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Chullin 55
Sugya Map
The 55th folio of Masechet Chullin serves as a primary locus for three distinct yet conceptually contiguous axes of Tarafut (terminal organic defects) and Kelim (vessel dynamics). The sugya transitions from the mathematical-semantic definition of halakhic boundaries to the physiological limits of animal viability, and finally to the definition of structural integrity regarding an animal's exterior hide.
[Chullin 55a-b: The Tripartite Sugya Axis]
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[The Semantic Boundary] [The Visceral Viability] [The Epidermal Boundary]
- "Ad" (Up to): Inclusive - Spleen (Techol) & Kidneys - Gledufah (Skinless)
vs. Exclusive - "Nihtal" (Removed) vs. - Sela-sized remnant
- Kelim fragments & "Nikav" (Punctured) - Hoof hide: "Or" vs.
stringency heuristics - "Ein Medamin" principle "Basar"
The Semantic Boundary: "Ad" (Up to) and the Metaphysics of Kelim
- The Issue: Does the term "up to" (ad) in halakhic measurements imply inclusion (ad ve-ad בכלל) or exclusion (ad ולא בכלל)? The Gemara leverages the laws of broken clay vessels (shivreiki kelim) to resolve this linguistic doubt.
- The Nafka Mina: The susceptibility of a vessel fragment to receive ritual impurity (tumah). If ad is inclusive, a vessel of exactly one log is categorized with smaller vessels, rendering its fragments susceptible to tumah with a minimal holding capacity (anointing a child). If exclusive, it is grouped with larger vessels, requiring a larger capacity (a quarter-log) to remain susceptible.
- Primary Sources: Mishnah Kelim 2:2, Mishnah Kelim 19:2, Chullin 55a.
The Visceral Viability: Spleen (Techol) and Kidneys (Klayot)
- The Issue: The anatomical paradox of visceral excision versus localized pathology. Why is an animal whose spleen or kidneys are entirely removed (nihtal) halakhically kosher, whereas localized punctures (nikav) or disease (lahshish) render it a tereifah?
- The Nafka Mina: The kashrut of livestock presenting with renal atrophy, splenic perforations, or parasitic necrosis.
- Primary Sources: Mishnah Chullin 3:2, Chullin 55a-b, Mishnah Chullin 4:1 (regarding the fetus).
The Epidermal Boundary: The Skinless Animal (Gledufah)
- The Issue: An animal whose hide has been stripped (gledufah). Rabbi Meir rules it kosher; the Sages rule it a tereifah. If a sela-sized piece of hide remains, where must it be situated to preserve the animal's kosher status? Furthermore, does the "hide of the hooves" (or ha-parsot) possess the halakhic status of hide to save the animal from being a gledufah?
- The Nafka Mina: The survival threshold of flayed livestock and the definition of what constitutes "hide" versus "flesh" under the rubric of tumah and tereifot.
- Primary Sources: Mishnah Chullin 3:2, Chullin 122a, Mishnah Kelim 27:1.
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Text Snapshot
The following key passages from Chullin 55a-b highlight the linguistic and structural pivot points of the sugya. Note the precise terminology used by the Gemara to distinguish between physical transformation and subjective designation.
[Chullin 55a: The Kelim Fragment Scale]
Original Capacity: < 1 Log =========> Fragment must hold: Anointing a child (Sichat Katan)
Original Capacity: 1 Log - 1 Se'ah ===> Fragment must hold: 1/4 Log (Revi'it)
Original Capacity: 1 Se'ah - 2 Se'ah => Fragment must hold: 1/2 Log
Text 1: The Measurement Heuristic
חולין נ"ה ע"א ת"ש: מן הלוג ועד סאה - ברביעית. מאי לאו, סאה כלמטה? לא, סאה כלמעלה. ת"ש: מסאה ועד שתי סאים - בחצי לוג. מאי לאו, שתי סאים כלמטה? לא, שתי סאים כלמעלה. ת"ש: הלוג כלמטה, סאה כלמטה, שתי סאים כלמטה... ש"מ. ואידך? לעולם "עד" - ולא בכלל, ושאני הכא, דלחומרא מקישנן. כדרבי אבהו אמר רבי יוחנן: כל שיעורין של חכמים להחמיר, חוץ מכגריס של כתמים להקל.
Linguistic Nuance: The term כלמטה (literally, "as below") functions here not merely as a spatial locator, but as a taxonomic classifier. The Gemara debates whether the boundary marker (e.g., exactly one log or one se'ah) is subsumed within the lower, more easily contaminated category, or the higher, more resilient category. The resolution introduces a meta-halakhic principle of semantic elasticity: the Sages' measurements are inherently dynamic, bending toward stringency (לחומרא) unless explicitly stated otherwise.
Text 2: Splenic and Renal Pathology
חולין נ"ה ע"ב אמר רכיש בר פפא משמיה דרב: חלתה כליא אחת - טריפה. במערבא אמרי: והוא שדחאי לדוכתא דחריצא. ומאי דוכתא דחריצא? תותי מתני באתרא דחיורא... אמרי במערבא: כל דפסיל בריאה - כשר בכליא. נקבו - פסול בריאה, וכשר בכליא. וכל שכן כל דכשר בריאה - דכשר בכליא. א"ל רבי תנחומא: וכללא הוא? הרי מוגלא, דכשר בריאה ופסול בכליא! ומים זכים, דכשר הכא והכא!... אלא אמר רב אשי: אטו טריפות זו מזו גמרינן? אין לך בטריפות אלא מה שמנו חכמים; דהא חתכת לה מהכא ומתה, וחתכת לה מהכא וחיה!
Linguistic Nuance: The term דחריצא (the crevice) refers to the hilum of the kidney or the white fat lining the loins. The dialectic of the "West" (Eretz Yisrael) attempts to establish a structural analogy (binyan av) between the lung and the kidney. Rav Ashi's rejection is epistemologically foundational: אין לך בטריפות אלא מה שמנו חכמים—"You have nothing in the laws of tereifot other than that which the Sages enumerated." The biological reality of viability is non-linear and resistant to deductive mapping ("you cut here and it dies, you cut there and it lives").
Readings
The Rishonim and Acharonim on this sugya grapple with the conceptual machinery of Kelim—specifically the interplay between physical utility and subjective human intent—and the ontological definitions of Tereifot.
[The Machloket on Fragment Susceptibility]
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[The Tosafist View] [The Ramban/Rosh View]
- Fragment is an independent entity. - Fragment is a remnant of the old.
- Requires active designation (Yichud) - Retains residual susceptibility
to overcome its broken status. without active designation.
- physical utility is insufficient alone. - Physical utility is primary.
1. Tosafot: The Ontology of Vessel Fragments (Shi'uran be-Kidei Sichat Katan)
Tosafot on Chullin 55a (s.v. שיעורן בכדי סיכת קטן) initiate a deep inquiry into the mechanics of tumah susceptibility in broken vessels[^1]. The core question is: Does a broken fragment of a vessel require active human designation (yichud) to become susceptible to tumah, or does its inherent physical utility suffice?
Tosafot contrast two seemingly contradictory passages:
- Shabbat 95b: A clay vessel punctured to the size of a "hole that lets an olive out" (kemotzi zayit) is purified from its previous tumah. However, Rashi there notes that it remains a "vessel" capable of holding pomegranates. If the owner designates it for pomegranates, it becomes susceptible to tumah anew[^2]. This implies that yichud (designation) is necessary to re-establish susceptibility.
- Tosefta Kelim: Discarded fragments of clay vessels are pure. If one smoothed them out and made them into vessels, they receive tumah from that point forward. This implies that mere physical capability without active tikkun (physical repair) or yichud does not suffice.
Tosafot resolve this by drawing a distinction between a punctured vessel and broken fragments (shivarim).
- A punctured vessel is still physically a "whole" entity, just compromised. It does not require a physical act of repair (tikkun) to hold larger items; it merely requires subjective designation (yichud) to redefine its functional boundary.
- Broken fragments, however, have lost their original vessel identity (shem keli). For a fragment of a small vessel (under a log) to receive tumah, it must be capable of holding enough oil to anoint a child. But is this capacity alone sufficient? Tosafot argue that because these are fragments of a small vessel, they are naturally used for small tasks, and thus do not require explicit yichud. Conversely, fragments of a large vessel (above a log) used for such a small task would require yichud, because "one's mind does not normally designate large fragments for minor anointing."
2. Maharam Schiff: The Limits of Yichud and Physical Defect
The Maharam Schiff (on Chullin 55a:1) refines Tosafot's framework by analyzing the Tosefta's ruling that "once a clay vessel is purified for an hour, it can never receive tumah again"[^3].
[The Tosefta's Rule of Clay Vessels]
Keli Cheres (Clay) is purified ---> Cannot receive Tumah again
(Unless a physical Tikkun occurs)
Why? Clay lacks the structural resilience of metal (Keli Mateset).
The Maharam asks: If yichud (designation) can imbue a vessel with a new status, why can't a purified clay vessel become susceptible again through mere designation?
- He answers that the Tosefta refers to cases where the fragments are physically unusable without repair (bili tikkun). Where a fragment is so degraded that it is smaller than the standard measure, no amount of subjective yichud can overcome its physical deficit.
- Subjective intent (yichud) can only elevate an object that already possesses objective, physical utility (chazi le-manta). If the object is physically lacking, yichud is halakhically nullified (batlah da'ato etzel kol adam)[^4].
3. The Rashash: Metal vs. Clay (Keli Cheres vs. Keli Mateset)
The Rashash (on Chullin 55a:3) challenges both the Maharam and the Maharsha regarding their reading of the Tosefta[^5]. He notes that the rule "once purified, it can never receive tumah again" is unique to clay vessels (keli cheres).
The Rashash introduces a classic Brisker-style distinction:
- Clay Vessels (Keli Cheres): The susceptibility of a clay vessel is tied to its interior space (tocho). Once that space is compromised and purified, the original shem keli (vessel identity) is shattered. Because clay cannot be melted down and reformed easily without losing its original identity, the halakha dictates that its purification is absolute. Subjective designation cannot resurrect a dead clay vessel.
- Metal Vessels (Keli Mateset): Metal vessels are defined by their material resilience. A broken metal needle, even if it loses its eyelet or point, can be repaired. Therefore, the shem keli of metal is never fully extinguished; it is merely suspended. Hence, a minor physical repair (tikkun m'at) combined with yichud can easily restore its susceptibility[^6].
4. Rambam vs. Rosh: The Spleen and Kidney Conundrum
The Gemara states: "If the spleen was removed, it is kosher; if it was perforated, it is a tereifah" (Chullin 55a). This formulation sparks a major conceptual debate between the Rambam and the Rosh.
[The Metaphysics of Organ Absence]
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[The Rosh's View] [The Rambam's View]
- Pathological/Toxic model. - Functional/Structural model.
- Perforation causes active - Removal leaves no trace;
infection/sepsis (poison). perforation causes slow,
- Total removal is clean; fatal degeneration of
no active poison exists. the remaining tissue.
- The Rosh (Chullin 3:15): Why does a puncture kill, while total removal does not? The Rosh adopts a pathological/toxic model. A punctured spleen or kidney leaks toxic fluids (pus or bile) into the abdominal cavity, causing systemic infection and death. However, if the organ is cleanly removed (nihtal), no such localized infection occurs, and the animal can survive without the organ's function.
- The Rambam (Hilchot Shechitah 6:11, 8:12): The Rambam views tereifot through a structural/functional lens. The Rambam rules that if the spleen is removed, it is kosher because the spleen is not essential to the animal's life. However, if it is perforated, it is a tereifah only if the perforation penetrates to the bisa (the thick, functional base where it connects to the stomach). The Rambam shifts the focus from a general systemic infection to the specific anatomical connection between the spleen and the digestive tract.
Friction
Kushya 1: The Ontological Paradox of Visceral Excision
The primary conceptual difficulty in our sugya is the apparent logical inversion regarding the spleen and kidneys:
$$\text{Total Removal (Nihtal)} \implies \text{Kosher}$$ $$\text{Minor Puncture (Nikav)} \implies \text{Tereifah}$$
How can the complete absence of an organ be less lethal than a minor puncture within it? If the animal can survive without the organ entirely, then the organ is non-essential. If it is non-essential, why should a localized wound within it render the animal a tereifah?
[The Logical Inversion]
Total Absence (Nihtal) ------> Kosher (System adapts to zero function)
Local Defect (Nikav) --------> Tereifah (Active infection destroys viability)
Terutz: The Dual Mechanism of Tereifot (The Brisker Rav / Chidushei Rabbeinu Chaim)
To resolve this, we must employ the foundational distinction established by Rabbeinu Chaim Soloveitchik of Brisk regarding the definition of a tereifah[^7]. There are two distinct halakhic categories of tarafut:
- Lethal Defect (Makah Metah / Tereifah Bi-Yedei Adam): This is an injury that actively kills the animal through physiological trauma, such as a punctured lung or a severed esophagus.
- Structural Abnormality (Chasron / Metah me-Eileha): This is a formal halakhic definition of non-viability based on the absence of necessary structural components.
When an organ is removed (nihtal), we evaluate the animal solely through the lens of category 1: Can the animal physically live without this organ? Since the spleen and kidneys are not immediately necessary for basic motor and metabolic survival (the remaining kidney compensates, and the lymphatic system compensates for the spleen), the animal is kosher.
However, when an organ is perforated (nikav) or diseased (lahshish), a new mechanism is introduced: Active Infection (Arisa / Re'avta). A diseased or punctured organ does not merely cease to function; it actively degenerates. The remaining tissue becomes necrotic, releasing toxins that poison the animal's system.
Thus, nihtal is a state of passive absence, which is kosher because the animal can physiologically adapt. Nikav is a state of active pathology, which is a tereifah because the degenerating organ actively destroys the animal's systemic viability[^8].
Kushya 2: The Semantic Elasticity of "Ad" (Up to)
The Gemara asserts: "All measures of the Sages must be interpreted stringently, except for the measure of a groat for stains..." (Chullin 55a).
This assertion is highly problematic. If shiurin (halakhic measurements) are absolute, objective boundaries—many of which are Halakha Le-Moshe Mi-Sinai (laws given to Moses at Sinai)—how can their semantic meaning shift based on the pragmatic outcome of stringency or leniency?
If "up to" (ad) linguistically means "inclusive," it must mean inclusive for both leniencies and stringencies. If it means "exclusive," it must mean exclusive. How can the Sages bend the definition of a physical boundary based on the context?
[The Nature of Halakhic Shiurin]
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[The Objective Model] [The Relational Model]
- Shiurin are absolute physical - Shiurin are relational categories
points in reality. defined by human perception.
- Semantic meaning is fixed. - Semantic boundaries bend to align
- No room for pragmatic shifting. with the underlying halakhic intent.
Terutz: The Relational Nature of Halakhic Boundaries (The Rogatchover Gaon)
The Rogatchover Gaon (Tzofnat Paneach) resolves this by defining the nature of halakhic shiurin[^9]. There are two ways to conceptualize a halakhic measure:
- The Mathematical Point: The measure is an objective, physical quantity.
- The Relational Category: The measure is a conceptual category defined by human utility and perception.
The Rogatchover argues that the Sages' measures are relational. The term ad (up to) does not define a static mathematical coordinate on a number line. Rather, it defines a zone of transition between two functional states (e.g., from a "small vessel" to a "large vessel").
Because these zones of transition are defined by human utility, they are inherently elastic. When the Torah or the Sages established these boundaries, they established them as ranges.
Therefore, when the Gemara says "we interpret stringently," it is not changing the definition of a fixed mathematical point. Rather, it is applying a rule of epistemic doubt (safek d'rabbanan le-chumra or safek d'oraita le-chumra) to the transition zone.
Since the exact point where a vessel transitions from "small" to "large" is conceptually fluid, we apply the stringent classification to the borderline case (exactly one log), treating it as "below" to ensure we do not mistakenly treat a susceptible fragment as pure[^10].
Intertext
The concepts developed in Chullin 55a-b regarding the definition of "hide" (or) and the non-analogous nature of tereifot reverberate across the halakhic spectrum, from the laws of ritual purity to contemporary medical-halakhic decision-making.
[Chullin 55b: "Or ha-Parsot" (Hide of the Hooves)]
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[Mishnah Kelim 27:1] [Shulchan Aruch YD 117]
- Defines what transmits Tumah. - Defines what is kosher to eat.
- Is hoof hide "flesh" (basar) - Soft hide of young animals is
or "skin" (or)? treated as meat regarding milk/meat.
1. The Epidermal Boundary: Kelim vs. Chullin
In Chullin 55b, the Gemara debates whether the "hide of the hooves" (or ha-parsot) can save a flayed animal (gledufah) from being a tereifah. This hinges on whether hoof hide is halakhically categorized as skin (or) or flesh (basar).
This directly intersects with Mishnah Kelim 27:1 and Mishnah Chullin 9:2, which list the entities "whose skin is like their flesh" (עורן כבשרן).
[The Halakhic Status of Skin vs. Flesh]
Strict Skin (Or): Protective barrier. Saves from Gledufah. Does not transmit Tumah as food.
Skin like Flesh: Soft/edible. Does NOT save from Gledufah. Transmits Tumah as food.
The halakhic matrix of this intersection can be mapped as follows:
| Organ/Skin Type | Status in Tumah (Kelim 27:1) | Status in Gledufah (Chullin 55b) | Halakhic Logic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Hide | Skin (Or) | Saves the animal | Functions as a protective barrier; lacks food status. |
| Hide of Head of Calf | Flesh (Basar) | Does not save (Rabbi Shimon) | Soft enough to be edible; loses its protective identity. |
| Hide of Hooves | Flesh (R' Shimon) / Skin (Rabbis) | Rabbi Yochanan: Saves | Rabbi Yochanan rules like the Rabbis that it is structurally skin. |
This parallel demonstrates that the definition of "hide" is not merely biological, but functional. If a membrane is soft enough to be eaten, it loses its protective status as "skin" and is categorized as "flesh." Consequently, it cannot serve as the protective envelope required to save a flayed animal from being a tereifah[^11].
2. "Ein Medamin Be-Tereifot" and Modern Medical Responsa
Rav Ashi's famous dictum on Chullin 55b:
"אטו טריפות זו מזו גמרינן? אין לך בטריפות אלא מה שמנו חכמים; דהא חתכת לה מהכא ומתה, וחתכת לה מהכא וחיה!" "Do we compare the laws of tereifot to one another? You have nothing in tereifot other than that which the Sages enumerated; for you cut here and it dies, and you cut there and it lives!"
This principle serves as the cornerstone of halakhic responses to modern veterinary and human medicine.
[The Epistemological Divide on Tereifot]
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[The Rationalist View] [The Formalist View]
- Tereifot are based on physical - Tereifot are formal decrees
survival (12-month limit). (Gezerat HaKatuv).
- If modern medicine can heal it, - Even if the animal lives,
it is no longer a tereifah. the halakhic status is fixed.
- The Chasam Sofer (Teshuvot Chasam Sofer, Yoreh Deah 52): The Chasam Sofer addresses whether an animal that undergoes a successful modern surgical procedure—which repairs a defect listed as a tereifah—becomes kosher. Based on Rav Ashi's dictum, he rules that we cannot alter the categories of tereifot based on empirical observation. Even if an animal survives a punctured lung due to modern antibiotics or surgical intervention, it remains halakhically a tereifah. The Sages' definitions are ontological halakhic realities (gezerat hakatuv), not merely medical predictions[^12].
- The Chazon Ish (Yoreh Deah 5:3): The Chazon Ish systemizes this by explaining that the laws of tereifot were given as fixed archetypes. The Sinai revelation established that specific physical defects permanently categorise an animal as "torn." The actual biological survival of any individual animal is irrelevant to its halakhic status. Thus, "we do not compare tereifot" means we cannot use logical deduction to create new tereifot, nor can we use medical advances to dismantle existing ones[^13].
Psak/Practice
Halakhic Ruling: Spleen and Kidney Defects in Shulchan Aruch
The practical halakha regarding splenic and renal defects is codified in Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 44:
[Splenic Halakhic Decision Tree]
Is the spleen perforated (Nikav)?
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Perforated in thick end (Bisa) Perforated in thin end (Kafris)
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Is there a gold dinar KOSHER
thickness remaining?
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YES NO
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KOSHER TEREIFAH
1. The Spleen (YD 44:1)
- If the spleen is completely removed (nihtal), the animal is kosher.
- If the spleen is perforated (nikav), we must distinguish between the thick end (bisa) and the thin end (kafris).
- A perforation in the thin end is kosher.
- A perforation in the thick end is a tereifah, unless a protective layer of tissue as thick as a gold dinar (dinar zahav) remains intact.
- The Rema's Stringency: The Rema notes that we are no longer experts in distinguishing between the thick and thin ends of the spleen. Therefore, any perforation that penetrates through the spleen renders the animal a tereifah unless it is clearly on the very edge of the thin end[^14].
2. The Kidneys (YD 44:2)
- If one or both kidneys are removed, the animal is kosher.
- If a kidney is diseased (lahshish), presenting with pus or decaying tissue, it is a tereifah only if the disease reaches the crevice (charitz), which is the hilum where the blood vessels enter, or the white fat beneath the loins[^15].
[Renal Disease Halakhic Flow]
Kidney is diseased (Lahshish)
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Disease reaches the hilum Disease remains in
(crevice/white fat area) outer cortex only
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TEREIFAH KOSHER
Meta-Psak Heuristics: "Ein Medamin Be-Tereifot"
In contemporary kashrut supervision, Rav Ashi's principle acts as a protective wall against both over-stringency and over-leniency:
- No Extrapolation: If a mashgiach observes a novel pathology in livestock (e.g., a new strain of parasitic cysts in the liver), they cannot declare the animal a tereifah unless that specific defect is explicitly enumerated in the Talmud and Shulchan Aruch.
- No Mitigation: Conversely, even if veterinary science proves that a specific defect (such as certain abomasal displacements) has a 99% survival rate due to modern medicine, if it falls under the talmudic definition of a punctured organ, it remains strictly tereifah[^16].
Takeaway
Halakhic viability is not a mere mirror of biological survival; it is a formal taxonomy where a cleanly missing organ is kosher, but a decaying one is fatal, and where semantic boundaries bend to preserve the structural integrity of the law.
Footnotes
[^1]: Tosafot, Chullin 55a, s.v. "Shi'uran be-Kidei Sichat Katan" (שיעורן בכדי סיכת קטן). [^2]: Rashi, Shabbat 95b, s.v. "Patahto" (פתחו). See also Shabbat 95b. [^3]: Maharam Schiff on Chullin 55a:1. [^4]: Cf. Mishnah Kelim 2:2 regarding the minimum functional size of clay vessel fragments. [^5]: Rashash, Chullin 55a:3. [^6]: See Mishnah Kelim 13:5 regarding the needle that lost its eyelet. [^7]: Chidushei Rabbeinu Chaim, Hilchot Shechitah 1:12. [^8]: See also Chullin 42a for the primary list of the eight categories of tereifot. [^9]: Tzofnat Paneach on Rambam, Hilchot Ma'achalot Assurot 4:1. [^10]: For further analysis of the Rogatchover's model of continuous vs. discrete halakhic states, see Tzofnat Paneach, Mahadura Tinyana, p. 45. [^11]: See Chullin 122a and the accompanying Gemara regarding the transitional status of transitional skins. [^12]: Teshuvot Chatam Sofer, Yoreh Deah, Siman 52. [^13]: Chazon Ish, Yoreh Deah, Hilchot Tereifot, Siman 5, Ot 3. [^14]: Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 44:1, and Darkhei Moshe ibid. [^15]: Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 44:2. [^16]: See Igrot Moshe, Yoreh Deah, Vol. 2, Siman 18, regarding the halakhic status of cows after modern abomasal surgeries.
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