• The law of a שליא – amniotic sac inside a shechted animal

The next Mishnah states that if one shechts an animal and finds a שליא – amniotic sac inside, נפש היפה תאכלנה – one who is not squeamish may eat it, because it is permitted with the animal’s shechitah. The שליא does not become tamei with טומאת אוכלין – food tumah if it touched something tamei, because the שליא is not classified as “food.” It also does not become tamei as נבילה if the animal died without shechitah, because it is not considered “flesh.” However, חישב עליה – if one intended to eat it, it is tamei with food tumah if it touched something tamei, but it is still not tamei as נבילה, since it is not בשר.

שליא שיצתה מקצתה – If an amniotic sac partially emerged from the womb before the animal’s shechitah, it is completely prohibited in consumption, because the emerged part of the שליא might have contained the fetus’s head, constituting “birth,” and preventing the animal’s shechitah from permitting it. סימן ולד באשה – A שליא is the sign of a fetus in a woman (i.e., she is tamei even if no fetus could be discerned, and we assume it dissolved), וסימן ולד בבהמה – and it is the sign of a fetus in an animal.

• Concern for a second fetus where the first is not attached to the שליא

The Mishnah taught that if the amniotic sac partially emerged from the womb, the entire שליא is prohibited. This unqualified ruling would imply that even if a fetus is found inside the womb and its head never emerged, the שליא is still prohibited, because we are concerned about a possible second fetus. Rebbe Elazar says: לא שנו אלא שאינה קשורה בולד – they only taught this where [the שליא] is not attached to the fetus, but if the שליא is attached to the fetus inside, אין חוששין לולד אחר – we are not concerned for another fetus, and the שליא is permitted through the shechitah. Rebbe Yochanan says the Mishnah’s ruling only applies if there was no fetus found at all, but if there was, then even if it was not attached to the שליא, we are not concerned for a second fetus. A Baraisa supports Rebbe Elazar, teaching that a woman who aborted a fetus which resembled an animal or bird, then if the שליא is not attached to it, we are concerned for another fetus (and she is tamei out of doubt), because we suspect that the embryo of this שליא dissolved, and the שליא of that fetus dissolved.

• כל דבר שיש בו רפואה אין בו משום דרכי האמורי

The Mishnah taught that if an animal of hekdesh miscarried, the שליא must be buried, but it may not be buried at a crossroads, nor hung on a tree, מפני דרכי האמורי – because these are the ways of the אמורים, which are forbidden to follow. Abaye and Rava say: כל דבר שיש בו רפואה אין בו משום דרכי האמורי – any practice which has healing value is not forbidden as the ways of the אמורים, even if they also have such a practice. If it does not have a healing value, it is forbidden as דרכי אמורי. The Gemara asks that a Baraisa permits one whose tree sheds its fruit prematurely to dye it with red paint and place rocks on its branches. Although burdening it with rocks may be to reduce the tree’s strength, there is no therapeutic value in dying it red!? The Gemara answers that the dye is כי היכי דליחזיוה אינשי – so that people will see it וליבעי רחמי עילויה – and pray for mercy on his behalf. This is similar to a מצורע, who calls out "טמא טמא", because צריך להודיע לרבים – he must inform the public of his affliction, ורבים מבקשים עליו רחמים – and the public will pray for mercy on his behalf.