הלכות בכורות ה׳Firstlings 5

Halacha 1א׳

רָחֵל שֶׁלֹּא בִּכְּרָה וְיָלְדָה שְׁנֵי זְכָרִים. אֲפִלּוּ יָצְאוּ שְׁנֵי רָאשֵׁיהֶן כְּאֶחָד אִי אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁלֹּא קָדַם אֶחָד. הוֹאִיל וְאֵין יָדוּעַ אֵי זֶה מֵהֶם יָצָא רִאשׁוֹן הַכֹּהֵן נוֹטֵל אֶת הַכָּחוּשׁ וְהַשֵּׁנִי סְפֵק בְּכוֹר. מֵת אֶחָד מֵהֶן אֵין לַכֹּהֵן כְּלוּם שֶׁזֶּה הַחַי סָפֵק הוּא וְהַמּוֹצִיא מֵחֲבֵרוֹ עָלָיו הָרְאָיָה. וְכֵן אִם יָלְדָה זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה הֲרֵי הַזָּכָר סָפֵק שֶׁמָּא הַנְּקֵבָה יָצָאת תְּחִלָּה לְפִיכָךְ אֵין לַכֹּהֵן כְּלוּם שֶׁהַמּוֹצִיא מֵחֲבֵרוֹ עָלָיו הָרְאָיָה:

A ewe that had not yet borne a firstborn and gave birth to two males — even if both their heads came out as one, it is impossible that one did not come first. Since it is not known which of them came out first, the priest takes the leaner one, and the second is a doubtful firstborn. If one of them died, the priest has nothing, for this living one is in doubt, and the burden of proof is upon the one who would take from his fellow. So too, if it gave birth to a male and a female, the male is in doubt, lest the female came out first; therefore the priest has nothing, for the burden of proof is upon the one who would take from his fellow.

Halacha 2ב׳

שְׁתֵּי רְחֵלוֹת שֶׁלֹּא בִּכְּרוּ וְיָלְדוּ שְׁנֵי זְכָרִים. שְׁנֵיהֶן לַכֹּהֵן. זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה הַזָּכָר לַכֹּהֵן. שְׁנֵי זְכָרִים וּנְקֵבָה הַכֹּהֵן נוֹטֵל אֶת הַכָּחוּשׁ וְהַשֵּׁנִי סְפֵק בְּכוֹר. וְאִם מֵת אֶחָד מֵהֶן אֵין לַכֹּהֵן כְּלוּם. שֶׁזֶּה הַזָּכָר הַחַי סְפֵק בְּכוֹר הוּא וְהַמּוֹצִיא מֵחֲבֵרוֹ עָלָיו הָרְאָיָה. יָלְדוּ שְׁתֵּי נְקֵבוֹת וְזָכָר אוֹ שְׁנֵי זְכָרִים וּשְׁתֵּי נְקֵבוֹת הֲרֵי הַזְּכָרִים סְפֵק בְּכוֹר. שֶׁאֲנִי אוֹמֵר שֶׁמָּא הַנְּקֵבָה נוֹלְדָה תְּחִלָּה וְאַחַר כָּךְ הַזָּכָר. לְפִיכָךְ אֵין כָּאן לַכֹּהֵן כְּלוּם שֶׁהַמּוֹצִיא מֵחֲבֵרוֹ עָלָיו הָרְאָיָה. אַחַת בִּכְּרָה וְאַחַת שֶׁלֹּא בִּכְּרָה וְיָלְדוּ לוֹ שְׁנֵי זְכָרִים. אֶחָד לוֹ וְאֶחָד לַכֹּהֵן וְכָל אֶחָד מֵהֶן סְפֵק בְּכוֹר וְהַכֹּהֵן נוֹטֵל אֶת הַכָּחוּשׁ. מֵת אֶחָד מֵהֶן אֵין כָּאן לַכֹּהֵן כְּלוּם שֶׁזֶּה הַחַי סָפֵק הוּא. וְכֵן אִם יָלְדוּ זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה אֵין כָּאן לַכֹּהֵן כְּלוּם שֶׁזֶּה הַזָּכָר סְפֵק בְּכוֹר הוּא:

Two ewes that had not yet borne a firstborn and gave birth to two males — both belong to the priest. A male and a female — the male belongs to the priest. Two males and a female — the priest takes the leaner one, and the second is a doubtful firstborn; and if one of them died, the priest has nothing, for this living male is a doubtful firstborn, and the burden of proof is upon the one who would take from his fellow. If they gave birth to two females and a male, or to two males and two females, the males are doubtful firstborn, for I say that perhaps the female was born first and the male afterwards; therefore the priest has nothing here, for the burden of proof is upon the one who would take from his fellow. If one had already borne a firstborn and one had not, and they bore him two males, one is his and one is the priest's, and each of them is a doubtful firstborn, and the priest takes the leaner one. If one of them died, the priest has nothing here, for this living one is in doubt. So too if they gave birth to a male and a female, the priest has nothing here, for this male is a doubtful firstborn.

Halacha 3ג׳

כָּל בְּכוֹר שֶׁהוּא סָפֵק דִּינוֹ שֶׁיִּרְעֶה עַד שֶׁיִּפּל בּוֹ מוּם וְיֵאָכֵל לִבְעָלָיו. וְאִם תְּפָשׂוֹ הַכֹּהֵן אֵין מוֹצִיאִין אוֹתוֹ מִיָּדוֹ וְאוֹכֵל אוֹתוֹ בְּמוּמוֹ. אֲבָל אֵינוֹ מַקְרִיבוֹ שֶׁאֵין מַקְרִיב לְעוֹלָם אֶלָּא בְּכוֹר וַדַּאי שֶׁמָּא יִשְׁחֹט חֻלִּין בָּעֲזָרָה:

Every firstborn that is in doubt — its law is that it grazes until a blemish befalls it and it is eaten by its owner. And if a priest seized it, it is not taken from his hand, and he eats it once it is blemished. But he does not offer it, for only a certain firstborn is ever offered, lest one slaughter unconsecrated animals in the Temple courtyard.