Temurah 8a

תמורה ח׳ ע״א

Learn Temurah 8a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Does a כהן have ownership rights (זכייה) in an unblemished בכור while the בית המקדש stands? Challenges to רב נחמן's position

Overview

This amud continues the discussion of רב נחמן's view that a כהן has no ownership rights (זכייה) in an unblemished בכור while the בית המקדש stands. First, a ברייתא saying a בכור 'may be sold' is used against him. The גמרא answers that the selling refers to a blemished animal and the offering to an unblemished one. Next, רב משרשיא brings a משנה about a כהנת's child mixed up with her maidservant's child. The גמרא answers, in two versions, that the משנה is about today: these possible כהנים may keep their blemished בכור instead of giving it to another כהן. Then a ברייתא about עיר הנדחת is brought, and the גמרא answers that it is about a blemished בכור. Such a בכור is not eaten like ordinary animals, as a משנה in בכורות shows. Finally, a ברייתא that compares a בכור to שלמים as the owner's property seems to prove that a כהן owns even an unblemished בכור. The answer to this comes on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (20)

1. ChallengeA ברייתא says a בכור may be sold, and it must be talking about Temple times
2. ChallengeThe ברייתא must refer to an unblemished animal, so the כהן has ownership
3. ResolutionThe two parts of the ruling refer to different animals
4. Challengeרב משרשיא quotes a משנה about mixed-up children
5. ChallengeWhich time period is the משנה talking about?
6. ChallengeSo the כהן must own an unblemished בכור
7. ResolutionThe משנה is about today, and the uncertain children can keep their בכור
8. ChallengeSecond version: why would the משנה single out the uncertain cases?
9. ChallengeIt must be an unblemished animal, which shows it can normally be sold
10. ResolutionSecond answer: today, the uncertain children can turn the כהן away
11. ChallengeA teaching about the destroyed city is brought as a challenge
12. QuestionThe teaching must be about Temple times
13. ChallengeWhy use "its animals" unless the כהן owns it?
14. ResolutionIt is a blemished בכור, which is not eaten like an ordinary animal
15. ProofA blemished בכור and מעשר are not sold like ordinary meat
16. ChallengeA ברייתא about lying under oath over קדשים owned by someone else
17. QuestionThe ברייתא must be about the time of the בית המקדש
18. QuestionWhat kind of בכור is the ברייתא talking about?
19. RejectionIt cannot mean a blemished בכור, because it is compared to שלמים
20. ConclusionSo the ברייתא means an unblemished בכור, and the כהן owns it