Bechoros 43a

בכורות מ״ג ע״א

Bekhorot 43a

Learn Bechoros 43a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The end of the dispute about a טומטום who turned out to be a סריס, the closing of פרק על אלו מומין, and the opening of the new משנה listing blemishes that disqualify a כהן

Overview

This amud opens by finishing an earlier dispute between רבי יהודה and רבי יוסי בר רבי יהודה about a טומטום found to be a סריס. Their views differ on whether his חליצה counts. Then the הדרן closes פרק על אלו מומין, and a new משנה teaches that every animal blemish also disqualifies a כהן, plus extra human-only blemishes such as odd head shapes, humped backs and baldness. The גמרא asks how the two lists can be the same when the תורה lists some blemishes only for animals and others only for people. It answers with a גזירה שוה from the words גרב and ילפת, and proves these words are extra. It then explains why the תורה still wrote two separate lists, using the rule of the תנא דבי רבי ישמעאל about repeated passages. Next, רבא shows why the תורה had to mention מום by a כהן, by קדשים and by a בכור: each has a special feature, so none can be learned from one or two of the others. Finally, רבי יוחנן derives the extra human blemishes from the verse 'מזרע אהרן': a כהן must look like the other כהנים.

Opening lines

The steps (25)

1. ResponseThe practical difference between the two opinions about the טומטום's חליצה
2. ConclusionHadran — Closing פרק על אלו מומין
3. StatementAnimal blemishes also disqualify a כהן, and there are extra human blemishes
4. StatementThe משנה continues: a humped back and baldness
5. ChallengeHow can all animal blemishes apply to people when the lists differ?
6. ResolutionA גזירה שוה links the two lists
7. StatementThe words must be extra, or the analogy could be refuted
8. ResolutionProving that the words are truly extra
9. ChallengeWhy not write the whole list only once?
10. ResolutionIf the full list were written only for people
11. ResolutionIf the full list were written only for animals
12. ChallengeWhy not write the shared blemishes only once?
13. ResolutionA passage may be repeated just to teach something new
14. QuestionWhy does the תורה mention מום three times?
15. ResponseA person's case alone would not teach animals
16. ResponseA בכור cannot teach the law for a person
17. ResponseOfferings cannot be learned from a firstborn
18. ResponseNeither a person nor a firstborn can be learned from offerings
19. ChallengeLearn one case from the other two
20. RejectionA firstborn cannot be learned from a person and offerings
21. RejectionOfferings cannot be learned from a person and a firstborn
22. RejectionA person cannot be learned from a firstborn and offerings together
23. ConclusionAll three cases had to be written
24. QuestionSource for the extra blemishes of a person
25. ResponseA כהן must look like the rest of אהרן's descendants