Bekhorot 4

Chapter 4

א מאי לאו אעובר לא אבהמה

1 Now, does this1 not refer to the case of an embryo?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., where an Israelite gives a pregnant animal to a heathen to look after, both sharing the offspring while the animal itself belongs to the Israelite, the words 'although it is not permitted' referring to the embryo. We punish him by making him give the value of the embryo to the Priest. Hence we can deduce that one is forbidden to sell an embryo to a heathen.');">2

ב והא דמיו קתני תני דמיה והא נותן כל דמיו לכהן קתני ואי בהמה כהן מאי עבידתיה הכא במאי עסקינן כגון דיהיב ליה בהמה מעברתא לפטומה דמיגו דקנסינן ליה אבהמה קנסינן ליה אעובר

2 - No, it refers to the animal.3 But it does not say 'damaw' ['its value']?4 - Read 'dameha'.5 But does it not say 'and he gives its whole value to the Priest'? Now if [the words 'its value'] refer to the animal, what has the priest to do with it?6

ג אמר רב אשי ת"ש רבי יהודה מתיר בשבורה מפני שאינה יכולה להתרפאות הא יכולה להתרפאות אסר והא עובר נמי כיכול להתרפאות דמי שמע מינה

3 - [No.]7 We are dealing here with a case where e.g. , [an Israelite] gave him a pregnant animal to fatten;8 since we punish him for [selling the] animal [to a gentile,] we also punish him for [selling] an embryo.9 Said R'Ashi, Come and hear: R'Judah permits the selling of a maimed [animal].10

ד ואיכא דמתני לה אמתני' והמוכר לו אע"פ שאינו רשאי לימא מתני' דלא כרבי יהודה דתנן רבי יהודה מתיר בשבורה

4 because it cannot be cured.11 But if it could be cured, i would be forbidden. Now, is not an embryo also like [an animal] which can be cured?12 Deduce, therefore, from this [that it is forbidden to sell an embryo to a heathen according to R'Judah].

ה אפילו תימא רבי יהודה שבורה לאו היינו אורחיה עובר היינו אורחיה:

5 Some there are who referred [R'Judah's ruling on an embryo] to our Mishnah:13

ו ת"ש רבי יהודה אומר המקבל בהמה מן העובד כוכבים וילדה מעלין אותו בשויו ונותן חצי דמיו לכהן והנותן לו בקבלה אע"פ שאינו רשאי קונסין אותו עד עשרה בדמיו ונותן כל דמיו לכהן מאי לאו אעובר לא אבהמה

6 AND WHO SELLS [AN EMBRYO] TO HIM [A HEATHEN] ALTHOUGH HE IS NOT PERMITTED. May we say that the Mishnah is not in agreement with R'Judah? For we have learnt: R'Judah permits the selling of a maimed [animal]!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And an embryo may be compared with a maimed animal since in both cases the animals are unable to work, and therefore R. Judah will hold that an embryo may be sold to a heathen, contrary to the ruling of our MISHNAH:');">14 - You can even say [that the Mishnah] agrees with R'Judah. For the case of a maimed [animal] is not a frequent occurrence15

ז והא דמיו קתני תני דמיה והא נותן כל דמיו לכהן קתני ואי בהמה כהן מאי עבידתיה הכא במאי עסקינן כגון דיהיב בהמה מעברתא לפטומה דמיגו דקנסינן ליה אבהמה קנסינן ליה אעובר

7 whereas the case of an embryo is a frequent occurrence.16 Come and hear: R'Judah Says: if one received an animal from a heathen to look after and it gave birth [to a firstling], we settle [with the gentile partner] for what it is worth and half of its value is given to the priest. Or if [an Israelite] giv animal] to him to look after, although he is not permitted to do so, we punish him [by making him, redeem the animal] even up to ten times its value and he gives its whole value to the Priest. Now, does this not refer to the case of an embryo? - No, it refers to the animal. But does it not say 'damaw'?

ח אמר רב אשי ת"ש ר' יהודה מתיר בשבורה מפני שאינה יכולה להתרפאות הא יכולה להתרפאות אסור והאי נמי כיכול להתרפאות דמי שמע מינה

8 ['its value'? ] - Read 'dameha'. But does it not say 'and he gives its whole value to the Priest'? Now if [the words 'its value'] refer to the animal, what has the Priest to do with it? - We are dealing here with a case where e.g. , an Israelite gave him a pregnant animal to fatten, and since we punish him for [selling] the animal [to a gentile,] we also punish him for [selling] an embryo. Said R'Ashi, Come and hear: R'Judah permits the selling of a maimed [animal] because it cannot be cured.

ט איבעיא להו מכר בהמה לעובריה מאי תיבעי לר' יהודה תיבעי לרבנן

9 But if it could be cured it would be forbidden. And an embryo is on a par with an animal that can be cured. Deduce therefore from this [that according to R'Judah it is not allowed to sell an embryo to a heathen].

י תיבעי לרבי יהודה עד כאן לא קא שרי ר' יהודה אלא בשבורה דלא אתיא לאיחלופי אבל שלמה דאתיא לאיחלופי אסר

10 The following query was put forward: If one sold an animal for its [future] offspring [to a gentile,]17 what is the ruling?18

יא או דלמא ומה שבורה דפסקה מיניה וכל שכן שלמה דלא פסקה מיניה

11 You can put this question to R'Judah and you can put this query to the Rabbis.19

יב תיבעי לרבנן עד כאן לא קאסרי רבנן אלא בשבורה דפסקה מיניה אבל שלמה דלא פסקה מיניה שרו

12 You can put the query to R'Judah thus: are we to say that R'Judah only permits the case of a maimed [animal]20 because he [the Israelite] will not come to confuse it with another animal and sell it [to a heathen], but in the case of a whole animal,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As in our query, he may think that it is permissible to sell to a gentile a whole animal, since here, too, we allow him to sell an animal for its future offspring.');">21

יג או דלמא ומה שבורה דלא אתיא לאיחלופי אסרי וכל שכן שלמה דאתיא לאיחלופי

13 where he may confuse it with another, [he will say that] it is forbidden, or are we to say that perhaps, if in the case of a maimed [animal] where he severs all connection with it,22

יד וטעמא דרבנן משום הכי הוא והתניא אמרו לו לרבי יהודה והלא מרביעין עליה ויולדת אלמא משום עובריה הוא

14 [it is allowed,] how much more so in the case of a whole animal where he has not severed all connection with it?23 You can put this query to the Rabbis, thus: are we to say that the Rabbis only prohibit in the case of a maimed [animal] because he severs all connection with it,24 but in the case of a whole animal, where he does not sever his connection from the animal, it is permissible; or are we perhaps to say that if in the case of a maimed [animal], where he will not come to confuse it [with another animal], they forbid [the selling to a heathen,] how much more so in the case of a whole animal, is there the fear [of confusion.]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For another animal, where the selling is complete and the Israelite has no share in the animal, unlike the circumstances in our query, where the animal still belongs to the Israelite and there is as yet no offspring.');">25 But is the reason of the Rabbis because of what [is stated] here?26

טו הכי קא"ל טעמא דידן משום דאתיא לאיחלופי בבהמה אלא את מ"ט שרית משום דאין יכולה להתרפאות כמאן דזבנה לשחיטה דמי

15 Has it not been taught: They, [the Rabbis,] said to R'Judah:27 Is it not possible to couple [an animal with a broken foot] so that it gives birth? Consequently, the reason is on account of the [future] offspring?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' We may therefore solve from here our query by concluding that according to the Rabbis it is forbidden to sell an animal to a heathen for the sake of its future offspring, and according to R. Judah it is permissible.');">28

טז והלא מרביעין עליה ויולדת וכיון דמרביעין עליה ויולדת משהא לה

16 - This is what the Rabbis said [to R'Judah:] 'Our reason [why we forbid the selling of a maimed animal] is because he may come to confuse it with another [animal].

יז ואמר להו לכשתלד דלא מקבלת זכר

17 But as for you, why do you permit a maimed [animal]? [It is] because it cannot be cured, and therefore it is as if he had sold it to be slaughtered.29

יח תא שמע והנותן לו בקבלה ולא קתני אע"פ שאינו רשאי

18 But do we not couple it and it gives birth? And since we couple it and it gives birth, he will detain it.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the sake of its offspring, and one who sees it in the house of a heathen at the end of a year or two may come to the conclusion that it is permissible to sell an animal which is not for slaughter to a heathen.');">30

יט וליטעמיך המשתתף לו דלא קתני הכי נמי דרשאי והא אמר אבוה דשמואל אסור לאדם שיעשה שותפות עם העובד כוכבים שמא יתחייב לו שבועה ונשבע לו בשם עבודת כוכבים שלו והתורה אמרה לא ישמע על פיך

19 And thereupon he replied to them: 'When it gives birth,31 for [in fact] it cannot take a male [for coupling purposes]'.32 Come and hear: OR AN ISRAELITE WHO GIVES [HIS ASS] TO HIM [A HEATHEN] TO LOOK AFTER'And it does not say 'although he is not permitted'!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Now here the animal was sold to the heathen for its offspring and therefore we can infer that it is permissible to sell an animal to a gentile for its future offspring.');">33 - But, according to your argument, when it says: OR WHO FORMS A PARTNERSHIP WITH HIM, since it does not say [it is forbidden,] are we to infer that it is allowed?

כ אלא תנא מכירה והוא הדין לשותפות ה"נ תנא מכירה והוא הדין לקבלנות ומאי שנא מכירה דנקט דעיקר מכירה היא

20 Has not the father of Samuel said: One must not form a partnership with a heathen lest he [the heathen] will be bound to take an oath to him and he will swear in the name of his idol and the Torah says: [And make no mention of the name of other gods.] neither let it be heard out of thy mouth?34 You must, therefore, admit that when [the Mishnah] lays down that selling [to a heathen] is forbidden35 the same ruling applies to a partnership [with a heathen]. Likewise here also when [the Mishnah] lays down that selling [is prohibited] the same ruling applies to kablanuth.36

כא תא שמע רבי יהודה אומר המקבל בהמה מן העובד כוכבים וילדה מעלין אותו בשוויו ונותן חצי דמיו לכהן והנותן בקבלה אע"פ שאינו רשאי קונסין אותו עד עשרה בדמיו ונותן כל דמיו לכהן

21 Why then does the Mishnah cite [the prohibition] specifically in connection with selling?37 - Because the main prohibition refers to the selling. Come and hear: R'Judah said: If one receives an animal from a heathen to look after and it gives birth [to a first-born] we settle [wit the gentile partner] for what it is worth and half of its value is given to the priest.

כב וחכמים אומרים כל זמן שיד עובד כוכבים באמצע פטורה מן הבכורה

22 If again an Israelite gi an animal [to a heathen] to look after, although [he knows that] this is not permitted, we fine him even up to ten times its value and he gives its whole value to the Priest.38 But the Sages say, so long a gentile has a share in it,39 it is exempt from the law of the first-born.

Previous Chapter Next Chapter