Bechoros 57b

בכורות נ״ז ע״ב

Bekhorot 57b

Learn Bechoros 57b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The sources of a תנא on מעשר בהמה, רבי ישמעאל בן סתריאל's testimonies, and the משנה of the three גרנות and the tithing new year

Overview

The amud opens by finishing the identification of a תנא who brings יוצא דופן, מחוסר זמן, and יתום into the pen for מעשר בהמה. He follows רבי שמעון on a caesarean birth, רבי שמעון בן יהודה on מחוסר זמן, and רבי יהושע on a 'יתום' whose mother's hide (שלח) still exists. רבי ישמעאל בן סתריאל then testifies before רבי that in his town they dress a newborn in its dead mother's skin, and רבי says this reveals the reason of the משנה. He adds wonder-reports about huge lettuce, a giant cedar, and a בר יוכני egg that flooded sixty cities. The גמרא questions the egg story from a פסוק, and רב אשי answers that it was an unfertilized egg. A new משנה then lists the three yearly deadlines (גרנות) for מעשר בהמה and records the opinions of רבי עקיבא, בן עזאי, and רבי אלעזר with רבי שמעון. It also gives the dispute over whether the tithing year begins on 1 אלול or 1 תשרי. The משנה explains that ראש השנה divides the groups of animals, while a גורן only marks when slaughtering untithed animals becomes forbidden. The גמרא asks why there are three גרנות, and רבה בר שילא answers that there is one for each birthing season. It then asks why these particular times were chosen, and רבי תנחום's answer continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (24)

1. ResponseThe תנא holds like רבי שמעון on a caesarean-born animal
2. Responseמחוסר זמן follows רבי שמעון בן יהודה, and יתום means the hide still exists
3. Proofרבי יהושע consistently holds that the hide prevents orphan status
4. StatementTestimony: newborns are dressed in the dead mother's skin
5. Conclusionרבי: the reason of our משנה is now revealed
6. StatementTestimony: the giant lettuce of his town
7. StatementTestimony: a fallen cedar so wide sixteen wagons crossed it
8. StatementThe giant egg that flooded sixty cities
9. ChallengeBut this bird lays its eggs on the ground
10. ResolutionIt was an unfertilized egg
11. StatementNew משנה: רבי עקיבא's three tithing deadlines
12. Statementבן עזאי's dates
13. Statementרבי אלעזר and רבי שמעון's dates
14. QuestionWhy 29 אלול and not 1 תשרי?
15. ResponseBecause one cannot tithe on יום טוב
16. Statementרבי מאיר: the animal-tithe year starts 1 אלול
17. Statementבן עזאי: animals born in אלול are tithed separately
18. StatementAnimals born within one tithing year join together
19. StatementThe new year splits groups, but a gathering date does not
20. QuestionSo what are the three gathering times for?
21. ResponseThe gathering time marks when slaughter becomes forbidden
22. QuestionWhy specifically three gathering times?
23. ResponseThree gathering times match three birthing seasons
24. QuestionWhy these particular dates?