Talking Talmud

Bekhorot 41: Tumtum and Androgynous: Animal Edition

Beginning with a couple of mishnayot -- on a calf whose tail doesn't reach down to the upper leg joint, which is considered to be a blemish. Imagine a camel to help pictu

Bekhorot 40: A Mishnayot Festival on Blemishes

There are 7 mishnayot on this daf! (though we'll save the last one for tomorrow). 1 - On testicles and the nature of testicular blemishes. 2 - On the fact that blemishes

Bekhorot 39: Gums, Teeth, and Tails

3 mishnayot! Rabbi Hanina bar Antignos on various blemish, specifically the pale spots that constitute a blemish. Note the requirement of an even amount of time between c

Bekhorot 38: Some Blemishes Are Temporary: Eyes

Determining the capacity of an earthenware vessel to become impure on both its inside and outside -- as long as it's a receptacle, with a "middle," such as it was, with s

Bekhorot 37: Torah-level Blemishes

Finishing chapter 5 and starting chapter 6, with a mishnah in each chapter, and attention to the requirement of an experts to sign off on a first-born animal's status as

Bekhorot 36: The Wisdom of Rabbi Tzadok

The case of hearsay testimony - and when it's acceptable (not often!). Also, the opinion of Rabbi Tzadok on a first-born that split its lip while eating. But does that sm

Bekhorot 35: Intent, Testimony, and Expertise

3 mishnayot! 1 - Beginning with a story about a Roman soldier intentionally blemishing a first-born ram, and how the sages approved that case as a blemish, but not when o

Bekhorot 34: Written or Read?

For a case of certainly pure terumah vs. uncertain terumah (whether it's pure or not) - in light of the plural of the word "terumotai" in the Torah. Or is it "terumati"?!

Bekhorot 33: Blemishes

The Gemara picks up on Beit Hillel's leniency from the previous day's mishnah, and Rabbi Akiva's opinion on "the gazelle and the hart" - which are permitted to a non-Jew

Bekhorot 32: Revisiting Gezarah Shavah

A discussion here compares the first-born with tithed animals. For a firstborn, it cannot be redeemed, but it can be sold. And tithed animals are the reverse. What's the

Bekhorot 31: In the Name of the Speaker

Finishing the 4th chapter - with the series of baraitot about the "chaver" - with a focus here on the last one. That is, specifically, a kohen can examine first-borns for

Bekhorot 30: Localized Wrong and Generalized Right

A new mishnah! A person who is suspected or known to not be careful about the laws of the shemitah year may or may not be careful about tithing, and likewise with regard

Bekhorot 29: Dishonest Is as Dishonest Does

Another day of mishnayot: 1 - One who takes wages to be a judge or give testimony or a kohen who does so to facilitate a red heifer -- all of those efforts would be void.

Bekhorot 28: Ethical Blemish-Checking

4 mishnayot! 1 - On determining that an animal has a blemish - after slaughtering, and the tension of having non-experts involved in determining whether the animal has a

Bekhorot 27: Year by Year

If the kohen demands the first-born before the prescribed time, the owner does not need to provide it, because it seems that such a kohen would look too close to an emplo

Bekhorot 26: Handing Over the First-borns

To close the 3rd chapter: What if wool were plucked from an unblemished burnt-offering? What would the halakhah be regarding benefiting from that detached wool? The sacri

Bekhorot 25: Spotlighting the Red Heifer

If you're slaughtering the first-born, you can part the hair and even pluck a hair for the sake of smoother slaughtering. That is, plucking is not considered to be sheari

Bekhorot 24: Nursing without Bearing Offspring?

One who purchases a nursing female animal from a non-Jew - and the question is whether that animal can conclusively be said to have born progeny before, or perhaps the an

Bekhorot 23: A Meta-Discussion on a Mishnah's Structure

Coming in the middle of a long discussion with a focus on a mix of sacred and regular ashes -- where impurity would be nullified via the mixture. Also, a new mishnah! If

Bekhorot 22: Purifying Fish Brine

NOTE: This daf talks about animal miscarriage and extends the conversation to human miscarriage. Please be forewarned. A new mishnah! With various status questions rega