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Bechoros 12a

בכורות י״ב ע״א

Bekhorot 12a

Learn Bechoros 12a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Which animals may be used to redeem a פטר חמור: the שה/פסח comparison, a בן פקועה, a נדמה, and פסולי המוקדשין.

Overview

The משנה lists animals that may not be used to redeem a פטר חמור, such as a calf, a wild animal, a טריפה, a כלאים and a כוי. רבי אליעזר permits a כלאים. The גמרא explains that the list follows בן בג בג, who links the word שה here to the word שה by the קרבן פסח. The doubled word תפדה then allows female, blemished and older lambs. Next the גמרא asks about a בן פקועה: מר זוטרא forbids it because of the פסח comparison, and רב אשי permits it. It then asks about a נדמה, a sheep that looks like a goat, according to the רבנן. Two proofs are brought from ברייתות, and both are pushed aside. Finally it asks about redeeming with פסולי המוקדשין, and רב מרי rules from 'כצבי וכאיל' that you may not. The amud ends as the גמרא begins to draw a new point from his answer, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

מַתְנִי׳ אֵין פּוֹדִין

MISHNA: One may not redeem

לֹא בְּעֵגֶל וְלֹא בְּחַיָּה,

neither with a calf nor with a wild animal,

לֹא בִּשְׁחוּטָה וְלֹא בִּטְרֵיפָה,

nor with a slaughtered animal nor with a tereifa,

וְלֹא בְּכִלְאַיִם וְלֹא בְּכוֹי.

nor with a hybrid nor with a koy.

The steps (34)

  1. StatementAnimals that cannot redeem a firstborn donkey
  2. Statementרבי אליעזר permits a כלאים but not a כוי
  3. StatementA כהן must set aside a שה before keeping the donkey
  4. QuestionWhose opinion is the משנה?
  5. Responseבן בג בג compares שה here to שה by the פסח
  6. ChallengeShould the lamb also be male, unblemished and one year old?
  7. ResolutionThe doubled 'you shall redeem' includes those lambs
  8. ChallengeThen include all the excluded animals too?
  9. ResolutionOtherwise the word 'lamb' would have no purpose
  10. QuestionNew question: redeeming with a בן פקועה
  11. QuestionThe two sides of the doubt
  12. Responseמר זוטרא and רב אשי disagree
  13. Challengeרב אשי challenges the comparison to פסח
  14. ResolutionThe doubled תפדה includes those cases
  15. ChallengeIf the doubled word adds animals, it should add a בן פקועה too
  16. ResolutionThen the שה–שה comparison would be useless
  17. QuestionNew question: may you redeem with a lamb that looks like a goat?
  18. QuestionThe question only matters according to the רבנן
  19. ProofA ברייתא: a goat-like animal born to a cow versus one born to a ewe
  20. ProofThe ברייתא must follow the רבנן
  21. RejectionThe ברייתא can still follow רבי אליעזר
  22. Proofרבה בר שמואל's ברייתא about a goat-like animal born to a ewe
  23. ChallengeIf both parents are sheep, how is it a hybrid?
  24. ResolutionIt resembles a hybrid, and the רבנן treated it like one
  25. ChallengeIt cannot be about קדשים, since a פסוק already excludes a look-alike
  26. ChallengeIt cannot be about בכור either, since a פסוק already teaches that
  27. ChallengeThe ruling cannot be about animal tithe either
  28. ProofSo the ruling must be about redeeming a firstborn donkey
  29. RejectionThe ruling can still be about tithe, in a special case
  30. QuestionCan you redeem a firstborn donkey with a disqualified consecrated animal?
  31. QuestionThe question only applies according to רבי יהודה
  32. QuestionThe two sides of the question
  33. Responseרב מרי answers from 'כצבי וכאיל'
  34. StatementNow that we have reached this explanation