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R' Meir’s statement appears inconsistent with his opinion, as he holds that a hanging limb is not rendered pure by slaughtering the animal. The Talmud suggests that this difficulty can be resolved only according to R' Shimon ben Lakish’s version of the Rabbis’ opinion, but not according to R' Yoḥana
But according to R' Yoḥanan, who holds that both the Rabbis and R' Meir agree that a limb hanging from an animal is not rendered pure by the animal’s slaughter, R' Meir’s statement is difficult, as it is inconsistent with both his opinion and the Rabbis’ opinion. The Talmud concedes the challenge.
Rather, if such a dispute was stated, it was stated like this: R' Shimon ben Lakish said: Just as there is a dispute between R' Meir and the Rabbis with regard to fetuses whose limbs emerged from the womb, so too, they have a parallel dispute with regard to limbs hanging from an animal. And R' Yoḥan
R' Yosei, son of R' Ḥanina, said: What is the reason for the distinction made by R' Yoḥanan concerning the opinion of R' Meir, that the slaughter of an animal does not render pure the limb of its fetus, but it does render pure a limb hanging from the animal itself? It is that this hanging limb is p
§ The Talmud continues to elucidate the dispute between R' Meir and the Rabbis. Rav Yitzḥak bar Yosef says that R' Yoḥanan says: Everyone agrees that the death of an animal by means other than slaughter renders a limb as though it had already fallen off prior to the animal’s death. Therefore, it wil