יורה דעה נ״הYoreh De'ah 55

Se’if 1א׳

שְׁלֹשָׁה פְּרָקִים יֵשׁ בָּרֶגֶל הַתַּחְתּוֹן, וְהוּא מַה שֶּׁחוֹתְכִין עִם הַפְּרָסוֹת כְּשֶׁמַּפְשִׁיטִין הַבְּהֵמָה וְנִקְרֵאת אַרְכֻּבָּה הַנִּמְכֶּרֶת עִם הָרֹאשׁ, וּלְמַעְלָה מִמֶּנּוּ פֶּרֶק שֵׁנִי וְהוּא הַנִּקְרָא שׁוֹק, וְצֹמֶת הַגִּידִים בְּתַחְתִּיתוֹ סָמוּךְ לָאַרְכֻּבָּה הַנִּמְכֶּרֶת עִם הָרֹאשׁ, וּלְמַעְלָה מִמֶּנּוּ פֶּרֶק שְׁלִישִׁי וְהוּא מְחֻבָּר לַגּוּף וְנִקְרָא קוּלִית. בַּפֶּרֶק הַתַּחְתּוֹן, בְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁיֵּחָתֵךְ בָּהּ, כְּשֵׁרָה. עֶצֶם הַמְחֻבָּר לַגּוּף הַנִּקְרָא קוּלִית, בְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁיֵּחָתֵךְ, טְרֵפָה. בָּעֶצֶם הָאֶמְצָעִי, אִם נֶחְתַּךְ שֶׁלֹּא בִּמְקוֹם צֹמֶת הַגִּידִים, כְּשֵׁרָה. וְאִם נֶחְתַּךְ בִּמְקוֹם צֹמֶת הַגִּידִים, טְרֵפָה, וְלֹא נֶאֶסְרָה מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִיא חֲתוּכַת הָרֶגֶל בְּמָקוֹם זֶה, אֶלָּא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁנֶּחְתְּכוּ הַגִּידִים. לְפִיכָךְ, אִם נִשְׁבַּר הָעֶצֶם בִּמְקוֹם צֹמֶת הַגִּידִים וְיָצָא לַחוּץ, וְאֵין עוֹר וּבָשָׂר חוֹפִין אֶת רֻבּוֹ, וּבָדַק בְּצֹמֶת הַגִּידִים וְנִמְצְאוּ קַיָּמִים, כְּשֵׁרָה. וְיֵשׁ אוֹסְרִים בְּנֶחְתַּךְ עֶצֶם הָאֶמְצָעִי בְּכָל מָקוֹם, אֲפִלּוּ שֶׁלֹּא בִּמְקוֹם צֹמֶת הַגִּידִים, וּלְדַעְתָּם אִם נִשְׁבַּר הָעֶצֶם בִּמְקוֹם צֹמֶת הַגִּידִים וְיָצָא לַחוּץ וְאֵין עוֹר וּבָשָׂר חוֹפִין אֶת רֻבּוֹ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁבָּדַק בְּצֹמֶת הַגִּידִים וְנִמְצְאוּ קַיָּמִים, טְרֵפָה. וְכֵן אִם נֶחְתַּךְ בְּתוֹךְ הַפֶּרֶק שֶׁבֵּין אַרְכֻּבָּה הַנִּמְכֶּרֶת עִם הָרֹאשׁ לַשּׁוֹק בְּסוֹף הָעַרְקוּם, בֵּין הָעַרְקוּם וּבֵין הַשּׁוֹק, טְרֵפָה לְדַעַת זֶה (בֵּית יוֹסֵף בשם מהר"י ן' חביב). וְאִם נֶחְתַּךְ בְּתוֹךְ הַפֶּרֶק בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁמְּחֻבָּר עֶצֶם הַקּוּלִית עִם הַשּׁוֹק, טְרֵפָה. הַגָּה: וְנָהֲגוּ בְּכָל אַשְׁכְּנַז וְצָרְפַת כַּסְּבָרָא הָאַחֲרוֹנָה (הָרֹא"שׁ וְטוּר וְרַבֵּינוּ יְרוּחָם) וְאֵין לְשַׁנּוֹת, לָכֵן בְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּחְתַּךְ מִן הָעַרְקוּם וּלְמַעְלָה, טְרֵפָה, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁצֹּמֶת הַגִּידִין קַיָּמִין.

There are three joints in the leg. The lowest is what they cut off together with the hooves when they flay the animal, and it is called the arkuvah that is sold with the head. And above it is the second joint, and that is the one called the shok - the shank - and the juncture of the sinews (tzomet ha-gidin) is at its lower end, close to the arkuvah that is sold with the head. And above it is the third joint, and that one is joined to the body and is called the kulit - the thigh-bone. In the lowest joint, in whatever place it may be cut, it is fit. The bone that is joined to the body, the one called the kulit, in whatever place it is cut, it is a tereifah (an animal with a fatal defect). In the middle bone, if it was cut not at the place of the juncture of the sinews, it is fit; and if it was cut at the place of the juncture of the sinews, it is a tereifah - and it is not forbidden because it is one whose leg is cut off at this place, but because the sinews were cut. Therefore, if the bone was broken at the place of the juncture of the sinews and came out to the outside, and skin and flesh do not cover the greater part of it, and he examined the juncture of the sinews and they were found intact, it is fit. And there are those who forbid where the middle bone was cut in any place at all, even not at the place of the juncture of the sinews; and according to their opinion, if the bone was broken at the place of the juncture of the sinews and came out to the outside and skin and flesh do not cover the greater part of it, then even though he examined the juncture of the sinews and they were found intact, it is a tereifah. And likewise, if it was cut within the joint that is between the arkuvah that is sold with the head and the shank, at the end of the arkum - the ankle - whether at the arkum or at the shank, it is a tereifah according to this opinion (Beit Yosef in the name of Mahari ibn Chaviv). And if it was cut within the joint at the place where the thigh-bone is joined with the shank, it is a tereifah. Hagah [Rema]: And in all Ashkenaz and France they have practised according to the latter reasoning (the Rosh and the Tur and Rabbeinu Yerucham), and it is not to be changed; therefore, in every place where it is cut from the arkum and upwards, it is a tereifah, even though the juncture of the sinews is intact.

Se’if 2ב׳

עֶצֶם הַקּוּלִית שֶׁנִּתַּק מִמְּקוֹמוֹ בִּמְקוֹם חִבּוּרוֹ בַּגּוּף, וְהַיְנוּ בּוּקָא דְּאַטְמָא דְּשָׁף מִדּוּכְתֵהּ, טְרֵפָה בֵּין בִּבְהֵמָה בֵּין בְּעוֹף, וְהוּא דְּאִעַכּוּל (פי' שֶׁנִּרְקְבוּ) נִיבֵיהּ, וְהֵם הַיְתֵרוֹת שֶׁבְּעֶצֶם הַכַּף שֶׁיּוֹצְאוֹת עַל הָעֶצֶם הַזָּכָר וְאוֹחֲזוֹת אוֹתוֹ, אֲבָל נִפְסְקוּ שֶׁלֹּא מֵחֲמַת עִכּוּל, כְּשֵׁרָה. הַגָּה: וְכֵן אִם לֹא נִתְעַכְּלוּ רַק מִעוּטָן, וְרֻבָּן קַיָּם, כָּשֵׁר מִדִּינָא (רַשְׁבָּ"א בִּתְשׁוּבָתוֹ וּבְחִדּוּשָׁיו) אַךְ יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דְּאֵין אָנוּ בְּקִיאִין בְּאִעַכּוּל נִיבֵהּ. לָכֵן יֵשׁ לֶאֱסֹר כָּל שְׁמוּטַת יָרֵךְ שֶׁמָּא אִעַכּוּל נִיבֵיהּ. וְכֵן אִם נִשְׁבַּר סָמוּךְ לַגּוּף, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁחָזַר וְנִקְשַׁר הֵיטֵב, טְרֵפָה, שֶׁמָּא אִעַכּוּל נִיבֵיהּ. וּמְשַׁעֲרִין בְּאַרְבַּע אֶצְבָּעוֹת בְּגַּסָּה, וּשְׁנַיִם בְּדַקָּה, וּבְעוֹף הַגָּדוֹל לְפִי גָּדְלוֹ, וְהַקָּטָן לְפִי קָטְנוֹ (הַכֹּל באו"ה כְּלָל נ' וְהַגָּהוֹת סמ"ק דַּף צ"ב ע"ב וְהַגָּהַת ש"ד סי' פ"ו). וְטוֹב לְהַחְמִיר בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁאֵין הֶפְסֵד מְרֻבֶּה. אִם לֹא נִשְׁמַט הַיָּרֵךְ וְאִעַכּוּל נִיבֵיהּ, כָּשֵׁר (מָרְדְּכַי).

The thigh-bone that was dislodged from its place, at the place of its joining to the body - and that is bukka de-atma de-shaf mi-dukhteh - is a tereifah, whether in an animal or in a bird; and that is where its sinews have decayed (that is, that they have rotted). And they are the outgrowths of the socket bone that come out over the male bone and hold it fast. But if they were severed not on account of decay, it is fit. Hagah [Rema]: And likewise, if only the lesser part of them decayed and the greater part of them stands, it is fit by the letter of the law (the Rashba in his responsum and in his novellae); but there are those who say that we are not expert in the decay of its sinews, and therefore there is ground to forbid every dislocated thigh, lest its sinews have decayed. And likewise, if it was broken close to the body, even though it knitted back together well, it is a tereifah, lest its sinews have decayed. And we measure by four fingerbreadths in a large animal and by two in a small one; and in a bird, the large one according to its size and the small one according to its smallness (all of this in Issur vaHeter, kelal 50, and Hagahot Semak, folio 92b, and Hagahat Shaarei Dura, siman 86). And it is good to be stringent where there is no great loss. If the thigh was not dislocated but its sinews decayed, it is fit (Mordechai).

Se’if 3ג׳

רֹאשׁ עֶצֶם הַקּוּלִית הַמְחֻבָּר לַשּׁוֹק שֶׁנִּתַּק מִמְּקוֹמוֹ, כְּשֵׁרָה, אֲפִלּוּ אִם אִעַכּוּל נִיבֵהּ וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דַּוְקָא כְּשֶׁעוֹר וּבָשָׂר חוֹפִין אֶת רֻבּוֹ (תְּשׁוּבַת הָרֹא"שׁ כְּלָל ב' סִימָן י').

The head of the thigh-bone that is joined to the shank, which was dislodged from its place, is fit, even if its sinews have decayed. And there are those who say: only where skin and flesh cover the greater part of it (a responsum of the Rosh, kelal 2, siman 10).