Mishnah.org Logo

Today's Mishnah Yomi

Bechoros 2:3 - 2:4

The Mishnah Yomi for Tuesday, December 2, 2025 is Bechoros 2:3 - 2:4

＜ Previous DayTodayNext Day ＞

Mishnah 1

Mishnayos Bechoros Perek 2 Mishnah 3

בכורות פרק ב׳ משנה ג׳

3
And all sacrificial animals whose consecration preceded their blemish, or who had a temporary blemish prior to their consecration and afterward developed a permanent blemish and they were redeemed, they are exempt from, i.e., their offspring are not counted, a firstborn, and from the gifts of the foreleg, the jaw, and the maw, and they do not completely emerge from their sacred status and assume non-sacred status in order to be shorn and to be utilized for labor. And their offspring, which were conceived prior to redemption, and their milk, are prohibited after their redemption. And one who slaughters them outside the Temple courtyard is liable to receive karet, and those animals render an animal that was a substitute for them consecrated. And if these animals died before they were redeemed, they may not be redeemed and fed to dogs; rather, they must be buried.
כֹּל שֶׁקָּדַם הֶקְדֵּשָׁן אֶת מוּמָן, אוֹ מוּם עוֹבֵר לְהֶקְדֵּשָׁן, וּלְאַחַר מִכָּאן נוֹלָד לָהֶם מוּם קָבוּעַ (וְנִפְדּוּ), פְּטוּרִין מִן הַבְּכוֹרָה וּמִן הַמַּתָּנוֹת, וְאֵינָן יוֹצְאִין לְחֻלִּין לִגָּזֵז וּלְהֵעָבֵד, וּוְלָדָן וַחֲלָבָן אָסוּר לְאַחַר פִּדְיוֹנָן, וְהַשּׁוֹחֲטָן בַּחוּץ חַיָּב, וְעוֹשִׂין תְּמוּרָה, וְאִם מֵתוּ יִקָּבֵרוּ:
ג׳

Mishnah 2

Mishnayos Bechoros Perek 2 Mishnah 4

בכורות פרק ב׳ משנה ד׳

4
With regard to one who receives animals as part of a guaranteed investment from a gentile, i.e., the Jew receives the animals to raise them and commits to pay a fixed price at a later date even if they die or their value decreases, and the offspring born in the interim are divided between the gentile and the Jew, their direct offspring are exempt from the mitzva of the firstborn if they give birth to a male, but the offspring of their direct offspring are obligated in the mitzva of the firstborn if they gave birth to a male. If the Jew established their offspring in place of their mothers for collection in case the mothers die, the offspring of their direct offspring are exempt and the offspring of the offspring of their direct offspring are obligated. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: Even until ten generations, the offspring are exempt, as they all serve as a guarantee for the gentile, because if he does not receive the fixed payment for the animal, he will collect his debt from any offspring born to it or its offspring.
הַמְקַבֵּל צֹאן בַּרְזֶל מִן הַנָּכְרִי, וְלָדוֹת פְּטוּרִין, וּוַלְדֵי וְלָדוֹת חַיָּבִין. הֶעֱמִיד וְלָדוֹת תַּחַת אִמּוֹתֵיהֶם, וַלְדֵי וְלָדוֹת פְטוּרִין, וּוַלְדֵי וַלְדֵי וְלָדוֹת חַיָּבִין. רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר, אֲפִלּוּ עַד עֲשָׂרָה דוֹרוֹת, פְּטוּרִין, שֶׁאַחֲרָיוּתָן לַנָּכְרִי:
ד׳

המקבל צאן ברזל מן הנכרי (he receives a guaranteed investment from the heathen – which is secure from any loss) – that the heathen placed his cattle to him (i.e., an Israelite) for fixed compensation and to give him those monies for up to ten years, whether they (i.e., the animals) died or lost value, and those offspring that they will have until that time will be [divided] between them.

וולדות פטורין – from being firstling. Their offspring of those sheep when they grow and bear animals for the first time will be exempt from the law of firstlings. For if he does not give money to the heathen, he will seize the animal, and if he does not find the animal, he will seize the offspring, it is found that the heathen has a connection with the offspring. Therefore, the firstborn of these offspring is exempt from the law of firstlings, for all that the heathen has a hand in/connection to its mother is exempt from the [law of] firstlings. But when the offspring of the offspring bear animals for the first time , that is the fourth [generation] of the guaranteed investment, they shall be given to the Kohen, for all that much the heathen does not have a hand in/connection to seize the offspring of the offspring.

העמיד ולדות תחת אמותיהן ולדי ולדות פטורין ולדי ולדי ולדות חייבים – if [the Israelite] stipulated that the offspring were in place of their mothers, when he (i.e., the Israelite) made an opening for the heathen for him to have power over the offspring and stated to him: “If the animals will die, you will take the offspring that reach my portion. Now, the power of the hand of the heathen is stronger and is connected to one generation more than of the first [alone]. Therefore, the offspring of the offspring of animals is a guaranteed investment, that when the animals gave birth for the first time, they are exempt from the [law relating] to firstborn animals, since the hand of the heathen belongs to/is attached to them. The offspring of the offspring of the offspring, when they first give birth, that is the fifth [generation] of guaranteed investment, should be given to the Kohen.

שאחריותן לנכרי -for always, everything that is found the Gentile grabs hold of. But the Halakha is not according to Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel.

המקבל צאן ברזל מן הנכרי. ששם לו הנכרי בהמותיו בדמים קצובים ולתת לו אותן דמים עד עשר שנים בין מתו בין הוזלו, ואותן ולדות שיהיו להן עד אותו זמן יהו ביניהן:

ולדות פטורין. מן הבכורה. ולדותיהן של אותן צאן כשיגדלו ויבכרו יפטרו מן הבכורה. דאי לא יהיב זוזי לנכרי תפיס בהמה, ואי לא משכח בהמה תפיס ולדות, אשתכח דשייכא יד נכרי בולדות. הלכך ולדות בכורות שיהיו לאותן ולדות פטורות מן הבכורה, דכל דשייכא יד נכרי באמו הוא פטור מן הבכורה. אבל מה שיבכרו ולדי ולדות, דהיינו רביעי לצאן ברזל, יתנו לכהן, דכולי האי לא שייכא יד נכרי למתפס ולדי ולדות:

הכי גרסינן העמיד ולדות תחת אמותיהן ולדי ולדות פטורין ולדי ולדי ולדות חייבים. העמיד ולדות תחת אמותיהן, שפתח לו פתח לנכרי להיות לו כח בולדות ואמר לו אם ימותו הבהמות תטול ולדות המגיעות לחלקי, השתא אלימא יד נכרי טפי ושייכא בדור אחד טפי משל הראשון. הלכך ולדי ולדות של בהמות צאן ברזל כשבכרו פטורות מן הבכורה, הואיל ושייכא יד הנכרי בדידהו. וולדי ולדות של ולדות כשיבכרו, דהילנו חמישי לצאן ברזל, ינתנו לכהן:

שאחריותן לנכרי. דלעולם כל מה דמשכח נכרי תפיס. ואין הלכה כרשב״ג:

Mishnah Yomi FAQ

Still have a question? Contact Us