Bekhorot 29b — the Talmud in English

And Rav Yehuda bar Ami said in the name of Rav Yehuda: A field with a suspected grave area that has been thoroughly trampled,

that is, trampled extensively underfoot, is presumed to have had all its bones crushed to less than the prescribed measure, and it is therefore

pure.

Alternatively,

this kohen did not become impure at all through impurity imparted by a corpse. Rather,

through other forms of impurity,

such as impurity imparted by carcasses and creeping creatures,

he is not warned

as a kohen not to touch them. But he is disqualified from eating teruma, the portion separated from produce for the kohanim.

We learned in the Mishna, the foundational tannaitic legal text:

If he was elderly, he has him ride on the donkey

and gives him his wages as a hired worker.

A tannaitic teaching states,

he takes his wages

as an idle worker.

And we explain:

Abaye said: As the wages of an idle worker from the type of work from which he became idle.

They assess how much he would agree to have deducted from his wages in order to stop working. If his work was easy and its wages were high—for example, if he was piercing pearls—he would agree only if a small amount were deducted from his wages. If his work was difficult, he would agree even if more were deducted .

Mishna:

One who is suspected with regard to firstborn animals,

a kohen, a member of the family with the Temple-service status, who is suspected of inflicting a blemish on unblemished firstborn animals .

One may not purchase from him even the meat of deer

which are not subject to firstborn sanctity, because their meat resembles the color of calf meat. All the more so, one may not purchase calf meat from him.

Nor

may one purchase from him

untanned hides.

Perhaps they are hides of firstborn animals, from which it is prohibited to derive benefit.

Rabbi Eliezer says: One may purchase from him hides of a

female

animal.

But one may not purchase from him wool that is whitened by filth,

wool that has been whitened by its excrement.

But one may purchase from him spun wool,

woolen threads

and garments.

They certainly do not come from a firstborn animal.

Gemara, the Talmudic discussion of the Mishna:

And we explain: One may not purchase from him

the meat of deer—

because it can be confused with

the meat

of a calf.

Nor untanned hides.

This implies:

but

hides that are

tanned

we do purchase from him.

What is the reason?

And we explain:

If it were the case

that these hides

were from a firstborn animal,

he would not have taken the trouble with them,

since

he would reason: If the Sages hear about this, they will take it from me and cause me to lose it.

We learned in the Mishna:

Rabbi Eliezer says: One may purchase from him hides of a female animal.

And we inquire:

What is the reason?

Since

it is well known

how to distinguish between a hide from a male animal and a hide from a female animal.

And we challenge this:

But what is the reasoning of the first tanna,

the first Sage?

And we explain:

If so,

if hides from a female animal are permitted, a hide from a

male animal can also be altered to resemble a female hide,

by making it look like a female hide,

and he can say: Mice ate it.

And the other

Sage—what is his reason for permitting it?

He can say to you:

Damage caused by mice is readily recognizable,

and it is apparent that the hide was deliberately cut.

We learned in the Mishna:

And one may not purchase from him wool that is whitened by filth.

And we inquire:

Now, wool

that is

whitened,

with regard to which it can be said that he did not take the trouble to prepare it and will ultimately lose the effort he invested,

we do not

purchase

from him.

Wool covered with filth,

which is still covered with its excrement and with which he has not yet taken the trouble to work,

is it necessary

to state that it may not be purchased from him? Surely it is certainly prohibited.

And we explain:

Rather,

the Mishna

states a single case: Wool

that is

whitened by its filth.

We learned in the Mishna:

But one may purchase from him spun wool and garments.

And we inquire:

Now, spun wool,

with which he has not taken the trouble, we purchase from him;

is it necessary to state this with regard to garments?

Surely they are permitted from the moment the wool is spun.

And we explain: Rather,

what are the garments

that

are meant? Felt, that is, felted materials made from wool.

Mishna:

A person

who is suspected with regard to the seventh-year produce

of sowing during that year or of conducting commerce with produce possessing seventh-year sanctity,

one may not purchase flax from him, even combed flax

that has been combed.

The reason is that flax is a product of the soil, and its seed is fit for eating and possesses seventh-year sanctity. This seller is suspected with regard to the seventh year. Since working with flax requires little effort, he does not fear that the Sages will discover his actions and that he will lose the effort he invested.

But one may purchase spun flax from him,

threads made from flax,

and woven fabric 20 .

Gemara:

And we challenge this:

Now, spun flax,

which is flax thread, we purchase from him.

Woven fabric,

which is made after the spinning,

is it necessary

to state that it may be purchased?

And we explain:

What is the woven fabric? Chains.

These are chains made from crushed and combed flax.

Mishna:

A person

who is suspected of selling teruma as ordinary produce: One may not purchase from him even water or salt,

which are not subject to the laws of teruma and tithes; this is a penalty imposed upon him by the Sages,

the words of Rabbi Yehuda.

Rabbi Shimon says: Anything

that

has an association with—

that is, a connection to—the obligation of

teruma and tithes, one may not purchase from him 21 .

teruma and tithes, one may not purchase from him 21 .

Gemara:

And we inquire: “Anything” that Rabbi Shimon said—

what does this include?

And we answer:

It includes fish entrails into which olive oil is mixed,

which is subject to the obligation to separate teruma.