Bekhorot 15B

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Text Excerpt

איכא דאמרי: ״תזבח ואכלת״⁠ — אין לך בהן היתר אכילה אלא משעת זביחה ואילך, אבל פודין את הקדשים להאכילן לכלבים, הכי נמי דאמר.

The Talmud cites an alternative exposition. Some say that the phrase: “You may slaughter and eat,” teaches that you have permission to eat them only from the time of slaughter onward. Similarly, no benefit may be derived from them until after their slaughter. The Talmud notes: But according to this interpretation, so too, the tanna said that one may redeem sacrificial animals in order to feed them to dogs, as this prohibition is not derived from the term “you may eat.”

וולדן וחלבן אסור לאחר פדיונן. היכי דמי? אילימא דאיעבר ואיתיליד לאחר פדיונן ⁠— אמאי? ולד צבי ואיל נינהו! אלא דאיעבר לפני פדיונן ואיתיליד לאחר פדיונן. הא לפני פדיונן ⁠— מיקדש נמי קדשי.

§ The Mishnah teaches with regard to sacrificial animals: And their offspring and their milk are prohibited after their redemption. The Talmud asks: What are the circumstances of the offspring’s birth? If we say that the offspring was both conceived and born after its mother’s redemption, then why would it be prohibited? After all, they are like the offspring of a gazelle or a hart, i.e., they are completely non-sacred. Rather, it must be referring to a case where the offspring was conceived prior to its mother’s redemption and born after its mother’s redemption. One can infer: But if they were born before their mothers’ redemption, not only are they not prohibited, they are also imbued with inherent sanctity.

מנא הני מילי? דתנו רבנן: ״זכר״⁠ — לרבות את הולד, ו״נקבה״⁠ — לרבות את התמורה.

The Talmud asks: From where is this matter, that the offspring of a sacrificial animal is imbued with inherent sanctity, derived? It is derived from a verse, as A baraita states with regard to the verse: “And if his offering be a sacrifice of peace offerings: If he sacrifice of the cattle, whether male or female, he should sacrifice it without blemish before YHWH” (Leviticus 3:1), that the words “male” and “female” are extraneous, as the term “cattle” includes both. Consequently, “male” serves to include the offspring of a peace offering; “or female” serves to include the female animal that is designated as a substitute for a peace offering.

Text data via Sefaria: William Davidson Edition - English and William Davidson Edition - Vocalized Aramaic, CC-BY-NC; edition provenance: Koren. Display terminology has been modernized for readability.