Chullin 85: Kisuy HaDam and Its Limitations

A new Mishna teaches that in these cases:

• one who slaughters an undomesticated animal or bird and it is found to be a treifa, with a wound that would cause it to die within a year
• one who slaughters an undomesticated animal or bird for the sake of idol worship
• one who slaughters a non-sacred animal or bird inside the Temple courtyard or a sacrificial bird outside of the Temple courtyard
• one who slaughters an undomesticated animal or a bird that was sentenced to be stoned (for killing a person

it is prohibited to eat these animals or birds.  However, Rabbi Meir asserts that one is obligated in kisuy ha-dam, covering their blood of wild animals and birds after ritual slaughter, while the rabbis exempt this action.  In the opinion of the rabbis, slaughter that is not fit to render the meat kosher is not considered an act of slaughter.

The Gemara discusses what is considered to be slaughter.  If something is not slaughter, is one still required to cover the resulting blood?  The Gemara also teaches about Rabbi Chiyya's flax becoming infested with moths and solving the problem by slaughtering a bird over the flax's soaking tub so that the moths would leave the flax.  How could he ignore the mitzvah of kisuy ha-dam?  Further, how could he have moths in his flax when the rabbis were blessed with no moths due to the merit of their study?  The rabbis agree that only others benefited from the merit of their study.