Gemara Clarity

Bechoros 5a

בכורות ה׳ ע״א

Bekhorot 5a

Learn Bechoros 5a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Bechoros 5a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

The holiness of בכורות in the מדבר, and קונטרוקוס's number questions about the לויים and the double holy מנה

Overview

This amud finishes the מחלוקת between רבי יוחנן and ריש לקיש about whether the בכורות in the מדבר stayed holy after the לויים replaced them. רבי אלעזר brings רבי יוחנן's source, 'לי יהיו', and the גמרא explains how רבי יוחנן reads ריש לקיש's verse as a reward: this מצוה brings you into the land. רב מרדכי reports a version that sounds reversed but means the same thing, which teaches that one must repeat a teaching in his teacher's exact words. Then קונטרוקוס the officer asks רבן יוחנן בן זכאי two number puzzles. First, why the לויים total 22,000 when their families add up to 22,300. The answer is that the 300 extra were firstborns, who could not free an Israelite firstborn. Second, why about 201 talents of silver were collected for the משכן but only 100 were given. The answer is that the holy מנה was double. The גמרא then searches for a source for the double מנה. Two proofs from how the Torah writes amounts are rejected, and רב חסדא brings a verse in יחזקאל that defines the מנה. The calculation from that verse continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

וּפָסְקוּ.

and [then their sanctity] ceased.

בִּשְׁלָמָא רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ,

Granted, according to Reish Lakish,

כִּדְאָמַר טַעַם,

the reason is as he stated,

אֶלָּא לְרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן —

but according to Rabbi Yochanan,

The steps (27)

  1. StatementEnd of ריש לקיש's statement: their holiness stopped
  2. QuestionWhat is רבי יוחנן's source?
  3. Responseרבי אלעזר's answer: 'לי יהיו' means they stay Mine
  4. QuestionWhat does רבי יוחנן do with ריש לקיש's verse?
  5. ResponseThe verse teaches: this מצוה earns entry into the land
  6. Statementרב מרדכי reports a reversed version of the dispute
  7. Challengeרב אשי asks whether everything else must also be reversed
  8. Resolutionרב מרדכי explains that 'not made holy' means 'did not need to be made holy'
  9. ChallengeIf so, it is the same as our version
  10. ResolutionA student must repeat his teacher's exact words
  11. Questionקונטרוקוס asks where 300 לויים went
  12. ResponseThe extra 300 Levites were firstborns themselves
  13. QuestionWhy can't a firstborn release another firstborn?
  14. Responseאביי: a firstborn can only cancel his own holiness
  15. QuestionThe numbers: silver collected versus silver given
  16. ChallengeThe accusation: was משה a thief, a gambler, or bad at math?
  17. ResolutionThe holy מנה was double
  18. Challengeרב אחאי asks what really bothered קונטרוקוס
  19. ResolutionAnother verse says the total collection was 100 talents
  20. QuestionHow did he know the holy מנה was double?
  21. ProofProposed proof from the 1,775 שקלים
  22. ConclusionConclusion: the holy מנה was double
  23. RejectionMaybe the Torah counts only the big totals in talents
  24. ProofA new proof from the copper offering
  25. ConclusionSo the holy מנה was double
  26. RejectionMaybe the Torah counts only the tens in talents
  27. Proofרב חסדא proves it from יחזקאל