Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah Siman 31

Siman 31

Presented here for study, not as a practical ruling. The Shulchan Aruch rules by Sephardi custom, the Rema's glosses by Ashkenazi custom, and the Kitzur follows Ashkenazi custom. For a practical question, ask your rabbi.

א הַמֹּחַ יֵשׁ לוֹ ב' קְרוּמִים זֶה עַל זֶה, נִקַּב הַתַּחְתּוֹן נֶקֶב מְפֻלָּשׁ, טְרֵפָה; אֲבָל אִם נִקַּב הָעֶלְיוֹן לְבַדּוֹ, כְּשֵׁרָה. הַגָּה: וְיֵשׁ מַטְרִיפִין גַּם כֵּן בְּנִקַּב הָעֶלְיוֹן לְבַד, (בה"ג הֱבִיאוֹ הַגָּהוֹת אֲשֵׁרִי ות"ה סִימָן קס"ו וְהַגָּהוֹת ש"ד סִימָן פ"א); וְהָכֵי נָהוּג אִם לֹא בִּמְקוֹם הֶפְסֵד מְרֻבֶּה (דַּעַת עַצְמוֹ).
1 The brain has two membranes one on top of the other. If the bottom one was punctured with a hole that goes all the way through, it is an invalid animal. But, if only the top one was punctured, it is valid. Rema: There are those that invalidate the animal even where only the top one was punctured, and this is the custom if it is not a case of great loss.
ב הַמֹּחַ עַצְמוֹ שֶׁנִּרְקַב מְעַט מִמֶּנּוּ, אוֹ נִתְמַעֵךְ וְהַקְּרוּם קַיָּם, כְּשֵׁרָה; וְאִם נִשְׁפַּךְ כַּמַּיִם אוֹ כְּדוֹנַג, טְרֵפָה. וְאִם נִמְצְאוּ מַיִם בְּתוֹךְ הַקְּרוּם וְנֶחְסַר מֵהַמֹּחַ כְּשִׁעוּר הַמַּיִם, אִם הַמֹּחַ מַקִּיף הַמַּיִם סָבִיב, שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ מְגֻלִּים כְּלָל אֲפִלּוּ לַקְּרוּם, כְּשֵׁרָה; וְאִם לָאו, טְרֵפָה. וְהוּא הַדִּין אִם הָיוּ הַמַּיִם מֻנָּחִים בְּתוֹךְ שַׁלְפּוּחִית (פי' כְּעֵין כִּיס) קְטַנָּה, שֶׁאִם הָיָה הַמֹּחַ מַקִּיפָהּ שֶׁלֹּא הָיְתָה מְגֻלָּה אֲפִלּוּ לַקְּרוּם, כְּשֵׁרָה; וְאִם לָאו, טְרֵפָה. הַגָּה: וְכֵן אִם הַשַׁלְפּוּחִית מֻנַּחַת בֵּין הַקְּרוּם וְהַגֻּלְגֹּלֶת, טְרֵפָה (הג"א פ' א"ט). הָיָה סָפֵק אִם הָיָה מְכֻסֶּה בְּמֹחַ אוֹ לֹא, טְרֵפָה; עַל כֵּן יֵשׁ לִזָּהֵר כְּשֶׁפּוֹתְחִין אֶת הָרֹאשׁ, שֶׁיִּפְתְּחוֹ בְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁיּוּכַל לִרְאוֹת אִם הַמֹּחַ מַקִּיף, אִם יִמָּצְאוּ שָׁם מַיִם אוֹ לֹא; וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם אֵין צָרִיךְ לִבְדֹּק אַחַר זֶה, דְּסַמְכִינָן אַרֻבָּא, וְיָכוֹל לְהַשְׁלִיךְ הָרֹאשׁ אוֹ לְמָכְרוֹ לְעוֹבֵד כּוֹכָבִים בְּלֹא פְּתִיחָה (ד"ע).
2 If a small part of the brain itself was rotted, or it was crushed but the membrane is intact, it is valid. And if it can be poured like water or hot wax, it is an invalid animal. And if one finds water inside the membrane, and there's [a piece] missing from the brain of the same measurement as the water, if the brain completely surrounds the water so that there is nothing exposed, even to the membrane, it is valid, and if not, it is an invalid animal. And this too is the law if the water is resting inside a small blister (meaning: like a pouch), that if the brain surrounds it so that it isn't exposed even to the membrane it is valid, and if not, it is an invalid animal. Rema: And so too if the blister is resting between the membrane and the skull it is an invalid animal. If there is doubt if it is covered by the brain or not, it is an invalid animal. Therefore, there are those that are careful when opening the head that they open it in a way that they're able to see if the brain surrounds it, if they find water there or not, and nevertheless, there is no need to check [for the invalidation] after this because we rely on the majority, and he's able to throw away the head or sell it to a non-Jew without opening it.
ג אִם נִמְצָא תּוֹלַעַת בִּקְרוּם הַמֹּחַ, וְהַמֹּחַ קַיָּם, וְאֵין בַּקְּרוּם הַתַּחְתּוֹן רֹשֶׁם וְלֹא קֹרֶט דָּם, כְּשֵׁרָה; וְיֵשׁ מִי שֶׁאוֹמֵר שֶׁאֵין אָנוּ בְּקִיאִין בַּבְּדִיקָה, וּטְרֵפָה וְהָכֵי נָהוּג; אֲבָל אִם נִמְצָא חוּץ לַקְּדֵרָה כְּגוֹן בַּחֹטֶם, כְּשֵׁרָה, דְּתָלִינָן שֶׁלֹּא הִגִּיעַ לַמֹּחַ מֵעוֹלָם.
3 If one found a worm in the membrane of the brain, and the brain is still intact, and there is no imprint or blood spot on the lower membrane, it is valid. And there are those who say that we aren't experts at checking [for invalidations], and [therefore] it is an invalid animal and this is the custom. But, if one found [the worm] outside of the cranium, for example in the nose, it is valid because we can rely on the assumption that it never reached the brain.
ד עֶצֶם שֶׁהַמֹּחַ מֻנָּח בְּתוֹכוֹ יֵשׁ בּוֹ חָלָל גָּדוֹל כְּמוֹ קְדֵרָה, וְיֵשׁ עַל פִּיהָ כְּלַפֵּי הַצַּוָּאר כְּמוֹ ב' פּוֹלִין, וְכָל מַה שֶּׁיֵּשׁ מֵהַמֹּחַ בְּתוֹךְ הַקְּדֵרָה עַד הַפּוֹלִין, וְהַפּוֹלִין בַּכְּלָל, נִדּוֹן כְּמֹחַ וּנְקִיבָתוֹ בְּמַשֶּׁהוּ; וּמִשָּׁם וָאֵילָךְ, נִדּוֹן כְּחוּט הַשִּׁדְרָה.
4 The bone, that the brain rests inside, has a large cavity like a pot, and there are what looks like two bean shaped protuberances at its opening by the neck; and everything that is from the brain inside the pot until the protuberances, including the protuberances, are judged like the brain and [invalidate the animal] with any size hole [in them], and from there and onward are judged like the spinal cord.
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