## Bekhorot Daf 19b

###### Bekhorot 19b:1
[Bekhorot 19b:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bekhorot/r/19b:1)

אִי לְמַעוֹטֵי הֵיכָא דְּיָצְתָה נְקֵבָה לְפָנָיו — מִ״פֶּטֶר רֶחֶם״ נָפְקָא! אֶלָּא שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ ״בְּכוֹר״ לְמַעוֹטֵי הֵיכָא דְּיוֹצֵא אַחַר יוֹצֵא דּוֹפֶן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**If** it serves **to exclude** a case **where a female emerged** from the womb **before it,** that **is derived from** the phrase **“that which opens** any **womb.” Rather, conclude from it** that **“firstborn”** serves **to exclude** a case **where** an animal **emerged** from the womb **after** its older sibling was **born by caesarean section.** According to Ravina, the word “firstborn” is referring to an animal that is a firstborn even in only one aspect, but as it is extraneous it serves to exclude an animal whose older sibling was born by caesarean section.


###### Bekhorot 19b:2
[Bekhorot 19b:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bekhorot/r/19b:2)

אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַב אַחָא מִדִּפְתִּי לְרָבִינָא: אִי סָלְקָא דַעְתָּךְ בְּכוֹר לְדָבָר אֶחָד הָוֵי בְּכוֹר, תִּינַח הֵיכָא דְּיָצָא זָכָר יוֹצֵא דּוֹפֶן וְזָכָר דֶּרֶךְ רֶחֶם, דְּלָא קָדוֹשׁ, דְּאִימַּעוּט לֵידָה מִ״בְּכוֹר״, דִּבְכוֹר לִרְחָמִים אִיכָּא, בְּכוֹר לִזְכָרִים לֵיכָּא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rav Aḥa of Difti said to Ravina: If it enters your mind** that **a firstborn in one aspect is** called **a firstborn** and the derivation is based on the fact that the term “firstborn” is superfluous, that **works out well** in a case **where a male emerged by caesarean section and** then another **male** emerged **through the womb.** It stands to reason **that it is not sanctified, as** this **birth is excluded by** the word **“firstborn,” as it is** the **firstborn of the womb,** but **it is not** the **firstborn of the males.**


###### Bekhorot 19b:3
[Bekhorot 19b:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bekhorot/r/19b:3)

אֶלָּא הֵיכָא דְּיָצְתָה נְקֵבָה דֶּרֶךְ דּוֹפֶן וְזָכָר דֶּרֶךְ רֶחֶם — לִיקְדַּשׁ, דְּהָא אִיכָּא בְּכוֹר לִזְכָרִים וּבְכוֹר לְרֶחֶם! אֶלָּא מְחַוַּורְתָּא כִּדְאַבָּיֵי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**But** in a case **where a female emerged by caesarean section and** afterward **a male** was born **through the womb, let it be sanctified, as it is** the **firstborn of the males and** the **firstborn of the womb.** One cannot derive the exclusions of both of these cases from the word “firstborn,” and yet the *baraita* indicates that even if a female was born first by caesarean section, the male born afterward is not considered the firstborn. The Gemara concludes: **Rather, it is clear** that the *baraita* must be interpreted **in accordance with** the explanation of **Abaye,** that a firstborn in one aspect is not called a firstborn.


###### Bekhorot 19b:4
[Bekhorot 19b:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bekhorot/r/19b:4)

**הֲדַרַן עֲלָךְ הַלּוֹקֵחַ עוּבַּר פָּרָתוֹ.**


###### Bekhorot 19b:5
[Bekhorot 19b:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bekhorot/r/19b:5)

מַתְנִי׳ **הַלּוֹקֵחַ בְּהֵמָה** מִן הַגּוֹי, וְאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ אִם בִּיכְּרָה אִם לֹא בִּיכְּרָה. רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר: עֵז בַּת שְׁנָתָהּ — וַדַּאי לַכֹּהֵן, מִכָּאן וְאֵילָךְ — סָפֵק. רָחֵל בַּת שְׁתַּיִם — וַדַּאי לַכֹּהֵן, מִכָּאן וְאֵילָךְ — סָפֵק. פָּרָה וַחֲמוֹר בְּנוֹת שָׁלֹשׁ — וַדַּאי לַכֹּהֵן, מִכָּאן וְאֵילָךְ — סָפֵק.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**MISHNA:** In the case of **one who purchases** a female **animal from a gentile and does not know whether it had** previously **given birth** or **whether it had not** previously **given birth,** and after the purchase the animal gave birth to a male, **Rabbi Yishmael says:** If the mother was **a goat within its first year** the male offspring **certainly** is given **to the priest,** as it definitely never gave birth previously. **From that** point **forward,** i.e., if the mother is older than that, its offspring’s status as a firstborn is **uncertain.** If it was **a ewe within its second year** the male offspring **certainly** is given **to the priest; from that** point **forward** an offspring’s status is **uncertain.** If it was **a cow or a donkey within its third year** the male offspring **certainly** is given **to the priest; from that** point **forward** the offspring’s status is **uncertain.**


###### Bekhorot 19b:6
[Bekhorot 19b:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bekhorot/r/19b:6)

אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא: אִילּוּ בְּוָולָד בִּלְבַד הַבְּהֵמָה נִפְטֶרֶת כִּדְבָרֶיךָ, אֶלָּא אָמְרוּ: סִימָן הַוָּולָד בִּבְהֵמָה דַּקָּה — טִינּוּף, וּבַגַּסָּה — שִׁילְיָא, וּבָאִשָּׁה — שָׁפִיר וְשִׁילְיָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rabbi Akiva said to him: Were an animal exempted only by** giving birth to **an offspring** and in no other manner the *halakha* would be **in accordance with your statement. But** the Sages **said: An indication of the offspring in a small animal** is **a murky discharge** from the womb, which indicates the animal had been pregnant, and therefore exempts subsequent births from the mitzva of the firstborn. The indication **in a large** animal is the emergence of **an afterbirth, and** the indication **in a woman** is **a fetal sac or an afterbirth.** Since these can be produced even within a year, it cannot be assumed that an animal in its first year is definitely subject to the mitzva of the firstborn.


###### Bekhorot 19b:7
[Bekhorot 19b:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bekhorot/r/19b:7)

זֶה הַכְּלָל: כֹּל שֶׁיָּדוּעַ שֶׁבִּיכְּרָה — אֵין כָּאן לַכֹּהֵן כְּלוּם, וְכֹל שֶׁלֹּא בִּיכְּרָה — הֲרֵי זֶה לַכֹּהֵן, וְאִם סָפֵק — יֵאָכֵל בְּמוּמוֹ לַבְּעָלִים.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Rabbi Akiva continues: Rather, **this is the principle:** In **any** case **where it is known that** the animal **had** previously **given birth, the priest has nothing here. And** in **any** case **where it is known that** the animal **had not** previously **given birth, that** is given **to the priest. And if it is uncertain, it may be eaten in its blemished** state **by the owner.**


###### Bekhorot 19b:8
[Bekhorot 19b:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bekhorot/r/19b:8)

**גְּמָ׳** מִיכָּן וְאֵילָךְ, אַמַּאי סָפֵק? הַלֵּךְ אַחַר רוֹב בְּהֵמוֹת, וְרוֹב בְּהֵמוֹת מִתְעַבְּרוֹת וְיוֹלְדוֹת בְּתוֹךְ שְׁנָתָן נִינְהוּ, וְהָא וַדַּאי מֵילָד אוֹלֵיד! לֵימָא רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל כְּרַבִּי מֵאִיר סְבִירָא לֵיהּ, דְּחָיֵישׁ לְמִיעוּטָא?

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**GEMARA:** The mishna teaches that according to Rabbi Yishmael, the firstborn status of the offspring of a goat acquired from a gentile when it was more than one year old is uncertain. The Gemara asks: **From that** point **forward,** i.e., if it was bought after its first year, **why is it** in a state of **uncertainty?** One should **follow the majority of animals, and** as **the majority of animals are impregnated and give birth within their** first **year,** it can be assumed **this** animal **certainly gave birth.** The Gemara suggests: **Shall we say Rabbi Yishmael holds in accordance with** the opinion of **Rabbi Meir, who** says **one must be concerned for the minority,** i.e., he must take the minority of cases into account?


###### Bekhorot 19b:9
[Bekhorot 19b:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bekhorot/r/19b:9)

אֲפִילּוּ תֵּימָא רַבָּנַן, כִּי אָזְלִי בָּתַר רוּבָּא בְּרוּבָּא דְּאִיתֵיהּ קַמַּן, כְּגוֹן תֵּשַׁע חֲנוּיוֹת וְסַנְהֶדְרִין, אֲבָל רוּבָּא דְּלֵיתֵיהּ קַמַּן — לָא אָזְלִי רַבָּנַן בָּתַר רוּבָּא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara responds: **You** may **even say** Rabbi Yishmael holds in accordance with the opinion of **the Rabbis. When** the Rabbis **follow the majority,** this is in a case **of an evident majority,** which is extant and can be examined. **For example,** in a situation where a piece of meat is found in front of **nine stores** selling kosher meat and one store selling non-kosher meat, and it is not known from which store it came, it may be assumed that it came from one of the stores that sells kosher meat. **And** similarly, **the Sanhedrin** reaches its decisions by a majority vote of its judges. **But** with regard to **a non-evident majority,** which is based solely upon statistical information such as the assertion that most animals become pregnant and give birth within their first year, even **the Rabbis do not follow the majority.**


###### Bekhorot 19b:10
[Bekhorot 19b:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bekhorot/r/19b:10)

וְהָא קָטָן וּקְטַנָּה, דְּרוּבָּא דְּלֵיתֵיהּ קַמַּן, וְקָאָזְלִי רַבָּנַן בָּתַר רוּבָּא, דִּתְנַן: קָטָן וּקְטַנָּה לֹא חוֹלְצִין וְלֹא מְיַיבְּמִין, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. אָמְרוּ לוֹ: יָפֶה אָמַרְתָּ שֶׁאֵין חוֹלְצִין, ״אִישׁ״ כָּתוּב בַּפָּרָשָׁה, וּמַקְּשִׁינַן אִשָּׁה לְאִישׁ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara raises a difficulty: **But** the case of levirate marriage of **a male minor or a female minor is** dependent **upon a non-evident majority, and** yet **the Rabbis follow the majority** in their ruling. **As we learned** in a *baraita*: **A male minor or a female minor may not perform the ritual through which a *yavam* frees a *yevama* of her levirate bonds [*ḥalitza*], nor enter into levirate marriage;** this is **the statement of Rabbi Meir.** The Rabbis **said to** Rabbi Meir: **You have aptly stated that they may not perform *ḥalitza*,** since **“man,”** indicating an adult male, **is written in the section** of the Torah addressing *ḥalitza* (see Deuteronomy 25:7). Although an adult female is not mentioned explicitly, **we juxtapose** the *halakha* of **the woman to** that of **the man** and require that the female involved in *ḥalitza* must be an adult as well.


###### Bekhorot 19b:11
[Bekhorot 19b:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bekhorot/r/19b:11)

מָה טַעַם אֵין מְיַיבְּמִין? אָמַר לָהֶם: קָטָן — שֶׁמָּא יִמָּצֵא סָרִיס, קְטַנָּה — שֶׁמָּא תִּמָּצֵא אַיְילוֹנִית, וְנִמְצְאוּ פּוֹגְעִין בְּעֶרְוָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
But **what is the reason they may not enter into levirate marriage,** with regard to which the Torah’s wording does not specifically indicate adults? Rabbi Meir **said to them:** In the case of **a male minor** I am concerned **lest he is found** to be **a eunuch,** i.e., one who is incapable of fathering children, when he grows up. Similarly, **a female minor** may not enter into levirate marriage **lest** when she grows up **she is found** to be **a sexually underdeveloped woman [*ailonit*],** who is incapable of bearing children. In either case the mitzva of levirate marriage does not apply, **and they** would **be found** to have **encountered a forbidden relative** and entered into a forbidden relationship where no mitzva applies, as the entire purpose of levirate marriage is to have children for the brother who died childless.


###### Bekhorot 19b:12
[Bekhorot 19b:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bekhorot/r/19b:12)

וְרַבָּנַן, זִיל בָּתַר רוּבָּא קְטַנִּים, וְרוֹב קְטַנִּים לָאו סָרִיסִים נִינְהוּ; זִיל בָּתַר קְטַנּוֹת, וְרוֹב קְטַנּוֹת לָאו אַיְילוֹנִית נִינְהוּ!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And the Rabbis** hold: **Follow the majority of male minors, and most male minors are not eunuchs;** and likewise, **follow the majority of female minors, and most female minors are not sexually underdeveloped women.** This indicates that the Rabbis disagree with Rabbi Meir even with regard to a non-evident majority.


###### Bekhorot 19b:13
[Bekhorot 19b:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bekhorot/r/19b:13)

אֶלָּא אָמַר רָבָא:

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rather, Rava says:**