Study Bekhorot folio 37A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
לאפוקי מדרבי יוסי, שלשה מפירין את הנדר במקום שאין חכם לאפוקי מדרבי יהודה, דתניא: הפרת נדרים בשלשה, רבי יהודה אומר: אחד מהם חכם.
is to the exclusion of the opinion of R' Yosei in the Mishnah, who prohibits any number of laymen to deem a firstborn animal permitted. The ruling that a group of 3 laymen may dissolve a vow in a place where there is no Sage is to the exclusion of the opinion of R' Yehuda, as it is taught in a baraita: Dissolution of vows requires a court of 3. R' Yehuda says: This is the halakha only if at least one of them is a Sage. If no Sage is available, laymen may not dissolve a vow.
במקום שאין חכם. כגון מאן? אמר רב נחמן: כגון אנא. רבי יהודה אומר: אחד מהן חכם, מכלל דהנך כל דהו? אמר רבינא: דמסברי ליה וסבר.
Rav Ḥiyya bar Amram stated above that a group of 3 may dissolve a vow in a place where there is no Sage. This indicates that if there is a Sage, he alone may dissolve a vow. The Talmud asks: Who, For example: is considered such a Sage? Rav Naḥman said: For example: one such as me. The baraita further stated that R' Yehuda says: At least one of the 3 laymen must be a Sage. The Talmud asks: Should one conclude by inference that those other two members can be anyone, even complete commoners [amei ha'aretz]? Ravina said in explanation: Each member of the group must be one to whom the halakhot of vows is explained and he is able to comprehend them.
רבי יוסי אומר: אפילו יש שם עשרים ושלשה כו׳. אמר רב חננאל אמר רב: אין הלכה כרבי יוסי. פשיטא, יחיד ורבים הלכה כרבים! מהו דתימא נמוקו עמו? קא משמע לן.
§ The Mishnah teaches that R' Yosei says: Even if there is a court of 23 rabbis there, it may be slaughtered only on the basis of the ruling of an expert. Rav Ḥananel says that Rav says: The halakha is not in accordance with the opinion of R' Yosei. The Talmud challenges: This is obvious, as there is a principle that in a dispute between an individual Sage and many rabbis, the halakha is in accordance with the opinion of the many rabbis. The Talmud answers: Rav’s statement is necessary, lest you say that R' Yosei is an exception to the principle, as his reasoning [nimmuko] is with him, i.e., his logic is sound. Rav Ḥananel therefore teaches us that this is not so, and the halakha does not follow his opinion.