Bechoros 5b

בכורות ה׳ ע״ב

Bekhorot 5b

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Topic

The doubled holy מנה; רבי חנינא's questions to רבי אליעזר; an animal born unlike its mother and בכורה, and the sources of the תנא of our משנה and רבי יוסי הגלילי

Overview

This amud opens by finishing a calculation from a verse in יחזקאל. From it the גמרא learns three things: the מנה של קודש was double size, a community may enlarge its measures by up to a sixth, and that sixth is counted 'from outside', meaning a sixth of the final total. Next, רבי חנינא reports questions he asked רבי אליעזר. First he asked why only firstborn donkeys are redeemed, and was told it is a גזירת הכתוב and that donkeys carried Egypt's wealth at יציאת מצרים. He then asked about the names רפידים and שטים. רבי אליעזר says they are just names, while רבי יהושע reads them as hints at ישראל's failings, and the two also argue over the verse 'ותקראן לעם'. A new משנה then rules that an animal born unlike its mother is exempt from בכורה, learned from 'פטר חמור' written twice. It adds that for eating, the mother alone decides: what comes from טמא is טמא, and what comes from טהור is טהור. The גמרא shows that רב יהודה follows רבי יוסי הגלילי, who learns the same-species rule from 'בכור שור, בכור כשב, בכור עז'. It explains that the two views differ on whether the Torah wrote the rule about קדושת דמים or about קדושת הגוף, and it works through a צריכותא showing that all three animals are needed for burning the אימורין. Finally, the גמרא explains that רבי יוסי הגלילי uses 'פטר חמור' to exclude horses and camels from redemption, and the amud ends with a challenge to that reading that is answered on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (47)

1. ChallengeThe numbers don't add up to a מנה
2. ResolutionThe holy מנה was double size
3. ConclusionMeasures may be increased up to one sixth, counted from outside
4. QuestionWhy only donkeys among non-kosher firstborns?
5. ResponseA Torah decree, and the donkeys helped at the Exodus
6. QuestionWhat does the name רפידים mean?
7. Responseרפידים is simply its name
8. StatementThis matches a dispute of תנאים: רבי אליעזר's side
9. Statementרבי יהושע: they grew lax in Torah
10. QuestionAnother question: what does the name שטים mean
11. ResponseAnswer: שטים is simply the name
12. StatementThis follows one side of a dispute between תנאים
13. Statementרבי יהושע: שטים hints at foolishness
14. StatementSecond dispute on 'they called the people': רבי אליעזר's view
15. Statementרבי יהושע: they all became impure through emission
16. Statementמשנה: an animal born unlike its mother is exempt from firstborn status
17. ProofSource: 'firstborn of a donkey' is written twice
18. Questionמשנה asks: can these animals be eaten
19. ResponseKashrus follows the mother
20. StatementThe גמרא quotes a related משנה about a ewe and a goat
21. QuestionAsking for the source of this rule
22. Responseרב יהודה: the mother and baby must be the same species
23. ProofThe word 'but' teaches that partial signs still count
24. ChallengeChallenge: our משנה already used the doubled word פטר
25. Resolutionרב יהודה follows a ברייתא of רבי יוסי הגלילי
26. ProofThe word אך keeps a partly-similar baby obligated
27. QuestionWhat is the real disagreement?
28. ResponseOur משנה: the rule was written for the donkey
29. Responseרבי יוסי: the rule was written for kosher animals
30. QuestionWhat does our תנא do with the repeated word בכור?
31. ResponseHe needs it for רבי יוסי son of רבי חנינא's teaching
32. QuestionWhy are the sacrificial portions mentioned for each type of firstborn?
33. ResponseAn ox alone would not teach it, because the ox has more libations
34. ResponseA lamb alone would not teach it, because the lamb has its tail
35. ResponseThe goat is special because of an individual's idol-worship offering
36. ChallengeWhy not learn one animal from the other two?
37. ResolutionThe ox cannot be learned from the lamb and goat
38. ResolutionThe lamb cannot be learned from the ox and goat
39. ResolutionThe goat cannot be left out either
40. ConclusionSo all three animals are needed
41. ChallengeSo how does רבי יוסי הגלילי use this verse?
42. ResolutionThe word 'בכור' is repeated for no reason
43. ConclusionThe firstborn must be the same kind as its mother
44. QuestionWhat does רבי יוסי הגלילי do with 'פטר חמור' twice?
45. ResponseHe needs it for a ברייתא about other non-kosher animals
46. ResponseOnly a donkey, not horses or camels
47. ChallengeMaybe horses and camels are still redeemed, just with anything