Bechoros 15a

בכורות ט״ו ע״א

Bekhorot 15a

Learn Bechoros 15a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

רב's wording about רבי שמעון, and the פסוקים behind the limits on redeemed פסולי המוקדשין

Overview

The גמרא first asks why רב said the משנה is the view of רבי שמעון alone, when the רבנן seem to agree with part of it. One answer is that רב follows ריש לקיש, so the burial rule for dead קדשי מזבח fits only רבי שמעון. Another answer is that רב follows רבי יוחנן, and we read his words as 'רבי שמעון and his disputants.' Next, a ברייתא learns from the פסוק 'like the צבי and the איל' that פסולי המוקדשין are exempt from בכורה and מתנות. The word אך keeps their חלב forbidden. רב פפא and אביי debate whether אך also keeps אותו ואת בנו in force. רבא instead learns the חלב law from 'דמו', which teaches that the fat carries full כרת, and he uses אך for אותו ואת בנו. Finally, a ברייתא shows that redeemed blemished קדשים may not be shorn, milked, or redeemed to feed dogs.

Opening lines

The steps (29)

1. Challengeרב should have mentioned רבי שמעון's disputants
2. Resolutionרב follows ריש לקיש, so the משנה cannot fit the רבנן
3. ChallengeMaybe the burial is because we don't redeem holy animals for dog food
4. ResolutionThen the משנה should have taught the case of a טריפה
5. Resolutionרב follows רבי יוחנן, and his wording is changed
6. QuestionAsking for the source of the exemption when הקדש came first
7. ResponseThe word צבי teaches exemption from בכורה
8. ChallengeMaybe they are exempt only from בכורה, not from מתנות
9. ResolutionThe extra word איל adds the exemption from מתנות
10. ChallengeShould their חלב also be permitted, like a צבי's?
11. ResolutionThe word אך limits the comparison
12. QuestionWhy would we first exempt only from בכורה?
13. Responseבכורה applies only to males, while מתנות apply to all
14. Challengeרב פפא: Maybe the comparison also cancels 'it and its offspring'
15. Resolutionאביי: Every domesticated animal is bound by 'it and its offspring'
16. Rejectionרב פפא: By that logic, 'אך' would not be needed for fat
17. ResolutionThe word 'אך' blocks both fat and 'it and its offspring'
18. Resolutionרבא splits the two sources: אך for אותו ואת בנו, דמו for fat
19. QuestionWhat does 'its blood' mean? It cannot be real blood
20. Response'Its blood' means its fat
21. ChallengeThen why not just write 'its fat'?
22. ResolutionWriting 'fat' would have suggested a split ruling
23. ResolutionThe comparison would have removed the כרת punishment
24. ResolutionThe verse's share would have been only a plain prohibition
25. ConclusionThe תורה wrote "its blood" to teach כרת for the fat
26. ChallengeBut the ברייתא learned the fat law from "however"
27. ResolutionOnce "its blood" is written, "however" teaches אותו ואת בנו
28. QuestionSource for blemished קדשים not becoming fully non-sacred
29. ResponseSlaughter but not shear, meat but not milk, eat but not feed dogs