Study Bekhorot folio 2A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Mishnah: With regard to one who purchases the fetus of a donkey that belongs to a non-Jew, and one who sells the fetus of his donkey to a non-Jew although he is not permitted to sell a large animal to a non-Jew, and one who enters into a partnership with a non-Jew in ownership of a donkey or its fe
Talmud: The Talmud asks: Why do I need all these examples in the Mishnah to demonstrate the principle that a firstborn donkey must belong exclusively to a Jew for the obligations of firstborn status to apply?
The Talmud explains: All of these examples are necessary. As, had the tanna taught that a donkey is exempt from the obligations of firstborn status only in the case where a Jew purchases a fetus from a non-Jew, I would say that this is because the Jew brings it to a state of sanctity in that it will
And why do I need the Mishnah to state the case of one who enters into a partnership with a non-Jew? The case is necessary to exclude the opinion of R' Yehuda, who says: An animal owned in partnership with a non-Jew is obligated, i.e., subject to accounting its offspring a firstborn. Therefore, t
And why do I need the Mishnah to state that the fetus does not have firstborn status in the case of one who receives a donkey from a non-Jew in exchange for partnership in its offspring? This halakha is already included in the previous one. The Talmud answers: It is because the tanna wants to teach