Talking Talmud

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 sacrifice might be postponed because of this question, and that can really complicate matters. And the new chapter begins -- with a new mishnah, and some basic questions about when the first-born is given the the kohen. "Small&quo...

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 shearing. This might complicate matters for a red heifer -- if one trimmed red hair that had some black, which is allowed, in this case, without actually shearing. So that task is also unintended beyond its actually purpose. Note th...

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 animal was nursing another animal's offspring, without having borne any herself. Also, what if the first-born has a blemish? What about the slaughtering of the first-born? How one finds the best place for the slaughtering - movi...

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 one purchases an animal from a non-Jew, and it is nursing, we don't worry that the nursing animal had a different mother. Which leads into a discussion about the opinions represented in the mishnah here, in terms of anonymity.

NOTE: This daf talks about animal miscarriage and extends the conversation to human miscarriage. Please be forewarned. A new mishnah! With various status questions regarding the first-born. Even when the mother has conceived and had a miscarriage before carrying the animal that becomes her first-born to term. Also, if you buy fish brine from someone who is not reliable with issues of purity and im...

More on the female triplet goats who each have triplets to lead into a discussion of Rabbi Shimon's position, as compared to the tanna kama. Specifically about whether a goat that has miscarried will delay for a spate of time before mating again. Which in turn gets into how to count that time, even to the final day. Also, a dispute between Rav and Shmuel (and Rabbi Yochanan) as to whether one...

More on buying an animal from a non-Jew, with the question of whether the animal has given birth before. A goat that has offspring during its first year - those must be the first offspring, and the first-born goes to the kohen. But what if there was evidence of a miscarriage -- does that count as the first-born, as it were? Note the discussion lands on concern for a minority, when there's a st...

2 mishnayot to close out chapter 2! Two ewes bear 2 male lambs -- both are first-born. One male, one female - the kohen gets the male. But with twins, what goes to the kohen? What about a C-section? Chapter 3 - and a new mishnah: When a Jew purchases an animal from a non-Jew... has that animal given birth already? Or no? And the certainty for not having given birth depends on the youth of the anim...

More on the case of the male twins whose heads emerged simultaneously -- where Rabbi Tarfon and Rabbi Akiva disagree. Also, delving in deeper, in terms of assessing the lambs, the stronger would go to the kohen, the weaker to the owner. In contrast to Rabbi Tarfon's claim that the first head out is the healthier stronger lamb - and he retracts that approach, eventually. Plus, narrowing the cas...

If a ewe gives birth to animal that looks like a goat, or vice versa, but also looks a little like its mother... Rabbi Meir says it is subject to the laws of first-born, but the majority view of the sages say no, the owner is exempt. Plus, when lambs are exempt from the first fleece. Also, a new mishnah! When a female sheep gives birth to twin male lambs - and their heads emerge at exactly the sam...

The 5 sin-offerings that are left to die that are left to die (if they cannot be offered on the altar). How we know this, and how it works -- including the verse that teaches these details. Also, a new mishnah! In the case of a profit-sharing agreement, the value of the partnership is still owed to him. The partnership can be bought out, depending on the terms and who the partners are (depend on w...

More on the consecration vs. blemish and their implications for practice, in terms of order: where is all this derived? From the different animals mentioned in the Torah, and how each of them teaches something new. Also, what about the exchange for blemished offerings? What about the offspring of blemished offerings? When can you redeem which? Are the offspring -- which can't be redeemed -- re...

A new mishnah! Consecrated animals that acquire a blemish -- so they cannot be used for a regular sacrifice, what happens when they're then used for other things -- which doesn't rid the animal of the first-born status (or the obligation to give the kohen gifts). Note that the order that things happen (when consecrated, when blemished) make a difference in terms of the halakhah for the giv...

Summary/description to follow after shabbat/chag, with apologies.

Two mishnayot! First - How you cannot redeem the first-born donkey (a list of the animals that don't work for this redemption). Who's opinion is represented in the mishnah? Ben Bag-bag. [Who's Who: Ben Bag-bag]. Second - What if the redemption lamb died before it was given to the kohen? The Gemara delves into the dispute in the mishnah, and attempts different rationales to see what the...

Our first story in the tractate! Meaning, an actual case and discussion between the sages. On how much a person pays to redeem an animal from the kohanim, whether generous or stingy -- namely, via a lamb that is worth a certain amount of zuzim. What if there is no lamb? Then the redemption takes place via the value in another item. Also, in the event of depositing produce with a kuti or an ignoram...

A debate between Rabbi Shimon and Rabbi Meir, as to whether a first-born donkey is permitted for benefit. Whether the animal is decapitated is a relevant element to the disagreement. Plus, the question of food impurity -- that which isn't forbidden for benefit is food, and vice versa, but then it can become impure. But then what about meat and milk that are cooked together, and prohibited for...

A new mishnah! When two donkeys are born at the same time, and it's not clear which one should be offered as a first-born (or a male and female and not clear which was born first). Also, the redemption of the first-born donkey with a lamb (or a kid). Note that a lamb can be used multiple times to redeem a donkey, given the proper procedure. Also, the Gemara delves into the case of designating...

Non-kosher fish "spawn" their offspring and nurse, where kosher fish lay eggs - with the exception of a bat, which lays eggs and also nurses, with many more factors to characterize the various animals (including wild geese and domesticated geese). Also, "dulfanim" -- "children of the sea" -- reproduce like people, and they may be dolphins or mermaid or sirens or somet...

When an impure animal appears to be born to a pure animal, the animal can be consumed if and only if its head and more resembles the kosher mother. But can a kosher animal and a non-kosher animal truly mate? It seems not. To the extent that an animal that looks like it's the progeny of both perhaps may have been born of two kosher animals, but where one had a mutation to look like a non-kosher...

When the progeny of an animal doesn't quite resemble the mother animal, but has some similar traits, will it require the first-born status? Note the complicating factors of a kosher animal giving birth to a non-kosher animal, or vice versa. Also, the Gemara delves into the non-kosher animals here, because the question of their milk (say, a camel), their brine, and more might seem logical -- th...

Rabbi Yochanan came to Rabbi Elazar in a dream, and it was a harbinger for a good day. And the sanctification of the first-borns would not end, because of his own learning. Also, the story of a Roman official (Kunterukus) who bothers Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai about the number of Levites in the wilderness and in the final count in the Torah. Also, on the census count of the half-shekel. Where there...

A new mishnah! Establishing additional exemptions for the first-born donkey offerings. The initial exemptions took place in the wilderness, and exempted the Levites, because the people themselves were going to be exempted. But other - kosher - animals were still subject to the laws of the first-born (cattle, sheep, and goats). But why are the Levites exempt from the first-born son and the first-bo...

If one sold a first-born, and had to buy it back, the question is whether that's buying it back for 10x the value of the animal specifically, or just some random large amount. Or maybe it's for 100x. Plus, the concern of blemishes -- and permanent blemishes -- in the first-born (what if it's jointly owned with a non-Jew?). Also, different kinds of blemishes could make the animal look l...

A new tractate, taking the first-born animals as its major focus: including human first-born sons, first male domesticated animals, and first-born donkeys, commemorating the first-borns who were saved in Egypt. We open with the focus on the donkeys. And, of course, with a new mishnah. The mitzvah applies only to donkeys that are owned fully by Jews. The question is, then, what happens if the donke...