Talking Talmud

A new mishnah! Does the mitzvah of covering the blood apply to an animal that is discovered to be unfit for consumption? Whether because the animal is a treyfa or because the slaughtering was done in the name of idolatry, for example. With sources, and machloket (of course) in the Gemara on the mishnah, with a focus on the rabbis and Rabbi Shimon, and then, eventually, the view of Rabbi Meir as well. Plus, Rabbi Meir's opinion and Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi's opinion line up for some of the cases, in any case.

More on covering the blood of non-domesticated animals and birds, and how it applies to those animals that are prepared for it -- which itself requires some measure of investigation. Bottom line, only trap an animal when you truly need it for meat. Better to eat vegetables or grain, with specific advice per the money one might have to spend on food. Also, Rabbi Eina was teaching at the entrance to the house of the exilarch. Which leads into the timing of covering the blood of the non-domesticated animal. Apparently, Rabbi Eina's brother jumps in, and the parallel to brit milah (circumcision) is introduced, though the holiday may actually "win" depending on the parameters of when it would be done. Likewise, Rosh Hashanah --

4 events of proclaiming the slaughtering of an animal that was sold as well as the offspring, to help the buyers keep the dates straight. All the dates are connected to holidays, when festive meals would be prepared. Note that the calendar follows the Jewish day. Also, the mitzvah of covering the blood of a non-domestic sacrificial animal.

3 mishnayot on the daf! But first, on Rabbi Yochanan's position, in contrast to that of Resh Lakish, on the "eglah arufah," as listed in the mishnah -- where the position is that this case is not in the mishnah at all -- a bold statement, if nothing else. The first new mishnah! When 2 people purchase the animal and its offspring respectively, they need to be apprised of when the other animal is being slaughtered. Also, one who slaughters an animal and its offspring on the same day would be punished with 40 lashes -- depending on the time period of that slaughtering. And all the more so if the offspring and the offspring's offspring -- that might well entail two sets of lashes (namely, 80). Which raises the question of how many punishments can be visited upon the person who violates multiple prohibitions, and the Gemara introduces all kinds of other, potentially parallel cases, including that of the nazir. Also, the specificity of the Mishnah in general, and the fact that once it teaches a point in one place, it would not need to teach it elsewhere, as the first place is sufficient. Which means the other place must be teaching something else.

More on the prohibition against slaughtering an animal and its offspring on the same day -- in an effort to determine Rav Hamnuna's take on Rabbi Shimon's approach. Note that the slaughtering of the parent animal makes the slaughtering of the offspring a prohibition, but if the offspring weren't slaughtered, then there's no prohibition in slaughtering the parent animal either. Also, slaughter of an animal that is not fit for consumption independent of the kosher shechitah - such that the kosher slaughtering fundamentally doesn't work - isn't considered "shechitah." And that which is not suitable for kosher shechitah is not eligible for the category of prohibition of "the animal and its offspring," as that depends on the shechitah being shechitah.