Chullin 65a-65b
חולין ס״ה
Chullin 65a-65b
The sugya analyzes the biblical and mishnaic rules of kosher locusts, including which species are permitted and the tradition needed to identify them. It is a central Talmudic locus for the topic.
וּבַחֲגָבִים, כֹּל שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ כּוּ׳. מַאי רוּבּוֹ? אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב: רוֹב אׇרְכּוֹ, וְאָמְרִי לַהּ: רוֹב הֶקֵּיפוֹ. אָמַר רַב פָּפָּא: הִלְכָּךְ בָּעֵינַן רוֹב אׇרְכּוֹ, וּבָעֵינַן רוֹב הֶקֵּיפוֹ. תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: אֵין לוֹ עַכְשָׁיו וְעָתִיד לְגַדֵּל לְאַחַר זְמַן, כְּגוֹן הַזַּחַל – מוּתָּר. רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר: ״אֲשֶׁר לֹא כְרָעַיִם״ – אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין לוֹ עַכְשָׁיו וְעָתִיד לְגַדֵּל לְאַחַר זְמַן. מַאי זַחַל? אָמַר אַבָּיֵי: אַסְקְרָא.
§ The mishna states: And with regard to grasshoppers, any grasshopper that has four legs, and four wings, and two additional jumping legs, and whose wings cover most of its body, is kosher. The Gemara asks: What is considered most of its body? Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: Most of its length. And some say that he said: Most of its circumference. Rav Pappa said: Therefore, one must satisfy both versions of the statement. We require that the wings cover most of its length, and we also require that they cover most of its circumference. The Sages taught in a baraita: A grasshopper that has no wings now but will grow them after a time, e.g., the zaḥal, is permitted. Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Yosei, says: The verse states: “Yet these may you eat of all winged swarming things that go upon all fours, which have [lo] jointed legs above their feet, wherewith to leap upon the earth” (Leviticus 11:21). The word lo is written with the letter alef, meaning not, so that it can be understood as: Do not have jointed legs. This teaches that even though it has no jointed legs now but will grow them after a time, it is still kosher. The Gemara asks: What is the zaḥal? Abaye said: It is called askarin in Aramaic.