Daf 5 — Bechoros 5 Summary

Bechoros 5 – Good Morning Raboisai 1 ⃣ Were Bechorim Kadosh in the Midbar? 👉 The Gemara continues the Machlokes from yesterday: Did Bechorim born during the years in the Midbar have: ● Kedushas Bechor? A Beraisa says that on the day the Mishkan was erected, Klal Yisrael brought: ● Nedarim and Nedavos ● Chataos and Ashamos ● Bechoros ● Ma’asros This seems to prove: ● There were Bechoros in the Midbar. 5_transcript 2 ⃣ Perhaps They Were Older Bechorim 👉 The proof is rejected. Perhaps the Bechoros brought that day were: ● Bechorim whose Kedushah had already taken effect earlier. Therefore, this does not necessarily prove that: ● New Bechorim continued becoming Kadosh throughout the Midbar. The Gemara also discusses whether the words “that day” mean: ● Only that day or: ● Beginning that day and continuing afterwards. 3 ⃣ Three Stages of Bechorah 👉 Another source describes Bechorah in connection with: ● Mitzrayim ● The Midbar ● Eretz Yisrael. The opinion that Bechorah did not continue throughout the Midbar explains: There was indeed: ● An initial Kedushah and counting of the Bechorim in the Midbar. But afterwards: ● Newly born Bechorim did not receive Kedushah until: ● Klal Yisrael entered Eretz Yisrael. 4 ⃣ Rebbe Yochanan and Reish Lakish 👉 The Gemara discusses the Machlokes between: ● Rebbe Yochanan ● Reish Lakish. One holds: ● Kedushas Bechor continued throughout the Midbar. The other holds: ● There was a break during the Midbar before it resumed in Eretz Yisrael. The Pesukim are analysed to determine whether Bechorah: ● Continued without interruption or: ● Restarted upon entering Eretz Yisrael. 5 ⃣ והיו לי הלוים – Continuing Kedushah 👉 The word והיו indicates: ● A continuing status. According to the opinion that Bechorah continued: ● Once the Kedushah began, it did not stop during the Midbar. The Pasuk connecting the Mitzvah with entering Eretz Yisrael can instead mean: ● Keeping the Mitzvah properly would be a Zechus to enter the Land. 6 ⃣ “Lo Kachu” – A Very Different Meaning 👉 The Gemara preserves the exact wording: ● לא קדשו בכורות במדבר At first glance this sounds like: ● Bechorim were not Kadosh in the Midbar. But another explanation is: ● They did not need to be actively made Kadosh. Why? Because: ● A Bechor becomes Kadosh automatically at birth. So the same words can convey: ● Not a lack of Kedushah ● But that no separate act of Hekdesh was required. 7 ⃣ Say Your Rebbe’s Exact Words 👉 Why preserve wording that could easily be misunderstood? Because: ● חייב אדם לומר בלשון רבו A person should repeat a teaching: ● In the language used by his Rebbe. Changing the wording because we think we can say it more clearly can: ● Eventually change the meaning. The exact wording of the Rebbe should therefore be: ● Preserved carefully. The Roman’s Challenge 8 ⃣ 22,300 Leviim vs 22,273 Bechorim 👉 A Roman official challenged Rebbe Yehoshua ben Chananya. There were: ● 22,300 Leviim but only: ● 22,273 Bechorei Yisrael. If every Levi could redeem a Bechor: Why did the extra 273 Bechorei Yisrael need: ● A separate monetary redemption? There should have been: ● More than enough Leviim. 9 ⃣ The Missing 300 👉 The answer: Among the Leviim themselves were: ● 300 Bechorim. Those 300 firstborn Leviim first had to: ● Exempt themselves. Their power of redemption was therefore already: ● Used for themselves. This left: ● 22,000 Leviim available to correspond to: ● 22,000 Bechorei Yisrael. The remaining: ● 273 Bechorim had to be redeemed: ● With money. The Shekalim Calculation 🔟 Another Challenge to Moshe Rabbeinu 👉 The Gemara records another challenge based on the money collected from Klal Yisrael. The calculation appeared to show: ● More silver had been collected than the amount described as being used for: ● The Mishkan. The challenger therefore tried to claim either: ● Moshe Rabbeinu had taken the money or: ● The calculation did not add up. 1 ⃣ 1 ⃣ Moshe Rabbeinu Knew His Cheshbon 👉 The answer is: ● Moshe Rabbeinu was a trustworthy Gizbar ● And knew the calculations perfectly. The mistake was in assuming the size of: ● A Kikar of Kodesh. The Kikar used for Kodesh was: ● Double the ordinary amount. Therefore: ● The Torah’s figures fit correctly. There was: ● No missing money. 1 ⃣ 2 ⃣ How Do We Know the Kodesh Amount Was Double? 👉 The Gemara examines several calculations from the Pesukim. The amounts of: ● Shekalim ● Maneh ● Kikar show that the measurements used for Kodesh were: ● Larger than the ordinary measurements. The Gemara concludes: ● The Maneh of Kodesh was doubled. An additional amount was later added, explaining how: ● The familiar calculation reaches the larger total. Why Petor Chamor? 1 ⃣ 3 ⃣ Why Donkeys and Not Horses or Camels? 👉 Rebbe Eliezer was asked: Why does the Torah give a special Mitzvah of: ● petor Chamor but not: ● Firstborn horses ● Firstborn camels? One answer is simply: ● Gezeiras HaKasuv – this is what the Torah commanded. But there is also a reason given for the special status of: ● Donkeys. 1 ⃣ 4 ⃣ The Donkeys Helped at Yetzias Mitzrayim 👉 The donkeys assisted Klal Yisrael when leaving: ● Mitzrayim. They carried the enormous amount of: ● Gold ● Silver ● Possessions that Klal Yisrael took out of Egypt. The Gemara describes each donkey as being loaded with: ● The wealth of Mitzrayim. Therefore, the donkey received the special Mitzvah of: ● petor Chamor. Names That Teach a Lesson 1 ⃣ 5 ⃣ Why Was It Called Refidim? 👉 The Gemara discusses the name: ● Refidim. One opinion says: ● It was simply the name of the place. Another explains it as: ● רפו ידיהם מן התורה Their hands became weakened from: ● Torah. The name therefore reflects: ● A weakening in their commitment to Torah. 1 ⃣ 6 ⃣ The Meaning of Shittim 👉 The Gemara similarly discusses: ● Shittim. One opinion says: ● It was simply the place’s name. Another connects it with what happened there: ● Klal Yisrael were drawn into serious Aveiros. The name is therefore understood as reflecting: ● The spiritual failure that occurred there. A New Mishnah 1 ⃣ 7 ⃣ A Cow Gives Birth to Something Looking Like a Donkey 👉 The Mishnah discusses unusual births. If: ● A kosher cow gives birth to something that looks like a donkey or: ● A donkey gives birth to something that looks like a horse the Halachah depends on: ● The species of the mother ● And, for Bechorah, whether the offspring has the required characteristics. For petor Chamor, the Torah repeats: ● פטר חמור teaching that both the mother and offspring must meet: ● The requirements of Chamor. 1 ⃣ 8 ⃣ What Determines Whether It May Be Eaten? 👉 Regarding Kashrus, the rule is: ● היוצא מן הטהור טהור ● היוצא מן הטמא טמא Whatever comes from: ● A kosher animal is kosher. Whatever comes from: ● A non-kosher animal is non-kosher. Therefore, even if the offspring looks like: ● A different species its Kashrus follows: ● The animal from which it was born. 1 ⃣ 9 ⃣ A Sheep That Looks Like a Goat 👉 The Mishnah continues: If: ● A sheep gives birth to something resembling a goat or: ● A goat gives birth to something resembling a sheep it can be: ● Patur from Bechorah. However, if the offspring retains: ● Some identifying features of its mother’s species it can be: ● Chayav in Bechorah. 2 ⃣ 0 ⃣ The Pasuk of Bechor 👉 The Gemara derives this from the wording referring to: ● Bechor Shor ● Bechor Kesev ● Bechor Eiz. The animal must be: ● Of that species ● And recognizable as the Bechor of that species. The Gemara begins asking: What if the offspring has: ● Only some of the identifying features? This discussion continues into: ● The next Daf. 📌 Key Chazarah ● Rebbe Yochanan and Reish Lakish disagree whether Kedushas Bechor continued throughout the Midbar. ● A source mentioning Bechoros at the Mishkan does not conclusively prove that new Bechorim became Kadosh throughout the Midbar. ● “Lo Kachu” can mean that Bechorim did not require a separate act of Hekdesh because their Kedushah came automatically. ● חייב אדם לומר בלשון רבו – a teaching should be repeated using the Rebbe’s wording. ● Of the 22,300 Leviim, 300 were themselves Bechorim, leaving 22,000 to redeem 22,000 Bechorei Yisrael. ● The remaining 273 Bechorim were redeemed with money. ● The apparent problem in Moshe Rabbeinu’s silver calculation is resolved because the Kodesh measurements were larger. ● Petor Chamor applies specifically to donkeys; one reason is their role in carrying Klal Yisrael’s wealth from Mitzrayim. ● Refidim is connected by one opinion to weakening in Torah. ● Kashrus follows the mother: what comes from a kosher animal is kosher, and what comes from a non-kosher animal is not. ● For Bechorah, an offspring resembling another species may be Patur unless it retains identifying features of its mother’s species. 📘 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