Bechoros Daf 32 בכורות דַף 32

A Baraisa teaches: a passuk says about bechor, "לא תפדה" – it shall not be redeemed, ונמכר – but it may be sold. However, regarding maaser it says "לא יגאל" – it shall not be redeemed, ואינו נמכר לא חי ולא שחוט – and it may not be sold, neither alive nor shechted, ולא תם ולא בעל מום – neither unblemished nor blemished. An extensive discussion follows to identify the source for this interpretation. Rav and Rebbe Yochanan say that it is derived from a gezeirah shavah (לא יגאל לא יגאל) from חרמים – property declared consecrated, which is given to Kohanim. Just as with חרמים, that passuk also says it may not be sold, so too מעשר בהמה may not be sold. The Gemara proceeds to explain that this gezeirah shavah must be מופנה – “free,” i.e., one of the two phrases is superfluous. Otherwise, מעשר בהמה could not be derived from חרמים, because they have a stringency, שכן חלים על הכל – because they take effect on everything, in contrast to מעשר. Two more sources are given for this law.

Rava explains (according to Rashi’s preferred girsa) that the term "לא ימכר" – it shall not be sold, written about חרמים, is unnecessary. It is self-evident that חרמים cannot be sold, regardless of where they are: if they are in the original owner’s domain, they are hekdesh, which cannot be sold. If they are in the Kohen’s domain, they are fully chullin, and certainly may be sold. As a Baraisa teaches: חרמים כל זמן שהן בבית בעלים – as long as חרמים are in the original owner’s domain, הרי הן כהקדש לכל דבריהם – they are like hekdesh in all respects, as the passuk says: כל חרם קדש קדשים הוא לה' – every cherem is most holy to Hashem. But once he gives them to the Kohen, הרי הן כחולין לכל דבריהם – they are like chullin in all respects, as the passuk says:  כל חרם בישראל לך יהיה לא – every cherem in Yisroel shall be yours. Since "לא ימכר" is superfluous, we say: אם אינו ענין לחרמים – if it has no application for חרמים, תנהו ענין למעשר – give it an application for maaser, teaching that מעשר בהמה may not be sold.

In the next Mishnah, Beis Shammai says: לא ימנה ישראל עם הכהן לבכור – a Yisroel may not be invited to join a Kohen in eating a blemished bechor. Beis Hillel permits it, and even permits it to be eaten by an idolator. Our Mishnah follows Rebbe Akiva, who says in a Baraisa that Beis Hillel permits a בכור בעל מום to be eaten by an עכו"ם, but the Tanna Kamma there says Beis Hillel only permits it for a Yisroel. The opinions are explained: Beis Shammai darshens a passuk which says the meat of a bechor shall be for Kohanim like the חזה ושוק. Just as the חזה ושוק may only be eaten by Kohanim, so too a בכור בעל מום is only permitted to Kohanim. Beis Hillel says this is only true for a בכור תם, but regarding a בכור בעל מום, the passuk permits a tamei person to eat it. If a tamei person (who may not eat kodashim) may eat it, certainly a Yisroel (who may eat קדשים קלים) may eat it. According to Rebbe Akiva, the passuk’s comparison of "כצבי וכאיל" – like the deer and the hart – teaches that just as an idolator may eat these, he may eat a בכור בעל מום.