יורה דעה ש״וYoreh De'ah 306

Siman 306 of 402 in Yoreh De'ah — 12 se'ifim

הלכות בכור בהמה טהורהThe Firstborn of a Kosher Animal· siman 306

Se’if 1א׳

בְּכוֹר בְּהֵמָה טְהוֹרָה נוֹהֵג בִּזְכָרִים וְלֹא בִּנְקֵבוֹת. וְנוֹהֵג אֲפִלּוּ שֶׁלֹּא בִּזְמַן הַבַּיִת, בֵּין בָּאָרֶץ בֵּין בְּחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ. וּמִצְוָה לְהַקְדִּישׁוֹ וְלוֹמַר: הֲרֵי זֶה קֹדֶשׁ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: תַּקְדִּישׁ לַה' אֱלֹהֱיךָ (דְּבָרִים טו, יט) וְאִם לֹא הִקְדִּישׁוֹ, מִתְקַדֵּשׁ מֵאֵלָיו מֵרֶחֶם. נוֹתְנִין אוֹתוֹ לְכֹהֵן, וְלֹא לְכֹהֶנֶת (טוּר).

The firstborn of a clean animal applies to males and not to females. And it applies even when the Temple is not standing, both in the Land and outside the Land. And it is a mitzvah to consecrate it and to say: this is holy, as it is said: "you shall consecrate to the Lord your God" (Deuteronomy 15:19); and if he did not consecrate it, it is consecrated of itself from the womb. They give it to a priest, and not to a priest's daughter (Tur).

Se’if 2ב׳

אֵין נוֹתְנִין הַבְּכוֹר לְכֹהֵן כְּשֶׁיִּוָּלֵד, שֶׁאֵין זוֹ גְּדֻלָּה לַכֹּהֵן, אֶלָּא יְטַפֵּל בּוֹ בְּעָלָיו עַד שֶׁיַּגְדִּיל מְעַט. וְעַד כַּמָּה יִשְׂרָאֵל חַיָּבִים לְהִטָּפֵל בּוֹ, בְּדַקָּה ל' יוֹם; וּבְגַסָה, חֲמִשִּׁים יוֹם. וְאִם אֵין לוֹ כֹּהֵן מָצוּי, חַיָּב לְהִטָּפֵל בּוֹ עַד שֶׁיִּזְדַּמֵּן לוֹ כֹּהֵן.

They do not give the firstborn to a priest when it is born, for that is no honour to the priest; rather its owner tends it until it grows a little. And for how long is an Israelite bound to tend it? In a small animal, thirty days; and in a large one, fifty days. And if he has no priest at hand, he is bound to tend it until a priest comes his way.

Se’if 3ג׳

אָמַר לֵיהּ הַכֹּהֵן: תְּנֵהוּ לִי תּוֹךְ זְמַן זֶה, וַאֲנִי אֲטַפֵּל לְעַצְמִי, אֵינוֹ רַשַּׁאי לִתְּנוֹ לוֹ, שֶׁזֶּה כְּמוֹ מְסַיֵּעַ עַל מַתְּנוֹתָיו. וְאִם הָיָה בַּעַל מוּם וְאָמַר לֵיהּ תּוֹךְ זְמַן זֶה: תְּנֵהוּ לִי שֶׁאוֹכְלֶנּוּ עַתָּה, רַשַּׁאי לִתְּנוֹ לוֹ.

If the priest said to him: give it to me within this time, and I shall tend it myself — he is not permitted to give it to him, for this is as one who lends his help in return for his gifts. And if it was blemished, and he said to him within this time: give it to me so that I may eat it now — he may give it to him.

Se’if 4ד׳

אִם הַכֹּהֵן מְסָרֵב מִלְּקַבְּלוֹ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ טֹרַח גָּדוֹל בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה לְהִטָּפֵל בּוֹ עַד שֶׁיִּפֹּל בּוֹ מוּם, אֵינוֹ רַשַּׁאי, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁנִּרְאֶה כִּמְבַזֶּה מַתְּנוֹת כְּהֻנָּה. הַגָּה: וַאֲפִלּוּ סְפֵק בְּכוֹר, צָרִיךְ הַכֹּהֵן לְקַבְּלוֹ מִיַּד יִשְׂרָאֵל הַנּוֹתֵן לוֹ (פִּסְקֵי מהרא"י סִימָן קס"ז ומהרי"ל סִימָן ר"ד). וְדַוְקָא בְּסָפֵק שֶׁבָּא מֵעַצְמוֹ, אֲבָל בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁפָּשַׁע הַיִּשְׂרָאֵל, כְּגוֹן שֶׁקָּנָה פָּרָה חוֹלֶבֶת מִן הָעוֹבֵד כּוֹכָבִים, אוֹ שֶׁהָיָה יָכוֹל לִמְכֹּר הַבְּכוֹר לְעוֹבֵד כּוֹכָבִים קֹדֶם שֶׁנּוֹלַד, וְלֹא עָשָׂה, אֵין הַכֹּהֵן צָרִיךְ לְקַבְּלוֹ (שָׁם). וַאֲפִלּוּ בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְקַבְּלוֹ, אָסוּר לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לִתֵּן לוֹ לְהַקְנִיטוֹ אוֹ לִנְקֹם מִמֶּנּוּ. (ג"ז שָׁם בְּשֵׁם מוֹהֲרַ"ם).

If the priest refuses to accept it, because in our time there is great trouble in tending it until a blemish falls in it, he is not permitted to, because he appears as one who despises the priestly gifts. Hagah [Rema]: And even a doubtful firstborn the priest must accept from the hand of the Israelite who gives it to him (Piskei Maharai, siman 167, and Maharil, siman 204). And this is specifically a doubt that came about of itself; but where the Israelite was negligent, such as that he bought a milking cow from an idolater, or that he could have sold the firstborn to an idolater before it was born and did not do so, the priest need not accept it (there). And even where he must accept it, it is forbidden for the Israelite to give it to him in order to vex him or to take revenge on him (this too there, in the name of the Maharam).

Se’if 5ה׳

הַבְּכוֹר, בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה, יַשְׁהֶנּוּ עַד שֶׁיִּפֹּל בּוֹ מוּם, וְשׁוֹחֲטוֹ עַל פִּי מֻמְחֶה, וְאוֹכְלוֹ (בְּכָל מָקוֹם), וּמַאֲכִילוֹ אֲפִלּוּ לְעוֹבֵד כּוֹכָבִים אוֹ לִכְלָבִים. (הַגָּהוֹת מָרְדְּכַי פֶּרֶק הָאִשָּׁה שֶׁהָלְכָה).

The firstborn, in our time — he keeps it until a blemish falls in it, and slaughters it on the word of an expert, and eats it (in any place), and feeds it even to an idolater or to dogs (Hagahot Mordechai, chapter "The woman who went").

…and 7 more se'ifim in this siman.

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Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah — Torat Emet 357 edition, via Sefaria — public domain

English rendered from the Hebrew for this app — The Gematria's own rendering program. A rendering of the words, not a ruling; practical halacha is learned with a rav