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Temurah 8b

תמורה ח׳ ע״ב

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

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Topic

Does a כהן own a living unblemished בכור, and may he sell one to a ישראל?

Overview

This amud asks whether a כהן owns an unblemished בכור while it is still alive. אביי and רבינא explain that sources saying he owns it are talking about a בכור from חוץ לארץ, following רבי שמעון, because there is no duty to bring that one to the מזבח. The גמרא suggests this may be an argument between תנאים in a ברייתא. It answers that the ברייתא is just the same dispute as רבי יוחנן בן נורי and רבי עקיבא in the משנה. Next, רב חסדא rules that a living unblemished בכור may be sold only from one כהן to another, not to a ישראל. His reason is challenged, and רב הונא בריה דרב יהושע gives a new reason: it looks like a כהן helping at the threshing floor to earn gifts. In a story, מר זוטרא questions his hosts at רב אשי's house for buying a בכור from a כהן. They answer that a real, paid purchase is different, and the explanation of the כהן's thinking continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

אָמַר אַבָּיֵי: לָא,

Abaye said: No,

לְעוֹלָם בְּתָם,

actually it is about an unblemished animal,

וּבִבְכוֹר בְּחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ,

and about a firstborn outside Eretz Yisrael,

וְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן הִיא דְּאָמַר:

and it follows Rabbi Shimon, who said:

The steps (17)

  1. Resolutionאביי: the case is an unblemished firstborn from outside ארץ ישראל
  2. ChallengeChallenge from רבי יוחנן בן נורי in the משנה
  3. Resolutionרבינא: the משנה is also about a firstborn from outside ארץ ישראל
  4. QuestionIs this question an argument between תנאים?
  5. ProofReading the first opinion to show the כהן owns the בכור
  6. ResolutionNo problem: the ברייתא is just the משנה's dispute between רבי יוחנן בן נורי and רבי עקיבא
  7. Statementרב חסדא: a כהן may sell a live unblemished בכור only to another כהן
  8. ChallengeWould a חכם even allow this? רב requires a כהן to be present
  9. ResolutionA new reason: it looks like a כהן helping at the threshing floor
  10. Statementמר זוטרא is served בכור meat at רב אשי's house
  11. Challengeמר זוטרא asks: don't you follow רב הונא's rule?
  12. ResolutionThe hosts answer: we paid full price
  13. Challengeמר זוטרא pushes back with a משנה about caring for a בכור
  14. ResolutionThe hosts answer: in the משנה's case the favor is obvious, but we bought it
  15. ResolutionA second version of the answer: here money is paid
  16. ChallengeA worry: maybe the כהן gives a discount hoping for the next בכור
  17. ResolutionNo, because the כהן is thinking something else