Recall that the Torah forbids the consumption of fish lacking fins and scales. On the previous daf, the rabbis determined that this prohibition applies only to aquatic creatures originating in seas and rivers — that is, flowing bodies of water. Aquatic creatures that originate in caves, pits or vessels (collected waters) are permitted, even if they lack fins and scales.
On today’s daf, Rav Huna applies this ruling to a specific (and, by our standards, somewhat icky) scenario:
Rav Huna says: A person should not pour beer into a vessel through straw to filter it at night, lest a creeping animal emerge from the beer above the straw and then fall into the cup, and in drinking it he violates the prohibition: “Every swarming thing that swarms upon the earth is a detestable thing; it shall not be eaten” (Leviticus 11:41).
According to what we have previously learned, if a creature without fins and scales, like a bug, is found swimming in a barrel of beer, it is forbidden. This is because the beer is produced from a large source of flowing water which, presumably, is where this creature was spawned. However, if that same finless or scaleless creature is found swimming in a vessel, it’s permitted — because it is assumed to have come from water collected in that vessel. (Spontaneous generation was a common belief in ancient times.)
Rashi notes that date beer, the most common variety in Babylonia, frequently became infested with worms. Therefore, it was a common practice to strain it before drinking. In this case, the beer was filtered at night, then left in the vessel to be drunk the next day. Rav Huna cautions against doing this, because with low visibility a person might not notice a small creature falling from the barrel into the cup at night, presumably slipping past the straw strainer. When that person goes to drink the beer the next day and sees a creature swimming around in it, they might falsely assume that the creature originated in the cup — and is therefore permissible to drink.
The Gemara raises an objection, pointing out that this stringency could be extended even further:
If so, one should also be concerned about any beer found in a vessel, as perhaps some creature emerged from the beer onto the side of the vessel, and then fell back into the vessel.
Even creatures that originated within the beer could have crawled up the side of the vessel and fallen back in. If that happened, when the creature crawled up the wall of the vessel, it would have lost the status of a creature in gathered waters and become forbidden. If, according to Rav Huna, we should be suspicious that any creatures found in the beer might have forbidden status, then the rule about pouring beer at night is unnecessarily specific! He should have instead ruled that we never assume a creature found in beer is permissible. So why was he only concerned about this particular case of beer strained at night and drunk the next day? The Gemara replies:
There, that is its normal manner of growth.
Apparently, for creatures formed in beer vessels, crawling along the sides of the vessel is a normal behavior. Therefore, when a creature emerges from the beer but merely crawls along the vessel, they retain their status as a vessel creature, and remain permitted. Only in the case of beer filtered at night are we worried about creatures from outside the vessel falling in and escaping notice.
Rav Huna receives some support for his ruling:
Rav Hisda said to Rav Huna: A beraita is taught that supports your statement: The verse, “Every swarming thing that swarms upon the earth is a detestable thing” (Leviticus 11:41), serves to include gnats found in liquid that one filtered. The reason they are prohibited is because one filtered the liquids. But if one did not filter them, the gnats are permitted.
Rav Hisda quotes a beraita which mentions a prohibition specifically on gnats found in filtered liquid. This supports Rav Huna’s ruling that only in the case of filtering are we worried about bugs found in the drink, as we worry they may have fallen in rather than originated in the vessel. But in other cases, if one so chooses — though many reading this might not be inclined to do so — they can drink the little creatures found in their vessels.
Read all of Chullin 67 on Sefaria.
This piece originally appeared in a My Jewish Learning Daf Yomi email newsletter sent on July 6, 2026. If you are interested in receiving the newsletter, sign up here.
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