Menachot 73

רבי יוסי החורם אומר מצינו ימין שנקרא יד שנאמר (בראשית מח, יז) וירא יוסף כי ישית אביו יד ימינו ואידך יד ימינו איקרי יד סתמא לא איקרי

R'Jose ha-Horem<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' There are a number of variants to this word, and the meaning is extremely doubtful. In cur. edd. , the net-maker (Jast.) ; others read ourjv , the flat-nosed, being called by this epithet either because of his physical deformity or, more probably, because of the teaching he xrvv xrjv reported concerning a firstling that was flat-nosed; v. Bek. 43b. Other variants are and , possibly place-names.');">¹</span> says, But we also find the right hand referred to as 'hand', for it is written, And when Joseph saw that his father was laying his hand, the right one!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XLVIII, 17. This destroys the argument of the first Tanna.');">²</span> And the other? It is referred to as 'the hand, the right one', but never as 'the hand'.

ר' נתן אומר אינו צריך הרי הוא אומר (דברים ו, ח) וקשרתם וכתבתם מה כתיבה בימין אף קשירה בימין וכיון דקשירה בימין הנחה בשמאל היא ור' יוסי החורם הנחה דבשמאל מנא ליה נפקא ליה מהיכא דנפקא ליה לר' נתן

R'Nathan says, All this is unnecessary, for since it is written And th shalt bind them<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. the Tefillin; Deut. VI, 8.');">³</span> and And thou shalt write them,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. the Mezuzah; ibid. 9. vfsh vvf sh');">⁴</span> as writing is with the right hand so the binding shall be with the right hand, and if the binding is to be with the right hand then obviously [the hand-tefillah] must be put on the left hand. Whence does R'Jose ha-Horem learn that it must be put on the left hand? - He derives it from that same passage from which R'Nathan derives it.

רב אשי אמר מידכה כתיב בה"י כהה א"ל ר' אבא לרב אשי ואימא ידך שבכח א"ל מי כתיב בחי"ת

R'Ashi said, He derives it from thy hand,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XIII, 16. , with superfluous 'he', is interpreted as , the weaker hand. vfsh jf sh');">⁵</span> which, being written with the letter he at the end, indicates the weaker hand. Thereupon R'Abba said to R'Ashi, perhaps it means, the stronger hand?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Interpreting as , for the letters he and heth are frequently interchanged since they resemble each other so closely in form and pronunciation.');">⁶</span> - He replied, Is it written with the letter heth?

כתנאי ידכה בה"י זו שמאל אחרים אומרים ידך לרבות את הגידם תניא אידך אין לו זרוע פטור מן התפילין אחרים אומר ידכה לרבות את הגידם

This is further disputed by Tannaim. It was taught. Thy hand, written with the he, indicates the left hand. Others say, Thy hand, includes a man that has but the stump of the arm.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'The weaker hand' meaning also the broken arm or amputated arm with but a stump left. The tefillin must be put on this stump.');">⁷</span>

ת"ר אטר מניח תפילין בימינו שהוא שמאלו והתניא מניח בשמאלו שהוא שמאלו של כל אדם אמר אביי כי תניא ההיא בשולט בשתי ידיו

Another [Baraitha] taught: One that has no [left] arm is exempt from tefillin. Others say, 'Thy hand', includes a man that has but the stump of the arm. Our Rabbis taught: A left-handed man puts his tefillin on his right hand for that is his left.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the weaker hand.');">⁸</span> But it has also been taught that he must put it on his left hand which is also the left of all people! - The latter was taught o a person who is ambidextrous.

תנא דבי מנשה על ידך זו קיבורת בין עיניך זו קדקד היכא אמרי דבי רבי ינאי מקום שמוחו של תינוק רופס

A Tanna in the school of Manasseh taught: Upon thy hand,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XIII, 9.');">⁹</span> that is, on the biceps muscle; between thine eyes,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XIII, 9.');">⁹</span> that is, on the skull. On what part?

בעא מיניה פלימו מרבי מי שיש לו שני ראשים באיזה מהן מניח תפילין א"ל או קום גלי או קבל עלך שמתא אדהכי אתא ההוא גברא א"ל איתיליד לי ינוקא דאית ליה תרי רישי כמה בעינן למיתב לכהן אתא ההוא סבא תנא ליה חייב ליתן לו י' סלעים

It was said in the school of R'Jannai, Where the skull of a babe i still tender. Pelemo enquired of Rabbi, If a man has two heads on which one must he put the tefillin? ' 'You must either leave',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. the school. Rabbi thought that this question was put merely from a desire to scoff at him.');">¹⁰</span> he replied, 'or regard yourself under the ban'. In the meantime there came a man [to the school] saying, 'I have begotten a first-born child with two heads, how much must I give the priest? '<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For his redemption. The fixed sum for redemption was five shekels (sela's in the Rabbinic tongue) , cf. Num. XVIII, 16.');">¹¹</span>

איני והתני רמי בר חמא מתוך שנאמר (במדבר יח, טו) פדה תפדה את בכור האדם שומע אני אפילו נטרף בתוך ל' ת"ל

An old man came forward and ruled that he must give [the priest] ten sela's. But this is not so! For Rami B'Hama learnt: From the verse. The firstborn of man thou shalt surely redeem,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 15. vphry');">¹²</span> I might conclude that this would apply even when the firstborn was rendered trefah<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Heb. , afflicted with a fatal organic disease This is R. Tam's interpretation; according to Rashi, the child was killed.');">¹³</span> within thirty days [of his birth]. Scripture therefore added,