Chullin 16

There are many important religions in the world that prescribe some kind of vegetarianism: Sikhism, Jainism, some forms of Buddhism and Hinduism — even Rastafarianism. Traditionally, Judaism has not required a meat-free diet, though Genesis suggests that this is the ideal way for all humans to eat. On today’s daf, we learn that the rules around kosher meat consumption also evolved over time.

It is taught in a beraita: “When the Lord your God shall expand your border, as He has promised you, and you shall say: I will eat flesh … you may eat flesh with all the desire of your soul” (Deuteronomy 12:20). Rabbi Yishmael says: The verse comes only to permit meat of desire to them as, at the outset, the meat of desire was forbidden to them. When they entered the land of Israel, the meat of desire was permitted for them. 

Rabbi Yishmael understands this verse in Deuteronomy to be telling us that during the 40 years the Israelites were wandering in the desert, the portion of sacred offerings shared with the Israelites was the only meat they were allowed to eat. The Israelites were only permitted to eat meat when they wanted to — hence, the meat of desire — when they entered the land of Israel.

Rabbah then asks a very important follow-up question for the omnivores among us: What happens when Jews leave the promised land?

Now that they were exiled, might they return to their initial prohibition? Therefore, we learned in the mishnah: One may always slaughter.

Rav Yosef objects to this. If so, this “One may always slaughter” should have been: “One may always slaughter and eat.” And furthermore, initially, what is the reason it was forbidden? Because they were near the tabernacle. And ultimately, what is the reason it was permitted? Because in the land of Israel, they were distant from the tabernacle. And, if so, all the more so now, when they are more distant.

Perhaps, muses Rabbah, it is the land of Israel that permits the consumption of non-sacrificial meat. Once the Israelites leave, then, perhaps that is no longer allowed? But Rav Yosef objects to Rabbi Yishmael on two grounds. First, he does not think Rabbi Yishmael’s reading aligns with the language of the mishnah itself. The words “one may slaughter” suggest that the issue is not about eating meat but about the mode of slaughter. Second, he thinks we don’t actually need a biblical verse to eat non-sacrificial meat once the Israelites have entered the land because we could have figured that out logically, based on the geographic spread of the Israelite tribes upon their conquest of Canaan. Once they no longer had ready access to the tabernacle, they were allowed to slaughter and consume meat in a non-sacred context. And that becomes even more true when they move out of the holy land.

The Talmud is going to continue discussing how to understand the phrase from the mishnah on tomorrow’s daf, including sharing that Rabbi Akiva disagreed with Rabbi Yishmael and insists that “meat of desire” was actually permitted in the desert. But for now, let’s stick with Rabbi Yishmael’s position. 

While Rabbi Yishmael and Rav Yosef disagree about whether the change in Jewish meat-eating practice was caused by a biblical verse or the use of logic, they agree that Judaism is dynamic. If we take the idea that “we are what we eat” seriously, then, perhaps, even some aspects of who we fundamentally are have changed as we have experienced new challenges and new culinary opportunities. Or, as Proverbs 3:18 states about the Torah, “she is a tree of life to all who hold fast to her” — and while this tree is deeply rooted, she is also always growing and bearing new fruit. 

Read all of Chullin 16 on Sefaria.

This piece originally appeared in a My Jewish Learning Daf Yomi email newsletter sent on May 16, 2026. If you are interested in receiving the newsletter, sign up here.