daf bit: Chullin 53

[cellio]

Eleven pages ago the mishna listed several injuries that can render an animal treifah ("torn") and thus not kosher. This list included cattle that was clawed by a wolf or lion and fowl that was clawed by a hawk or falcon. The g'mara on today's daf discusses clawing in more detail, including which other clawing animals render an animal non-kosher. We learn that circumstantial evidence has to be interpreted carefully: finding a single lion's claw in an animal is not evidence of clawing (the animal might have brushed up against a previously-lost claw), but if two or three claws are found embedded in the animal it is disqualified -- provided they are in the shape of a paw. In general Rav says if there is doubt we are lenient, while Shmuel says we are strict. (53a)

Comments

[alaricmacconnal.livejournal.com]

Is there a separate discussion about bites (if a single tooth is found embedded versus multiple teeth)? Are bites equivalent to clawing?

EDIT: A better analogy might be porcupine quills (one quill vs. multiple quills)?

[cellio]

The same mishna discusses disqualification if various parts of the animal were "pierced", which could result from biting among other things (but it doesn't talk about biting directly). The g'mara on the current mishna says clawing means claws, not a tooth. A later mishna disqualifies an animal that was bitten specifically by a snake, not because it is tereifah but because of danger (from poison). So I'm not sure; further digging is needed.

See also

[isaac moses (from livejournal.com)]

http://www.rationalistjudaism.com/2011/08/venom-of-wolves.html

Re: See also

[cellio]

Interesting! Thank you for the pointer. Bacteria would probably have seemed like poison to the rabbis of the talmud.