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Today's Mishnah Yomi

Bechoros 8:3 - 8:4

The Mishnah Yomi for Friday, December 26, 2025 is Bechoros 8:3 - 8:4

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Mishnah 1

Mishnayos Bechoros Perek 8 Mishnah 3

בכורות פרק ח׳ משנה ג׳

3
With regard to one whose wife had not previously given birth and then gave birth to two males, i.e., twin males, and it is unknown which is the firstborn, he gives five sela coins to the priest after thirty days have passed. If one of them dies within thirty days of birth, before the obligation to redeem the firstborn takes effect, the father is exempt from the payment due to uncertainty, as perhaps it was the firstborn who died. In a case where the father died and the sons are alive, Rabbi Meir says: If they gave the five sela coins to the priest before they divided their father’s property between them, they gave it, and it remains in the possession of the priest. But if not, they are exempt from giving the redemption money to the priest. Rabbi Yehuda says: The obligation to redeem the firstborn already took effect on the property of the father; therefore, in either case the sons, his heirs, are required to pay the priest. If the wife gave birth to a male and a female and it is not known which was born first, the priest has nothing here, as it is possible that the female was born first.
מִי שֶׁלֹּא בִכְּרָה אִשְׁתּוֹ וְיָלְדָה שְׁנֵי זְכָרִים, נוֹתֵן חָמֵשׁ סְלָעִים לַכֹּהֵן. מֵת אֶחָד מֵהֶן בְּתוֹךְ שְׁלשִׁים יוֹם, הָאָב פָּטוּר. מֵת הָאָב וְהַבָּנִים קַיָּמִים, רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר, אִם נָתְנוּ עַד שֶׁלֹּא חָלְקוּ, נָתָנוּ. וְאִם לָאו, פְּטוּרִין. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר נִתְחַיְּבוּ נְכָסִים. זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה, אֵין כָּאן לַכֹּהֵן כְּלוּם:
ג׳

וילדה שני זכרים נותן חמש סלעים – that one of them is a first-born male.

האב פטור – that he is able to state that the firstborn died. But when the son died prior to [the age of] thirty days [old], he (i.e., the father) is not liable for the redemption [of the first-born son]. But now when the matter is in doubt for perhaps the first-born son died and he (i.e., the father) is exempt, or perhaps, the one who remains is the [actual] first-born son and he (i.e., the father) is liable [for the child’s redemption]. The Kohen removes [the money] from his fellow, for the burden of proof is upon the claimant. And the same rule applies when the remaining son is exempt from redeeming himself when he will be an adult.

מת האב – after thirty days [of fathering a son].

ואם לאו פטורים – for Rabbi Meir holds that the brothers who divided the possessions of their father, they have the law of the bought property (especially – mortgaged property sold), because there is no retroactive designation (though generally, it is accepted with regard to questions of rabbinic law, but not with regard to maters of Torah law) to each one [of the sons] on his inheritance, but they are as if each purchased from the other his portion and these five Selaim were the obligation of their father as a loan by mouth, but a loan by mouth is not collected/paid from the bought property, therefore, if they divided it up until they didn’t give it, they are exempt.

רבי יהודה אומר נתחייבו הנכסים (i.e., the estate is liable) – for he holds that the brothers who divided [the property] are inheritors and there is retroactive designation to state that each one merited in his portion, and a loan by mouth one collects from the inheritors. And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yehuda.

זכר ונקבה אין כאן לכהן כלום – for one can say that the daughter came out first, and the burden of proof is upon the claimant (see Tractate Bava Kamma, Chapter 3, Mishnah 11).

וילדה שני זכרים נותן חמש סלעים. דאחד מהן בכור:

האב פטור. דמצי למימר הבכור מת. וכשמת הבן קודם שלשים אינו חייב בפדיון, ועכשיו שהדבר ספק שמא הבכור מת ופטור, שמא זה שנשאר הוא הבכור וחייב, הוי הכהן מוציא מחבירו, והמוציא מחבירו עליו הראיה. והוא הדין שהבן הנשאר פטור מלפדות את עצמו כשיהיה גדול:

מת האב. לאחר שלשים:

ואם לאו פטורים. דסבר ר׳ מאיר האחין שחלקו בנכסי אביהן דין לקוחות יש להן, לפי שאין ברירה לכל אחד על ירושתו, אלא הרי הן כאילו קנו זה מזה כל אחד חלקו ואלו החמש סלעים היה חוב על אביהן כמלוה על פה, ומלוה על פה אינה גובה מן הלקוחות, הלכך אם חלקו עד שלא נתנו פטורים:

רבי יהודה אומר נתחייבו הנכסים. קסבר האחים שחלקו יורשים הן, דיש ברירה לומר כל אחד זכה בחלקו, ומלוה על פה גובה מן היורשים. והלכה כר׳ יהודה:

זכר ונקבה אין כאן לכהן כלום. דאמר ליה הנקבה יצאה ראשונה, והמוציא מחבירו עליו הראיה:

Mishnah 2

Mishnayos Bechoros Perek 8 Mishnah 4

בכורות פרק ח׳ משנה ד׳

4
With regard to two wives of one man, both of whom had not previously given birth, and they gave birth to two males, i.e., each bore one male, and the sons were intermingled, the father gives ten sela coins to the priest even if it is unknown which son was born first, because it is certain that each is firstborn of his mother. In a case where one of them dies within thirty days of birth, if he gave all ten sela coins to one priest, the priest must return five sela to him, because the father was not obligated to redeem the son who then died. And if he gave the redemption payment to two different priests, he cannot reclaim the money from the possession of either priest, as each could claim that the money that he received was for the living child. If one mother gave birth to a male and one gave birth to a female, or if between them they gave birth to two males and one female, and the children were intermingled, the father gives five sela coins to the priest: In the first case because the male might have preceded the female and in the second case because one of the males is certainly firstborn. If the children were two females and a male, or two males and two females, the priest has nothing here, as it is possible the female was born first to each mother. If one of his wives had previously given birth and one had not previously given birth and they gave birth to two males who became intermingled, the father gives five sela coins to the priest, as it is certain that one of them was born to the mother who had not yet given birth. If one of them dies within thirty days of birth the father is exempt from that payment, as it is possible that the one who died was born to the mother who had not yet given birth. In a case of intermingling where the father died and the sons are alive, Rabbi Meir says: If they gave the five sela coins to the priest before they divided their father’s property between them, they gave it, and it remains in the possession of the priest. But if not, they are exempt from giving the redemption payment to the priest. Rabbi Yehuda says: The obligation to redeem the firstborn already took effect on the property of the father. If the wives gave birth to a male and a female the priest has nothing here, as perhaps the female was born to the mother who had not yet given birth.
שְׁתֵּי נָשִׁים שֶׁלֹּא בִכְּרוּ וְיָלְדוּ שְׁנֵי זְכָרִים, נוֹתֵן עֶשֶׂר סְלָעִים לַכֹּהֵן. מֵת אֶחָד מֵהֶן בְּתוֹךְ שְׁלשִׁים יוֹם, אִם לְכֹהֵן אֶחָד נָתַן, יַחֲזִיר לוֹ חָמֵשׁ סְלָעִים. אִם לִשְׁנֵי כֹהֲנִים נָתַן, אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְהוֹצִיא מִיָּדָם. זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה אוֹ שְׁנֵי זְכָרִים וּנְקֵבָה, נוֹתֵן חָמֵשׁ סְלָעִים לַכֹּהֵן. שְׁתֵּי נְקֵבוֹת וְזָכָר אוֹ שְׁנֵי זְכָרִים וּשְׁתֵּי נְקֵבוֹת, אֵין כָּאן לַכֹּהֵן כְּלוּם. אַחַת בִּכְּרָה וְאַחַת שֶׁלֹּא בִכְּרָה וְיָלְדוּ שְׁנֵי זְכָרִים. נוֹתֵן חָמֵשׁ סְלָעִים לַכֹּהֵן. מֵת אֶחָד מֵהֶן בְּתוֹךְ שְׁלשִׁים יוֹם, הָאָב פָּטוּר. מֵת הָאָב וְהַבָּנִים קַיָּמִין, רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר, אִם נָתְנוּ עַד שֶׁלֹּא חָלְקוּ, נָתָנוּ. וְאִם לָאו, פְּטוּרִין. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, נִתְחַיְּבוּ נְכָסִים. זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה, אֵין כָּאן לַכֹּהֵן כְּלוּם:
ד׳

שתי נשים – of one man/husband, and they gave birth to two male [children] in a hiding place, that were mixed up.

אם לכהן אחד נתן – for the redemption of both of them, the Kohen would return to him five Selaim, for the one of them (i.e., the babies) died within thirty days [of birth], and the matter was revealed that he was premature/not a viable birth, and that he took [money] not according to the law.

אין יכול להוציא מידם – for each one of them (i.e., the individual Kohanim) can supersede him and say, “I am taking possession of them (i.e., these five Selaim) for the redemption of the living [child].

או שני זכרים ונקבה – his wives gave birth in a hiding place.

נותן חמש סלעים לכהן – whichever way you turn, one of them is a first-born male; if one of the wives gave birth to two male [children], the first one is a first-born, but if one of them gave birth to a male and a female, it is found that her partner gave birth alone to a male, and he is the first born, and the one that is with the female is exempt, perhaps, the female came out first.

אין לכהן כלום – that one is able to say that the girls came out first and there is no first-born male here.

נתנו עד שלא חלקו כו' – as I explained above (in Mishnah 3 of this chapter). And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yehuda.

זכר ונקבה – one can say that the wife that had not given birth gave birth [first] to a female, and there is no first-born [male].

שתי נשים. של איש אחד, וילדו שני זכרים במחבוא, שנתערבו:

אם לכהן אחד נתן. פדיון שניהם, יחזיר לו הכהן חמש סלעים, הואיל ומת בתוך שלשים ואיגלאי מלתא דנפל הוא ושלא כדין שקל:

אין יכול להוציא מידם. דכל חד וחד מדחי ליה ואומר הריני מחזיק בם בשביל פדיון החי:

או שני זכרים ונקבה. ילדו הנשים שלו במחבוא:

נותן חמש סלעים לכהן. דממה נפשך חד הוי בכור, אם האחת ילדה שני זכרים האחד בכור, ואם האחת ילדה זכר ונקבה, נמצא שחברתה ילדה זכר לבדו והוא בכור, ואותו שעם הנקבה פטור שמא נקבה יצאה ראשון:

אין לכהן כלום. דאיכא למימר הנקבות יצאו תחלה ואין כאן בכור:

האב פטור. דמצי למימר בן המבכרת מת:

נתנו עד שלא חלקו כו׳ כדפרישנא לעיל. והלכה כר׳ יהודה:

זכר ונקבה. יש לומר אותה שלא בכרה ילדה הנקבה ואין כאן בכור:

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