Bekhorot 106

אפשר כדרב יהודה דאמר רב יהודה

- It is possible to adopt the remedy of Rab Judah.

מותר לו לאדם להטיל מום בבכור קודם שיצא לאויר העולם

For Rab Judah said: One may maim a first-born before it is born.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'issues into the air of the world'; this remedy being even a better one than that of a heathen sharing a part of the animal, v. supra 3b. Therefore a first-born is holy because we do not entertain a fear lest one might be led to commit an offence, seeing that he could, if he wished, eliminate all sanctity from the animal at the outset.');">¹</span>

הכא נמי אפשר דשדי ביה מומא מעיקרא

But<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the case of an animal set aside as tithe.');">²</span>

מי ידע הי נפיק

here also it is possible to cause a blemish from the beginning?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' There is therefore a remedy, and so there is no need to keep the animal, because it can be maimed from the outset. Why therefore should not the law of tithing animals apply even nowadays?');">³</span>

וכי תימא

- Who knows which animal will come out [the tenth]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So as to maim it at the beginning.');">⁴</span>

דמפיק ליה בריש עשרה (ויקרא כז, לג) לא יבקר בין טוב לרע אמר רחמנא

And should you say that he brings it out as tenth,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'the head of the ten'.');">⁵</span>

וכי תימא

[Scripture says]: He shall not search whether it be good or bad.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXVII, 33. Implying that he must not bring out the animal but that it must go out by itself.');">⁶</span>

אפשר דשדי ביה מומא בכולי עדריה מהרה יבנה בית המקדש ובעינן בהמה להקרבה וליכא

And should you say that it is possible to cause a blemish in the whole herd [of animals],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Before the tithing when it is still in a state of hullin (unconsecrated) as the law of tithing takes effect even with animals blemished.');">⁷</span>

ה"נ בבכור בהמה מהרה יבנה בית המקדש ובעינן בהמה להקרבה וליכא

- the Temple may be speedily rebuilt and we shall require an animal for a sacrifice and there will be none.

אפשר בפשוטין

But does this not also apply to a first-born,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Where you say that he causes it a blemish.');">⁸</span>

הכא נמי אפשר בלקוחין

that the Temple may speedily be rebuilt and we shall require an animal for sacrifice and there will be none? - It is possible [in the latter case] to use plain [non first-born] animals.

כיון דאיהו שדי ביה מומא בכולי עדריה ושכיחי מומי דפסילי בקדשים דאפי' דוקין שבעין נמי פסלי לא שכיחי:

There too [in the case of the tithing of animals] it is possible to sacrifice animals bought?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Animals bought or presented as gifts are not subject to the law of tithing. There is consequently no need to maim them.');">⁹</span>

בחולין אבל לא במוקדשין:

- Since he causes a blemish in the entire herd [of animals],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Those therefore which are born to him are thus disqualified, and therefore those animals bought are in a minority.');">¹⁰</span>

מוקדשין פשיטא לאו דידיה נינהו

and blemishes which disqualify consecrated animals are frequent, for even a cataract disqualifies, animals for sacrifice are not easy to obtain.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Even by purchase and for this reason we do not set aside an animal nowadays as tithe.');">¹¹</span>

בקדשים קלים ואליבא דרבי יוסי הגלילי דאמר

IT APPLIES TO HULLIN ONLY BUT NOT TO CONSECRATED ANIMALS.

קדשים קלים ממון בעלים הם דתניא

But is it not obvious that the law of tithing animals does not apply to consecrated animals, seeing that they are not his?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Having been dedicated they belong to the Temple.');">¹²</span>

(ויקרא כז, ז) ומעלה מעל בה' לרבות קדשים קלים שהן ממון בעלים דברי רבי יוסי הגלילי

- This statement refers to sacrifices of a minor grade<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Mishnah needs to inform us that even in such cases the law of tithing animals does not apply.');">¹³</span>

סד"א ליעשרו קמ"ל

and is in accordance with the opinion of R'Jose the Galilean who said: Sacrifices of a minor grade are considered the property of the owners.

ואימא הכי נמי

For it has been taught: And commit a trespass against the Lord,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. V, 21, Scripture adding: 'And lie against his neighbour', implying a trespass which is at the same time 'against the Lord' and 'against his neighbour'.');">¹⁴</span>

(ויקרא כז, ט) יהיה קדש אמר רחמנא ולא שכבר קדוש

this includes sacrifices of a minor grade,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that if a man deposited for safe keeping with his neighbour a peace-offering which the latter at first denies on oath but which he afterwards admits to be in his possession, he pays the principal and the fine of one-fifth, for he has committed a trespass not only 'against the Lord' but also 'against his neighbour', since the owners partake of the offering.');">¹⁵</span>

טעמא דכתב רחמנא יהיה קדש הא לאו הכי הוה אמינא חיילא קדושת מעשר עילויהו

which are considered the owner's property.

השתא קדושה חמורה אקדושה קלה לא חיילא קדושה קלה אקדושה קלה מיבעיא

These are the words of R'Jose the Galilean.

מאי היא דתנן

You might therefore think that they should be tithed.

אחד קדשי מזבח ואחד קדשי בדק הבית אין משנין אותם מקדושה לקדושה אבל מקדישין אותו הקדש עילוי ומחרימין אותו

[The Mishnah] consequently informs us [that it is not so].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the law of tithing animals does not apply even in such instances.');">¹⁶</span>

מהו דתימא

And why not say that this is so?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the law of setting aside an animal as tithe applies in the case of sacrifices of a minor grade.');">¹⁷</span>

התם דכל בהמה לאו לעולה קיימא

- The Divine Law says: [The tenth] shall be holy,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XXVII, 32.');">¹⁸</span>

אבל הכא דכל בהמה למעשר קיימא אע"ג דאקדשה לא פקע איסורא דמעשר מינה

implying but not what is already holy.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As is the case with dedicated animals.');">¹⁹</span>

למאי נפקא מינה {ויקרא כז } בלא יגאל ובלא ימכר קמ"ל:

Now the reason of this<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Why the law of tithing animals does not apply to dedicated animals of a minor grade.');">²⁰</span>

ונוהג בבקר ובצאן ואין מתעשרין מזה על זה בכבשים ובעזים וכו':

is because the Divine Law says: 'Shall be holy', but otherwise the holiness of an animal set aside for tithe would have applied to consecrated animals.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Applying to it the prohibition attached to an animal tithed concerning which (as is explained later) Scripture says, 'It shall not be sold, It shall not be redeemed'.');">²¹</span>

ויהיו חדש וישן מתעשרין מזה על זה מק"ו

But if a major grade of holiness is not superimposed on a minor grade is there any question of a minor grade being superimposed on a minor grade?

ומה כבשים ועזים שהם כלאים זה בזה מתעשרין מזה על זה חדש וישן שאינן כלאים זה בזה אינו דין שיתעשרו מזה על זה

<br>(What is referred to?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' What is this major and minor holiness which cannot be superimposed?');">²²</span>

תלמוד לומר

- As we have learnt: Neither objects dedicated for sacrifices nor offerings for Temple repair may be changed from one holiness to the other.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Dedication for the altar taking no effect on objects dedicated for Temple repair, although the former holiness is of higher grade than the latter. The same applies to objects dedicated for Temple repair, which cannot be changed into objects dedicated for the altar.');">²³</span>

(דברים יד, כב) עשר תעשר בשתי מעשרות הכתוב מדבר אחד מעשר בהמה ואחד מעשר דגן ומקיש מעשר בהמה למעשר דגן

But it is permitted to dedicate [for Temple repair] the value [one receives for obliging somebody] in connection with dedicated sacrifices,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' One who received for example from another Israelite a sela' because he gives the animal to be offered up to a particular priest who is the son of the Israelite's daughter.');">²⁴</span>

מה מעשר דגן מחדש על הישן לא אף מעשר בהמה מחדש על הישן לא

or we may declare [the benefit received for obliging somebody] as devoted [for the altar]) !<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Tem. 32a.');">²⁵</span>

אי הכי כבשים ועזים נמי לימא

- You might have said that there<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In Tem. the reason is as follows.');">²⁶</span>

מקיש מעשר בהמה למעשר דגן מה מעשר דגן ממין על שאינו מינו לא אף מעשר בהמה ממין על שאינו מינו לא

[the reason is that] every animal is not designated for a burnt-offering,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the majority of animals are eaten. Consequently when he dedicates an animal for Temple repair, it is a genuine dedication and cannot be altered for offering up on the altar.');">²⁷</span>

רבי רחמנא צאן

but here, since every animal must be tithed, therefore although he dedicated it for a peace-offering, he does not exempt it from the prohibition applying to an animal tithed.

אי הכי חדש וישן נמי

And what would be the practical difference?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Whether the sanctity of an animal tithed is superimposed upon that of a peace-offering or not?');">²⁸</span>

הא כתיב (דברים יד, כב) עשר תעשר ומה ראית

That he is liable of transgressing on their account [the negative precepts of]: 'It shall not be sold', and 'It shall not be redeemed'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXVII, 28, for peace-offerings are fit to be redeemed.');">²⁹</span>

אמר רבא

[The text therefore: 'Shall be holy'] intimates that this is not so.

אמר קרא (דברים יד, כב) שנה שנה לשנה הקשתיו ולא לדבר אחר

IT ALSO APPLIES BOTH TO LARGE CATTLE AND SHEEP BUT THEY CANNOT BE TITHED ONE FOR THE OTHER; TO LAMBS AND GOATS etc. And why should not [we derive a rule that] the new animals [born after Elul] and the old born [before Elul] be tithed one for the other a minori [thus]: If lambs and goats which are treated as diverse kinds in regard to one another are tithed one for the other, does it not stand to reason that new and old animals which are not treated as diverse kinds in regard to one another should be tithed one for the other?

תנן התם

Scripture however, states: Thou shalt truly tithe.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XIV, 22. Lit., 'To tithe, thou shalt tithe', using the word Tithe twice.');">³⁰</span>

אין תורמין ממין על שאינו מינו ואם תרם אין תרומתו תרומה

Scripture speaks of two kinds of tithes, one the tithing of animals and the other the tithing of grain, and it compares the case of an animal tithed with that of the tithing of grain; just as in the case of the tithing of grain it is forbidden to tithe t for the old<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Scripture saying in the same verse: That the field bringeth forth year by year, thus intimating that it is forbidden to tithe last year's grain for this year's and this year's grain for the coming year's.');">³¹</span>

מנא הני מילי

so in the case of the tithing of animals it is also forbidden to tithe the new for the old.

אמר רבי אמי אמר רבי ינאי ואמרי לה א"ר אמי אמר רבי שמעון בן לקיש

If this be the fact,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That we compare the tithing of animals with the tithing of grain. itmu');">³²</span>

(במדבר יח, יב) כל חלב יצהר וכל חלב תירוש ודגן אמרה תורה

the same should apply to the case of lambs and goats?

תן חלב לזה וחלב לזה

Why not say that we compare the tithing of animals to the tithing of grain so that, just as in the case of the tithing of grain you must not tithe one kind of grain for the other, so in the case of the tithing of animals you must not tithe one kind [of animal] for the other? - The Divine Law includes [all by stating] flock'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By writing v. Mishnah; lit., 'And of the flock'. The text thus includes all kinds of small cattle as being one in respect to tithing.');">³³</span> If this be so,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That all is included.');">³⁴</span> then [include] also new and old [animals]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As regards tithing one for the other.');">³⁵</span> - Scripture says: 'Thou shalt truly tithe'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Making the comparison with the tithing of corn as supra.');">³⁶</span> And why do you see fit?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To compare the tithing of new and old animals with tithing of grain. Why not compare the tithing of lambs and goats with the tithing of grain, thus forbidding the tithing of one for the other in small cattle?');">³⁷</span> - Said Rab: Scripture says: 'year by year', [intimating], I [Scripture] have compared the tithing of animals with the tithing of grain in respect of the year,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That those born after Elul, which is the New Year for animal tithing, cannot be tithed for those born before Elul.');">³⁸</span> but not with reference to any other matter [e.g. , one kind of animal for another]. We have learnt elsewhere: We must not separate [terumah from] one kind of grain for another, and if one does so separate, his terumah is no terumah.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ter. II, 4.');">³⁹</span> Whence is this proved? R'Ammi reported in the name of R'Jannai, (another version is: R'Ammi reported in the name of R'Simeon B'Lakish) : [Scripture says]: All the best of the oil and all the best of the wine and of the wheat.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XVIII, 12.');">⁴⁰</span> The Torah thus said: Give the best for this and the best for that.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That for purposes of terumah or tithes each must be tithed with the best of its own kind, as Scripture says: When ye have heaved the best thereof (Num. XVIII, 30) .');">⁴¹</span>