The "Hakol Shochtin" Sugya

Hullin 2a–4a · Six readings of an internal contradiction

1

The Mishna and its tension

הַ כּ ֹל שׁ וֹחֲ טִ ין וּשׁ ְ חִ יטָ תָ ן כּ שֵׁ רָ ה, חוּץ מֵ חֵ רֵ שׁ שׁ וֹטֶ ה וְ קָ טָ ן, שֶׁ מָּ א יְקַ לְ קְ לוּ אֶ ת שׁ ְ חִ יטָ תָ ן. וְ כוּלָּ ן שֶׁ שָּׁ חֲ טוּ וַ אֲ חֵ רִ ים רוֹאִ ין אוֹתָ ן — שׁ ְ חִ יטָ תָ ן כּ שֵׁ רָ ה.

Everyone slaughters and their slaughter is valid, except for a deaf-mute, an imbecile, and a minor, lest they ruin their slaughter. And all of them who slaughtered while others see them — their slaughter is valid.

Reading A · lechatchila

"Everyone slaughters" — anyone is permitted to slaughter ab initio, from the outset.

Reading B · b'dieved

"Their slaughter is valid" — the slaughter is valid only after the fact, post hoc.

The Gemara confirms that "Hakol" really does mean lechatchila here (since "their slaughter is valid" appears twice, the first occurrence cannot be a redundant b'dieved). So the question becomes: what borderline case is the Mishna admitting into "everyone"? Six answers follow.
2

The six resolutions

Each amora identifies a different marginal slaughterer whom the Mishna is admitting. Click any card to see the full text and the case it constructs.

3

The critique network

The Gemara's third move (3b–4a): each opinion explains why it rejected the others. Hover an arrow to see the kushya. Click a node to highlight everything connected to it.

Identity-based Skill-based Behavior-based Click a node to focus · click empty space to reset
4

Comparison matrix

All six readings on a single grid: who, what case, what counts as lechatchila, what falls back to b'dieved, and what makes them coherent with the Mishna's "v'kulan" clause.

# Author Family Case ("Hakol" includes…) Lechatchila condition B'dieved condition Handles "v'kulan"?
▶ Why each opinion rejected the others (the cross-critiques)