Bekhorot 17

Chapter 17

א כי מטי לבי בליעי מלא כוזא דמיא מבי בליעי כד אתו אוקמינהו קמי קיסר חזנהו דהוו מעני א"ל הני לאו נינהו שקל מעפרייהו ושדא עילוייהו אקשו לאפי מלכא אמר ליה כל דבעית עביד בהו

1 When they reached the straits,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Probably Scylla and Charybdis (Jast.) . Rashi explains that refers to the ocean mostly the Mediterranean Sea which absorbs all the waters of the world which flow therein. The waters are then brought to the depths from which they are subsequently discharged. Other explanations (by R. Gershom) are that there is a particular spot in the sea that absorbs other waters or that it refers to Miriam's Well.');">1 they filled a jug of water from the waters of the straits. When they arrived, they were presented to the Emperor. He observed that they were depressed, [being far from their native land]. He said: 'these are not the same [people]'. He, therefore, took a piece of the earth of their country and cast it at them. Thereupon, they grew haughty2

ב אייתינהו מיא דאייתי מבי בליעי שדינהו בתיגדא אמר להו מליוה להו ואיזילו לכו מלו ושדו ביה קמאי קמאי ובלע להו מלו עד דשמיט כתפייהו ובלו להו ואזול:

2 towards the King. He then said to R'Joshua: 'Whatever you desire, do with them'. He fetched the water which [the Athenians] had taken from the straits and poured it into a ditch.3

ג <big>מתני׳</big> חמורה שלא ביכרה וילדה שני זכרים נותן טלה אחד לכהן זכר ונקבה מפריש טלה אחד לעצמו

3 He said to them: 'Fill this and depart'. They tried to fill it by casting therein the water, one a the other, but it was absorbed.

ד שתי חמוריו שלא ביכרו וילדו שני זכרים נותן שני טלאים לכהן זכר ונקבה או שני זכרים ונקבה נותן טלה אחד לכהן שתי נקבות וזכר או שני זכרים ושתי נקבות אין לכהן כלום

4 They went on filling until [the joints] of their shoulders became dislocated and they perished. <big>MISHNAH: </big>IF A SHE-ASS THAT HAD NEVER BEFORE GIVEN BIRTH GAVE BIRTH TO TWO MALES, [THE ISRAELITE] GIVES ONE LAMB TO THE PRIEST AS A REDEMPTION.4 [IF IT GAVE BIRTH TO] A MALE AND A FEMALE, HE SETS ASIDE ONE LAMB [WHICH REMAINS] FOR HIMSELF.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' There is a doubt here as to whether the male ass was born before the female; so, by setting aside a lamb for redemption, he releases the animal from the prohibitions which attach to the first-birth of an ass, in case the male was born first. He is not required, however, to give the lamb to the priest, since the claim of the latter is purely that of a debt due to him as laid down in the Scripture, the lamb not possessing any sanctity, and being like the ass which it redeems. Consequently, the priest is in the position of a claimant who must produce the evidence, the evidence here being that the male was born prior to the female.');">5

ה אחת ביכרה ואחת שלא ביכרה וילדה שני זכרים נותן טלה אחד לכהן זכר ונקבה מפריש טלה אחד לעצמו

5 IF TWO SHE-ASSES THAT HAD NEVER BEFORE GIVEN BIRTH GAVE BIRTH TO TWO MALES, HE GIVES TWO LAMBS TO THE PRIEST. [IF THEY GAVE BIRTH TO] A MALE AND A FEMALE OR TWO MALES AND A FEMALE, HE GIVES ONE LAMB TO THE PRIEST.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' One male must be a first-birth and the other, as there is a doubt whether the male was born before the female, therefore, he sets aside one lamb for redemption, which, however, remains for himself.');">6

ו שנאמר (שמות יג, יג) ופטר חמור תפדה בשה מן הכבשים ומן העזים זכר ונקבה גדול וקטן תמים ובעל מום פודה בו פעמים הרבה נכנס לדיר להתעשר ואם מת נהנין בו:

6 [IF THEY GAVE BIRTH TO] TWO FEMALES AND A MALE OR TO TWO MALES AND TWO FEMALES THE PRIEST RECEIVES NOTHING.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Where two males and two females are born, the priest receives nothing, because the female might have been born prior to the males; also, where two females and a male are born, because here too there is a doubt, and the female might have been born before the male. The Israelite, however, must set aside two lambs which remain for himself.');">7 IF ONE SHE-ASS HAD GIVEN BIRTH BEFORE AND ONE HAD NOT GIVEN BIRTH BEFORE AND THEY GAVE BIRTH TO TWO MALES, HE GIVES ONE LAMB TO THE PRIEST. [IF THEY GAVE BIRTH TO] A MALE AND A FEMALE, HE SETS ASIDE ONE LAMB [WHICH REMAINS] FOR HIMSELF,8

ז <big>גמ׳</big> מאן תנא אמר ר' ירמיה דלא כרבי יוסי הגלילי דאי רבי יוסי הגלילי האמר אפשר לצמצם

7 FOR [SCRIPTURE] SAYS: AND THE FIRSTLING OF AN ASS THOU SHALT REDEEM WITH A LAMB.9 [THE LAMB CAN COME EITHER] FROM THE SHEEP OR THE GOATS MALE OR FEMALE, LARGE OR SMALL, UNBLEMISHED OR BLEMISHED. HE CAN REDEEM WITH THE SAME ONE MANY TIMES.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the lamb which the priest receives as a redemption for the first-birth of an ass was sold or returned to the Israelite as a present, it can exempt another first-birth of an ass. This process can be repeated in connection with many first-births of asses.');">10 AND THE LAMB] ENTERS THE SHED TO BE TITHED.11

ח אמר אביי אפילו תימא רבי יוסי הגלילי שאני התם דכתיב (שמות יג, יב) הזכרים לה'

8 IF IT DIES, THE PRIEST CAN BENEFIT FROM IT.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As soon as the lamb is set aside, the Priest has a claim on it as belonging to him, and it is as if it were already in his possession. Therefore, if the lamb died before it was delivered to the priest, the latter benefits from its skin and carcass.');">12 <big>GEMARA: </big>Who is the authority [of the first passage in the Mishnah]?13 R'Jeremiah said: It does not follow the opinion of R'Jose, the Galilean.

ט וליגמר מיניה הא מיעט רחמנא הזכרים

9 For if it were the opinion of R'Jose the Galilean - did he not say that it is possible to ascertain exactly [that both heads came forth simultaneously]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Infra 17a. If a ewe which had never given birth before gave birth to two males, R. Jose, the Galilean, says that both belong to the priest since both heads came forth at the same time.');">14

י איכא דאמרי לימא דלא כרבי יוסי הגלילי דאי רבי יוסי הגלילי האמר אפשר לצמצם אמר אביי אפי' תימא רבי יוסי הגלילי שאני התם דכתיב הזכרים לה'

10 Said Abaye: You may even assume that [the passage in the Mishnah] represents the opinion of R'Jose the Galilean, and that he makes a difference [in connection with the first-born of a clean animal], for [Scripture] writes: The males shal be the Lord's.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XIII, 12. The plural indicates two males, but in the case of the first-births of asses, where the singular is used throughout, even if it were possible to make sure that both heads came forth simultaneously, they are not sanctified. v');">15 But why not infer [the case of the first-born of an unclean animal] from [the case of the firstborn of a clean animal]? - The Divine Law excludes this [by the definite article in the expression], 'The males'.16 Some there are who say: Must we say that [the passage in the Mishnah]13 does not represent the view of R'Jose the Galilean? For if it were the opinion of R'Jose the Galilean, did he not say that it is possible to ascertain exactly [that both heads came forth simultaneously]? - Said Abaye: You may even assume that it is the opinion of R'Jose the Galilean and he makes a difference [in connection with the first-born of a clean animal], for [Scripture] writes: 'The males shall be the Lord's'.

יא בשלמא לר' ירמיה דלא מוקי לה כרבי יוסי הגלילי היינו דלא קתני ויצאו שני ראשיהן כאחד אלא לאביי ליתני ויצאו שני ראשיהן כאחד

11 Now we can understand R'Jeremiah stating that [the passage in the Mishnah] does not follow R'Jose the Galilean; that is the reason why the [Mishnah] does not say: 'And both their heads came forth simultaneously'.17 But according to Abaye, let it Say: 'And both heads came forth simultaneously'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' According to Abaye, it is possible to ascertain exactly that both heads came forth simultaneously, as the Mishnah is in accordance with R. Jose, only in the case of an unclean animal, it is different, because of the restrictive word 'The males'. Why should not the Mishnah, therefore, state that even if both heads came forth simultaneously, only one lamb is given to the Priest?');">18 Moreover, it has been taught: If his ass had never given birth before, and it gave birth to two males, and the two heads came forth simultaneously, R'Jose the Galilean says that they both belong to the priest, for Scripture Says: 'The males are the Lord's.' But this not written in connection with [an animal] consecrated as such [which is a clean animal]? - Rather say, On account of what [Scripture] Says: 'The males are the Lord's'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The inference from the verse is indirect. Since Scripture has indicated in this verse that it is possible to ascertain that both heads come forth simultaneously in connection with a clean animal, we apply the same to the first-birth of an ass. In any case we therefore clearly see here that R. Jose's ruling applies even to the first-birth of an ass.');">19

יב ועוד תניא חמורו שלא ביכרה וילדה שני זכרים ויצאו שני ראשיהן כאחד רבי יוסי הגלילי אומר שניהן לכהן שנאמר הזכרים לה'

12 This is a confutation of Abaye. - It is a refutation.

יג והא כי כתיב האי בקדושת הגוף הוא דכתיב אלא משום שנאמר הזכרים לה' תיובתא דאביי תיובתא

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