Bekhorot 39

Chapter 39

א מחוורתא ר' ישמעאל כרבי מאיר סבירא ליה דחייש למיעוטא

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

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

2 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,1 it is not so.

ג ת"ר עז בת שנתה ודאי לכהן מיכן ולהלן ספק רחל בת שתים ודאי לכהן מיכן ולהלן ספק פרה בת שלש ודאי לכהן מיכן ולהלן ספק חמורה כפרה ר' יוסי ברבי יהודה אומר חמורה בת ארבע שנים עד כאן דברי רבי ישמעאל

3 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]. That born of a ewe two years old certainly belongs to the priest; after that is a questionable case. That born of a cow three years old certainly belongs to the priest; after that, it is a questionable case. The rule for a she-ass is the same as for a cow. R'Jose B'Judah, however, says that the offspring of a she-ass four years old [certainly belongs to the priest]. Thus far the teachings are those of R'Ishmael. When these teachings were reported to R'Joshua, he said to them: Go and say to R'Ishmael, you have made a mistake. If the animal were exempted only with the [actual] birth of an embryo, it would be as you say.

ד כשנאמרו דברים לפני רבי יהושע אמר להן צאו אמרו לו לר' ישמעאל טעית אילו בוולד בלבד הבהמה נפטרת היה כדבריך אלא סימן הוולד בבהמה דקה טינוף ובגסה שליא ובאשה שפיר ושליא

4 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. I do not, however, hold with this. 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. 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 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.

ה ואני אין אני אומר כן אלא עז שטינפה בת ששה יולדת בתוך שנתה רחל שטינפה בת שנתה יולדת בתוך שתים אמר ר' עקיבא אני לא באתי לידי מדה זו אלא כל שידוע שביכרה אין כאן לכהן כלום וכל שלא ביכרה הרי זו לכהן ספק יאכל במומו לבעלים

5 What is the point at issue between R'Ishmael and R'Joshua? 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 R'Ishmael holding that a discharge does not exempt. whereas R'Joshua holds that a discharge exempts? - [No]. If we actually saw it discharging, all the authorities would agree that a discharge exempts [from the law of the firstling].

ו במאי קמיפלגי ר' ישמעאל ור' יהושע לימא בטינוף פוטר קמיפלגי רבי ישמעאל סבר טינוף אינו פוטר ורבי יהושע סבר טינוף פוטר

6 The point at issue, however, is whether we take into consideration the possibility of its having discharged. 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. But does not R'Ishmael take into consideration [such a possibility]. 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

ז אי דחזינן דטינוף דכולי עלמא לא פליגי דטינוף פוטר והכא בחוששין לטינוף קא מיפלגי רבי ישמעאל סבר אין חוששין לטינוף ור' יהושע סבר חוששין לטינוף

7 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 then he does not take into consideration the minority. 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]. The difference of opinion, however, is [whether] where it discharges [from the womb] it can subsequently give birth in its first year.

ח ולא חייש והאמר רבא מחוורתא רבי ישמעאל כר"מ ס"ל דחייש למיעוט כי חייש לחומרא לקולא לא חייש

8 R'Ishmael held that an animal which discharges does not subsequently give birth in its first year. and consequently this one, since it gave birth, certainly did not discharge. But R'Joshua held: An animal which discharges can give birth subsequently in its first year. [It says above]: 'l do not, however, hold with this.

ט ואיבעית אימא בין לקולא בין לחומרא חייש והכא במטנפת וחוזרת ויולדת בתוך שנתה קמיפלגי דרבי ישמעאל סבר מטנפת אינה חוזרת ויולדת בתוך שנתה והא מדאוליד ודאי לא טניף ור' יהושע סבר מטנפת חוזרת ויולדת בתוך שנתה

9 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'. What is the difference between what he had on tradition6 and his own opinion?7 - Where e.g. , the animal discharged at the end of six months,8

י ואני איני אומר כן אלא עז שטינפה בת ששה יולדת תוך שנתה רחל שטינפה בת שנתה יולדת בתוך שתים מאי איכא בין גמריה לסבריה

10 and they differ as to Ze'iri's dictum. For Ze'iri said: The period of discharge is not less than thirty days.9

יא שטינפה בסוף ששה ואיכא בינייהו דזעירי דאמר זעירי אין טינוף פחות משלשים יום

11 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 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

יב לגמריה אית ליה דזעירי לסבריה לית ליה דזעירי

12 does not agree with Ze'iri's dictum.

יג ואיבעית אימא דכולי עלמא אית להו דזעירי והכא ביולדת למקוטעין קמיפלגי

13 And if you prefer [another solution]. 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.

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