Both the Chasam Sofer and the Ben Ish Chai ask and answer why Rav Huna used the term "Urva Porach" to avoid the question posed by Rav Avya.
Is it far fetched to answer that he used the word "orev", because that is the bird that Rashi in parshas Noach 8:7 says circled around the ark because he was worried about his partner. And Rav Avya's question was exactly that; whether we have to worry about his partner!
Is this simply imaginative or does the thought have some 'Torah learning' merit?
Thank you
alex lebovits, toronto, Canada
p.s. We had a guest this Shabos from E.Y., who said that the term "Urva Porach" is quite a common term in EY. but could not explain exactly its meaning in English. How is it used in E.Y.?
I think it definitely has "Torah learning merit." I think it would work in Chulin (124b) as well.
While I'm not sure if this is a common term in Eretz Yisrael, its usage probably is the same as that of the Gemara, meaning that someone is merely saying things to distract people from the real matter at hand (i.e. I could imagine that being used to describe the answers of certain politicians).
All the best,
Yaakov Montrose