Se due pecore che non hanno mai partorito prima hanno due maschi, entrambi vanno dal sacerdote. [Se danno alla luce] un maschio e una femmina, il maschio va dal sacerdote. [Se danno alla luce] due maschi e una femmina, uno va al [proprietario] e l'altro al prete. Rabbi Tarfon dice: Il prete sceglie quello migliore. Il rabbino Akiva dice: scendiamo a compromessi. Il secondo esce a pascolare fino a quando non si sviluppa un difetto, ed è obbligato per quanto riguarda i doni [sacerdotali]. Il rabbino Yossi lo esenta. Se uno di loro muore, il rabbino Tarfon dice: Dividono [il valore di quello rimanente]. Il rabbino Akiva dice: chi viene ad estrarre dall'amico ha l'onere della prova. [Se danno alla luce] due femmine e un maschio o due maschi e due femmine, il prete non riceve nulla.
English Explanation of Mishnah Bekhorot
Introduction
Our mishnah is similar to yesterday’s mishnah except that today’s mishnah deals with two sheep that had never given birth before, whereas yesterday’s mishnah dealt with one ewe that had twins. Most of this mishnah is the same as that which we learned yesterday, so I refer the reader to my commentary there.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Bekhorot
If two ewes which had never previously given birth bore two males, both belong to the priest. If both of the first-borns are males, then obviously, both go to the priest.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Bekhorot
[If they gave birth] to a male and a female, the male belongs to the priest. If one is a male and the other is a female, then we know that the male is a first-born and it goes to the priest.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Bekhorot
[If they gave birth] to two males and a female, one remains with him, and the other belongs to the priest. Rabbi Tarfon says: the priest chooses the better one. Rabbi Akiva says: we compromise between them. In this case, one male is certainly a first-born, but we don’t know which one. Rabbi Tarfon and Rabbi Akiva again debate how we determine who gets which of the two. For an explanation, see yesterday’s mishnah.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Bekhorot
The second one [in the Israelite's possession] is left to pasture until it becomes blemished and the owner is liable for the [priest's] gifts. Rabbi Yose exempts him. This is identical to the debate in yesterday’s mishnah.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Bekhorot
If one of them died: Rabbi Tarfon says: they divide [the living one]. Rabbi Akiva says: the burden of proof is upon the claimant. See yesterday’s mishnah.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Bekhorot
[If they gave birth to] two females and a male or two males and two females, the priest receives nothing in such circumstances. If they gave birth to two females, it is possible that there was no male first-born. Therefore, the priest doesn’t receive anything. The Tosefta adds that the males must go out to pasture and become blemished before they can be eaten. This is because they might be first-borns and all doubtful first-borns must become blemished before they can be eaten.
