why can't a metal spit be used?

Answer: [Metal conducts heat well -] when part of a metal spit gets hot (the part outside the animal, for it is exposed to the fire), all of it gets hot - the [inside of] the animal will be roasted by the spit;

The Torah requires "Tzeli Esh" - it must be roasted by the fire, not by anything else.

Question: Why can't a spit of date wood be used?

Answer: Since it has grooves, sap exudes, the animal will be Mevushal.

Question: Why can't a spit of fig wood be used?

Answer: It has cavities inside and sap exudes, this is like Bishul.

Question: Why can't a spit of oak, carob or sycamore wood be used?

Answer: Since they have bulges [which must be cut off], sap exudes where they are cut.

Question: Pomegranate wood also has bulges!

Answer #1: Its bulges are smooth (they need not be removed).

Answer #2: We use pomegranate wood of a sapling in its first year, which has no bulges.

Question: Sap will exude from the end of the spit (it was cut there)!

Answer: The cut end is outside the animal.

Our Mishnah us unlike R. Yehudah:

(Beraisa - R. Yehudah): Just like [the part of] a wooden spit [inside an animal is shielded from getting too hot and] does not burn, a metal spit does not get so hot [inside to roast the animal].

Chachamim: When part of a metal spit gets hot, all of it gets hot - this is not true regarding wood.

(Mishnah): The feet and innards are inside.

(Beraisa - R. Yishmael): This is called "Toch Toch" (it makes a noise like a boiling pot; alternatively, it is called Tuchbar - it is stuffed inside (Toch), this is noticeable from the outside (Bar)).

R. Tarfon says, it is called Gedi Mekulas (a kid with a helmet, for the feet and innards are outside its head).

(Beraisa) Question: What is a Gedi Mekulas, which one may not eat nowadays on Pesach night [lest it look like he eats Kodshim]?

Answer: This is a kid roasted whole - but if [even] one limb was cut off or Mevushal, this is not Mekulas.

Question: If it is permitted when a limb was cut off, even if the limb was roasted with it, obviously it is permitted when a limb was [cut off and] Mevushal!

Answer (Rav Sheshes): It permits even if a limb was Mevushal while still attached.

(Rabah): Mulyasa (an animal or fowl stuffed with meat and roasted) is permitted [even if the meat was not salted].

Question (Abaye): [Usually, roasting suffices in place of salting because it causes the blood to drip out - but here,] the blood will leave the stuffing and be absorbed by the outer animal!

Answer (Rabah): K'Bol'o Kach Polto (just like the outer animal absorbs blood [from the stuffing], it will emit it. The following supports are for Rabah.)

Support (Mishnah): The feet and innards are inside.

Suggestion: This is permitted because k'Bol'o Kach Polto!

Rejection: No, there is different, because the [cut] neck is hollow, the blood drips out.

Support (Beraisa): One tears the heart [of any animal] to remove the blood; if he did not tear it, he tears it after cooking it, and it is permitted.

Suggestion: [The case is, it was roasted (this is also called 'cooking';] it is permitted because k'Bol'o Kach Polto!

Rejection: The heart is different because it is smooth (it does not absorb blood).

Support: Ravin the elder coated a chick in dough for Rav; Rav said, if it gives a good taste to the dough, I will eat it!

Rejection: The dough was from Soles (high quality flour) - it crumbles, enabling the blood to drip out.

Question: Rava visited the Reish Galusa; they roasted a coated goose for him. He said, had I not seen [the juice of the meat flowing in the flour] as white as a coin, I would not eat it [lest it absorbed blood];

If k'Bol'o Kach Polto, it should be permitted in any case! (Sefas Emes - the text of some Rishonim says that above Rava answered K'Bol'o Kach Polto - according to our text, it is not clear what is difficult if Rava argues with Rabah, for also Abaye argued with him!)

Answer: The dough was from clean flour (not Soles) - it makes a hard coating, all agree that the blood cannot drip out.

The Halachah is - regarding Soles, it is permitted even if it (the juice in the coating) is red (surely, this is not due to blood, it would have left);

Regarding clean flour, it is permitted only if it (the juice) is as white as a coin;

Regarding other flour, it is permitted as long as it is not red.

The opinion that forbids Mulyasa (Abaye, who rejected Rabah's prrofs) forbids even if the mouth of the animal is down [and blood could flow out]; Rabah permits even if the mouth is up (the heat draws the blood out of the meat).

Ravina and Rav Acha argue about meat, testicles, and big veins in the neck (these will be explained);

Everywhere Ravina and Rav Acha argue [without specifying which opinion is Rav Acha's and which is Ravina's], Rav Acha is stringent and Ravina is lenient, except for these three Halachos, in which Ravina is stringent and Rav Acha is lenient;

In all cases, the Halachah follows the lenient opinion.

If meat reddened [due to a blow]:

If one cut it and salted it (this removes all the blood, all agree that) one may cook it even in a pot;

One may roast it on a spit, for the blood will flow down;

They argue about roasting it on coals:

One holds that this constricts it (stops the blood from leaving) - the blood will be absorbed in the meat;

The other holds that this draws out the blood.

The same applies to testicles (Rashi - that reddened; Tosfos - because a membrane covers them):

If they were cut and salted, one may cook them even in a pot; one may roast them on a spit, for the blood will flow down;

They argue about roasting them on coals - one holds that this constricts them, the other holds that it draws out the blood.

The same applies to big veins in the neck - if they were cut and salted, one may cook them in a pot; one may roast them on a spit with the side towards the neck facing down, for the blood will flow down;

They argue about roasting them on coals - one holds that this constricts them, the other holds that it draws out the blood.

The Halachah is, coals draw out the blood.

If Chalyei (Rashi - the juice that exudes from reddened meat; alternatively, vinegar in which one was Cholet reddened meat (soaked it after roasting, to extract the blood - Rashi; Riva - the raw meat is soaked briefly in vinegar to cause the blood to remain inside) reddened, it is forbidden; if not, it is permitted;

Ravina forbids even if it did not redden, for surely it contains traces of blood.

Version #1: Mar bar Ameimar told Rav Ashi 'My father used to drink it (the juice or vinegar).'

Version #2: Rav Ashi used to drink it.

Mar bar Ameimar (to Rav Ashi): My father would not use the same vinegar to Cholet more than once [for it uses up its strength].

Question: Why is it different than weak vinegar [which may be used]?

Answer: The shartpness of weak vinegar is intact - here, its shartpness has been expended.