Bekhorot 39

מחוורתא ר' ישמעאל כרבי מאיר סבירא ליה דחייש למיעוטא

It is the best explanation [to say that] R'Ishmael holds according to R'Meir, who takes into consideration the minority.

רבינא אמר

Rabina said: You may still say that he holds with the Rabbis,for the Rabbis go by the majority only in the case of a majority that does not depend on action, but in the case of a majority which depends on action,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As e.g., the animal's pregnancy, which depends on the act of coupling with a male, so that there is the possibility that there was no coupling in this instance.');">¹</span>

אפילו תימא רבנן כי אזלי רבנן בתר רובא ברובא דלא תלי במעשה אבל רובא דתלי במעשה לא

it is not so.

ת"ר

Our Rabbis taught: That born from a goat in its first year, certainly belongs to the priest; after that, it questionable case [of a firstling].

עז בת שנתה ודאי לכהן מיכן ולהלן ספק

That born of a ewe two years old certainly belongs to the priest; after that is a questionable case.

רחל בת שתים ודאי לכהן מיכן ולהלן ספק

That born of a cow three years old certainly belongs to the priest; after that, it is a questionable case.

פרה בת שלש ודאי לכהן מיכן ולהלן ספק

The rule for a she-ass is the same as for a cow.

חמורה כפרה

R'Jose B'Judah, however, says that the offspring of a she-ass four years old [certainly belongs to the priest].

ר' יוסי ברבי יהודה אומר

Thus far the teachings are those of R'Ishmael.

חמורה בת ארבע שנים

When these teachings were reported to R'Joshua, he said to them: Go and say to R'Ishmael, you have made a mistake.

עד כאן דברי רבי ישמעאל

If the animal were exempted only with the [actual] birth of an embryo, it would be as you say.

כשנאמרו דברים לפני רבי יהושע אמר להן צאו אמרו לו לר' ישמעאל

But [the Sages] have declared: A sign of offspring in small cattle is a discharge [from the womb], in large cattle, the after-birth, and in a woman, the signs are the foetus and after-birth.

טעית

I do not, however, hold with this.

אילו בוולד בלבד הבהמה נפטרת היה כדבריך

But [what I say is that] a goat which at six months discharged [from the womb] can give birth in its first year, that a ewe which discharged within its first year [from the womb], gives birth in its second year.

אלא

Said R'Akiba: I have not got so far as this.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., to know whether an animal which discharged in six months can bear in a year, so that even if it bears in the first year we are not certain that the offspring is a firstling.');">²</span>

סימן הוולד בבהמה דקה טינוף ובגסה שליא ובאשה שפיר ושליא

But [what I say is that] wherever it is known that it had given birth, the priest receives nothing; wherever it had never given birth, it belongs to the priest, and if it is a questionable [firstling], it shall be eaten in its blemished state by the owner.

ואני אין אני אומר כן אלא

What is the point at issue between R'Ishmael and R'Joshua?

עז שטינפה בת ששה יולדת בתוך שנתה רחל שטינפה בת שנתה יולדת בתוך שתים

May we say that the point at issue is as to whether a discharge [from the womb] exempts [from the law of the firstling].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That R. Ishmael who regards that born of a goat in the first year as certainly a firstling is of the opinion that even if it discharges in its first year, it is not thereby exempted.');">³</span>

אמר ר' עקיבא

R'Ishmael holding that a discharge does not exempt.

אני לא באתי לידי מדה זו אלא

whereas R'Joshua holds that a discharge exempts? - [No].

כל שידוע שביכרה אין כאן לכהן כלום וכל שלא ביכרה הרי זו לכהן ספק יאכל במומו לבעלים

If we actually saw it discharging, all the authorities would agree that a discharge exempts [from the law of the firstling].

במאי קמיפלגי ר' ישמעאל ור' יהושע

The point at issue, however, is whether we take into consideration the possibility of its having discharged.

לימא בטינוף פוטר קמיפלגי רבי ישמעאל סבר

R'Ishmael holds: We do not take into consideration the possibility of its having discharged, whereas R'Joshua holds that we take into consideration this possibility.

טינוף אינו פוטר ורבי יהושע סבר

But does not R'Ishmael take into consideration [such a possibility].

טינוף פוטר

Did not Raba say above that it is obvious that R'Ishmael holds with R'Meir, who takes into consideration [the minority]? - R'Ishmael takes into consideration [the minority] when the object is to make the ruling more stringent.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And he rules that the offspring, even after the first year, is a questionable firstling, for a minority of animals do not give birth in the first year, whereas if we went only by the majority, an animal born after the first year would be regarded as hullin, without any doubt as to whether it is a first-birth.');">⁴</span>

אי דחזינן דטינוף דכולי עלמא לא פליגי דטינוף פוטר

But when the object is to render the ruling more lenient,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As in the example here, if we were to take into consideration the minority that discharges and therefore regard the animal as a questionable firstling even in its first year. that would be making the law of the firstling more lenient.');">⁵</span>

והכא בחוששין לטינוף קא מיפלגי רבי ישמעאל סבר

then he does not take into consideration the minority.

אין חוששין לטינוף ור' יהושע סבר

And if you prefer [another solution], I may say: Whether it is to restrict or to make the ruling more lenient, he takes into consideration [the minority].

חוששין לטינוף

The difference of opinion, however, is [whether] where it discharges [from the womb] it can subsequently give birth in its first year.

ולא חייש

R'Ishmael held that an animal which discharges does not subsequently give birth in its first year.

והאמר רבא

and consequently this one, since it gave birth, certainly did not discharge.

מחוורתא רבי ישמעאל כר"מ ס"ל דחייש למיעוט

But R'Joshua held: An animal which discharges can give birth subsequently in its first year.

כי חייש לחומרא לקולא לא חייש

[It says above]: 'l do not, however, hold with this.

ואיבעית אימא

But a goat six months old which discharged gives birth in its first year, a ewe a year old when she discharged gives birth in its second year'.

בין לקולא בין לחומרא חייש והכא במטנפת וחוזרת ויולדת בתוך שנתה קמיפלגי דרבי ישמעאל סבר

What is the difference between what he had on tradition<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Joshua's statement 'But the Sages said, etc'.');">⁶</span>

מטנפת אינה חוזרת ויולדת בתוך שנתה והא מדאוליד ודאי לא טניף ור' יהושע סבר

and his own opinion?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Where he declares: But I do not hold with this.');">⁷</span>

מטנפת חוזרת ויולדת בתוך שנתה

- Where e.g. , the animal discharged at the end of six months,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Where we actually saw the discharge commencing in the beginning of the seventh month.');">⁸</span>

ואני איני אומר כן אלא עז שטינפה בת ששה יולדת תוך שנתה רחל שטינפה בת שנתה יולדת בתוך שתים

and they differ as to Ze'iri's dictum.

מאי איכא בין גמריה לסבריה שטינפה בסוף ששה

For Ze'iri said: The period of discharge is not less than thirty days.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And for this period it is unable to couple with a male.');">⁹</span>

ואיכא בינייהו דזעירי דאמר זעירי

What he had on traditions<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which does not say: That of a goat in its first year. thus implying that even if it gives birth on the first day of the second year. the offspring is a firstling, as we accept Ze'iri's dictum that its discharge is for thirty full days, after which there is a period of pregnancy of five complete months, so that it would give birth on the first day of the second year.');">¹⁰</span>

אין טינוף פחות משלשים יום

agrees with Ze'iri's dictum, whereas his own opinion<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which says: But a goat six months old which discharges gives birth in its first year. It cannot, consequently. hold that the discharge lasts the full thirty days as laid down by Ze'iri's dictum, for then, allowing for the full months of pregnancy, it could not give birth in the first year.');">¹¹</span>

לגמריה אית ליה דזעירי לסבריה לית ליה דזעירי

does not agree with Ze'iri's dictum.

ואיבעית אימא

And if you prefer [another solution].

דכולי עלמא אית להו דזעירי והכא ביולדת למקוטעין קמיפלגי

I may say: All [the authorities concerned] accept Ze'iri's dictum. The point at issue here, however, is whether an animal gives birth before the due number of months is completed.