Temurah 48

מתני׳ <big><strong>כיצד</strong></big> מערימין על הבכור

<big><b>MISHNAH: </b></big>WHAT DEVICE DO WE USE WITH REFERENCE TO A FIRSTLING?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To prevent it coming into the possession of the priest and to enable the owner to carry out with it his own obligations.');">¹</span>

מבכרת שהיתה מעוברת אומר

HE SAYS IN RESPECT OF A PREGNANT ANIMAL WHICH WAS GIVING BIRTH FOR THE FIRST TIME: IF WHAT IS IN THE INSIDE OF THIS [ANIMAL] IS A MALE, LET IT BE A BURNT-OFFERING.

מה שבמעיה של זו אם זכר עולה ילדה זכר יקרב עולה

IF IT THEN GAVE BIRTH TO A MALE, IT IS OFFERED AS A BURNT-OFFERING.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A firstling only becomes holy when it emerges from the womb, and since prior to this another holiness took effect on the embryo, the holiness of a firstling no longer attaches to it.');">²</span>

ואם נקבה זבחי שלמים ילדה נקבה תקרב שלמים

[IF HE SAID:] IF IT IS A FEMALE, LET IT BE A PEACE-OFFERING, THEN IF IT GAVE BIRTH TO A FEMALE, IT IS OFFERED AS A PEACE-OFFERING.

אם זכר עולה ואם נקבה זבחי שלמים ילדה זכר ונקבה הזכר יקרב עולה והנקבה תקרב שלמים

[IF HE SAID:] IF IT IS A MALE, LET IT BE A BURNT-OFFERING, AND IF A FEMALE [LET IT BE] A PEACE-OFFERING, THEN IF IT GAVE BIRTH TO A MALE AND A FEMALE, THE MALE IS OFFERED AS A BURNT-OFFERING AND THE FEMALE IS OFFERED AS A PEACE-OFFERING.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. GEMARA:');">³</span>

ילדה שני זכרים אחד מהם יקרב עולה והשני ימכר לחייבי עולה ודמיו חולין

IF IT GAVE BIRTH TO TWO MALES,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The holiness of a burnt-offering attaches to both animals, since he said that if the offspring be a male it shall become a burnt-offering.');">⁴</span>

ילדה שתי נקבות אחת מהם תקרב שלמים והשניה תימכר לחייבי שלמים ודמיה חולין

ONE OF THEM SHALL BE OFFERED AS A BURNT-OFFERING AND THE SECOND SHALL BE SOLD TO PERSONS UNDER OBLIGATION TO BRING A BURNT-OFFERING<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The reason being that his vow only referred to one animal and therefore one of the animals must be sold for a burnt-offering, for anything which is fit for the altar must be offered on the altar.');">⁵</span>

ילדה טומטום ואנדרוגינוס רשב"ג אומר

AND ITS MONEY BECOMES HULLIN.

אין קדושה חלה עליהן

IF IT GAVE BIRTH TO TWO FEMALES, ONE OF THEM IS OFFERED AS A PEACE-OFFERING AND THE SECOND IS SOLD TO PERSONS UNDER OBLIGATION TO BRING PEACE-OFFERINGS AND THE MONEY BECOMES HULLIN.

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> אמר רב יהודה

IF [THE ANIMAL] GAVE BIRTH TO A TUMTUM<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' One of doubtful sex.');">⁶</span>

מותר להטיל מום בבכור קודם שיצא לאויר העולם

AND A HERMAPHRODITE, R'SIMEON B. GAMALIEL SAYS: NO HOLINESS ATTACHES TO THEM.

תנן

<big><b>GEMARA: </b></big>Said Rab Judah: One is permitted to make a blemish in a firstling before it is born.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'comes forth into the lighted space of the world'.');">⁷</span>

אומר אדם מה שבמעיה של זו עולה עולה אין שלמים לא [ואת] אמרת דמצית מפקעת ליה מקדושתה

We learnt: [WHAT<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Sh. Mek.');">⁸</span>

אמר לך רב יהודה

DEVICE DO WE USE WITH REFERENCE TO A FIRSTLING? ] HE SAYS [IN RESPECT OF A PREGNANT ANIMAL WHICH WAS GIVING BIRTH FOR THE FIRST TIME]: IF WHAT IS IN THE INSIDE OF THIS ANIMAL IS A MALE, LET IT BE A BURNT-OFFERING.

ה"מ בזמן שבית המקדש קיים כי קאמינא אנא בזמן הזה דלא חזי להקרבה אי בזמן הזה

Now this implies only a burnt-offering<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since it is burnt wholly on the altar, it is permissible to change the holiness of a firstling for this holiness.');">⁹</span>

מאי למימרא

but not a peace-offering,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since its holiness is of a less stringent character and therefore it is forbidden to use a device to change holiness of a firstling. How much more so then must it be forbidden to maim a firstling deliberately and deprive it of all holiness!');">¹⁰</span>

מהו דתימא נגזר דלמא נפיק רוב ראשו וקשדי ביה מומא

and yet you say that he is able to release it altogether from its holiness? - Rab Judah can answer you thus: [The Tanna of the Mishnah] refers to the period when the Temple stood, whereas I refer<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When I say that it is permissible to maim a firstling in the inside of its mother.');">¹¹</span>

ואימא הכי נמי

to nowadays when [a firstling] is not fit to be offered.

אפילו הכי הא עדיפא (יתירא) מדאתי ביה לידי גיזה ועבודה

But if your ruling applies to nowadays, what need is there to teach it? - You might have said that we should prohibit, in case the greater part of the head goes forth<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And it immediately became holy.');">¹²</span>

אם נקבה זבחי שלמים

and he then makes a blemish in it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Thus causing a blemish to a dedication. Rab Judah therefore informs us that we do not prohibit the infliction of a blemish, since he will be careful to cause the blemish only when a small part of the head has emerged and before the greater part comes forth from the womb.');">¹³</span>

נקבה מי קא קדשה בבכורה

But why not say that it is so?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That on account of this fear we should prohibit the causing of a blemish to a firstling.');">¹⁴</span>

סיפא אתיא לבהמה דהקדש

- Even so, this is better,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To permit the causing of a blemish before it becomes holy in order that the priest may not be compelled to detain it till it becomes blemished.');">¹⁵</span>

ילדה שני זכרים כו'

since otherwise he may come to shear and work [the animal].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If he does not maim it, then there is the fear that he might transgress the law relating to a firstling. Var. lec. (v. Rashi and Sh. Mek.) : Even so the causing of the loss of a limb (and thus making it blemished before the greater part of the animal has gone forth from the womb) is preferable.');">¹⁶</span>

אמרי

[IF HE SAID:] IF IT IS A FEMALE, LET IT BE A PEACE-OFFERING.

אי בהמה דהקדש היאך דאקדיש עולה ליהדר עולה אידך נהוי בקדושתיה דאימיה

But is a female [animal] sacred in respect of the law of a firstling?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the owner needs to use an artifice in order to obtain exemption from the law of the firstling.');">¹⁷</span>

סיפא אתאן לבהמת חולין

- The latter clause<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If it is a female, etc.');">¹⁸</span>

ילדה טומטום ואנדרוגינוס כו'

of the Mishnah refers to a dedicated animal.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If it was a sin-offering and it became pregnant and he wishes to use an artifice to avoid having its young condemned to death, the law being that the offspring of a sin-offering is condemned to death. He can therefore change the embryo for another dedication, since the holiness of a dedication only comes at birth but not previously.');">¹⁹</span> IF IT GAVE BIRTH TO TWO MALES etc. It was asked, If the reference is to a dedicated animal, then let the young which was dedicated as a burnt-offering be a burnt-offering and the other [young when born] retain the holiness of its mother?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Why then is the second male animal sold for the purpose of a burnt-offering?');">²⁰</span> - This latter clause<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Referring to the birth of two males.');">²¹</span> refers to an animal of hullin. IF IT GAVE BIRTH TO A TUMTUM OR A HERMAPHRODITE etc.