Bekhorot 43

Chapter 43

א כדי לפרסמה שנפטרה מן הבכורה

1 - In order to make known that the mother is exempted from [the law of] the firstling.

ב למימרא דולד מעליא הוא ואמאי אין מטמא לא במגע ולא במשא אמר רבי יוחנן משום ביטול ברוב נגעו בה

2 Does not this mean to say that it is a genuine embryo? Then why does it not make unclean by contact nor make the carrier unclean? - R'Johanan answered: Because the principle of neutralisation by the larger portion is applied here.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The blood and the multi-coloured substance being the larger portion neutralizes the flesh of the embryo and therefore the latter is not susceptible of levitical uncleanness.');">1 And R'Johanan is in agreement here with the opinion he expressed elsewhere. For R'Johanan said: R'Eliezer B'Jacob and R'Simeon made similar statements.

ג ואזדא רבי יוחנן לטעמיה דאמר ר' יוחנן רבי אליעזר בן יעקב ורבי שמעון אמרו דבר אחד רבי אליעזר בן יעקב הא דאמרן

3 What is the statement of R'Eliezer B'Jacob? - That which we have learnt [in our Mishnah above]. What is R'Simeon's statement? - As we have learnt: If there is an after-birth2 in a house, the house is unclean.

ד ר' שמעון מאי היא דתנן השליא בבית הבית טמא לא שהשליא ולד אלא שאין שליא בלא ולד רבי שמעון אומר ולד נימוק עד שלא יצא:

4 Not that the after-birth is considered an embryo, only because there cannot be an after-birth without an embryo.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which however was mashed. And nevertheless it made the house unclean since we fear lest the embryo was not mashed - and so neutralized - until after it came forth.');">3 But R'Simeon says: The embryo was mashed before it came forth.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Nid. 18a. And it was explained there that the reason why the house is not unclean was because we apply to it the principle of the greater proportion of blood etc., neutralizing the embryo before it came forth.');">4 We have learnt elsewhere: The opening of the uterus<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If an embryo died inside a woman who sat on the travailing chair and her uterus was opened in one house but the embryo did not come forth in that house but in another, the first house is unclean, as if it had been born there, for impurity breaks through. v. Oh. VII.');">5 for untimely births is not until the embryo [on leaving the uterus] forms a round head like a coil. What kind of coil does this mean? - Like a coil of wool.

ה תנן התם אין לנפלים פתיחת הקבר עד שיעגילו ראש כפיקה מאי כפיקה אמר רב הונא כפיקה של צמר אמר ליה חייא בר רב לרב הונא רבי פריש של שתי או של ערב

5 Said Hiyya B'Rab to R'Huna: Did Rabbi explain whether the coil of wool containing warp6 or containing woof is meant?7 - He replied to him: It has been taught:8 The coil of the warp. These are the words of R'Meir. R'Judah says: The coil of the woof. R'Eliezer B'Zadok says: From the time when the ring-like formations [at the mouth of the vagina] are visible.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Eliezer differs from the first Tanna quoted above, for whereas the latter requires for constituting the opening of the uterus that the embryo should form a round head like a coil, the former holds that even if it had not formed a round head but in the period of travailing had reached the stage when ring-like formations were visible, indicating the passage of the embryo's head, we regard it as the opening of the uterus.');">9

ו אמר ליה תניא פיקה של שתי דברי רבי מאיר רבי יהודה אומר של ערב רבי אליעזר ברבי צדוק אומר משיראו טפיפיות מאי טפיפיות אמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל משום ר' אליעזר ברבי צדוק כך היו מפרשין בירושלים כפרידה שכורעת להטיל מימיה ונראית פיקה מתוך פיקה:

6 What are the ring-like formations like? - Rab Judah reported in the name of Samuel in behalf of R'Eliezer son of R'Zadok: In Jerusalem they used to explain it in this manner. Like a mule which bends to urinate,10 and it has the appearance of a coil coming forth out of a coil. Said R'Huna: I learnt two sizes of coils, one of the warp and the other of the woof, and I am unable to explain.11 When R'Dimi came, [from Palestine], he reported in the name of R'Johanan: I learnt of three sizes of coils, one of the warp, another of the woof and one large coil, and again another of the sack-carriers, and I am unable to explain.11 When R'Abin came [from Palestine] he explained this in the name of R'Johanan. In the case of a woman, the coil is like a warp.12 In the case of an animal, the size of the coil is like the woof.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the embryo had not yet formed a round head of the size of the coil of the woof, then, if the embryo died inside the animal, and the shepherd stretched his hand inside, he does not receive levitical uncleanness.');">13 As to a large-size coil of the sack-carriers, it is as we have learnt.

ז אמר רב הונא שמעתי שתי פיקות אחת של שתי ואחת של ערב ואין לי לפרש כי אתא רב דימי אמר רבי יוחנן שלש פיקות שמעתי אחת של שתי ואחת של ערב ואחת של פיקה גדולה של סקאין ואין לי לפרש כי אתא רבין פירשה משמיה דרבי יוחנן של אשה כשל שתי של בהמה כשל ערב

7 A clod [of clay] from a beth ha-peras14 or a clod of imported clay15 must have the size of the great seal of the sack-carriers which is like the seal of leather bags. And of the same size is the top part16 of the stopper of the Bethlehem wine jug.17 Resh Lakish reported in the name of R'Judah the Prince: He who buys brine from an 'am ha-arez18

ח פיקה גדולה של סקאין כדתנן גוש הבא מבית הפרס מארץ העמים שיעורו כפיקה גדולה של סקאין שהוא כחותם המרצופין וישנו בצד העליון של מגופת החבית הלחמית

8 must bring it in contact with water<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The brine in a vessel is placed in a mikweh (ritual bath of purification) , so as to make its surface level with the surface of the water into which it is dipped. This is a form of purification.');">19

ט אמר ריש לקיש משום רבי יהודה נשיאה הלוקח ציר מעם הארץ משיקו במים וטהור

9 and it is then levitically clean. For in either case if the larger portion [of the brine] water,20

י ממה נפשך אי מיא רובא נינהו כיון דעביד להו השקה טהרי להו ואי רובא ציר נינהו ציר לא בר קבולי טומאה הוא מאי איכא משום הנך מיעוטא דמיא הנך בטלו להו ברובא

10 since he brings it in contact with water,21 he has cleaned it; and if the larger part is brine, brine i not susceptible to levitical uncleanness.22

יא אמר רבי ירמיה לא שנו אלא לטבול בהן פיתו אבל לקדירה לא מצא מין את מינו וניעור יתיב רב דימי וקאמר להא שמעתא אמר ליה אביי וכי טומאה שבטלה חזרה וניעורה א"ל ואת לא תסברא והתנן סאה תרומה טמאה שנפלה

11 The only doubtful element is that small quantity of water [in the brine]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which receives impurity and for which contact with mikweh water is no purification, since the larger portion is brine and this method of purification does not apply to food.');">23 and this is neutralized in the larger portion of the brine. Said R'Jeremiah: This has been laid down only with regard to dipping bread in it but, for cooking purposes, the brine is not permitted,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the water in the brine combines with the water in the pot and the two together being now the larger portion, neutralize the brine, and make the latter unclean.');">24 since like attracts like and the uncleanness is aroused.25 R'Dimi was once sitting and repeating this statement of R'Jeremiah: Said Abaye to him: Can levitical uncleanness, once neu tralized, be aroused again? - He replied to him: And do you not hold that this is reasonable? Have we not learnt: If a se'ah26 of unclean terumah27 has fallen

Previous Chapter Next Chapter