Daf 4 — Bechoros 4 Summary

Bechoros 4 – Good Morning Raboisai 1 ⃣ The Geres With Non-Jewish Brothers 👉 The Gemara discusses a woman who converted, while her brothers remained non-Jewish. Her brothers would give her animals, leaving her with: ● A partnership with non-Jews. She asked whether the animals were Chayav in Bechorah. The answer was: ● We do not follow Rebbe Yehudah, who holds that a non-Jewish partnership can remain Chayav. ● We follow the view that such a partnership is Patur from Bechorah. 4_transcript 2 ⃣ Rav Mari bar Rochel Sold the Ear 👉 Rav Mari bar Rochel would transfer: ● The ear of his animals to a non-Jew before the Bechor was born. This gave the non-Jew: ● A genuine share in the animal and prevented the newborn from receiving: ● Kedushas Bechor. However, Rav Mari did not do this simply to benefit himself. He still: ● Treated the animals with the Chumros of Bechor ● Did not work them or shear them ● Gave them to the Kohanim. 3 ⃣ Why Were His Animals Punished? 👉 Despite his care, Rav Mari's animals died. Why? Because ultimately he had arranged matters so that: ● Kedushas Bechor would never take effect. The Gemara compares this with deliberately making a Mum in a Bechor. There is, however, an important difference. If a Mum is made while the fetus is still in its mother: ● Certain aspects of Bechorah can remain. But by giving a non-Jew a share: ● The Kedushas Bechor is prevented completely. 4 ⃣ Another Concern – People May Copy Him Incorrectly 👉 Another explanation is that Rav Mari himself: ● Made a valid Kinyan with the non-Jew. But someone watching him might not understand this. They could think that merely: ● Saying that the non-Jew owns part of the animal is enough. They may then fail to make: ● A proper Kinyan and later mistakenly treat a genuine Bechor: ● As ordinary Chullin. Kohanim and Leviim 5 ⃣ Why Are Kohanim and Leviim Patur? 👉 The Mishnah teaches that: ● Kohanim and Leviim are Patur from Peter Chamor. It introduces a Kal Vachomer from what happened: ● In the Midbar. The Leviim were able to remove the Kedushas Bechor from: ● The Bechorei Yisrael. If they could exempt others: ● Certainly they should be able to exempt themselves. 6 ⃣ The 22,000 Leviim 👉 In the Midbar there were: ● 22,000 Leviim who corresponded to: ● 22,000 Bechorei Yisrael. There were an additional: ● 273 Bechorei Yisrael who did not have a Levi corresponding to them. Those additional Bechorim were therefore redeemed: ● With money. This was part of the transfer of the Avodah from: ● The Bechorim to the Leviim. 7 ⃣ Was It the Levi or His Animal? 👉 The Gemara challenges the Kal Vachomer. The Torah describes two separate exchanges: ● The Leviim replaced the Bechorei Yisrael. ● The animals of the Leviim replaced the animals of Yisrael. So perhaps: ● A Levi himself exempted a person. ● A Levi's animal exempted an animal. How, then, can we use one to prove: ● The other? 8 ⃣ Rava – The Kal Vachomer Is About the Levi Himself 👉 Rava understands the Mishnah as referring primarily to: ● The Levi himself. If a Levi could remove the Kedushah from: ● A Yisrael Bechor then certainly: ● He himself should not require Pidyon HaBen. The Gemara then connects: ● Bechor Adam ● And Bechor Behemah Temeiah because the Torah places them together. Therefore, a Levi who is exempt from: ● Pidyon HaBen is also exempt from: ● Peter Chamor. 9 ⃣ Abaye – The Kal Vachomer Is About the Animals 👉 Abaye understands the Mishnah differently. The animals of the Leviim were able to remove the Kedushah from: ● The animals of Yisrael. Therefore, certainly the Leviim's animals should be able to: ● Exempt their own Bechorim. This leads to several questions about: ● Which Leviim were actually included in the redemption in the Midbar. Who Was Included? 🔟 What If a Levi Had No Sheep? 👉 According to Abaye's approach, we could ask: What about a Levi who personally: ● Did not own a sheep in the Midbar? If his animal never redeemed anything: ● Why should his own animals now be exempt? Similarly, what about: ● A Levi less than one month old who was not included in the count? Why should he receive: ● The same exemption? 1 ⃣ 1 ⃣ A Bas Levi 👉 Another question concerns: ● A woman from Shevet Levi. Women were not included in the count of: ● The 22,000 Leviim. Nevertheless, a Bas Levi retains important: ● Levi status. For example, where the Din follows the mother, her child can receive: ● The exemption associated with Leviim. How can this be if: ● She was not included in the original count? 1 ⃣ 2 ⃣ What About Aharon? 👉 Aharon was also not counted among: ● The 22,000 Leviim. Would that mean that: ● He and his family were excluded from the exemption? This gives the Gemara another reason why the exemption cannot depend on: ● Each individual Levi personally participating in the original exchange. 1 ⃣ 3 ⃣ All Leviim Are Included Together 👉 The Gemara answers: ● הוקשו כל הלוים זה לזה All Leviim are treated: ● As one Halachic category. Therefore it does not matter whether a particular Levi: ● Owned a sheep ● Was under a month old ● Was a woman ● Or was otherwise not personally included in the count. Once the Torah established the status of: ● Shevet Levi the exemption applies to: ● The entire Shevet. What About Kohanim? 1 ⃣ 4 ⃣ Kohanim Are Also Called Leviim 👉 We have established the exemption for: ● Leviim. How do we know: ● Kohanim are included? The Gemara explains that Kohanim are also referred to in the Torah as: ● Leviim. Therefore: ● Kohanim receive the same exemption. 1 ⃣ 5 ⃣ Does the Exemption Continue Forever? 👉 Perhaps this exemption only applied: ● In the Midbar. How do we know that Kohanim and Leviim remain exempt: ● In later generations? The Torah says: ● והיו לי הלוים The wording indicates that their status: ● Continues. The exemption established for the Leviim therefore applies: ● For future generations as well. What Redeemed the Animals in the Midbar? 1 ⃣ 6 ⃣ Sheep Were Used for Redemption 👉 The Gemara discusses how the animals of Yisrael were redeemed: ● In the Midbar. Just as money was used for the extra: ● 273 Bechorei Yisrael the Gemara establishes that: ● Sheep were also used for the animal redemptions. This connects directly to the regular Mitzvah of: ● Redeeming a Peter Chamor with a sheep. 1 ⃣ 7 ⃣ One Sheep Can Redeem More Than One Donkey 👉 Rebbe Chanina teaches an important Halachah: ● One sheep can be used to redeem many Peter Chamors. How? Not by redeeming them: ● All simultaneously. Rather: ● Redeem one donkey with the sheep. ● Give the sheep to the Kohen. ● If the sheep returns to the owner through a valid arrangement, it can then be used again. The sheep itself does not acquire: ● Kedushah through the redemption. Therefore the same sheep can potentially be used: ● Again and again. 1 ⃣ 8 ⃣ The Pasuk Hints to One for Many 👉 The Gemara finds support from the wording: ● בהמת הלוים תחת בהמתם The singular expression for the animals of Levi is placed against: ● The animals of Yisrael. This suggests that: ● One animal of the Leviim could exempt: ● More than one animal of Yisrael. The wording of the Pasuk supports: ● One for many. Were Bechorim Kadosh in the Midbar? 1 ⃣ 9 ⃣ Rebbe Yochanan and Reish Lakish 👉 The Daf ends with a Machlokes: Were firstborn animals born during the years in the Midbar: ● Kadosh as Bechorim? One opinion holds: ● Bechorah applied in the Midbar. The other holds that the special Kedushah applied: ● In Mitzrayim ● And again upon entering Eretz Yisrael but not to new Bechorim born: ● During the intervening years in the Midbar. 2 ⃣ 0 ⃣ What About the Bechorim Who Performed the Avodah? 👉 The Gemara attempts to prove that Bechorah did apply in the Midbar because: ● Bechorim performed the Avodah before the Leviim took over. But this is not necessarily a proof. Those performing the Avodah could have been: ● Bechorim who were already born in Mitzrayim. Their existing Kedushas Bechor may have continued even if: ● New Bechorim born in the Midbar did not receive Kedushah. The Gemara therefore continues analysing: ● Whether new Bechorim became Kadosh in the Midbar. 📌 Key Chazarah ● A non-Jewish partnership exempts an animal from Bechorah according to the Halachah. ● Rav Mari bar Rochel sold the ears of his animals to a non-Jew before the Bechorim were born. ● Despite observing the Chumros, he was criticized for deliberately preventing Kedushas Bechor from taking effect. ● Another concern was that others might imitate him without making a valid Kinyan. ● Kohanim and Leviim are exempt from Pidyon HaBen and Peter Chamor. ● In the Midbar, 22,000 Leviim corresponded to 22,000 Bechorei Yisrael; the extra 273 were redeemed with money. ● The Gemara discusses whether the Kal Vachomer comes from the Leviim themselves or their animals. ● All Leviim share the same Halachic status even if a particular Levi did not personally participate in the original redemption. ● Kohanim are included because Kohanim are also called Leviim. ● והיו לי הלוים teaches that their status continues for future generations. ● One sheep can be used to redeem more than one Peter Chamor, one after another. ● Rebbe Yochanan and Reish Lakish disagree whether new Bechorim born in the Midbar had Kedushas Bechor. 📘 Catch up, review, download previous Dafim & more: https://www.dafchazarah.co.uk 📲 Now available as an app (Apple, Google & Amazon): https://dafchazarah.co.uk/download 🤝 Sponsor a day: https://dafchazarah.co.uk/sponsor לעילוי נשמת אמי מורתי רות בת הרב מנחם מנדל