הלכות בכורות ג׳Firstlings 3

Halacha 1א׳

אֵין שׁוֹחֲטִין אֶת הַבְּכוֹר אֶלָּא עַל פִּי מֻמְחֶה שֶׁנָּתַן לוֹ הַנָּשִׂיא שֶׁבְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל רְשׁוּת וְאָמַר לוֹ הַתֵּר בְּכוֹרוֹת בְּמוּמָן. אֲפִלּוּ הָיָה מוּם גָּדוֹל וְגָלוּי לַכּל לֹא יַתִּירוֹ אֶלָּא מֻמְחֶה שֶׁנָּטַל רְשׁוּת. וְכָל הַבְּכוֹרוֹת אָדָם רוֹאֶה חוּץ מִבְּכוֹרֵי עַצְמוֹ:

A firstborn is slaughtered only by the word of an expert to whom the Nasi in the Land of Israel gave authority, saying to him, "Permit firstborn animals on account of their blemishes." Even if the blemish was great and evident to all, only an expert who has received authority may permit it. And a man may examine all firstborn animals except his own.

Halacha 2ב׳

אִם אֵין שָׁם מֻמְחֶה וְהָיָה הַמּוּם מִן הַמּוּמִין הַגְּלוּיִין הַמֻּבְהָקִין. כְּגוֹן שֶׁנִּסְמֵית עֵינוֹ. אוֹ נִקְטְעָה יָדוֹ. אוֹ נִשְׁבְּרָה רַגְלוֹ. הֲרֵי זֶה יִשָּׁחֵט עַל פִּי שְׁלֹשָׁה בְּנֵי הַכְּנֶסֶת. וְכֵן בְּכוֹר שֶׁיָּצָא לְחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ וְנָפַל בּוֹ מוּם מֻבְהָק. הֲרֵי זֶה יֻתַּר עַל פִּי שְׁלֹשָׁה בְּנֵי הַכְּנֶסֶת:

If there is no expert there and the blemish was one of the open, unmistakable blemishes — as when its eye was blinded, or its foreleg was severed, or its leg was broken — it is slaughtered by the word of three members of the synagogue. So too a firstborn that went out of the Land and an unmistakable blemish befell it is permitted by the word of three members of the synagogue.

Halacha 3ג׳

אֵין רוֹאִין אֶת הַבְּכוֹר לְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַד שֶׁיִּהְיֶה כֹּהֵן עִמּוֹ. שֶׁמָּא יֹאמַר לוֹ הַמֻּמְחֶה מוּם הוּא וּמֻתָּר לִשְׁחֹט עָלָיו וְיֵלֵךְ וְיִשְׁחָטֶנּוּ לְעַצְמוֹ וְלֹא יִתְּנֶנּוּ לַכֹּהֵן. שֶׁאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ חָשׁוּד לֶאֱכל קָדָשִׁים בַּחוּץ. חָשׁוּד הוּא לִגְזל מַתְּנוֹת כְּהֻנָּה. לְפִיכָךְ אִם הָיָה חָכָם וְיָדוּעַ שֶׁהוּא מְדַקְדֵּק עַל עַצְמוֹ רוֹאִין לוֹ. הָיָה הַמּוּם גָּלוּי לַכּל כְּגוֹן שֶׁנִּקְטְעָה יָדוֹ אוֹ רַגְלוֹ. הוֹאִיל וֶהֱבִיאוֹ לְחָכָם הַמֻּמְחֶה הֲרֵי זֶה בְּחֶזְקַת מְדַקְדֵּק עַל עַצְמוֹ לְפִיכָךְ רוֹאִין לוֹ אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין עִמּוֹ כֹּהֵן:

A firstborn is not examined for an Israelite unless a priest is with him, lest the expert say to him, "It is a blemish, and it is permitted to slaughter on account of it," and he go and slaughter it for himself and not give it to the priest. For although he is not suspected of eating consecrated food outside the Temple, he is suspected of robbing the gifts due the priests. Therefore, if he was a sage and known to be scrupulous with himself, it is examined for him. If the blemish was evident to all — as when its foreleg or its leg was severed — since he brought it to the expert sage, he is presumed to be scrupulous with himself; therefore it is examined for him even though no priest is with him.