- נולדו באתרוג סימני טרפה מהו
Rava inquired: נולדו באתרוג סימני טרפה מהו – What is the halachah if signs of a tereifah appeared in an esrog? The Gemara says that Rava was asking about a case like that of Ulla, who said in the name of Rebbe Yochanan, that a lung that can be poured like a flask of water, is kosher, and Rava said, והוא דקיימא סימפונהא – This is only applicable where its bronchial tubes are intact, but if they are not intact it is a sign of a treifah. Rashi in Chullin explains that the dissolving of the interior flesh is considered a nonfatal defect only as long as the air passages did not dissolve, so that the lung still contains air passages within its membrane. Rava’s question in regard to an esrog is what is the halachah if its flesh is dissolved but the inner pockets containing the seeds are intact. Perhaps in the case of the lung, דלא שליט בה אוירא – where the external atmosphere does not impact on it, for the lung is enclosed within the body, הדר בריא – that even though the flesh has dissolved, it can regenerate, and that is why the animal is not a treifah. But here, in the case of the esrog, the external atmosphere does impact on it, and it inevitably rots once the flesh has dissolved, and since it cannot be corrected, the esrog is passul. Or perhaps there is no difference between the lung and the esrog? The Gemara’s attempt to resolve the question is not successful.
- An esrog molded with many planks
It was stated in a Baraisa: גדלו בדפוס ועשאו כמין בריה אחרת פסול – If one grew the esrog in a mold and formed it like another species, it is passul. Rava said that they taught this only when one formed the esrog like another species, אבל כברייתו כשר – but if one shaped it like its own form, it is kosher. The Gemara asks that this is obvious, as the Baraisa stipulated, “like another species,” and it answers לא צריכא דעבידא דפי דפי – Rava’s statement was necessary concerning a case where the esrog was fashioned with many “planks.” Rashi explains that Rava refers to a mold that caused the esrog to grow in the shape of a water wheel, with numerous broad spokes emerging from a central core. Rava teaches that this is considered a normal form of esrog.
- Machlokes regarding what one uses to bind the lulav.
The next Mishnah states that Rebbe Yehudah holds אין אוגדין את הלולב אלא במינו – We may not bind the lulav bundle except with its own kind, whereas Rebbe Meir holds, אפילו בחוט במשיחה – We may bind it even with linen thread. Rava said that according to Rebbe Yehudah אפילו בסיב אפילו בעיקרא דדיקלא – we may bind the lulav even with the ivy that grows around the trunk of the palm tree and even with strips of bark from the trunk of the palm tree. Rashi explains that even though they are a different color than the lulav and do not enhance its appearance, they can be used, since Rebbe Yehudah does not require hadar for the lulav. Rava says that Rebbe Yehudah’s reasoning is that he holds לולב צריך אגד – that the lulav requires bundling with the other species as part of the mitzvah. Rashi explains that since the אגד is required, whatever is joined in the bundle, even as a wrapping, is considered an inherent part of the mitzvah. Therefore, if one uses a fifth material, he will have violated בל תוסיף, the mitzvah not add to a mitzvah.
