Commentary for Temurah 5:1

כֵּיצַד מַעֲרִימִים עַל הַבְּכוֹר. מְבַכֶּרֶת שֶׁהָיְתָה מְעֻבֶּרֶת, אוֹמֵר, מַה שֶּׁבְּמֵעֶיהָ שֶׁל זוֹ, אִם זָכָר, עוֹלָה, יָלְדָה זָכָר, יִקְרַב עוֹלָה. וְאִם נְקֵבָה, זִבְחֵי שְׁלָמִים, יָלְדָה נְקֵבָה, תִּקְרַב שְׁלָמִים. אִם זָכָר עוֹלָה, אִם נְקֵבָה זִבְחֵי שְׁלָמִים, יָלְדָה זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה, הַזָּכָר יִקְרַב עוֹלָה, וְהַנְּקֵבָה תִּקְרַב שְׁלָמִים:

How may one act cleverly [to circumvent the law] regarding a firstborn [animal]? [One owns] a pregnant animal about to give birth for the first time, and says, "Whatever is inside of this [animal], if it is a male, [it is dedicated] as an Olah [offering that is entirely burnt]" - if it gives birth to a male, it [the newborn animal] is offered as an Olah. [If he says,] "[If] it is a female, [it is dedicated] as a Shelamim [an offering whose various parts are consumed by its owners, the Kohanim and the fire on the altar]" - if it gives birth to a female, it is offered as a Shelamim. [If he says,] "[If] it is a male, [it is dedicated] as an Olah; if it is a female, [it is dedicated] as a Shelamim" - if it gives birth to a male and a female, the male is an Olah and the female a Shelamim.

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