Study Bekhorot folio 53B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
The Talmud explains that it is possible to act in a different manner, so that the priest does not lose out on his rights to the firstborn animal. One can act in accordance with the opinion of R' Yehuda, as R' Yehuda says: It is permitted for a person to inflict a blemish upon a firstborn animal fet
The Talmud answers: How can one know which animal will emerge as the tenth? Since it is impossible to know this, one cannot inflict a blemish on the animal before it becomes consecrated. And if you would say that one should bring out the animal upon which he has inflicted the blemish at the head of
And if you would say it is possible to inflict a blemish on the entire herd of animals and thereby ensure the tenth one will be blemished, that is also undesirable. The reason is that soon the Temple will be rebuilt and we will require animals for offerings, and there will be none remaining without
The Talmud asks: But here too, with regard to a firstborn animal, why not also say that soon the Temple will be rebuilt and we will require animals for offerings and there will be none remaining without a blemish? The Talmud answers: It is possible to bring the offerings from ordinary animals that
The Talmud challenges: Here too, with regard to the animal tithe, it is possible to bring the offerings from animals purchased from another person, which are exempt from animal tithe, as taught in the Mishnah on 55b. The Talmud answers: Since anyone who has animals inflicts a blemish on all of the