Commentary for Bekhorot 7:6
הַמַּקִּישׁ בְּקַרְסֻלָּיו, וּבְאַרְכּוּבוֹתָיו, וּבַעַל פִּיקָה, וְהָעִקֵּל. אֵיזֶהוּ עִקֵּל, כֹּל שֶׁמַּקִּיף פַּרְסוֹתָיו וְאֵין אַרְכּוּבוֹתָיו נוֹשְׁקוֹת זוֹ לָזוֹ. פִּיקָה יוֹצְאָה מִגּוּדָלוֹ, עֲקֵבוֹ יוֹצֵא לַאֲחוֹרָיו, פַּרְסָתוֹ רְחָבָה כְּשֶׁל אַוָּז. אֶצְבְּעוֹתָיו מֻרְכָּבוֹת זוֹ עַל זוֹ, אוֹ קְלוּטוֹת (לְמַעְלָה) עַד הַפֶּרֶק, כָּשֵׁר. לְמַטָּה מִן הַפֶּרֶק וַחֲתָכָהּ, כָּשֵׁר. הָיְתָה בוֹ יְתֶרֶת וַחֲתָכָהּ, אִם יֵשׁ בָּהּ עֶצֶם, פָּסוּל. וְאִם לָאו, כָּשֵׁר. יָתֵר בְּיָדָיו וּבְרַגְלָיו שֵׁשׁ וָשֵׁשׁ עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבַּע, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה מַכְשִׁיר, וַחֲכָמִים פּוֹסְלִים. הַשּׁוֹלֵט בִּשְׁתֵּי יָדָיו, רַבִּי פּוֹסֵל, וַחֲכָמִים מַכְשִׁירִים. הַכּוּשִׁי, וְהַגִּיחוֹר, וְהַלַּבְקָן, וְהַקִּפֵּחַ, וְהַנַּנָּס, וְהַחֵרֵשׁ, וְהַשּׁוֹטֶה, וְהַשִּׁכּוֹר, וּבַעֲלֵי נְגָעִים טְהוֹרִין, פְּסוּלִין בָּאָדָם, וּכְשֵׁרִין בַּבְּהֵמָה. רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר, שׁוֹטָה בַבְּהֵמָה אֵינָהּ מִן הַמֻּבְחָר, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, אַף בַּעֲלֵי דִלְדּוּלִין, פְּסוּלִין בָּאָדָם, וּכְשֵׁרִין בַּבְּהֵמָה:
One whose ankles or knees knock or a <i>ba'al pikah</i> or an <i>akel</i> - [these are blemishes]. Who is an <i>akel</i>? One who places his feet together and his knees do not touch. [Who is a <i>ba'al pikah</i>?] If a bunion extends from his thumb or big toe. [If] his heel juts out backward, or if his sole is as wide as that of a goose. If his fingers or toes lie on top of each other, or they are webbed up to the joint - he is valid; beyond the joint and he cut it - he is valid. If he had an extra [digit] and he cut it off, if there was a bone in it, he is invalid, but if not he is valid. If he had extra [digits] on his hands and feet - [if he has] six digits each [for a total of] twenty-four, Rabbi Yehuda validates him, but the Sages invalidate him. One who is ambidextrous - Rabbi [Yehudah HaNasi] invalidates him but the sages validate him. A dark-skinned person, or red-skinned or an albino or a very tall person or a dwarf or a deaf-mute or an insane person, or one who is drunk or one who has lesions [deemed] pure, these invalidate a person but are valid for an animal. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: An insane animal is not considered choice [for sacrificial use], Rabbi Eliezer says also those with dangling [appendages of] flesh - this is invalid in a person but valid for an animal.
Bartenura on Mishnah Bekhorot
English Explanation of Mishnah Bekhorot
If he has a lump protruding from his thumb, or if his heel projects backward, or if his feet are wide like those of a goose.
Or if his fingers lie one above the other.
If they are webbed up to the joint, he is fit, if below the root, if he cuts it, he is also fit.
If he has an additional finger and he cut it off, if there was a bone in it, he is unfit, but if not, he is fit.
If he has additional fingers and additional toes, on each hand and foot six fingers and six toes, [making altogether] twenty-four [fingers and toes]: Rabbi Judah declares him fit, But the sages declare him unfit.
One who has equal strength in both hands: Rabbi declares him unfit; But the sages declare him fit.
A kushi, a gihur, a lavkan, a kippeah, a dwarf, a deaf-mute, an imbecile, one intoxicated, or afflicted with plague marks which are clean – [these defects] disqualify in human beings but not in animals.
Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel says: a mad animal is not a choice sacrifice.
Rabbi Eliezer says: also those afflicted with dangling warts they are unfit in human beings but are fit in animals.
Section one: This section has to do with various unusual ways of walking.
Section two: A “lump” seems to be an extra appendage sticking out of either his thumb or big toe.
Section four: If his fingers are webbed, but only up to the middle joint, he is still fit. If they are webbed past the middle joint, he is still fit if he cuts the skin (ouch!).
Section five: If he had an extra finger that had a bone in it, he is unfit, even if he cut off the extra finger (double ouch!). If there was no bone in it, then he is fit, as long as he cuts it off.
Section six: According to II Samuel 21:20, Goliath had an extra digit on each hand and foot. Perhaps this leads Rabbi Judah to say that as long as the number of digits on each hand and foot is the same, he is not defective and can serve in the Temple. The other rabbis disagree. Just as someone with one extra finger or toe is disqualified, so too is one with an extra digit on each hand and foot.
Section seven: The rabbis considered left-handedness to be a weakness, as did pretty much everybody in the ancient world. Rabbi [Judah Ha-Nasi] thought that someone ambidextrous was simply weak in the right hand, and therefore, he was flawed. The other rabbis attributed this ability to the strength of the left and not the weakness of the right, and therefore, held that he could serve in the Temple.
Section eight: A “kushi” is a dark-skinned person. A “gihor” is a red-skinned person. A “lavkan” is an albino. A “kipeah” is a very tall and thin person. All of the types of people listed in this section cannot serve in the Temple because they are unusual and were therefore were considered to be in some way defective.
The inclusion here of a drunken priest and a priest afflicted with a plague, albeit one considered ritually clean, is exceptional for two reasons. First of all, drunkenness and being afflicted with plagues are temporary conditions, whereas the other conditions are permanent. Second, and more importantly, all of the other categories refer to priests with blemishes in their personal appearance, whereas drunkenness is not. It seems likely that the mishnah included these two categories here because they belong with the list of things that disqualify a human being but not an animal.
Section nine: According to Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel, a mad animal may also not be offered as a sacrifice.
Section ten: Rabbi Eliezer adds in another blemish which disqualifies human beings from serving, but not animals from being sacrificed hanging warts (yick!).