Bekhorot 24b — the Talmud in English

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Ahai baribi [

Ahai, who was a great and important man in his generation, was uncertain]:

He saw a pig bound behind a ewe—what is the ruling?

And the Gemara explains the uncertainty:

What is he asking? [

What was Ahai uncertain about?]

If we say, concerning

her being exempt from the

firstborn status, and he was asking

Ahai:

whether the halakha is in accordance with Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel

and it is exempt from firstborn status,

or whether the halakha is in accordance with the Rabbis

who hold that even one that does not give birth nurses another’s young—this cannot be said, for if so,

he should have asked about a lamb,

he should have been uncertain when it nurses a lamb, for it is in this case that Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel and the Rabbis disagree.

Rather:

his question concerning firstborn status was according to the Rabbis, and concerning eating it was according to Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel:

Concerning firstborn status

he was uncertain,

and even according to the Rabbis, who say

it shows affection [

even according to the Sages who hold that it shows affection toward the young of another], nevertheless there is room for uncertainty:

when it shows affection, it shows affection toward one of its kind, but not toward one not of its kind [

perhaps it shows affection only toward its own kind], but this one that nurses a pig is certainly its young—

or perhaps: it also shows affection toward one not of its kind [

sometimes it shows affection even toward young that are not of its kind].

Concerning eating it

he was uncertain,

and even according to Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel: if you should say that one that gives birth shows affection [

and with regard to eating, according to Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel, he is uncertain with regard to the possibility that even if she did not specifically give birth to this one, she nevertheless shows affection toward it, nevertheless perhaps she shows affection only toward]

one of its kind,

but

one not of its kind—

if it is not her young—

she would not

show affection toward it, and it must therefore be her young and is permitted for eating—

or perhaps: she also shows affection toward one not of her kind [

even toward young that are not of her kind she shows affection], and if so, perhaps it is not her young and is forbidden for eating.

And we conclude:

It remains unresolved!

Mishna:

Rabbi Yosei ben Ha-Meshullam

says: One who slaughters a firstborn animal makes a place with a cleaver on this side and on that side

on both sides of the place of slaughter, in order to make room for the knife for the slaughter, so that it will not be invalidated on account of “burrowing under the hide

and pulls out the hair”—

and the Gemara will explain how he does this, and the reason for the permission, that he is not concerned about “You shall not shear the firstborn of your flock.”

Provided that he does not move it

the hair

from its place,

so that people should not say that he is shearing among consecrated animals; rather, he should leave it there among the rest of its hairs.

And likewise one who pulls out

the hair to see the place of a blemish,

in order to show it to a Sage.

Gemara:

Rav said: The halakha is in accordance with Rabbi Yosei ben Ha-Meshullam.

They asked Rav Huna: What is the ruling concerning its counterpart on a Festival?

Is it permitted, just as Rabbi Yosei ben Ha-Meshullam permitted? And the sides of the uncertainty are:

Is the intention of the Mishna that he may deliberately pull out the hair, and

the reason of Rabbi Yosei ben Ha-Meshullam

is

because he holds that pulling out

is not the same as shearing,

and the Torah prohibited only “You shall not shear the firstborn of your flock,”

and

if so,

on a Festival it is forbidden,

for although one who pulls out is not liable for it on account of shearing, nevertheless it is forbidden

because it is removing something from its place of growth,

which is forbidden on a Festival.

Or perhaps: In general, Rabbi Yosei ben

Ha-Meshullam holds that pulling out is the same as shearing,

and what Rabbi Yosei ben Ha-Meshullam permitted was only to clear away and pull the hair this way and that way, and if it is pulled out, let it be pulled out;

and this is the reason that he permits

Rabbi Yosei ben Ha-Meshullam: because

it is an unintended act,

for he did not intend to pull it out,

and

if so, even

on a Festival is an unintended act permitted?

He said to them

Rav Huna to the members of the academy who were uncertain:

Go and ask Rav Hananel,

who was expert in Rav’s statements,

whether he said

to you in the name of Rav,

“The halakha is in accordance with Rabbi Yosei ben Ha-Meshullam,”

for then

I will resolve it for you [

I will resolve for you] what is the reason of Rabbi Yosei ben Ha-Meshullam, and your uncertainty will be resolved.

They came

the members of the academy

and asked him [

they asked Rav Hananel], and

he said to them: Thus said Rav: The halakha is in accordance with Rabbi Yosei ben Ha-Meshullam.

And once it became clear to them that the halakha is in accordance with Rabbi Yosei ben Ha-Meshullam,

they came before Rav Huna

to hear what his reason was, and consequently what the ruling is concerning its counterpart on a Festival.

He said to them

Rav Huna:

Its counterpart on a Festival is permitted,

because also with regard to a firstborn, Rabbi Yosei ben Ha-Meshullam permitted it only when he does not intend [to pull out the hair], and therefore on a Festival as well it is permitted!