פרה א׳Parah 1

Mishnah 1א׳

רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, עֶגְלָה, בַּת שְׁנָתָהּ. וּפָרָה, בַּת שְׁתַּיִם. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, עֶגְלָה, בַּת שְׁתַּיִם. וּפָרָה, בַּת שָׁלשׁ אוֹ בַת אַרְבַּע. רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר, אַף בַּת חָמֵשׁ. כְּשֵׁרָה הַזְּקֵנָה, אֶלָּא שֶׁאֵין מַמְתִּינִין לָהּ, שֶׁמָּא תַשְׁחִיר, שֶׁלֹּא תִפָּסֵל. אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, לֹא שָׁמַעְתִּי אֶלָּא שְׁלָשִׁית. אָמְרוּ לוֹ, מַה הַלָּשׁוֹן שְׁלָשִׁית. אָמַר לָהֶם, כָּךְ שָׁמַעְתִּי סְתָם. אָמַר בֶּן עַזַּאי, אֲנִי אֲפָרֵשׁ. אִם אוֹמֵר אַתָּה, שְׁלִישִׁית, לַאֲחֵרוֹת בְּמִנְיָן. וּכְשֶׁאַתָּה אוֹמֵר, שְׁלָשִׁית, בַּת שָׁלשׁ שָׁנִים. כַּיּוֹצֵא בוֹ אָמְרוּ, כֶּרֶם רְבָעִי. אָמְרוּ לוֹ, מַה הַלָּשׁוֹן רְבָעִי. אָמַר לָהֶם, כָּךְ שָׁמַעְתִּי סְתָם. אָמַר בֶּן עַזַּאי, אֲנִי אֲפָרֵשׁ. אִם אוֹמֵר אַתָּה, רְבִיעִי, לַאֲחֵרִים בְּמִנְיָן. וּכְשֶׁאַתָּה אוֹמֵר, רְבָעִי, בֶּן אַרְבַּע שָׁנִים. כַּיּוֹצֵא בוֹ אָמְרוּ, הָאוֹכֵל בְּבַיִת הַמְנֻגָּע פְּרָס, מִשָּׁלשׁ לְקָב. אָמְרוּ לוֹ, אֱמֹר מִשְּׁמֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה לִסְאָה. אָמַר לָהֶם, כָּךְ שָׁמַעְתִּי סְתָם. אָמַר בֶּן עַזַּאי, אֲנִי אֲפָרֵשׁ. אִם אוֹמֵר אַתָּה מִשָּׁלשׁ לְקָב, אֵין בּוֹ חַלָּה. וּכְשֶׁאַתָּה אוֹמֵר, מִשְּׁמֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה לִסְאָה, מִעֲטַתּוּ חַלָּתוֹ:

Rabbi Eliezer says: A calf [as referred to in the Torah] is a year old, and a cow is two years old. And the Sages say: a calf is two year old, and a cow is three or four. Rabbi Meir says: Even a five year old, an elderly one, is valid [for use in the purification ritual of the red heifer] but we don't wait for it [to age] lest it develop black hairs, so it does not become invalid. Rabbi Yehoshua says: I have only heard about a shelashit [i.e. three years old]. They said to him: What is the meaning of the language shelashit? He said to them: So I heard it, unelaborated. Ben Azzai said: I shall explain. If the language was shelishit [literally: third], then [it means] the third in number [i.e. the third calf born]; but since the language was shelashit, then [it means] three years old. They spoke similarly regarding a revai vineyard [the fruit of vines and trees in the fourth year after their planting. This produce, or its redemption value, must be taken up to Jerusalem and consumed there in ritual purity.]. They said to him: What is the language of revai? He said to them: So I heard it, unelaborated. Ben Azzai said: I shall explain. If the language was revi'i [literally: fourth], then [it means] the fourth relative to others in number [i.e. the fourth vineyard which a man owns]; but since the language is revai, then [it means] four years old. Similarly they said: One [becomes impure] if he eats in a blighted house half a loaf, when there are three [loaves] to a kav [volume measure, equals 4 log, ⅙ se’ah]. They said to him: [Instead] say 'when there are eighteen [loaves] to a se'ah' [measure of volume, equals 6 kav]! He said to them: So I heard it, unelaborated. Ben Azzai said: I shall explain. If you say 'when there are three [loaves] to a kav,' that is without its challah [a portion of a batch of bread dough given to a Kohen which becomes holy upon separation, and can only be consumed by Kohanim or their household] removed. But when you say 'when there are eighteen [loaves] to a se'ah', that is with its challah removed.

Mishnah 2ב׳

רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַגְּלִילִי אוֹמֵר, פָּרִים, בְּנֵי שְׁתַּיִם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר ח), וּפַר שֵׁנִי בֶן בָּקָר תִּקַּח לְחַטָּאת. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, אַף בְּנֵי שָׁלשׁ. רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר, אַף בְּנֵי אַרְבַּע וּבְנֵי חָמֵשׁ כְּשֵׁרִים, אֶלָּא שֶׁאֵין מְבִיאִים זְקֵנִים, מִפְּנֵי הַכָּבוֹד:

Rabbi Yose the Galilean says: Bulls [as referred to in the Torah], are two years old, as it says (Numbers 8): And a second bull the son of a bovine you will take for a sin offering. And the Sages say: Even three years old. Rabbi Meir says: Even four years old and five years old are acceptable, but older ones are not brought, as a matter of respect.