Study Bekhorot folio 41B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
בעי רבא: מאי טעמא דרבי ישמעאל? מיפשט פשיטא ליה אנדרוגינוס בכור הוא ומומו עמו, או דילמא ספוקי מספקא ליה, ו״אם תימצא לומר״ קאמר — אם תימצא לומר בכור הוא, הרי מומו עמו!
Rava raises a dilemma: What is the reason of R' Yishmael that a hermaphrodite is definitely blemished? Is it obvious to him that a hermaphrodite animal is a male that has firstborn status, and it comes with its blemish, i.e., the female sex organ, and therefore it is permitted to slaughter it outside the Temple? Or perhaps R' Yishmael is uncertain whether or not a hermaphrodite is considered a male, and he says his ruling in the manner of: If you say. In other words, if you say that a hermaphrodite animal is a firstborn, it comes with its blemish, and it may be slaughtered outside the Temple.
למאי נפקא מינה? למילקא עליה משום גיזה ועבודה, אי נמי למיתבה לכהן.
The Talmud asks: What is the practical difference between the reasons? The Talmud answers that there is a difference with regard to being flogged on account of this animal due to violating the prohibition of shearing and utilizing a firstborn animal for labor (see Deuteronomy 15:19). If it is definitely a firstborn, then one would be flogged for violating the prohibition. But if one is uncertain whether it is a firstborn, although one may not shear it or perform labor with it, one is not liable to flogging for doing so. Alternatively, there is a difference with regard to giving it to a priest. If its status is uncertain, the priest cannot demand the animal from him, in accordance with the principle that the burden of proof rests upon the claimant.
תא שמע: רבי אילעאי אומר משום רבי ישמעאל: אנדרוגינוס בכור הוא, ומומו עמו. שמע מינה מיפשט פשיטא ליה! ודילמא ״אם תימצא לומר״ קאמר!
The Talmud suggests: Come and hear a baraita: R' Ilai says in the name of R' Yishmael: A hermaphrodite is a firstborn, and it comes with its blemish. Learn from the baraita that it is obvious to R' Yishmael that a hermaphrodite is a firstborn. The Talmud responds: But perhaps he said his ruling in the manner of: If you say, as explained earlier.