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Bechoros 46a

בכורות מ״ו ע״א

Bekhorot 46a

Learn Bechoros 46a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The end of מומין אלו (vows על דעת רבים, נדר versus קבלה) and the opening משנה of the new perek on the two kinds of בכור: for inheritance and for the כהן

Overview

This amud finishes the perek מומין אלו. A כהן who married a woman forbidden to him is made to take a נדר על דעת רבים. אמימר rules that such a vow cannot be undone, unless undoing it allows a מצוה, as the story of רב אחא, רבינא and the children's teacher shows. The גמרא then explains why a כהן who became טמא למתים only needs קבלה, while one who married in sin needs a נדר: his desire overpowers him. After the הדרן, a new perek opens with a משנה about four kinds of בכור: for inheritance, for the כהן, for both, or for neither. The משנה lists sons who are a firstborn for inheritance only, with רבי מאיר and חכמים disagreeing about miscarriages, and רבי יוסי הגלילי disagreeing about converts. It then lists sons who are a firstborn for the כהן but not for inheritance.

Opening lines

לֵיהּ אַדַּעַת רַבִּים.

him, on the consent of the public.

אָמַר אַמֵּימָר: הִלְכְתָא,

Ameimar said: The halakha is:

אֲפִילּוּ לְמַאן דְּאָמַר

even according to the one who says

נֶדֶר שֶׁהוּדַּר בָּרַבִּים יֵשׁ לוֹ הֲפָרָה,

a vow that was taken in public can be undone,

The steps (16)

  1. StatementThe vow is made on the consent of the public
  2. Statementאמימר: a vow on the public's consent cannot be undone
  3. StatementLimit: a vow can be undone for the sake of a מצוה
  4. ProofThe story of the children's teacher
  5. QuestionWhy the טמא כהן only needs to accept upon himself
  6. ResponseThere his desire overpowers him
  7. ConclusionHadran — Closing מומין אלו
  8. StatementNew perek: four kinds of firstborn
  9. StatementFirstborn for inheritance only: רבי מאיר's cases
  10. Statementחכמים: the miscarriage must have a human form
  11. StatementMore cases: sandal, afterbirth, sac, baby in pieces
  12. StatementMother who gave birth before: earlier marriage, maidservant, or convert
  13. Statementרבי יוסי הגלילי: a son born after conversion is a full firstborn
  14. StatementFirstborn for the כהן but not for inheritance: father already had sons, or mother converted or was freed while pregnant
  15. StatementBabies mixed up at birth
  16. StatementUnknown father after a quick remarriage, and the ruling for the whole category