יורה דעה ש״כYoreh De'ah 320

Siman 320 of 402 in Yoreh De'ah — 7 se'ifim

הלכות בכור בהמה טהורהThe Firstborn of a Kosher Animal· siman 320

Se’if 1א׳

כֹּהֲנִים וּלְוִיִּם חַיָּבִים בִּבְכוֹר בְּהֵמָה טְהוֹרָה, וְיַפְרִישֶׁנּוּ הַכֹּהֵן וִיעַכְּבֶנּוּ לְעַצְמוֹ.

Priests and Levites are liable to the firstborn of a clean animal, and the priest separates it and keeps it for himself.

Se’if 2ב׳

בֶּהֱמַת הַשֻּׁתָּפִין חַיֶּבֶת בִּבְכוֹרָה.

An animal belonging to partners is liable to the law of the firstborn.

Se’if 3ג׳

שֻׁתָּפוּת הָעוֹבֵד כּוֹכָבִים פּוֹטֵר, שֶׁאִם הָיָה הָעוֹבֵד כּוֹכָבִים שֻׁתָּף בַּפָּרָה אוֹ בָּעֻבָּר, אֲפִלּוּ הָיָה לוֹ אֶחָד מֵאֶלֶף בָּאֵם אוֹ בַּוָּלָד, הֲרֵי זֶה פָּטוּר מֵהַבְּכוֹרָה. לְפִיכָךְ הַמְקַבֵּל בְּהֵמָה מִן הָעוֹבֵד כּוֹכָבִים לִהְיוֹת מְטַפֵּל בָּהּ וְהַוְּלָדוֹת בֵּינֵיהֶם, אוֹ עוֹבֵד כּוֹכָבִים שֶׁקִּבֵּל מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל כָּזֶה, הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ פְּטוּרִים מֵהַבְּכוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: פֶּטֶר רֶחֶם בִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (שְׁמוֹת יג, ב) עַד שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הַכֹּל מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל.

A partnership with an idolater (oved kokhavim — the standing term for a gentile) exempts: for if the idolater was a partner in the cow or in the foetus, even if he had one part in a thousand in the mother or in the offspring, this is exempt from the law of the firstborn. Therefore one who receives an animal from an idolater to tend it, with the offspring divided between them, or an idolater who received such from an Israelite — these are exempt from the law of the firstborn, as it is said: "whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel" (Exodus 13:2) — until all of it is from Israel.

Se’if 4ד׳

הָיָה לוֹ בְּאֶחָד מִשְּׁנֵיהֶם אֵבֶר אֶחָד, כְּגוֹן יָד אוֹ רֶגֶל, רוֹאִים כָּל שֶׁאִלּוּ יַחְתֹּךְ יִהְיֶה בַּעַל מוּם, הֲרֵי זֶה פָּטוּר; וְאִם אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁהָעוֹבֵד כּוֹכָבִים יַחְתֹּךְ אֵבֶר וְלֹא יִפָּסֵל, חַיָּב בִּבְכוֹרָה.

If he had in one of the two a single limb, such as a foreleg or a hind leg, we look: wherever, were he to cut it off, it would be a blemished animal, this is exempt; and if it is possible that the idolater should cut off the limb and it would not be disqualified, it is liable to the law of the firstborn.

Se’if 5ה׳

עֵדֶר שֶׁהַמֶּלֶךְ נוֹטֵל מִמֶּנָּהּ מַעֲשֵׁר, כֵּיוָן שֶׁעִשּׂוּר שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ בְּתוֹכוֹ, חֲשִׁיבָא יַד עוֹבֵד כּוֹכָבִים בָּאֶמְצַע וּפָטוּר מֵהַבְּכוֹרָה. הַגָּה: וַאֲפִלּוּ יָכוֹל לְסַלֵּק הָעוֹבֵד כּוֹכָבִים בְּמָעוֹת, חָשׁוּב יַד עוֹבֵד כּוֹכָבִים בָּאֶמְצַע, מֵאַחַר שֶׁעִקַּר שִׁעְבּוּד הָעוֹבֵד כּוֹכָבִים עַל הַבְּהֵמוֹת. (בֵּית יוֹסֵף לְהָרִי"ף וְרֹא"שׁ וּפִסְקֵי מהאר"י סי' ק"ל) אֲבָל אִם הִתְנוּ מִתְּחִלָּה שֶׁיִּתְּנוּ לוֹ דָּמִים בְּעַד הַוְּלָדוֹת, חַיָּב בִּבְכוֹרָה (גַּם זֶה שָׁם).

A flock from which the king takes a tithe — since the king's tithe is within it, it is reckoned as the hand of an idolater in the middle, and it is exempt from the law of the firstborn. Hagah [Rema]: And even if he can remove the idolater with money, it is reckoned as the hand of an idolater in the middle, since the essential lien of the idolater is upon the animals (Beit Yosef, following the Rif and the Rosh, and Piskei Maharai, siman 130). But if they stipulated at the outset that they would give him money for the offspring, it is liable to the law of the firstborn (this too there).

…and 2 more se'ifim in this siman.

Become a premium member

Or start free — a free account opens your first 5 gematria searches in full. Create free account

The daily learning is free on your account, every day.

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