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Bechoros 36a

בכורות ל״ו ע״א

Bekhorot 36a

Learn Bechoros 36a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Bechoros 36a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

When a כהן or a witness is believed about a בכור's blemish: hearsay, הפה שאסר, מה לו לשקר, and things that can easily come out

Overview

The amud opens by finishing an earlier point: רבי מאיר suspects כהנים of blemishing a בכור only as a worry, not as a proven fact. Next the גמרא asks whether עד מפי עד (hearsay) is valid for a בכור. It concludes that it is, based on רב אשי's rereading of the ברייתא of the school of מנשה. רבי אילעא then rules that a person is believed when he says an animal is a בכור and that its blemish came by itself. The גמרא defends this ruling with the idea that a cheater would have made an obvious blemish. It also shows that 'מה לו לשקר' works against a mere suspicion, even though it does not work against witnesses. A dramatic story follows: רבי צדוק's question about a חבר versus an עם הארץ leads רבן גמליאל to publicly confront רבי יהושע, until the people stop the lecture. Finally, a new משנה trusts a כהן who says an expert saw his בכור. רב adds that a כהן is believed that a ישראל gave him the animal already blemished, because people do not lie about what can easily come out. רב שיזבי challenges that rule, and the answer begins at the end of the amud and continues on the next one.

Opening lines

אֵימַר דְּאָמַר רַבִּי מֵאִיר לַחֲשָׁשָׁא,

Say that Rabbi Meir said it only for a concern;

לְאַחְזוֹקִינְהוּ מִי אָמַר?

did he say it to establish them as definitely doing it?

אִיבַּעְיָא לְהוּ:

A question was raised before them:

עֵד מִפִּי עֵד,

a witness speaking from the mouth of a witness,

The steps (34)

  1. Resolutionרבי מאיר's suspicion is only a precaution
  2. QuestionIs hearsay testimony valid for a firstborn?
  3. Statementרב אסי forbids, רב אשי permits
  4. ChallengeChallenge from the school of מנשה
  5. ResolutionReread the ברייתא: wherever a woman can testify
  6. Statementרב יימר's ruling and מרימר's nickname
  7. ConclusionFinal halacha: hearsay is valid for a firstborn
  8. Statementרבי אילעא: Believing someone who says the animal is a firstborn with a natural blemish
  9. ChallengeIsn't this already taught by the משנה about the divorced woman?
  10. ResolutionThe firstborn case is different, yet he is still believed
  11. ChallengeThe case of the rented donkey
  12. Challengeרבא and אביי argue about believing the renter
  13. ResolutionThe cases are different: certainty versus suspicion
  14. StatementThe rule is taught in the name of רבי אילעא
  15. Statementרבי צדוק's firstborn splits its lip
  16. Questionרבי צדוק asks about a חבר versus an עם הארץ
  17. Responseרבי יהושע answers: yes
  18. Questionרבי צדוק brings his question to רבן גמליאל
  19. Responseרבן גמליאל says no
  20. Challengeרבי צדוק points out that רבי יהושע said yes
  21. Responseרבן גמליאל says to wait for the scholars
  22. QuestionThe question is asked publicly in the בית המדרש
  23. Responseרבי יהושע answers no in public
  24. Challengeרבן גמליאל confronts רבי יהושע and makes him stand
  25. Responseרבי יהושע admits he cannot deny it
  26. StatementThe people stop רבן גמליאל's lecture
  27. StatementA priest is believed that an expert saw the firstborn
  28. StatementA priest is believed that he received the animal already blemished
  29. QuestionWhy is the priest believed?
  30. ResponsePeople don't lie about what can easily come out
  31. Proofרב אשי finds support in the משנה
  32. RejectionThe משנה has a different reason
  33. Challengeרב שיזבי challenges from an agent buying tithed produce
  34. ResolutionThe agent's case is different