The tail of a calf which does not reach the leg joint - the Sages said: all growing calves are such [that their tails reach their knee joint, and] while they are growing, their tails [also] extend. To which leg joint did they refer? Rabbi Chaninah ben Antignos says, to the joint in the middle of the thigh. For [all] these blemishes [in this chapter], we slaughter the first born and invalid sanctified animals are redeemed because of them.
Bartenura on Mishnah Bekhorot
ערקוב (the inner part of the knee/inner angle of the joint which unites the thigh and the leg of the animal) – to the upper tie which is the place of the connection of the thigh with the foreleg. But corresponding to it in a camel it is recognized that it has corresponding to this upper leg from under the hip-bone to the ankle (i.e., the knee and the surrounding parts), this bone protrudes outward.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bekhorot
Introduction
This is the final mishnah that lists blemishes that disqualify an animal.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bekhorot
כל מרבית העגלים כן (through the whole period of growth of calves it is so) – all of the growth of calves and their custom – is that their tails reach the inner part of the knee [therefore, less than this it is a blemish], and when they are grown up, they (i.e., the tails) extend/stretch below.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bekhorot
If the tail of a calf does not reach the joint, [it is a blemish]. The sages said: the growth of all calves is in this manner, as long as [the animals] grow, the tails also extend [below]. To which joint does this refer? Rabbi Hanina ben Antigonus says: the joint in the middle of the hip. According to the first opinion, if the tail does not reach the joint in the middle of the hip, the joint that connects the thigh bone with the thigh, the animal is defective. The other sages disagree and say that it is normal for the tail to grow slowly. Thus if early in life the tail does not reach the hip joint, it is not a blemish because it will grow later.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bekhorot
שבאמצע הירך – this is the upper joints/hams of the knee that I explained which correspond to that of a known camel.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bekhorot
In consequence of these blemishes we may slaughter a firstborn animal, and consecrated animals rendered unfit [for the altar] in consequence of these blemishes may be redeemed. This section relates to all of the blemishes listed above in the chapter. If a first born has any one of these blemishes it may be slaughtered and it need not be brought to the Temple as a sacrifice. If a consecrated animal develops one of these blemishes it cannot be offered as a sacrifice and must be redeemed for money.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bekhorot
על אלו מומין שוחטין את הבכור – even though it is taught in the beginning of our chapter (see Mishnah 1 of this chapter), “on account of these blemishes they slaughter the firstling,” it returns and teaches it again here, because it is taught three, it adds, etc. and they said to him: we did not hear of these” (see Mishnah 8 of this chapter), he reviewed them and generalized them to state that even on these blemishes, they slaughter [the firstling].
