Cohn, Jacob. The Royal Table - VWC: Faculty/Staff Web

64 THE ROYAL TABLE
Bovine lungs have one large and three small lobes on
the right side and one large and two small lobes on the
left side. If these are reversed, the animal is trefah. 12
Each lobe has a distinctive shape which must be preserv-
ed. 18 Between the two halves of the lung there is, slightly
towards the right, a small additional lobe which rests in a
pocket. Two additional lobes are ordinarily a disqualifi-
cation 14 There are numerous and complex laws arising
from irregularities in this additional lobe, which are too
technical for this discussion. 15 An extra regular lobe,
either in the right or left half of the lung, is kosher when
the lobe portrudes dorsally; but if it protrudes ventrally
it is trejah No lobe may be smaller than a myrtle leaf,
and if it is smaller than this size it is considered missing. 17
It sometimes happens that the lobes are not differentiated.
If this be due merely to a covering of fat over the whole of
the lung, and this coat can be easily removed so that the
differentiation appears, all is well; otherwise the animal is
trefah. 18 In young goats and sheep the lobes are rarely
differentiated, but they are nevertheless kosher. 19 In fowl,
these laws do not apply, inasmuch as the lungs of many
species are never differentiated into lobes, and in other
species the lobes are of an indeterminate number.20
The lungs are also examined for atrophied lobes which may
or may not render the animal unfit for use, depending on the
13
Hullin 47a; Y D 35, 2.
u Ramah to Y. D ibid ; Taz ad loc
M
Ramah ibid
w
Vide Shack and Taz ad loc. for numerous complications.
16
Y. D 35, 3
1T
Ibid 6.
18
Vide Taz to Y. D. 35, subsection 14.
M
Ramah to Y. D. 35, 8. "Young" means under thirty days. Vide
Shock ad loc.
" Y. D. ibid. 10.