Bekhorot 15

Chapter 15

א הדולפנין פרין ורבין כבני אדם מאי דולפנין אמר רב יהודה בני ימא
1 Dolphins are fruitful and multiply by coupling with human beings. What are dolphins? - Said Rab Judah: Humans of the sea.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Half fish and half human.');"><sup>1</sup></span> In any species which has its male balls outside,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Outside its belly, i.e. animals and beasts.');"><sup>2</sup></span> [the female] give birth [to its young].
ב כל שביציו מבחוץ מוליד וכל שבפנים מטיל ביצים
2 But where the male balls are inside, [the female] lay eggs.
ג איני והאמר שמואל אווז ואווז בר כלאים זה בזה והוינן בה מ"ט אמר אביי זה ביציו מבחוץ וזה ביציו מבפנים ותרוייהו מטילי ביצים
3 It is not so. Did not Samuel Say: The domestic and wild goose are forbidden copulation?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The coupling together of heterogeneous animals or birds is one form of kil'ayim.');"><sup>3</sup></span> And we raised the point, what is the reason? Said Abaye: In one case, the male balls are outside, and in the other, the male balls are inside. Yet both lay eggs! - Rather say: Whatsoever has its male genital outside, gives birth, but whatsoever has its male genital inside lays eggs.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And as regards the domestic and wild goose, although the latter has its male balls outside, its male genital is inside. Therefore, in both instances, they lay eggs and do not give birth to their brood.');"><sup>4</sup></span> Whatsoever copulates in the day time, gives birth in the day time. Whatsoever copulates in the night, gives birth in the night. Whatsoever copulates in the day and night time, gives birth both in the day and in the night.'
ד אלא כל שזכרותו מבחוץ מוליד מבפנים מטיל ביצים
4 Whatsoever copulates in the day time gives birth in the day time:' for instance, a cock.' What soever copulates in the night, gives birth in the night': for instance, a bat.'
ה כל שתשמישו ביום יולד ביום בלילה יולד בלילה כל שתשמישו בין ביום בין בלילה יולד בין ביום בין בלילה
5 Whatsoever copulates in the day and night time, gives birth both in the day and in the night': for instance, man and all beings resembling him.
ו תשמישו ביום יולד ביום תרנגול בלילה יולד בלילה עטלף תשמישו בין ביום בין בלילה יולד בין ביום בין בלילה אדם וכל דדמי ליה
6 What is the practical rule [to be derived from this statement]? - The rule of R'Mari, the son of Kahana.
ז למאי נפקא מינה לכדרב מרי בריה דרב כהנא דאמר רב מרי בריה דרב כהנא בדק בקינה של תרנגולין מערב יו"ט ולא מצא בה ביצה ולמחר השכים ומצא בה ביצה מותרת באכילה ביו"ט אימר לא בדק יפה
7 For R'Mari, the son of Kahana said: If one searched a nest of chickens on the eve of a Festival and did not find an egg therein and on the morrow, he rose early<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Before dawn.');"><sup>5</sup></span> and found there an egg, it is permitted to be eaten on the Festival.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For since a hen does not lay eggs at night, it must have been laid on the previous day. An egg newly laid on a festival is forbidden on that day. V. Bez. 2a.');"><sup>6</sup></span> [But did he not search? ]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Inserted with Sh. Mek.');"><sup>7</sup></span> - You presume that he did not search thoroughly.
ח והלא בדק יפה אימר יצתה רובה וחזרה הוה וכדרבי יוחנן דא"ר יוחנן ביצה שיצתה רובה מערב יו"ט וחוזרת מותרת לאוכלה ביו"ט
8 But did he not search thoroughly? - You presume that the greater part [of the egg] came forth from the intestines of the chicken but returned,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The greater part of the egg came forth from the inside of the chicken on the eve of the Festival, but it returned, and therefore he did not find it when he searched for it at first in the nest. Consequently, even if, as in this case, it laid the egg at night, it is permitted to eat it on the Festival. But it does not, usually, lay eggs in the night time.');"><sup>8</sup></span> and this is in accordance with the ruling of R'Johanan. For R'Johanan said: An egg, the greater part of which came forth [from the intestines of a chicken] on the eve of a Festival and returned [to it intestines,] may be eaten on the Festival. All animals whose copulating and pregnancy are alike,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Like sheep and goats, which copulate in a similar manner, their faces against the back of the female and whose period of pregnancy is five months.');"><sup>9</sup></span> give birth from one another, and nurse each other's young.
ט כל שתשמישו ועיבורו שוה יולדים ומגדלים זה מזה הכל משמשין פנים כנגד עורף חוץ משלשה שמשמשין פנים כנגד פנים ואלו הן דג ואדם ונחש
9 All animals copulate with their faces against the back [of the female], except three, which copulate face to face, and these are a fish, man, and a serpent. And why are these three different? - When R'Dimi came [from Palestine] he said: In the West [Palestine] it was said: Because the Divine Presence spoke with them.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The serpent in the Genesis story and the fish in that of Jonah.');"><sup>10</sup></span> In a Baraitha it was taught: Camels [copulate] back to back.
י ומ"ש הני תלתא כי אתא רב דימי אמרי במערבא הואיל ודיברה עמהם שכינה
10 Our Rabbis taught: A hen lays its eggs after twenty-one days,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' After pregnancy from a cock, the egg takes this period for completion. Another explanation is that the hen hatches its eggs for a period of twenty-one days before the young ones emerge. (Rabbenu Gershom.)');"><sup>11</sup></span> and corresponding [to a hen] is the almond-tree among trees.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' From the time of its blossoming until the fruits are ripened, a period of twenty-one days elapse.');"><sup>12</sup></span> A dog [goes with young] for fifty days, and corresponding [to a dog] is a fig-tree among trees.
יא תנא גמל אחור כנגד אחור:
11 A cat [goes with young] for fifty-two days, and corresponding [to a cat] is a mulberry-tree among trees, [whose fruit ripens fifty-two days after its blossoming]. A pig [goes with young] for sixty days, and corresponding [to a pig] is an apple tree among trees.
יב ת"ר תרנגולת לעשרים ואחד יום וכנגדה באילן לוז כלב לחמשים יום וכנגדו באילן תאינה חתול לחמשים ושנים יום וכנגדו באילן תות חזיר לששים יום כנגדו באילן תפוח שועל וכל מיני שרצים ששה חדשים וכנגדם באילן תבואה
12 A fox and all kinds of reptiles [go with young] for six months, and corresponding [to a fox] etc. is wheat among trees.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Wheat is here described as a tree, in accordance with the authority who maintains that the tree from which. Adam partook was wheat; v. Ber. 40a.');"><sup>13</sup></span> Small clean animals [go with young] for five months, and corresponding [to small animals] is a vine among trees. Large unclean cattle [go with young] for twelve months, and corresponding [to large unclean cattle] is a palm-tree among trees.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra n. 1.');"><sup>14</sup></span> Clean large cattle [go with young] for nine months, and corresponding [to clean large cattle] is an olive-tree among trees. The wolf, lion, bear, leopard, bardeles,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A spotted beast, either a leopard or a hyena.');"><sup>15</sup></span> elephant, monkey, and long-tailed ape [go with young] for three years, corresponding to them are white figs among trees.
יג בהמה דקה טהורה לחמשה חדשים וכנגדן באילן גפן בהמה גסה טמאה לשנים עשר חודש וכנגדו באילן דקל טהורה לתשעה חדשים וכנגדה באילן זית הזאב והארי והדוב והנמר והברדלס והפיל והקוף והקיפוף לשלש שנים וכנגדן באילן בנות שוח
13 A viper [or adder] goes with young for Seventy years, and corresponding to it is the carob-tree among trees. From the time of the planting of the carob-tree to the ripening of its fruit, a period of seventy years elapses; and the time of its pregnancy',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The time of the blossoming of the carob-tree until the ripening of its fruit extends over the last three years of the seventy years.');"><sup>16</sup></span> is three years. A serpent [goes with young] for seven years, and for that wicked animal there is no companion [among trees].
יד אפעה לשבעים שנה וכנגדו באילן חרוב חרוב זה משעת נטיעתו עד שעת גמר פירותיו שבעים שנה וימי עיבורו שלש שנים נחש לשבע שנים ולאותו רשע לא מצינו חבר ויש אומרים מוכססים
14 Some, however, say that [corresponding to a serpent] is a kind of white fig [among trees],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A species of fig, inferior to white figs.');"><sup>17</sup></span> Whence is this proved?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That a serpent goes with young for seven years.');"><sup>18</sup></span> - Said Rab Judah in the name of Rab and they trace it in tradition up to the name of R'Joshua B'Hanania: Because [Scripture] says: Cursed art thou from among all cattle and from among all the beasts of the field.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. III, 14.');"><sup>19</sup></span> Now if [the serpent] was cursed [to go with young for a period] longer than an animal,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the least of animals, i.e., a goat, takes five months to produce its young, whereas the shortest period for a beast, i.e., a cat, is fifty-two days.');"><sup>20</sup></span>
טו מנא הני מילי אמר רב יהודה אמר רב ומטו בה משום דר' יהושע בן חנניא שנאמר (בראשית ג, יד) ארור אתה מכל הבהמה ומכל חית השדה אם מבהמה נתקללה מחיה לא כ"ש
15 [how much] longer must this have been than that of a beast?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If Scripture had written: 'Cursed art thou from among all cattle', this would have embraced the period also for which beasts are cursed to go with young.');"><sup>21</sup></span> But [the object of the verse is] to t you: Just as the animal is cursed [to go with young] longer than a beast in the proportion of one to seven<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A cat goes with young for fifty-two days and an ass for one year, i.e., three hundred and sixty-five days, the proportion therefore being one to seven.');"><sup>22</sup></span> - and what is this?
טז אלא לומר לך כשם שנתקללה הבהמה מחיה אחד לשבעה ומאי ניהו חמור מחתול כך נתקלל הוא מבהמה אחת לשבע דהוה ליה שב שני
16 An ass which [goes with young longer] than a cat - so [the serpent] is cursed [to go with young] in the proportion of one to seven, which is seven years.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence we infer that a serpent goes with young for seven years.');"><sup>23</sup></span> But why not say, that just as the beast has been cursed [to go with young longer] than an animal in the proportion of one to three - and what is this? A lion [which goes with young longer] than an ass<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' An ass goes with young for one year and a lion for three years.');"><sup>24</sup></span>
יז אימא כשם שנתקללה חיה מבהמה אחת לשלש שנים ומאי ניהו ארי מחמור כך נתקלל הוא מחיה אחת לשלש שנים דהוה ליה תשע שנים
17 - so, [the serpent] has been cursed [to go with young] longer than the beast in the proportion of one to three, which is nine years?
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