Bekhorot 12

Chapter 12

א הכי קאמר דבר הבא ממעלי הגרה וממפריסי הפרסה לא תיכול ת"ל (ויקרא יא ד) גמל טמא הוא הוא טמא ואין טמא הנולד מן הטהור טמא אלא טהור

1 It means this: An object which proceeds from them which chew the cud and of them that divide the hoof, ye shall not eat!1 The text therefore states: The camel. he is unclean,2 intimating that he is unclean<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And usually camels are born from camels and, since Scripture emphasizes that 'he' is unclean etc., this implies that a camel, however, born from a cow, is clean.');">3

ב רבי שמעון אומר גמל (ויקרא יא ד) גמל (דברים יד ז) שני פעמים אחד גמל הנולד מן הגמלה ואחד גמל הנולד מן הפרה

2 but an unclean animal born from a clean animal is not Unclean, but clean. R'Simeon says: The word 'camel' occurs twice,4

ג ורבנן האי גמל גמל מאי עבדי ליה חד לאסור עצמו וחד לאסור חלבו ור' שמעון לאסור חלבו מנא ליה נפקא ליה מאת הגמל ורבנן אתים לא דרשי

3 once referring to a camel born from a camel [as forbidden], and the other, to a camel born from a cow. And as to the Rabbis who differ from R'Simeon - what do they do with the repetition 'camel', 'camel'? - One is to forbid [the camel itself] and the other to prohibit its milk. And whence does R'Simeon derive the prohibition of a camel's milk? - He derives it from the word 'eth, [with] the camel'.5 And the Rabbis? - They do not stress the word eth [occurring in the Scriptures]. As it was taught: Simeon the Imsonite used to expound the word eth wherever it occurred in the Law. When he reached, however, the verse, eth [with] the Lord thy God thou shalt fear,6

ד כדתניא שמעון העמסוני היה דורש כל את ואת שבתורה כיון שהגיע (דברים ו יג) לאת ה' אלהיך תירא פירש אמרו לו תלמידיו ר' כל אתין שדרשת מה תהא עליהם אמר להם כשם שקבלתי שכר על הדרישה כך אני מקבל שכר על הפרישה

4 he abstained.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because the word eth means by implication an amplification and he felt that here he could not amplify the word so as to include fearing someone besides the Deity. v ohtny');">7 His pupils, thereupon, said to him: 'Rabbi, every eth which you have expounded, - what will become of them? ' He replied to them: 'Just as I have received reward for interpreting every eth, so I shall receive reward for abstaining'. Finally, however, R'Akiba came and taught that the verse: 'eth [with] the Lord thy God thou shalt fear', intimates that we must pay reverence to scholars next to God. Said R'Aha the son of Raba to R'Ashi: According to this, the reason of the Rabbis [why milk of an unclean animal is forbidden], is because of the repetition 'camel', 'camel', and that of R'Simeon is because of the text 'eth [with] the camel', but were it not so, I might have said that milk from an unclean animal is permitted. Why should it be different from what was taught: [The verse] These are the unclean,8 implies the prohibition of their brine, their soup and their jelly!9

ה עד שבא רבי עקיבא ולימד את ה' אלהיך תירא לרבות תלמידי חכמים

5 - It is necessary [to find another basis for milk]. For I might have been inclined to assume that since even the use of milk itself of a clean animal is an anomaly, for a Master said: The blood [during the nursing period] is dis turbed [decomposed] and turns into milk; and since it is an anomaly,10

ו אמר ליה רב אחא בריה דרבא לרב אשי אלא מעתה טעמא דרבנן מגמל גמל ור' שמעון מאת הגמל הא לאו הכי הוה אמינא חלב דבהמה טמאה שרי

6 therefore even from an unclean animal the milk should be permitted. We are accordingly informed [that this is not so]. This would indeed hold good according to him who says that the blood [during the nursing period] is disturbed [decomposed] and turns into milk.

ז מאי שנא מהא דתניא הטמאים לאסור צירן ורוטבן וקיפה שלהן

7 But according to him who says [that the reason why there is no menstruation period while nursing is] because her limbs become disjointed11 and she does not become normal in herself for twenty-four months,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The period of nursing, and not because the blood is changed into milk. Therefore, the use of milk is not an anomaly and what need is there, consequently, for a special prohibition with reference to the milk of an unclean animal?');">12

ח איצטריך סלקא דעתך אמינא הואיל דבהמה טהורה נמי חידוש הוא דאמר מר דם נעכר ונעשה חלב וכיון דחידוש הוא בבהמה טמאה נמי לישתרי קמ"ל

8 what can you reply? - It is still necessary. I might have been inclined to assume, that since there is nothing which proceeds from a living being which the Divine Law permits and yet milk which is similar to a part from a living animal [is permitted], therefore even from an unclean animal the milk should be permitted. We are accordingly informed [that this is not so].

ט הניחא למאן דאמר דם נעכר ונעשה חלב אלא למאן דאמר איבריה מתפרקין הימנה ואין נפשה חוזרת עליה עד עשרים וארבעה חדש מאי איכא למימר

9 And whence do we derive that milk itself from a clean animal is permitted? Shall I say that since the Divine Law prohibits [the boiling of] milk and meat together, this implies that separately milk is permitted? But might I not still maintain that milk by itself is forbidden to be eaten though permitted for other general use,13 whereas in the case of boiling meat and milk together, it is also forbidden for any use.

י איצטריך סד"א הואיל וליכא מידי דאתי מחי ושרייה רחמנא והאי חלב כי אבר מן החי הוא ושרי והילכך אפי' בבהמה טמאה לישתרי קמ"ל

10 And even according to the view of R'Simeon who holds that meat and milk boiled together is permitted for general use,14 the prohibition can be explained as necessary to inflict lashes for the boiling!15

יא וחלב דבהמה טהורה מנלן דשרי אילימא מדאסר רחמנא בשר בחלב הא לחודיה שרי ואימא חלב לחודיה אסור באכילה ומותר בהנאה בשר בחלב בהנאה נמי אסור

11 Rather,16 since the Divine Law states in connection with dedicated objects which became unfit, Notwithstanding thou mayest kill17 but not to use the shearing, 'flesh', but not the milk,18

יב ולר"ש דשרי בהנאה משכחת לה למילקי על בישוליה

יג אלא מדגלי רחמנא דבפסולי המוקדשין (דברים יב טו) תזבח ולא גיזה בשר ולא חלב הא דחולין שרי

13 this implies that milk from an unconsecrated animal is permitted.

יד ואימא דחולין אסור באכילה ושרי בהנאה דקדשים בהנאה נמי אסור

14 But may I not take the meaning to be that milk from an unconsecrated animal is forbidden to be eaten but may be used for other general use, whereas in the case of consecrated objects, it is forbidden even for any use? - Rather deduce [the law] from what [Scripture] has written, And thou shalt have goats' milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance of thy maidens.19

טו אלא מדכתיב (משלי כז, כז) ודי חלב עזים ללחמך ללחם ביתך וחיים לנערותך

15 Perhaps, however, this only refers to business?20 Rather deduce this from what [Scripture] writes, And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand.21

טז ודילמא לסחורה אלא מדכתיב (שמואל א יז, יח) ואת עשרת חריצי החלב

16 Perhaps, here also, it refers to business.22 Is it usual in war to sell [food to the enemy]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Their intention being to destroy the enemy heathen, the Hebrews would not do business with them to increase their power of resistance. Therefore the cheeses must have been intended for the Hebrews.');">23 If you prefer, I may deduce from here:24

יז ודלמא לסחורה אטו דרכה של מלחמה לסחורה

17 A land flowing with milk and honey.25

יח ואיבעית אימא מהכא (שמות ג, ח) ארץ זבת חלב ודבש ואי לא דשרי משתבח לן קרא במידי דלא חזי ואב"א מהכא (ישעיהו נה, א) לכו שברו ואכלו ולכו שברו בלא כסף ובלא מחיר יין וחלב

18 Now if milk were not permitted, would Scripture commend the country to us with something which is not fit to be eaten? Or, if you prefer, I may deduce it from here:26 Come ye buy and eat, yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price.27 Now, according to this,28

יט אלא מעתה שפן שפן ארנבת ארנבת חזיר חזיר להני הוא דאתו

19 , the repetition 'Rockbadger', 'Rockbadger',29

כ אלא לכדתניא למה נשנו בבהמה מפני השסועה ובעופות מפני הראה

20 'Hare', 'Hare', 'Swine', 'Swine', - are these also come for some purpose?30 But [the object of these repetitions quoted] is really as was taught: Why is there a repetition [of the clean and unclean] ani mals?31

כא גמל גמל נמי להכי הוא דאתא כל היכא דאיכא למידרש דרשינן

21 On account of shesu'ah.32 Why with reference to birds, [is there the same repetition in the Scripture]?

כב ת"ר רחל שילדה מין עז ועז שילדה מין רחל פטורה מן הבכורה ואם יש בו מקצת סימנים חייבת ר' שמעון אומר עד שיהא ראשו ורובו דומה לאמו

22 On account of ra'ah.33 Then, perhaps, [the repetition of] 'Camel', 'Camel' also has the same purpose?34 - All the same, wherever we can derive a lesson from the biblical text, we interpret it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And the reason why we infer that special deductions are made from 'Camel', 'Camel', and not from the repetition of 'Rockbadger', 'Rockbadger' etc., is because the word 'Camel' occurs first in the text.');">35 Our Rabbis taught: If a ewe gave birth to a species of a goat or a goat gave birth to a species of a ewe, it is exempt from the law of the firstling.

כג איבעיא להו לאכילה מי בעי ר"ש ראשו ורובו או לא

23 But if the offspring possesses some marks similar to its mother, it is liable to the law of the firstling. R'Simeon says [it is not liable to the law of the firs until the head and the greater part of the body resemble the mother.

כד לענין בכורה כתיב (במדבר יח, יז) אך בכור שור עד שיהא הוא שור ובכורו שור אבל לאכילה גמל הוא דאמר רחמנא דאסיר הא

24 The following query was put forward. Does R'Simeon require, in order that the animal may be permitted to be eaten, the head and the greater part of the body,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the case of an unclean animal born from a clean animal where R. Simeon forbids the eating, if the offspring has no marks similar to the mother, but permits it if there are marks similar to the mother, the question arises whether he requires that the offspring must be like the mother to the extent of its head and the greater part of the body?');">36 or not? In connection with a firstling, Scripture writes: 'But the firstling of an ox'37 indicating [that the law of the firstling does not apply] until the animal is an ox and its firstborn is an ox.38 But as regards permission for eating, the Divine Law says that only a camel is prohibited, but

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