Gemara Clarity

Bechoros 20b

בכורות כ׳ ע״ב

Bekhorot 20b

Learn Bechoros 20b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Bechoros 20b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Wrapping up the two views inside רבי יהושע's statement (his tradition vs. his own reasoning), then finding the practical difference between רבי עקיבא and רבי יהושע: whether milk alone shows that an animal already gave birth (חלב פוטר).

Overview

This amud first finishes explaining how רבי יהושע's received tradition (לגמריה) differs from his own reasoning (לסבריה) about a goat's discharge. It offers two explanations: whether an animal can give birth before its months are complete (יולדת למקוטעין), or whether part of a day counts as a whole day (מקצת היום ככולו). Next the גמרא asks what practical difference there is between רבי עקיבא and רבי יהושע. רבי חנינא מסורא answers that they disagree about an animal already giving milk: does that milk show it gave birth, so its next offspring is not a בכור (חלב פוטר)? At first רבי יהושע is said to worry about the minority of animals that give milk without giving birth. The גמרא then challenges this from the widow case in יבמות, where רבי יהושע clearly ignores a minority. So it reverses the opinions, backed by a ברייתא: רבי יהושע says milk exempts, and רבי עקיבא says it does not. Finally, a new ברייתא describes a young goat whose daughters and granddaughters reach ten animals for מעשר בהמה. The גמרא questions why the ברייתא needed each goat to have three, and why it did not let the mother give birth again in the same year. The answer to that last question comes on the next amud.

Opening lines

לִגְמָרֵיהּ — לָא אָמְרִינַן יוֹלֶדֶת לִמְקוּטָּעִין,

According to his tradition, we do not say that an animal gives birth after incomplete months,

לִסְבָרֵיהּ — אָמְרִינַן יוֹלֶדֶת לִמְקוּטָּעִין.

according to his own reasoning, we say that it does give birth after incomplete months.

וְאִיבָּעֵית אֵימָא: לָא אָמְרִינַן יוֹלֶדֶת,

And if you wish, say: we do not say that it gives birth early,

וְהָכָא בְּמִקְצָת הַיּוֹם כְּכוּלּוֹ קָמִיפַּלְגִי.

and here they disagree about whether part of the day is like the whole day.

The steps (11)

  1. ResolutionTradition vs. reasoning: can an animal give birth early?
  2. ResolutionAnother explanation: does part of a day count as a whole day?
  3. QuestionWhat is the practical difference between רבי עקיבא and רבי יהושע?
  4. ResponseThe difference is whether milk shows the animal already gave birth
  5. ChallengeA משנה where רבי יהושע ignores a possible minority
  6. ProofWhy רבי יהושע treats a male birth as only a minority
  7. ResolutionReverse the opinions: רבי יהושע holds milk exempts
  8. StatementA young goat's family reaches ten for tithing
  9. ChallengeWhy does the ברייתא need three each?
  10. ResolutionThe ברייתא said three for all of them to keep the wording even
  11. ChallengeWhy mention a birth of three at all