Meat from Heaven?
“Only Young Ones Are Acceptable…”
(Chullin 22a-b)
Our daf discusses the acceptability of mature turtle doves and young pigeons as sacrifices in the Temple. The Gemara differentiates between mature and young animals. The Mishna (Para 1:1) derives from the terminology of various pesukim that we may only sacrifice a lamb which is not more than one year old, a ram that is not more than two years old, and a steer that is not more than three years old.
Age: Sibah or Siman?
An interesting question is often asked: Are these age limitations a sibah – a cause, i.e., an ultimate requirement – or merely a siman – a quantitative feature intrinsic to the sacrificial animal? Is this purely an age requirement or are these requirements merely comparisons in development (indicative of size)? At times, a two-year-old animal might only exhibit the maturity of a one-year-old, so we must know whether these age limits are absolute or merely descriptive of size, in which case, perhaps they may be offered up on the altar even if they only meet the size criteria.
We might also phrase the question as follows: What about an animal that meets the size (maturity) criteria but was created with the Sefer Yetzirah on that very day? Would it be acceptable as a sacrifice? Indeed, elsewhere (Zevachim 25b) we see clearly that the age requirement is an absolute. The Gemara notes that if an animal was slaughtered right before its first birthday and then it turned one year old before there was time to sprinkle its blood on the altar, it is disqualified. Though it is obvious that once it was slaughtered, its development stops, nevertheless it is considered to have aged and is thus no longer acceptable.
A Miracle Occurs
The Gemara (Sanhedrin 59b) relates that R. Shimon b. Chalafta once encountered two lions as he was traveling on the road. Fearing for his life, he pronounced the verse (Tehillim 104:21) “The young lions roar for prey,” and a miracle occurred. Two pieces of meat fell from the heavens and the lions satiated themselves with one of them. He took the other piece of meat to the beis hamidrash and inquired whether it was acceptable (tahor) to be eaten. The Sages replied that it was surely tahor as “nothing impure descends from Heaven.”
The Gemara (Sanhedrin 67b) later recounts that R. Chanina and R. Oshaya would study the halachos of Creation every Erev Shabbos. They combined letters of Heaven’s name with which Hashem created the world, and behold a fine third grown calf emerged, which they proceeded to eat.
Shechita?
The Gemara makes no mention of the need for shechita. Perhaps this is because since the calf was not born naturally, it did not require shechita.
The later authorities discuss this question. The Shlah HaKadosh (on Parshas Vayeshev, p.70) opines that an animal created with the use of the Sefer Yetzirah needs no shechita. The Seder HaDoros (Seder Tanaim Ve’amoraim os Shin, Ma’areches R. Shimon b. Chalafta, os Beis, 182), concludes that our earlier cited Gemara (Sanhedrin 59b) proves likewise, as R. Shimon b. Chalafta was satisfied when he heard that the meat was derived from a kosher animal and deemed it fit for consumption. Obviously, it was only a piece of meat and there was no way to perform shechita on it. Thus, the fact that he ate it that way proves beyond a doubt that in such a circumstance there is no need for shechita.
The author of Tur Barekes (Hilchos Yom Tov, p.143) adds that there is no need for nikkur (removing the forbidden fats or veins) in an animal descending directly from the heavens, nor is there any need to remove the gid hanashe (sciatic nerve).
Merely Windswept
Sdei Chemed (Ma’areches Chametz u’Matza 2:3) rules strictly in this matter. He warns that a person encountering such a piece of meat would be correct to suspect that the meat was brought to him (from another locale) by the wind, and was not heaven-sent. As such, the meat would remain forbidden for consumption. As far as the halachos mentioned in the Gemara, they were only meant for the Amora’im, who possessed the ability to create animals via the Sefer Yetzirah and thus knew with certainty that such meat did indeed come from Heaven.