Bekhorot 37

Chapter 37

א דהך דלא ביכרה שביח טפי צריכא:

1 that the one which had not given birth is much the better one.1

ב <big>מתני׳</big> יוצא דופן והבא אחריו רבי טרפון אומר שניהם ירעו עד שיסתאבו ויאכלו במומן לבעלים רבי עקיבא אומר שניהן אינן בכור הראשון מפני שאינו פטר רחם והשני מפני שקדמו אחר:

2 There is need therefore [for the enumeration of all the instances where R'Tarfon and R'Akiba differ]. <big>MISHNAH: </big>WITH REGARD TO [AN ANIMAL] EXTRACTED THROUGH THE CESAREAN SECTION AND THE FIRSTLING WHICH CAME AFTER IT, R'TARFON SAYS: BOTH PASTURE UNTIL BLEMISHED AND ARE EATEN WITH THEIR BLEMISHES BY THE OWNERS,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For they are animals of uncertain first-birth, according to R. Tarfon. In the case of the first animal, although it is the first of the offspring, it is not the first which came forth from the womb. And with regard to the second animal, although it is the first which left the womb, it is not the first of the offspring.');">2 WHEREAS R'AKIBA SAYS: IN BOTH CASES THE LAW OF THE FIRSTLING DOES NOT APPLY: IN THE FIRST, BECAUSE IT IS NOT THE FIRST-BIRTH OF THE WOMB, AND THE SECOND, BECAUSE ANOTHER [ANIMAL] PRECEDED IT. <big>GEMARA: </big>On what principle do they differ? - R'Tarfon is in doubt whether a firstling in only one respect is the firstling [of Scripture].

ג <big>גמ׳</big> במאי קמיפלגי רבי טרפון מספקא ליה בכור לדבר אחד אי הוי בכור אי לא הוי בכור ורבי עקיבא פשיטא ליה בכור לדבר אחד לא הוי בכור:

3 whereas R'Akiba is certain that a firstling in only one respect is not firstling [of the Scripture]. Our Rabbis taught: [A lesson can be derived] from a general proposition which requires complementing by specification and from a specification which requires complementing by a general proposition. For Instance: [Scripture says]: Sanctify unto me all the first-born.3 I might understand from this that even a female is subject to the law of the firstling.

ד תנו רבנן מכלל הצריך לפרט ומפרט הצריך לכלל כיצד (שמות יג, ב) קדש לי כל בכור יכול אפילו נקבה במשמע תלמוד לומר (דברים טו יט) זכר

4 Hence the text expressly states: All the firstling males4 [that are born].5 From the word males', however, I might understand that even if a female came forth before it, [it is subject to the law of the firstling]. Hence the text expressly states: That openeth the womb.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Here we have a case of a specification which is required to define and explain a general proposition as mentioned above. It is not, however, a genuine general proposition followed by a specification referred to in the first portion of the passage where there is no necessity to define the nature of a first-born, since a female can also be first of the womb, the specification. however, limiting the scope of the general proposition to males alone (Rashi) .');">6 From the words 'that openeth the womb', however, I might understand that the law applies even if it came after an animal extracted through the cesarean section.

ה אי זכר יכול אפי' יצתה נקבה לפניו תלמוד לומר (שמות יג, יב) פטר רחם אי פטר רחם יכול אפילו יצא אחר יוצא דופן ת"ל בכור

5 Hence Scripture expressly states: The firstling.7 Said R'Sherabya to Abaye: In the first part [of the above passage],8 why does not the Talmud bring the text 'The firstling'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the law of the firstling only applied to an animal which is a firstling in every particular, why does not the Talmud, instead of saying 'I might infer that even if a female came before' etc., simply refer to the word 'firstling, in the text as excluding this assumption, since a genuine firstling must be such in all respects? Hence we may deduce that the scriptural firstling can be an animal which is so only in one respect.');">9 From this we see that a firstling in only one respect is the firstling [of the Scripture]. And in the last part [of t above passage],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It says 'one might infer that the animal which came after one extracted through the cesarean section, etc., from which we may conclude that the firstling in only one respect is not a genuine firstling. Thus there is a clear contradiction in the above passage.');">10 the Talmud brings the text 'firstling'.

ו א"ל רב שרביא לאביי רישא לא קנסיב לה תלמודא בכור אלמא בכור לדבר אחד הוי בכור סיפא קנסיב לה תלמודא בכור אלמא בכור לדבר אחד לא הוי בכור

6 Consequently, we see that the firstling in only one respect is not the firstling [of the Scripture]! - He replied to him: Indeed a firstling in only one respect may still not be the firstling [of the Scripture]11 and, in the first part [of the above passage], what he means to say is this: From the word 'male' in the text, however, I might infer that even a firstling extracted through the cesarian section is the firstling [of the Scripture].

ז אמר ליה לעולם בכור לדבר אחד לא הוי בכור ורישא ה"ק אי זכר יכול אפי' יוצא דופן ת"ל פטר רחם

7 Hence Scripture expressly states: The first-birth of the womb.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And here the Talmud could not adduce the text 'Firstling' to refute the inference, for in this case the animal is a firstling, since it had never given birth. Therefore he quotes the text. The first-birth of the womb', which, at the same time, excludes the case of a female born previously through the womb (Rashi) .');">12 Rabina said: Indeed a firstling in one respect may still be the firstling [of the Scripture].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And we do not derive the exclusion of an animal following one extracted through the cesarean Section from the scriptural word 'Firstling', as the latter also indicates that it is a firstling even if it is so in one particular only. But the exclusion is in fact derived from the addition of the word 'Firstling'.');">13 and the last part [of the passage] means this: If you should assume that a firstling which came forth after one extracted through the cesarean section is sanctified, what need is there for the Divine Law to write the word 'Firstling'?14

ח רבינא אמר לעולם בכור לדבר אחד הוי בכור וסיפא ה"ק אי סלקא דעתך יצא אחר יוצא דופן קדוש בכור דכתב רחמנא למה לי

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