Bechoros 26a

בכורות כ״ו ע״א

Bekhorot 26a

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Topic

Hair and wool of a blemished בכור: the need for a מומחה, the three versions of עקביא's dispute with the חכמים, the ruling like רבי יהודה, and רבי ינאי's question about wool from an עולה.

Overview

The גמרא defends the rule that a מומחה must permit a blemished בכור before its wool may be used. It explains that a ברייתא calls any animal not yet permitted by a מומחה 'unblemished.' It then tries to show that this rule is a dispute between תנאים. To do so, it quotes a ברייתא in which the תנא קמא, רבי יהודה and רבי יוסי each describe the argument between עקביא בן מהללאל and the חכמים differently. רבא rejects that attempt. In his view, everyone requires a מומחה, and the three views differ only on whether the argument covers an animal that died, one that was slaughtered, or both. רב נחמן rules like רבי יהודה, citing a משנה in עדיות. רב נחמן בר יצחק supports this from the משנה about dangling wool, which only fits the חכמים in a slaughtered animal. Finally, רבי ינאי asks about wool that fell out by itself from an unblemished עולה. The גמרא sets aside the clear cases of חטאת, אשם, בכור and מעשר, and its reasoning about the עולה continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (23)

1. ChallengeA blemished firstborn's wool seems permitted without an expert
2. ResolutionWithout an expert, the animal still counts as unblemished
3. ProofSuggesting a dispute between תנאים, and the first view of the ברייתא
4. Statementרבי יהודה: the dispute was about shed hair, then slaughter
5. Statementרבי יוסי: if slaughtered, everyone permits; the dispute is only when it died
6. Challengeרבי יוסי seems to say the same as the תנא קמא
7. ResolutionSuggested difference: whether an expert must permit the animal
8. ResolutionSpelling out how the תנא קמא and רבי יוסי would differ
9. Rejectionרבא: everyone needs a מומחה, and there are three disputes
10. Resolutionרבא explains the views of רבי יהודה and רבי יוסי
11. Conclusionרב נחמן rules like רבי יהודה
12. ProofThe משנה in עדיות that matches רבי יהודה
13. ProofSupport from the משנה about dangling wool
14. RejectionThe משנה cannot follow רבי יוסי when the animal was slaughtered
15. RejectionThe משנה cannot follow רבי יוסי when the animal died
16. RejectionUnder רבי יהודה, the case cannot be an animal that died
17. RejectionThe case must be a slaughtered animal, and it cannot be עקביא
18. ConclusionThe משנה follows the רבנן, so the argument is about a slaughtered animal
19. Questionרבי ינאי asks about plucking wool from an unblemished עולה
20. ChallengeNobody would permit wool that was plucked on purpose
21. ResolutionThe real question is about wool that fell out by itself
22. Statementחטאת and אשם are clear, and בכור and מעשר are clear
23. QuestionThe real doubt is about the עולה