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Mishnayos Bechoros Perek 8 Mishnah 4

בכורות פרק ח׳ משנה ד׳

4

With regard to two wives of one man, both of whom had not previously given birth, and they gave birth to two males, i.e., each bore one male, and the sons were intermingled, the father gives ten sela coins to the priest even if it is unknown which son was born first, because it is certain that each is firstborn of his mother. In a case where one of them dies within thirty days of birth, if he gave all ten sela coins to one priest, the priest must return five sela to him, because the father was not obligated to redeem the son who then died. And if he gave the redemption payment to two different priests, he cannot reclaim the money from the possession of either priest, as each could claim that the money that he received was for the living child. If one mother gave birth to a male and one gave birth to a female, or if between them they gave birth to two males and one female, and the children were intermingled, the father gives five sela coins to the priest: In the first case because the male might have preceded the female and in the second case because one of the males is certainly firstborn. If the children were two females and a male, or two males and two females, the priest has nothing here, as it is possible the female was born first to each mother. If one of his wives had previously given birth and one had not previously given birth and they gave birth to two males who became intermingled, the father gives five sela coins to the priest, as it is certain that one of them was born to the mother who had not yet given birth. If one of them dies within thirty days of birth the father is exempt from that payment, as it is possible that the one who died was born to the mother who had not yet given birth. In a case of intermingling where the father died and the sons are alive, Rabbi Meir says: If they gave the five sela coins to the priest before they divided their father’s property between them, they gave it, and it remains in the possession of the priest. But if not, they are exempt from giving the redemption payment to the priest. Rabbi Yehuda says: The obligation to redeem the firstborn already took effect on the property of the father. If the wives gave birth to a male and a female the priest has nothing here, as perhaps the female was born to the mother who had not yet given birth.

שְׁתֵּי נָשִׁים שֶׁלֹּא בִכְּרוּ וְיָלְדוּ שְׁנֵי זְכָרִים, נוֹתֵן עֶשֶׂר סְלָעִים לַכֹּהֵן. מֵת אֶחָד מֵהֶן בְּתוֹךְ שְׁלשִׁים יוֹם, אִם לְכֹהֵן אֶחָד נָתַן, יַחֲזִיר לוֹ חָמֵשׁ סְלָעִים. אִם לִשְׁנֵי כֹהֲנִים נָתַן, אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְהוֹצִיא מִיָּדָם. זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה אוֹ שְׁנֵי זְכָרִים וּנְקֵבָה, נוֹתֵן חָמֵשׁ סְלָעִים לַכֹּהֵן. שְׁתֵּי נְקֵבוֹת וְזָכָר אוֹ שְׁנֵי זְכָרִים וּשְׁתֵּי נְקֵבוֹת, אֵין כָּאן לַכֹּהֵן כְּלוּם. אַחַת בִּכְּרָה וְאַחַת שֶׁלֹּא בִכְּרָה וְיָלְדוּ שְׁנֵי זְכָרִים. נוֹתֵן חָמֵשׁ סְלָעִים לַכֹּהֵן. מֵת אֶחָד מֵהֶן בְּתוֹךְ שְׁלשִׁים יוֹם, הָאָב פָּטוּר. מֵת הָאָב וְהַבָּנִים קַיָּמִין, רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר, אִם נָתְנוּ עַד שֶׁלֹּא חָלְקוּ, נָתָנוּ. וְאִם לָאו, פְּטוּרִין. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, נִתְחַיְּבוּ נְכָסִים. זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה, אֵין כָּאן לַכֹּהֵן כְּלוּם:

ד׳
Bartenura

שתי נשים – of one man/husband, and they gave birth to two male [children] in a hiding place, that were mixed up.

אם לכהן אחד נתן – for the redemption of both of them, the Kohen would return to him five Selaim, for the one of them (i.e., the babies) died within thirty days [of birth], and the matter was revealed that he was premature/not a viable birth, and that he took [money] not according to the law.

אין יכול להוציא מידם – for each one of them (i.e., the individual Kohanim) can supersede him and say, “I am taking possession of them (i.e., these five Selaim) for the redemption of the living [child].

או שני זכרים ונקבה – his wives gave birth in a hiding place.

נותן חמש סלעים לכהן – whichever way you turn, one of them is a first-born male; if one of the wives gave birth to two male [children], the first one is a first-born, but if one of them gave birth to a male and a female, it is found that her partner gave birth alone to a male, and he is the first born, and the one that is with the female is exempt, perhaps, the female came out first.

אין לכהן כלום – that one is able to say that the girls came out first and there is no first-born male here.

נתנו עד שלא חלקו כו' – as I explained above (in Mishnah 3 of this chapter). And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yehuda.

זכר ונקבה – one can say that the wife that had not given birth gave birth [first] to a female, and there is no first-born [male].

שתי נשים. של איש אחד, וילדו שני זכרים במחבוא, שנתערבו:

אם לכהן אחד נתן. פדיון שניהם, יחזיר לו הכהן חמש סלעים, הואיל ומת בתוך שלשים ואיגלאי מלתא דנפל הוא ושלא כדין שקל:

אין יכול להוציא מידם. דכל חד וחד מדחי ליה ואומר הריני מחזיק בם בשביל פדיון החי:

או שני זכרים ונקבה. ילדו הנשים שלו במחבוא:

נותן חמש סלעים לכהן. דממה נפשך חד הוי בכור, אם האחת ילדה שני זכרים האחד בכור, ואם האחת ילדה זכר ונקבה, נמצא שחברתה ילדה זכר לבדו והוא בכור, ואותו שעם הנקבה פטור שמא נקבה יצאה ראשון:

אין לכהן כלום. דאיכא למימר הנקבות יצאו תחלה ואין כאן בכור:

האב פטור. דמצי למימר בן המבכרת מת:

נתנו עד שלא חלקו כו׳ כדפרישנא לעיל. והלכה כר׳ יהודה:

זכר ונקבה. יש לומר אותה שלא בכרה ילדה הנקבה ואין כאן בכור: