Bechoros Daf 14 בכורות דַף 14

The next Mishnah states: כל הקדשים שקדם מום קבוע להקדשן – all consecrated [animals] which had a permanent blemish before their consecration (and therefore only attain קדושת דמים – monetary sanctity), ונפדו – and were redeemed, are subject to the laws of bechor and מתנות (giving the זרוע לחיים וקיבה to a Kohen). Their redemption permits them even to be shorn and worked, and their offspring and milk are permitted. A bechor and מעשר בהמה are exceptions: they attain קדושת הגוף – physical sanctity even if they already have a מום. If animals were declared hekdesh before developing a permanent מום, and thus already attained קדושת הגוף, they are exempt from bechor and מתנות. Even after being redeemed, they remain prohibited for shearing and work, and their offspring and milk are prohibited. The Mishnah’s first ruling implies that before פדיון, animals whose מום preceded their kedushah are prohibited for גיזה and עבודה. This appears to support Rebbe Elazar’s ruling that kodashim of בדק הבית are prohibited for גיזה and עבודה. However, the Gemara concludes that perhaps only our Mishnah’s case of קדושת דמים למזבח – monetary sanctity whose value is designated to be used for the מזבח, might be confused with true קדושת הגוף, and is Rabbinically forbidden.

The Mishnah taught that offspring of animals with קדושת דמים are permitted. This cannot refer to offspring conceived and born after the mother’s פדיון, because they are obviously chullin. Rather, they were conceived before the mother’s פדיון and born afterward, and became permitted through the mother’s פדיון. This implies that if they were born before its redemption, they would be prohibited until they themselves were redeemed. Nevertheless, since their kedushah is derived from קדושת דמים, they cannot be brought as a korban. A Baraisa teaches that such offspring may be sold (i.e., redeemed) without a מום, שאין קדושה חלה עליהן – because physical kedushah does not take effect on them, שלא יהא טפל חמור מן העיקר – because the subsidiary (the offspring) should not be stricter than the primary (the mother). The Gemara infers that where the kedushah is not derivative, it would attain קדושת הגוף. This supports Rava’s ruling: הקדיש זכר לדמים – if one was makdish a male unblemished [animal] for its value, קדוש קדושת הגוף – it automatically attains physical sanctity, and is brought as a korban.

The Mishnah taught regarding animals whose מום preceded their kedushah: והשוחטן בחוץ פטור – one who shechts them outside the Mikdash is not liable for shechting a korban outside the Mikdash, since this animal lacked קדושת הגוף. Rebbe Elazar, however, taught the Mishnah as stating that one is liable, and explains that it refers to shechting kodashim on במת יחיד – a private altar. Rebbe Elazar explains the transgression: מנין לזובח בהמה בעלת מום בבמת יחיד בשעת היתר הבמות – from where do we know that one who shechts a blemished [korban] on a private במה, during a period when במות are permitted (for sacrificing korbanos), transgresses a לא תעשה? The passuk says: לא תזבח לה' אלקיך שור ושה – you shall not offer before Hashem your G-d a cow or sheep [which has a blemish]. Since this cannot refer to shechting a בעל מום on a public במה, which is expressly prohibited in the passuk "עורת או שבור וגו'" – blind or broken, etc. [you shall not offer these to Hashem], תנהו ענין לבמת יחיד – give it an application to a private במה. The Gemara proceeds to explain why this passuk cannot instead be teaching the prohibition against sacrificing a בעל מום which is a bechor, מעשר בהמה, temurah, or offspring of a korban.