The masechet so far, chapter by chapter

Masechet Bekhorot details the sanctification, physical blemishes, and redemption of animal and human firstborns. The tractate currently examines the redemption of firstborn sons and the laws governing their double inheritance portion.

Chapter 1 – הלוקח עובר חמורו: Firstborn Donkeys and Their Redemption

A male firstborn donkey must be redeemed with a lamb given to a priest, or else its neck is broken. Any gentile ownership interest or partnership in the donkey exempts its offspring from firstborn sanctity. If births are intermingled or birth order is uncertain, monetary rules require the claiming priest to bring proof.

Joint ownership of a donkey with a gentile exempts its offspring from firstborn sanctity.
A firstborn donkey is redeemed with a sheep or goat given to a priest.
If an owner refuses to redeem a firstborn donkey, he must break its neck and bury it.

Chapter 2 – הלוקח עובר פרתו: Firstborn Livestock and Ownership Status

Male firstborns of kosher livestock possess inherent sanctity at birth and are assigned to priests for sacrificial offering. Financial liens, seizure rights, or partnerships held by a gentile release the newborn animal from firstborn holiness. In cases of twin births or mixed litters with doubtful birth order, the priest receives the leaner animal or nothing.

A gentile's financial share in a mother animal exempts her newborn offspring from firstborn sanctity.
In a doubtful twin birth, Rabbi Akiva rules the priest receives only the leaner lamb.
A caesarean-born calf is not a firstborn because it did not naturally open the mother's womb.

Chapter 3 – הלוקח בהמה: Signs of Prior Birth and Shearing

When purchasing livestock from a gentile, physical indications determine whether the animal has already given birth. A murky uterine discharge or afterbirth proves a prior pregnancy that exempts future male offspring from firstborn status. Shearing or using wool from a consecrated firstborn is strictly forbidden, though plucking hair to inspect blemishes or facilitate slaughter is permitted.

A murky uterine discharge or afterbirth proves a prior birth, exempting future male offspring from firstborn sanctity.
An animal seen nursing is presumed to have calved, exempting her subsequent offspring from firstborn status.
Plucking neck wool on a firstborn is permitted only to examine blemishes or enable proper slaughter.

Chapter 4 – עד כמה: Holding Periods, Inspectors, and Witness Credibility

Owners are required to care for firstborn livestock for thirty or fifty days before delivering them to a priest. A firstborn may only be slaughtered outside the Temple after an authorized court expert examines and confirms a permanent blemish. Judges and inspectors who accept unauthorized wages have their rulings voided, while vendors suspected of religious fraud face commercial restrictions.

Owners must maintain firstborn sheep for thirty days and cattle for fifty days before giving them to priests.
Authorized expert judges are exempt from paying compensation if their mistaken rulings cause monetary loss.
An inspector may accept a fixed fee for examining blemishes, but judges cannot take wages for judging.

Chapter 5 – כל פסולי המוקדשין: Blemished Offerings and Intentional Damage

Unlike other disqualified sacrifices that are sold publicly in butcher markets to benefit the Temple, blemished firstborn animals must be sold privately at home. Inflicting a blemish intentionally on a firstborn offering is strictly forbidden and bars slaughtering the animal based on that defect. Lay witnesses and shepherds are believed to testify that an injury occurred accidentally provided they have no personal financial interest.

Disqualified offerings are sold publicly in markets, but blemished firstborn animals are sold only privately at home.
Intentionally causing a blemish on a firstborn prohibits slaughter until a separate natural blemish develops.
Shepherds are believed to testify that an injury occurred accidentally if they possess no financial interest.

Chapter 6 – על אלו מומין: Disqualifying Physical Blemishes in Animals

This chapter catalogues the permanent physical defects that permit slaughtering a firstborn animal outside the Temple. Disqualifying defects include severed ear cartilage, white tissue infiltrating the black pupil, broken limb bones, and missing testicles. Temporary disorders, internal injuries not visible externally, and superficial skin ailments do not allow slaughter outside the sanctuary.

An ear split, pierced by a bitter vetch seed, or lacking cartilage permits slaughtering the firstborn outside the Temple.
An ocular defect called tevallul, a white thread crossing into the pupil, permits slaughtering the firstborn.
A dislocated hip or broken leg bone permits slaughter, but temporary weeping eyes and moist boils do not.

Chapter 7 – מומין אלו: Disqualifying Physical Blemishes in Priests

All physical blemishes that disqualify sacrificial animals also invalidate a priest from performing the sacrificial service in the Temple. In addition, human-specific anomalies such as abnormal skull shapes, flat noses, missing eyebrows, or extra fingers disqualify priests. Priests involved in forbidden marriages or corpse contamination remain disqualified until they make binding vows to resolve the violation.

Physical blemishes that disqualify animals for sacrifice also disqualify priests from performing the Temple service.
Abnormal skull shapes, sunken noses, mismatched limbs, and missing eyebrows disqualify a priest from service.
Amputating a redundant finger containing bone leaves the priest permanently disqualified as lacking a complete limb.

Chapter 8 – יש בכור: Redemption and Inheritance of Firstborn Sons

A mother's firstborn son must be redeemed from a priest for five Tyrian silver sela coins after reaching thirty days of age. The father's firstborn son receives a double inheritance share, but only from property the father actively possessed at death. Redemption money cannot be paid with land, promissory notes, or slaves, and the double inheritance portion excludes uncollected loans.

A firstborn son is redeemed from a priest for five Tyrian silver sela coins after thirty days.
Redemption money cannot be paid with land, promissory notes, or slaves, requiring silver coin or movable goods.
A firstborn son inherits a double portion only in tangible property possessed by the father at death.

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