Skip to main content

135-170Yehudah ben Ilai

 

Sayings of Yehuda ben Ilai extracted from the tractates Pesachim and Chullin (Babylonian Talmud). Babylonian Talmud was written between about 450 - 550 in present-day Iraq (formerly Babylonia). The religious scholar Yehuda ben Ilai points out the distal attachment site of the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) and demonstrates knowledge of the possibility of its injury. See our commentary at the link: 135-170Yehudah ben Ilai [Rus].

Quote 1.

[Heb]

Pesachim 22a5

(original source: sefaria.org)

Quote 2.

[Heb]

Pesachim 83b5

(original source: sefaria.org)

Quote 3.

[Heb]

Pesachim 83b6

(original source: sefaria.org)

Quote 4.

[Heb]

Pesachim 83b7

(original source: sefaria.org)

Quote 5.

[Heb]

Chullin 91a12

(original source: sefaria.org)

Quote 6.

[Heb]

Chullin 96a5

(original source: sefaria.org)

Quote 7.

[Heb]

Chullin 96b2

(original source: sefaria.org)

Quote 8.

[Heb]

Chullin 96b3

(original source: sefaria.org)

Translation

Quote 1.

[Eng]

Passover Festivals 22a5

The Gemara answers: Whom did you hear that said that sinews do not give flavor? It is Rabbi Shimon, as it was taught in a baraita: With regard to one who eats the sciatic nerve from a non-kosher domesticated animal, Rabbi Yehuda deems him liable to receive two sets of lashes: One for eating the sciatic nerve and one for eating the meat of a non-kosher animal. And Rabbi Shimon exempts him entirely, since according to his opinion the prohibition to eat the sciatic nerve applies only to a kosher animal. In addition, one violates the prohibition of eating from a non-kosher animal only when it has the flavor of meat. (original source: sefaria.org)

Quote 2.

[Eng]

Passover Festivals 83b5

Granted, if you say they are meat, due to that they require burning; but if you say they are not meat, why do they require burning? One should simply discard them like other waste. Rav Ḥisda said: The mishna’s mention of sinews is necessary only for the sciatic nerve, in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda. (original source: sefaria.org)

Quote 3.

[Eng]

Passover Festivals 83b6

As it was taught in a baraita that Rabbi Yehuda said: The prohibition to eat the sciatic nerve according to Torah law applies only to the sciatic nerve in one of the animal’s thighs, and not to both, and logic dictates that it is the right thigh. However, since there is no absolute proof that this is correct, the sciatic nerve must be removed from both sides. Although in theory the forbidden sciatic nerve may be discarded and the permitted one may be eaten, since there is uncertainty as to which one is permitted, neither of them may be eaten. Both must be burned. (original source: sefaria.org)

Quote 4.

[Eng]

Passover Festivals 83b7

The Gemara asks: Shall we then conclude that Rabbi Yehuda was uncertain about which sciatic nerve is forbidden? The Sages were unsure whether Rabbi Yehuda was absolutely convinced that it is the sciatic nerve from the right side that is forbidden, or if he was saying that this would seem likely to be the case, but he was not certain. As, if it were clear to him that it is the sciatic nerve from the right thigh that is forbidden, the proper procedure would be different: The one that is permitted we should eat, and the one that is forbidden we should discard. Why should he require burning? (original source: sefaria.org)

Quote 5.

[Eng]

Chullin 91a12

The Gemara asks: And what is the reason that Rabbi Yehuda holds that only the sciatic nerve of the right thigh is forbidden by Torah law? Rava said that it is because the verse states: “Therefore the children of Israel eat not the sciatic nerve that is upon the spoon of the thigh” (Genesis 32:33). The definite article indicates that this is referring to the most important thigh. (original source: sefaria.org)

Quote 6.

[Eng]

Chullin 96a5

MISHNA: One who removes the sciatic nerve must scrape away the flesh in the area surrounding the nerve to ensure that he will remove all of it. Rabbi Yehuda says: Scraping is not required; it is sufficient to excise it from the area above the rounded protrusion in order to thereby fulfill the mitzva of removal of the sciatic nerve. (original source: sefaria.org)

Quote 7.

[Eng]

Chullin 96b2

And according to Rabbi Yehuda, from where is it derived that one is liable for eating one olive-bulk of a larger sciatic nerve? He holds that it is derived from the phrase “that is upon the spoon of the thigh,” which indicates that even if one eats only the part of the sciatic nerve that is upon the spoon of the thigh, rather than the entire sciatic nerve, he is liable. (original source: sefaria.org)

Quote 8.

[Eng]

Chullin 96b3

And how do the Rabbis interpret that phrase? That phrase is necessary to teach the halakha stated by Shmuel, as Shmuel said: The Torah prohibits only the part of the sciatic nerve that is on the rounded protrusion of flesh shaped like a spoon. And what does Rabbi Yehuda hold with regard to the halakha stated by Shmuel? He derives from the fact that it is written: “The spoon of the thigh,” that the sciatic nerve of the entire thigh is forbidden, not just the part that is on the rounded protrusion of flesh shaped like a spoon. (original source: sefaria.org)

Explanation: Chullin 96b4-5

4. And how do the Rabbis interpret “the spoon of the thigh”? According to the Rabbis, this expression indicates that the prohibition of the sciatic nerve applies to the nerve that extends throughout the entire thigh, i.e., the inner nerve, which serves to exclude the outer nerve, which is not forbidden by Torah law; but in fact, only the part of the inner nerve that is on the protrusion of flesh shaped like a spoon is forbidden, not the entire inner nerve. (original source: sefaria.org)

5. The Gemara objects: But this term “spoon” is required to exclude the sciatic nerve of a bird, which does not have a rounded protrusion on its thigh bone that can be described as the spoon of the thigh, as taught in the mishna (89b). The Gemara explains: There are two usages of the term “spoon” written in the verse, and therefore two separate halakhot can be derived from this term. (original source: sefaria.org)

External links

Babylonian Talmud. Pesachim (The William Davidson Edition). 450-550. [sefaria.org]

Babylonian Talmud. Chullin (The William Davidson Edition). 450-550. [sefaria.org]

Babylonian Talmud. Tract. Pesachim (Passover). Trans. M.L. Rodkinson, Vol. 5. Boston: The Talmud Society, 1918. [archive.org]

Authors & Affiliations

Yehuda ben Ilai (Yehudah ben Il'ai, Yudah ben Ilai, Judah beRabbi Ilai, Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Judah, Judah bar Ilai; ca. 135 – ca. 170) was a teacher (rabbi), tannaim - fifth generation, lived in Usha (Galilee). [jewishencyclopedia.com , sefaria.org , wikipedia.org]

Keywords

ligamentum capitis femoris, ligamentum teres, ligament of head of femur, Bible, Torah, animals, damage, attachment, synonym

                                                                     

NB! Fair practice / use: copied for the purposes of criticism, review, comment, research and private study in accordance with Copyright Laws of the US: 17 U.S.C. §107; Copyright Law of the EU: Dir. 2001/29/EC, art.5/3a,d; Copyright Law of the RU: ГК РФ ст.1274/1.1-2,7

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

A BRONZE AGE MEDICAL CASE HISTORY. Title and contents

  Book manuscript: Arkhipov S.V.  A Bronze Age Medical Case History: Interpreting the Book of Genesis in the Light of Modern Medicine. Kyrö : Author’s Edition, 2026. – 808 pp. – 52 tables. – Bibliographical references: 959 entries.   ISBN 978-952-19-7020-7    play.google.com  ,   books.google.com   Title, Abstract and Contents  CONTENT [i] Abstract [ii] Dedication [iii] Book Covers and Title [iv] Table of Contents [v] Application [i] ABSTRACT This special "case history" book is the culmination of the author's long-standing career as an orthopaedic surgeon with a passion for the history of medicine. At the heart of this popular science study lies a Middle Bronze Age patient who sustained an injury to the ligament of the head of femur (ligamentum teres). The narrative, drawn from the Book of Genesis, is cross-checked against data from archaeology, history, natural science, linguistics, and modern medicine. The processed and structur...

YOUR PUBLICATION IN THE BLOG

  The blog's publications are dedicated to the ligament of the head of femur, called ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) in Latin. Articles and illustrative material, updated and publicly discussed. On our platform, you can post your text about LCF for free in any language and further edit it. It is permissible to publish of significant quotes, annotation, or the entire work of another author, provided that his legal rights are respected. Participation in the project is a promising type of scientific cooperation, a way to increase efficiency in clinical practice and the effectiveness of research activities. Here, everyone's contribution is multiplied by the knowledge and experience of colleagues, as well as previous generations of doctors and scientists who have studied LCF. All writers gain a convenient opportunity: to participate in discussions on the topics raised in their article, to receive comments from experts, valuable advice in practical work and scientific research. ...

A BRONZE AGE MEDICAL CASE HISTORY. Prologue

  Book manuscript: Arkhipov S.V. A Bronze Age Medical Case History: Interpreting the Book of Genesis in the Light of Modern Medicine. Kyrö : Author’s Edition, 2026. – 808 pp. – 52 tables. – Bibliographical references: 959 entries. ISBN 978-952-19-7020-7    play.google.com ,   books.google.com Prologue ProLOGUE CONTENT [i] Text [ii] Navigation [iii] Application [i] Text The present work is based on a medical hypothesis formulated by the author. According to this assumption, the protograph of the Book of Genesis was written in Egypt in the late 17th century BCE following the Minoan eruption, with the participation of an encyclopaedic physician. The formulated hypothesis undoubtedly requires comprehensive discussion by the interdisciplinary research community. The theoretical possibility of such a work appearing in the Nile Valley finds support in the history of writing. The earliest texts were compiled in the Tigris – Euphrates basin and Ancient Egypt. In th...

1879BischoffTLW

  A fragment from the work by Bischoff TLW. Beiträge zur Anatomie des Gorilla (1879). The paper discusses the size of the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) of gorilla.   Quote p. 1 8. [Deu] 5. Muskeln der unteren Extremität. Ich erwähne zunächst, dass mein Gorilla an dem mehr als eine Halbkugel bildenden Schenkelkopf ein ansehnlich langes Ligam. teres besitzt. Translation [Eng] 5. Muscles of the lower limbs. First of all, I would like to point out that my gorilla has a rather long round ligament on the head of the femur, which forms more than one hemisphere. External links Bischoff TLW. Beiträge zur Anatomie des Gorilla. Abh. d. II. Cl. d. k. Ak. d. Wiss. XIII. Bd. III. Abth. Munchen: Verlag der Akademie, in Commission bei G. Franz. 1879. zobodat.at Authors & Affiliations Theodor Ludwig Wilhelm von Bischoff (1807-1882) was a German physician and biologist. wikipedia.org Theodor Ludwig Wilhelm von Bischoff  (circa  870).  Unknown author;  original in the...

The First Publication on Prevention

  In our opinion, the first publication on the topic of preventing of ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) injury is the abstract of the report: “Arkhipov-Baltiysky SV. On increasing the safety of jumping from heights. Abstracts of reports of the All-Russian Conference ... “Trauma in peacetime and war” (Anapa, 2005).” This text not only holds historical significance but remains relevant for sports, armed forces, circus performers, and other extreme activities. The online version of « О безопасности прыжков с высоты » (On the Safety of High-Altitude Jumps) was published in 2005 on the website « Морфомеханика » www.enet.ru/~archipov/ (no longer supported, archived copy ), specifically in the section « Архив публикация автора » (Archive publications of the author). Translation of the original text from Russian : On Increasing the Safety of Jumping from Heights S . V . Arkhipov-Baltiysky In modern military operations and counter-terrorism activities, personnel of the armed force...

ABOUT CITATIONS

  As in a journal article, bibliographic information is an important component of our blog texts. From our point of view, its format can be any, but uniform. We have developed our own citation format for literary sources. In the in-text citation, priority is given to the publication year, followed by the first author, and finally, the last one listed: 2020ArkhipovSV_ProlyginaIV. The emphasis on the date is explained by its role in providing a temporal orientation and offering insight into the context of the period. We consider specifying the last author necessary, as they are assumed to be the senior member of the team, the generator of the main idea of the work, and the primary internal reviewer. In the list of references per article, we are in favor of indicating detailed information about the publication. To save space and reduce the number of text input actions in the bibliographic reference, unnecessary characters and spaces are omitted from while maintaining unambiguous rea...

Amphibians & Reptilomorphs

  AMPHIBIANS & REPTILOMORPHS Fossilized remains of fish-like vertebrates with four limbs and the earliest amphibians are found before the end of the Devonian period (363 Ma). Reptile-like tetrapods evolved during the Carboniferous period (363-290 Ma). From them, mammals differentiated at the end of the Triassic period (208 Ma) and birds at the end of the Jurassic period (146 Ma) (1995LundbergJG; 2023CohenKM_CarN). The taxa of early tetrapodomorphs are now arranged in the following order: Tinirau, Eusthenopteron, Megalichthys, Panderichthys, Qikiqtania, Tiktaalik , Elpistostege, Parmastega, Ventastega, Acanthostega, Elginerpeton, Ymeria, Ichthyostega (2022StewartTA_ShubinNH). The study of ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) in the listed extinct animal species is associated with significant difficulties. They are primarily due to the long time that has passed since the disappearance of the creatures. The situation is aggravated by the fact that LCF is an anatomical structure of sma...

EXPERIMENTS AND OBSERVATIONS

  EXPERIMENTS AND OBSERVATIONS   (Observed effects of norm and pathology, experiments on models... ) 1672GengaB  The author reports for the first time a case of absence of the LCF in both hip joints.    1725SaltzmannJ_NicolaiHA   The authors report the absence of LCF in an elderly woman. 1751HallerA  The author describes a case of absence of LCF from two sides. 1779SandifortE  The author reports the absence of LCF. 1783BonnA  The  author describes cases of absence of the LCF and the fossa of the femoral head. 1823GerdyPN  The author o bserves the displacement of the fem oral head from the  acetabulum when the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) is stretched.  1841StanleyE  The article is mainly devoted to pathological hip dislocations and changes in the LCF. 1858StruthersJ   One o f the early works dedicated to the experimental study of the function  of the LCF. 1863StruthersJ  The work is devoted to an ex...

MEDICAL RECORD. Chapter 18

  Book manuscript: Arkhipov S.V. Medical Record: The Contribution of a Middle Bronze Age Egyptian Physician to the Book of Genesis. Kyrö: Author’s Edition, 2026. – 312 pp. – 2 tables. – Bibliographical references: 856 entries.  play.google.com , books.google.com History of Present Illness Chapter 18 MECHANISM OF THE BIBLICAL Injury CONTENT [i] On the Mechanism of Injuries [ii] Literal Mechanism of Injury [iii] High-Energy Trauma? [ iv] Low-Energy Trauma [v] Actual Mechanism of Injury [vi] Navigation [vii] Application [ i] On the Mechanism of Injuries Determining the mechanism of injury plays a significant role in establishing the correct diagnosis. It is defined by the point of application of force, its magnitude, direction relative to the damaged element of the musculoskeletal system, and the resulting deformation within it. A direct mechanism of injury implies the action of force directly at the site of damage, whereas in an indirect mechanism, the force is applied ...

LCF in 2026 (October)

    LCF in 2026 ( October )  (Quotes from articles and books published in October   2026 mentioning the ligamentum capitis femoris)   Sha, M. S., Liu, M. Y., Li, M. H., Shen, M. L., Li, M. W., Liu, M. W., ... & Yin, M. Q. (2026). Hip arthroscopy with comprehensive capsular closure following longitudinal outside-in capsulotomy showed improved clinical outcomes in symptomatic borderline hip dysplasia: A retrospective study with minimum 2-year follow-up. Journal of ISAKOS , 21 , 101226.   [i]     jisakos.com   Hou, D., Ndjonko, L., Johnson, S. R., England, P., Sheth, U., & Tjong, V. K. (2026). Both Knotless and Traditional Knot‐Tying Suture Anchors Result in Favorable Clinical Outcomes in the Treatment of Acetabular Labral Tears: A Systematic Review. Arthroscopy, Sports Medicine, and Rehabilitation , e70092.   [ii]   pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov   Garcia, L. C., Rosário, D. A. V., Garcia Filho, F. C., Cantao, M., Sena, T. F. L....