בכורות ד׳Bekhorot 4

Perek 4 of 9 in Bekhorot — 10 mishnayot

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Mishnah 1א׳

עַד כַּמָּה יִשְׂרָאֵל חַיָּבִים לְהִטַּפֵּל בַּבְּכוֹר. בִּבְהֵמָה דַקָּה, עַד שְׁלשִׁים יוֹם. וּבַגַּסָּה, חֲמִשִּׁים יוֹם. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, בַּדַּקָּה שְׁלשָׁה חֳדָשִׁים. אָמַר לוֹ הַכֹּהֵן בְּתוֹךְ זְמַן זֶה תְּנֵהוּ לִי, הֲרֵי זֶה לֹא יִתְּנוֹ לוֹ. אִם הָיָה בַעַל מוּם, אָמַר לוֹ תֶּן לִי שֶׁאוֹכְלֶנּוּ, מֻתָּר. וּבִשְׁעַת הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, אִם הָיָה תָמִים, אָמַר לוֹ תֶּן לִי שֶׁאַקְרִיבֶנּוּ, מֻתָּר. הַבְּכוֹר נֶאֱכָל שָׁנָה בְשָׁנָה בֵּין תָּמִים בֵּין בַּעַל מוּם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים טו), לִפְנֵי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ תֹאכְלֶנּוּ שָׁנָה בְשָׁנָה:

How long must an Israelite tend to the first born? Thirty days for a sheep or goat, and fifty days for a cow. Rabbi Yossi says: Three months for a sheep or goat. If the priest says to [the owner] during that time: "Give it to me", [the owner] does not give it to [the priest]. If it was blemished and [the priest] says to [the owner]: "Give it to me so I can eat it", it is permitted [to give it to the priest]. During the time of the Temple, if it is unblemished, and [the priest] says to [the owner]: "Give it to me so I can offer it", it is permitted [to give it to the priest]. The first born is eaten year by year, whether unblemished or blemished, as it is said (Deuteronomy 15:20): "You will eat it before God year by year".

Mishnah 2ב׳

נוֹלַד לוֹ מוּם בְּתוֹךְ שְׁנָתוֹ, מֻתָּר לְקַיְּמוֹ כָּל שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ. לְאַחַר שְׁנָתוֹ, אֵינוֹ רַשַּׁאי לְקַיְּמוֹ אֶלָּא עַד שְׁלשִׁים יוֹם:

If it develops a blemish within its first year, [the owner] is permitted to keep it the entire first year. [If it develops a blemish] after the first year, [the owner] is allowed to keep it only thirty days.

Mishnah 3ג׳

הַשּׁוֹחֵט הַבְּכוֹר וּמַרְאֶה אֶת מוּמוֹ, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה מַתִּיר. רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר, הוֹאִיל וְהוּא נִשְׁחַט שֶׁלֹּא עַל פִּי מֻמְחֶה, אָסוּר:

If one slaughters a first born and reveals its blemish, Rabbi Yehudah permits it [to be eaten]. Rabbi Meir says: Since it was not slaughtered by word of an expert, it is forbidden.

Mishnah 4ד׳

מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מֻמְחֶה וְרָאָה אֶת הַבְּכוֹר וְנִשְׁחַט עַל פִּיו, הֲרֵי זֶה יִקָּבֵר, וִישַׁלֵּם מִבֵּיתוֹ. דָּן אֶת הַדִּין, זִכָּה אֶת הַחַיָּב וְחִיֵּב אֶת הַזַּכַּאי, טִמֵּא אֶת הַטָהוֹר וְטִהֵר אֶת הַטָּמֵא, מַה שֶּׁעָשָׂה עָשׂוּי וִישַׁלֵּם מִבֵּיתוֹ. וְאִם הָיָה מֻמְחֶה לְבֵית דִּין, פָּטוּר מִלְּשַׁלֵּם. מַעֲשֶׂה בְפָרָה שֶׁנִּטְּלָה הָאֵם שֶׁלָּהּ, וְהֶאֱכִילָהּ רַבִּי טַרְפוֹן לַכְּלָבִים, וּבָא מַעֲשֶׂה לִפְנֵי חֲכָמִים וְהִתִּירוּהָ. אָמַר תוֹדוֹס הָרוֹפֵא, אֵין פָּרָה וַחֲזִירָה יוֹצְאָה מֵאֲלֶכְּסַנְדְּרִיָּא עַד שֶׁהֵם חוֹתְכִין אֶת הָאֵם שֶׁלָּהּ, בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁלֹּא תֵלֵד. אָמַר רַבִּי טַרְפוֹן, הָלְכָה חֲמוֹרְךָ טַרְפוֹן. אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא, רַבִּי טַרְפוֹן, פָּטוּר אַתָּה, שֶׁאַתָּה מֻמְחֶה לְבֵית דִּין, וְכָל הַמֻּמְחֶה לְבֵית דִּין פָּטוּר מִלְּשַׁלֵּם:

If one is not an expert and sees a firstborn, and it is slaughtered by his word, it is buried and one pays from one's own funds. If one judges a case and declared a liable [animal] innocent, an innocent [animal] liable, a pure [animal] impure, or an impure [animal] pure, what is done is done, and one pays from one's own funds. If one is an expert of the court one is exempt from paying. It once happened that Rabbi Tarfon fed a cow whose womb was taken out to the dogs. The case came before the Sages and they permitted it. Todos the doctor said: No cow or pig leaves Alexandria until they cut out its womb so it cannot give birth. Rabbi Tarfon [then] said: Your donkey has left you, Tarfon! Rabbi 'Akiva said to him: Rabbi Tarfon, you are exempt because you are an expert of the court, and experts of the court are exempt from payment.

…and 6 more mishnayot in this perek.

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Mishnah, Torat Emet 357 edition, via Sefaria — public domain

English: Sefaria Community Translation — CC0