Bekhorot 74

Chapter 74

א נעקרו אין נפגמו ונגממו לא בעינא מום רע וליכא אי הכי מום עובר נמי אלמה תנן ולא מן העור
1 [thus implying that] when torn out completely [they are blemishes] but not where they are broken off or levelled [to the gum]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., only hidden blemishes.');"><sup>1</sup></span> - We require [that it should appear] 'an ill blemish',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And therefore there must be a complete tearing out, as 'an ill blemish' is only when it is seen. kf');"><sup>2</sup></span> which is not the case [where it is not torn out]. If this be so,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the word is an extension of the scope of what is a blemish.');"><sup>3</sup></span> why should not [a firstling be slaughtered] in consequence of a transitory blemish?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since such a defect appears to be an ill blemish.');"><sup>4</sup></span>
ב מום עובר סברא הוא השתא מיפרק לא פרקינן עלויה משחט שחטינן עלויה דתניא (ויקרא כז, יא) ואם כל בהמה טמאה אשר לא יקריבו ממנה קרבן לה' בבעלי מומין הכתוב מדבר
2 Why have we learnt: BUT NOT IF THE DEFECT IS IN THE EAR-LAP? - There is a logical reason [why we do not slaughter a firstling] in consequence of a transitory blemish, for seeing that we do not redeem [a consecrated animal]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which became unfit for sacrifice. (11) A firstling outside Palestine.');"><sup>5</sup></span> in consequence [of a transitory blemish], shall we slaughter in consequence of it? " For it has been taught: [Scripture says]: And if it be any unclean beast of which they may not bring an offering unto the Lord.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXVII, 11.');"><sup>6</sup></span> The text deals here with sacrifices rendered unfit which were redeemed. You say sacrifices rendered unfit.
ג אתה אומר בבעלי מומין שנפדו הכתוב מדבר או אינו אלא בבהמה טמאה ממש כשהוא אומר ואם בבהמה הטמאה הרי בהמה טמאה אמור הא מה אני מקיים אשר לא יקריבו ממנה הוי אומר זה בעלי מומין שנפדו
3 Perhaps it is really not so, but it speaks actually of an unclean animal? Since it says: 'And if it be of an unclean beast, then he shall ransom it according to thy valuation'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid XXVII, 27. kf');"><sup>7</sup></span> the case of an unclean animal is already stated. How then do I interpret the text 'Of which they may not bring an offering unto the Lord'? You must say that it refers to sacrifices rendered unfit which were redeemed. I might, however, conclude that one may redeem in consequence of a transitory blemish, hence Scripture explicitly states: 'Of which they may not bring an offering unto the Lord', thus intimating [that it refers to] a sacrifice which is completely unfit [for the altar], but excluding this case of a transitory blemish, which although unfit for sacrifice today, is fit tomorrow.
ד יכול יפדו על מום עובר ת"ל אשר לא יקריבו ממנה קרבן לה' מי שאינה קריבה כל עיקר יצתה זו שאינה קריבה היום אלא למחר
4 And if you prefer [another solution]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To the question why, in view of the word we should not be allowed to slaughter a firstling by reason of a transitory blemish?');"><sup>8</sup></span> I may say: If this be a fact [that transitory defect is a legal blemish] then of what avail is the text 'Lame and blind' [which implies only permanent blemishes]? IF IT WAS SLIT, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NOT ANY LOSS [OF SUBSTANCE].
ה איבעית אימא א"כ פסח ועור למה לי:
5 Our Rabbis taught: A slit may be as small as you please.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'whatever it may be'.');"><sup>9</sup></span> A defect [a cut] may be either through the agency of man or by nature.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'By the hands of heaven', i.e., born with a defect.');"><sup>10</sup></span>
ו נסדקה אע"פ שלא חסרה: ת"ר הסדק כל שהוא הפגימה בין בידי אדם בין בידי שמים מכלל דסדק בידי שמים לא
6 Does this imply that a slit has not the same ruling when brought about by nature? - Rather state it thus: A slit may be as small as you please, and both a slit and a cut may be either through the agency of man or by nature. And how large is a cut? - A notch deep enough to stop the finger nail.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When passing over its edge as with a slaughtering knife.');"><sup>11</sup></span> IF IT WAS PERFORATED AS LARGE etc. Our Rabbis taught: How large is the perforation of the ear? - As large as a karshinah. R'Jose son of R'Judah says: As large as a lentil.
ז אלא סדק ופגימה בין בידי שמים בין בידי אדם וכמה שיעור פגימה כדי שתחגור בה ציפורן:
7 What is called dry? If when perforated [the sore] does not bring forth a drop of blood. R'Jose B'Ha-meshullam says: [It is called] 'dry' a long as it is liable to crumble.
ח נקבה מלא וכו': ת"ר כמה נקיבת האוזן מלא כרשינה ר' יוסי בר' יהודה אומר בכעדשה ואיזו היא יבשה שאם תינקב ואינה מוציאה טיפת דם ר' יוסי בן המשולם אומר יבשה כדי שתהא נפרכת
8 A Tanna taught: Their views are nearly alike. Whose views [are meant]? Shall I say the views of the first Tanna [quoted above] and R'Jose B'Ha-meshullam? Surely there is a considerable difference!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Between the two views set forth.');"><sup>12</sup></span> - Rather you must say, the views of the first Tanna [quoted above] and R'Jose son of R'Judah.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For a karshinah is only slightly larger than a lentil.');"><sup>13</sup></span> [But does R'Jose son of R'Judah maintain that a blemish is constituted] by [a hole] the size of a lentil and not by less than the size of a lentil? Against this I quote: Scripture says 'An awl'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XV, 17.');"><sup>14</sup></span> I have here mentioned only an awl [wherewith to bore the ear of a slave]; whence do you include also a prick, a thorn, a borer, and a stylus?
ט תנא קרובין דבריהן להיות שוין דבריהן דמאן אילימא דתנא קמא ור' יוסי בן המשולם טובא איכא אלא דתנא קמא ור' יוסי בר' יהודה
9 Hence the text states: Then thou shalt take,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XV, 17.');"><sup>14</sup></span> thus including everything which can be taken in a hand. This is the view of R'Jose son of R'Judah. Rabbi says, [Since the text says] 'An awl', we inf that as an awl is exclusively of metal, so anything used must be of metal. And it is stated in the following clause: Said R'Eleazar: Judan the son of Rabbis<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A name applied to a great scholar, v. J.E. s.v.');"><sup>15</sup></span>
י כעדשה אין בציר מכעדשה לא ורמינהי (דברים טו יז) מרצע אין לי אלא מרצע מנין לרבות הסול והסירה והמחט והמקדח והמכתב
10 used to expound as follows: The boring is only done through the ear-lap. The Sages, however, rule: A Hebrew slave who is a priest must not have his ear bored, because he becomes blemished. Now if you maintain that the boring was done through the ear-lap, then the Hebrew slave who is a priest cannot become blemished, hence we only bore through the top part of the ear!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., from the cartilage inward. Nevertheless we see that the boring causes a blemish. R. Jose holding that even a needle's point which makes a hole much smaller than a lentil, is capable of maiming.');"><sup>16</sup></span>
יא ת"ל (דברים טו, יז) ולקחת כל דבר שנלקח ביד דברי ר' יוסי בר' יהודה רבי אומר מרצע מה מרצע מיוחד של מתכת אף כל של מתכת
11 - Said Rab Hana B'Kattina: This offers no difficulty. Here for the purpose of slaughtering,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Outside the Temple.');"><sup>17</sup></span> [the size of a lentil is required] but there in the case of causing a disqualification [even a needle can render the anima blemished for the altar]. What is karshinah?
יב וקתני סיפא א"ר יודן ברבי היה דורש כשהן רוצעין אין רוצעין אלא במילת
12 Said R'Sherabya: Indian vetch. R'Oshaiah inquired from R'Huna the Great: [Must the hole be] of a size so that the karshinah may enter and come out [with ease] or as to contain a karshinah<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'a karshinah which stands'.');"><sup>18</sup></span> [only with difficulty]? - He replied to him: I have not heard the answer to this particular query, but I have heard [a solution of] a similar query.
יג וחכמים אומרים אין עבד עברי כהן נרצע מפני שנעשה בעל מום וא"ת במילת היו רוצעין היאך עבד כהן נעשה בעל מום הא אין רוצעין אלא בגובה של אוזן
13 For we have learnt: A spinal column and a skull which have shrunk [do not cause uncleanness].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The spinal column and the skull cause levitical uncleanness, rendering any object unclean under their shelter, like the greater number of the limbs of a dead body or the greater part of a dead body. If however, they are not complete, they do not cause this uncleanness.');"><sup>19</sup></span> And how great must be the shrinkage in the spinal column in order not to cause uncleanness? Beth Shammai say: Two vertebrae, whereas Beth Hillel say: One vertebra. And as regards the skull, Beth Shammai say: [The amount of the shrinkage] must be equal to a borer;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Oh. II, 3.');"><sup>20</sup></span> and Beth Hillel say: As much as is required to be taken away from a living person in order to prove fatal.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Defined infra p. 38a.');"><sup>21</sup></span>
יד אמר רב חנא בר קטינא לא קשיא כאן לשחוט כאן לפסול
14 Now R'Hisda sat discoursing and inquired: [You say] as much as is required to be taken from a living person [so as to prove fatal]. And how much would this be? - R'Tahlifa B'Abudimi said to him: Thus did Samuel say: As much as a sela'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A weight and a coin.');"><sup>22</sup></span>
טו מאי כרשינה אמר רב שרביא הינדא
15 <sup>23</sup> this is by the sentence: R'Samuel B'Judah reported a Baraitha"&gt;.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For we find elsewhere R. Samuel b. Judah frequently quoting a Baraitha.');"><sup>24</sup></span> Said [R'Hisda] to him [R'Tahlifa]: If so,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That Beth Hillel say a sela'.');"><sup>25</sup></span> then you have made the views of Beth Shammai and Beth Hillel identical.
טז בעא מיניה רב הושעיא מרב הונא רבה כרשינה הנכנסת ויוצאה או כרשינה העומדת אמר לו זו לא שמעתי כיוצא בה שמעתי
16 For we have learnt: In a light-hole which was not made by the agency of man,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A wall breaking a little of itself between two houses, thus making an opening letting in light.');"><sup>26</sup></span> the size<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So as to bring uncleanness from one house to the other. As this was not made by the agency of a man, therefore less than this size does not bring about impurity.');"><sup>27</sup></span> required is as large as a big fist, such as the fist of Ben Battiah.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Nephew of R. Johanan b. Zakkai, one of the leaders of the terrorists during the siege of Jerusalem by the Romans. He was a big man physically.');"><sup>28</sup></span> Said R'Jose: And this [fist] is as large as a big head of a man.
יז דתנן השדרה והגולגולת שחסרו כמה חסרון בשדרה ולא יהא מטמא באהל בש"א שתי חוליות וב"ה אומרים חוליא אחת ובגולגולת ב"ש אומרים כמלא מקדח וב"ה אומרים כדי שינטל מן החי וימות
17 If [the light-hole], however, was made by the agency of man, [the Sages] fixed the size to be as large as a hole made with the large [carpenter's borer kept in the Temple cell,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For purposes of Temple repair.');"><sup>29</sup></span> which is as large as an Italian dupondium<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Glos.');"><sup>30</sup></span> or as large as a Neronian sela'. And it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The sela' or the Dupondium.');"><sup>31</sup></span> has
יח ויתיב רב חסדא וקמיבעיא ליה כדי שינטל מן החי וכמה א"ל רב תחליפא בר אבודימי הכי אמר שמואל כסלע
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יט ואיתמר רב ספרא אמר שמעתתא א"ל ורב שמואל בר יהודה אמר מתניתא א"ל וסימניך תני רב שמואל בר יהודה
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כ וא"ל א"כ עשיתה דברי ב"ש ודברי ב"ה אחד דתנן מאור שלא נעשה בידי אדם שיעורו מלא אגרוף גדול וזהו אגרופו של בן אבטיח א"ר יוסי וישנו כראש גדול של אדם
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כא נעשה בידי אדם שיערוהו כמלא מקדח גדול של לשכה שהוא כפונדיון של האיטלקי וכסלע נירונית וישנו
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