Eine [eine rote Färse], die durch einen Kaiserschnitt geboren wurde [wörtlich: kam durch eine Mauer heraus], eine, die als Bezahlung [für eine Hure] oder als Preis [für einen Hund] gegeben wurde, ist ungültig. Rabbi Eliezer bestätigt [sie], wie der Vers sagt: (5. Mose 23:19) "Bring nicht die Zahlung einer Hure oder den Preis eines Hundes in das Haus von Haschem, deinem G-tt", und dieser, [die rote Färse] kommt nicht ins Haus. Alle Schönheitsfehler, die Opfer ungültig machen, machen die [rote] Färse ungültig. Wenn jemand darauf ritt, sich darauf stützte, an seinem Schwanz hing, damit einen Fluss überquerte, die Zügel darüber verdoppelte oder seinen Umhang darauf legte, ist es ungültig. Aber wenn er es mit einem Zügel festgebunden, einen Schuh dafür gemacht hat, um ein Verrutschen zu verhindern, oder seinen Umhang wegen der Fliegen darüber ausgebreitet hat, ist es gültig. Dies ist die Regel: Alles, was für seine eigenen Bedürfnisse [das der Färse] getan wird, ist gültig. Für alle anderen Anforderungen ist es ungültig.
Bartenura on Mishnah Parah
יוצא דופן (Caesarian section) – like the rest of Holy Things. As it is written (Leviticus 22:27): “[When an ox or a sheep or a goat] is born,” excluding that by Caesarean section. But even though a heifer/cow is not the Holy Things of the altar but rather the Holy Things of offerings for Temple repair, nevertheless, an animal born by caesarean section is invalid, for the All-Merciful called it a sin-offering.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Parah
Introduction
Most of today's mishnah deals with Numbers 19:2 which states, "Instruct the Israelite people to bring you a red cow without blemish, in which there is no defect and on which no yoke has been laid."
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Bartenura on Mishnah Parah
ר' אליעזר מכשיר – especially the fee for a whore and the fee for a dog. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Eliezer.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Parah
One that is born from the side, the hire of a harlot or the price of a dog is invalid. Rabbi Eliezer says that it is valid, as it says, "You shall not bring the hire of a harlot or the price of a dog into the house of the Lord your God," (Deuteronomy 23:19) and this was not brought into the house. Deuteronomy 23:19 forbids one from bringing as a sacrifice an animal that was used to pay a harlot or an animal that was sold to buy a dog. The first opinion in the mishnah states that if a red cow was used for either of these purposes, it too is invalid as a hatat cow. However, Rabbi Eliezer says that the verse only prohibits actually sacrifices to be brought from such animals. The red cow is not brought into the Temple and thus if used for either of these purposes, it is valid. In addition, there is a debate concerning a red cow that is born through a caesarean section literally in Hebrew one that is born from the side of its mother. In Bekhorot 7:7 we learned that an animal born through caesarean section cannot be sacrificed. Here we learn that it can also not be used as a red cow hatat, according to the sages. Again, Rabbi Eliezer says that it is valid.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Parah
כל המומין הפוסלים במוקדשים – In [Tractate] Bekhorot in the [sixth] chapter, “On account of these blemishes”/על אלה מומין (Mishnayot 1-12), the blemishes that invalidate the Holy Things are explained.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Parah
All blemishes that cause consecrated animals to be invalid cause also the [red] cow to be invalid. The Torah explicitly states that the red cow must have no blemish. The list of what constitutes a blemish can be found in Bekhorot chapter 6.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Parah
פוסלים כפרה – as it is written (Numbers 19:2): “in which there is no defect”/"אשר אין-בה מום".
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English Explanation of Mishnah Parah
If one had ridden on it, leaned on it, hung on its tail, crossed a river by its help, doubled up its leading rope, or put one's cloak on it, it is invalid. These are all considered making use of the animal and therefore disqualify it from being used as a red cow. "Doubled up its leading rope" seems to mean that one doubled up the rope and laid it on the cow as a place to put it. This too is considered making use of the animal.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Parah
עבר בה את הנהר אחז בזנבה – assisted/accompanied it when he crossed the river.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Parah
But if one had only tied it up by its leading rope or made for it a sandal to prevent it from slipping or spread one's cloak on it because of flies, it is valid. In contrast, in these cases the person doesn't make use of the animal, rather does something for the animal's sake. These do not fall under the category of "on which no yoke has been laid" and therefore the animal is still valid.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Parah
קיפל עליה בת המוסרה (if he threw the reins over her back) – the rope that he ties her with they doubled and placed them on her body (i.e., back).
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English Explanation of Mishnah Parah
This is the general rule: wherever anything is done for its own sake, it remains valid; but if for the sake of another, it becomes invalid. This is the general rule that summarizes the distinction drawn between the cases in section three and those in section four.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Parah
מתן טליתו עליה פסולה – it states in [the portion of the] of the [Red] Heifer (Numbers 19:2): “and on which no yoke has been laid”/אשר לא-עלה עליה על", and it states regarding the heifer whose neck is broken (Deuteronomy 21:3): “a heifer which has never been worked, which has never pulled in a yoke”/"עגלת בקר אשר לא-עבד בה אשר לא-משכה בעל". Just as the yoke that is stated with the heifer (in Deuteronomy 21:3 and following) it did all of the rest of invalid work while yoked, even the yoke that is mentioned with the [Red] Heifer, it is the rest of the invalid work while yoked.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Parah
בשביל שלא תחליק – so that her feet should not slip and she would fall.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Parah
לצורך אחר פסולה – and even for his needs and for her needs it is invalid.
