[Avodah] Science and Halakhah - Tereifos

[Micha Berger]

Today's daf yomi (do not deduce from this I learn DY), Chullin 57b,
R Huna says "siman letereifah 12 chodesh". And then the gemara quotes a
bereisah with diffeent simanimanim, asking because none of them are R
Huna's.
- Siman letereifah kol she'einah yoledes.
- R' Shimon b Gamliel: if the health improves onward (meshabekhes veholekhes)
beyadua it's kosher, if it gets weaker onward, beyadua it's tereifah.
- Rebbe: siman letereifah kol 30 yom.

The stam beraisa asks about Rebbe's position: of 30 days, "But don't
many survive 2 or 3 years?"

Norice that no one is giving a defnition. Most of these opinions are
about differing simanim.

RSbG doesn't give a siman, but really he only discusses two extremes
-- the animal that gets progressively healthier and the one that gets
progressively sicker. Nothing about the one that is unchanged or has
its ups and downs.

So, if the gemara is giving indicators, not definitions of tereifah...

Even if R Huna were wrong about the lifespan of animals on the known
list of tereifos, this wouldn't be a reason to question their inclusion
on the list. Nishtaneh hateva or whatnot wouldn't be cause to rethink
the list even without reasoning like the Chazon Ish's about the nature
of pesaq. It would only be cause to rethink the siman.

Does anyone use this argument?

(Other than the similar argument made by RGS in 2001,
http://www.aishdas.org/avodah/vol08/v08n062.shtml#02 )

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Nearly all men can stand adversity,
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