## Bekhorot Daf 22a

###### Bekhorot 22a:1
[Bekhorot 22a:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bekhorot/r/22a:1)

כְּדֵי לְפַרְסְמָהּ שֶׁנִּפְטְרָה מִן הַבְּכוֹרָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara answers: It must be buried **in order to publicize that** the animal **is exempt from** having its future offspring counted **a firstborn.**


###### Bekhorot 22a:2
[Bekhorot 22a:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bekhorot/r/22a:2)

לְמֵימְרָא דְּוָלָד מְעַלְּיָא הוּא, וְאַמַּאי אֵין מְטַמֵּא לֹא בְּמַגָּע וְלֹא בְּמַשָּׂא? אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: מִשּׁוּם בִּיטּוּל בְּרוֹב נָגְעוּ בָּהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara notes with regard to the ruling of the mishna that the animal is exempt from having any future offspring counted as firstborn: That is **to say that** the expelled mass **is a full-fledged offspring. But** if so, **why doesn’t it impart** ritual **impurity, neither through** physical **contact nor through carrying? Rabbi Yoḥanan says:** It is **due to** the halakhic **nullification** of a forbidden substance **in a majority** of permitted substances that the Sages **touched upon it,** in order to exclude it from impurity through contact or carrying. In other words, the fetus is in fact considered a full-fledged offspring, but it is does not impart impurity because it is nullified by the rest of the congealed mass.


###### Bekhorot 22a:3
[Bekhorot 22a:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bekhorot/r/22a:3)

וְאַזְדָּא רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן לְטַעְמֵיהּ, דְּאָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב וְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמְרוּ דָּבָר אֶחָד, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב — הָא דַּאֲמַרַן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara comments: **And Rabbi Yoḥanan follows his** line of **reasoning** in this regard, **as Rabbi Yoḥanan says: Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov and Rabbi Shimon** both **said the same thing,** i.e., they both issued rulings based on the same principle. The relevant statement of **Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov** is **that which we said** previously, i.e., that the expelled mass does not impart ritual impurity because the fetus is nullified by the majority.


###### Bekhorot 22a:4
[Bekhorot 22a:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bekhorot/r/22a:4)

רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן מַאי הִיא? דִּתְנַן: הַשִּׁלְיָא בַּבַּיִת — הַבַּיִת טָמֵא. לֹא שֶׁהַשִּׁלְיָא וָלָד, אֶלָּא שֶׁאֵין שִׁלְיָא בְּלֹא וָלָד. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר: וָלָד נִימּוֹק עַד שֶׁלֹּא יָצָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
And **what is** the statement of **Rabbi Shimon** to which Rabbi Yoḥanan was referring? It is **as we learned** in a mishna (*Nidda* 18a): If a woman miscarried and **the afterbirth** is **in the house, the house is impure.** The reason is **not that the afterbirth** itself has the status of an **offspring, but that there is no afterbirth without an offspring** within it, even if it is undetected. **Rabbi Shimon says:** The **offspring disintegrated before it emerged** with the afterbirth. Consequently, the house is not rendered impure, because the disintegrated fetus is nullified by the majority.


###### Bekhorot 22a:5
[Bekhorot 22a:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bekhorot/r/22a:5)

תְּנַן הָתָם: אֵין לִנְפָלִים פְּתִיחַת הַקֶּבֶר, עַד שֶׁיַּעֲגִילוּ רֹאשׁ כְּפִיקָּה. מַאי כְּפִיקָּה? אָמַר רַב הוּנָא: כְּפִיקָּה שֶׁל צֶמֶר. אֲמַר לֵיהּ חִיָּיא בַּר רַב לְרַב הוּנָא: רַבִּי, פָּרֵישׁ שֶׁל שְׁתִי אוֹ שֶׁל עֵרֶב?

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ The Gemara continues discussing the ritual impurity imparted by a fetus. **We learned** in a mishna **elsewhere** (*Oholot* 7:4): If a fetus dies in its mother’s womb, it imparts ritual impurity from when the womb opens. Yet **deceased fetuses do not** impart ritual impurity in this manner even during **the opening of the womb, until the head** of the fetus is **round like** the size of **a skein [*pika*]** of yarn. The Gemara asks: **What is** the meaning of: **Like a skein? Rav Huna said:** It means **like a skein of woolen** yarn. **Ḥiyya bar Rav said to Rav Huna: My teacher, explain** your statement: Were you referring to a skein **of warp** threads **or** a skein **of** the thicker **woof** threads?


###### Bekhorot 22a:6
[Bekhorot 22a:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bekhorot/r/22a:6)

אֲמַר לֵיהּ: תַּנְיָא: פִּיקָּה שֶׁל שְׁתִי, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: שֶׁל עֵרֶב. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בְּרַבִּי צָדוֹק אוֹמֵר: מִשֶּׁיֵּרָאוּ טְפִיפִיּוֹת. מַאי טְפִיפִיּוֹת? אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בְּרַבִּי צָדוֹק: כָּךְ הָיוּ מְפָרְשִׁין בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם: כִּפְרֵידָה שֶׁכּוֹרַעַת לְהַטִּיל מֵימֶיהָ, וְנִרְאֵית פִּיקָּה מִתּוֹךְ פִּיקָּה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Rav Huna **said to him:** It **is taught** in a *baraita* (*Tosefta*, *Oholot* 8:5): Deceased fetuses do not impart ritual impurity until the head of the fetus is the size of **a skein of warp** threads; this is **the statement of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yehuda says:** The head must be the size of a skein **of woof** threads. **Rabbi Eliezer, son of Rabbi Tzadok, says:** The fetus imparts ritual impurity **from** the time that ***tefifiyot* are seen** near the opening of the womb. The Gemara asks: **What** are ***tefifiyot*? Rav Yehuda says** that **Shmuel says in the name of Rabbi Eliezer, son of Rabbi Tzadok: This** is **how they would explain it in Jerusalem:** *Tefifiyot* are **like** the folds of skin that form when **a mule bends down to urinate, and** the area near the womb **appears** as **a skein** emerging **from within a skein.**


###### Bekhorot 22a:7
[Bekhorot 22a:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bekhorot/r/22a:7)

אָמַר רַב הוּנָא: שָׁמַעְתִּי שְׁתֵּי פִּיקוֹת, אַחַת שֶׁל שְׁתִי וְאַחַת שֶׁל עֵרֶב, וְאֵין לִי לְפָרֵשׁ. כִּי אֲתָא רַב דִּימִי אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: שָׁלֹשׁ פִּיקוֹת שָׁמַעְתִּי, אַחַת שֶׁל שְׁתִי וְאַחַת שֶׁל עֵרֶב וְאַחַת שֶׁל פִּיקָּה גְּדוֹלָה שֶׁל סַקָּאִין, וְאֵין לִי לְפָרֵשׁ. כִּי אֲתָא רָבִין פֵּירְשַׁהּ מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: שֶׁל אִשָּׁה כְּשֶׁל שְׁתִי, שֶׁל בְּהֵמָה כְּשֶׁל עֵרֶב.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rav Huna says: I heard two** different *halakhot* with regard to **skeins: One** involves a skein **of warp** threads **and** the other **one** involves a skein **of woof** threads, **and I do not have** the knowledge **to explain** to which matter these *halakhot* refer. **When Rav Dimi came** to Babylonia from Eretz Yisrael, he said that **Rabbi Yoḥanan said:** With regard to **skeins, I heard three** different *halakhot*: **One** involves a skein **of warp** threads, **and one** a skein **of woof** threads, **and one a large skein** used by **sack makers, and I do not have** the knowledge **to explain** to which matter these *halakhot* refer. **When Ravin came** to Babylonia from Eretz Yisrael, **he explained this in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan:** To impart ritual impurity, the head of a fetus in the womb **of a woman** must be the size **of** a skein **of warp** threads, and the head **of an animal** fetus must be the size **of** a skein **of woof** threads.


###### Bekhorot 22a:8
[Bekhorot 22a:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bekhorot/r/22a:8)

פִּיקָּה גְּדוֹלָה שֶׁל סַקָּאִין, כְּדִתְנַן: גּוּשׁ הַבָּא מִבֵּית הַפְּרָס, מֵאֶרֶץ הָעַמִּים — שִׁיעוּרוֹ כְּפִיקָּה גְּדוֹלָה שֶׁל סַקָּאִין, שֶׁהוּא כְּחוֹתַם הַמַּרְצוּפִין, וְיֶשְׁנוֹ בְּצַד הָעֶלְיוֹן שֶׁל מְגוּפַת הֶחָבִית הַלַּחְמִית.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
As for the *halakha* involving **a large skein** used by **sack makers,** it is **as we learned** in a *baraita* (*Tosefta*, *Kelim Bava Metzia* 7:1): For it to impart ritual impurity, **a clod** of earth **that comes from an area in which uncertainty exists concerning the location of a grave or a corpse [*beit haperas*],** or **from the land of the** gentile **nations,** must be of the **measure of a large skein** used **by sack makers,** the size of **which is like the seal of large sacks [*martzofin*]. And** an item of **this** size **is** also **found on the top side of the seal of a Bethlehem jug.**


###### Bekhorot 22a:9
[Bekhorot 22a:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bekhorot/r/22a:9)

אָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי יְהוּדָה נְשִׂיאָה: הַלּוֹקֵחַ צִיר מֵעַם הָאָרֶץ — מַשִּׁיקוֹ בְּמַיִם, וְטָהוֹר.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ **Reish Lakish says in the name of Rabbi Yehuda Nesia: One who purchases** fish **brine from one who is unreliable with regard to ritual impurity [*am ha’aretz*],** who must purify it due to the concern that it was rendered impure while in the seller’s possession, **brings it into contact with** the **water** of a ritual bath so that the water touches the brine, **and** it is thereby rendered **pure.**


###### Bekhorot 22a:10
[Bekhorot 22a:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bekhorot/r/22a:10)

מִמָּה נַפְשָׁךְ, אִי מַיָּא רוּבָּא נִינְהוּ — כֵּיוָן דְּעָבֵיד לְהוּ הַשָּׁקָה טָהֲרִי לְהוּ, וְאִי רוּבָּא צִיר נִינְהוּ — צִיר לָא בַּר קַבּוֹלֵי טוּמְאָה הוּא. מַאי אִיכָּא — מִשּׁוּם הָנָךְ מִיעוּטָא דְּמַיָּא, הָנָךְ בָּטְלוּ לְהוּ בְּרוּבָּא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Reish Lakish explains: The brine is pure **whichever** way **you** look at it: **If water is** the **majority** of the brine mixture, **once he brought** the brine **into contact** with the ritual bath, the water in the brine mixture **became pure** and the impurity of the brine is nullified by the majority of pure water. **And if the majority is** the **brine** excreted by the fish itself it is also pure, as **brine** alone **is not susceptible to ritual impurity.** Consequently, **what** impurity **is there?** Any impurity is **due** only **to that minority of water** in the mixture, and **that** water **is nullified by the majority** of brine.


###### Bekhorot 22a:11
[Bekhorot 22a:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bekhorot/r/22a:11)

אָמַר רַבִּי יִרְמְיָה: לֹא שָׁנוּ אֶלָּא לִטְבּוֹל בָּהֶן פִּיתּוֹ, אֲבָל לִקְדֵירָה — לֹא, מָצָא מִין אֶת מִינוֹ וְנֵיעוֹר. יָתֵיב רַב דִּימִי וְקָאָמַר לְהָא שְׁמַעְתָּא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ אַבָּיֵי: וְכִי טוּמְאָה שֶׁבָּטְלָה חָזְרָה וְנֵיעוֹרָה? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: וְאַתְּ לָא תִּסְבְּרַהּ? וְהָתְנַן: סְאָה תְּרוּמָה טְמֵאָה שֶׁנָּפְלָה

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rabbi Yirmeya says:** The Sages **taught** that one should use that method of purification **only** if he wishes **to dip his bread in** the brine. **But for** cooking in **a pot** with other water this method is **not** effective, as the liquid of the **type** that was nullified, i.e., the water in the brine, **found its** own **type,** the water in the pot, **and is revived** in its impure state, as the water which was previously only a minority of the mixture is now the majority. **Rav Dimi was sitting and saying this *halakha*. Abaye said to** Rav Dimi: **But does nullified impurity return and revive** in its impure state? Rav Dimi **said to him: And you, do you not hold** that this is the *halakha*? **But didn’t we learn** in a mishna (*Teruma* 5:2): With regard to **a *se’a*of impure *teruma* that fell**