Collection of ancient manuscript fragments removed from the "Binding Geniza" - Babylonian Talmud Tractate Chulin, and Rashi commentary on Tractate Chulin. [Italy, 14th/15th century?].
Nine fragments, almost complete. One is written on parchment and eight on paper. Semi-cursive Italian-Ashkenazic script. 22-26 lines per page.
Mishnayot, Babylonian Talmud and Rashi commentary, Tractate Chulim - Chapter 4 (Behema HaMaksha) and Chapter 5 (Oto V'et B'no). All the mishnayot of Chapter 5 (beginning in the middle of Mishnah 2) appear consecutively on one leaf (the parchment), immediately followed by the Talmud on the same chapter without the mishnayot. This way of presenting the text of the Talmud is followed on other leaves as well. Four leaves contain Rashi's commentary on Chapter 4 which is written consecutively, separate from the Talmud text (rather than beside it).
Upon inspection of the manuscript, we found many textual variations in the Talmud (in comparison to the versions which appear on the Friedberg Jewish Manuscript Society website) and in the Rashi commentary (in comparison to the printed version). (See example in Hebrew description).
The content (using the pagination of the Vilna Talmud): Mishnayot: Chapter 5 (Oto V'et Beno), from the middle of Mishnah 2 until the end of the chapter. Talmud: Leaf 75, Page 1 (Chapter 4); leaves 78-79 (Chapter 5). Rashi commentary: leaves 68-69 (Chapter 4).
Total of 9 leaves (18 written pages). Size: approx. 12X19.5 cm. Various damages sustained from binding. Stains, tears with damages or lacking text, restored with paper. Enclosed is a piece of the binding from which the leaves were removed.