Bechoros Daf 33 בכורות דַף 33

A Baraisa states: אין מרגילין ביום טוב – we may not skin an animal from the feet in order to remove the entire skin in one piece (to make a bellows or container), because the expended effort will serve no Yom Tov purpose. Likewise, one may not skin a bechor or פסולי המוקדשין – disqualified korbanos (i.e., blemished and redeemed) from the feet. Rav Chisda explains that Beis Shammai, who holds that נדות may not eat a bechor בעל מום, holds a bechor retains its kedushah even after shechitah, and so it may not be skinned in a degrading way. The latter ruling follows Rebbe Elazar bar Rebbe Shimon, who holds that פסולי המוקדשין retain their kedushah after being shechted: if one designated two חטאות, and one developed a מום, it should be redeemed and eaten. However, if the תמימה was offered, Rebbe Elazar bar Rebbe Shimon holds that even if the בעלת מום was already shechted and prepared, its meat becomes forbidden (as a חטאת whose owner received כפרה). Alternatively, Amoraim offer two reasons to Rabbinically prohibit skinning a bechor and פסולי המוקדשין from the feet according to all Tannaim.

The next Mishnah discusses בכור שאחזו דם – a bechor seized by a congestion of blood, with three opinions on letting its blood. Rebbe Yehudah says: אפי' מת אין מקיזין לו דם – even if it will die, we may not let its blood. He does not even allow letting the blood in a place which will heal (and not cause a permanent מום), because he may mistakenly cut a place which will not heal (e.g., the ear or lip), out of confused fear of the potential loss. The Chochomim permit letting its blood, ובלבד שלא יעשה בו מום – provided he does not inflict a blemish on it (i.e., he must cut a place which will heal). If he did make a מום, it may not be shechted until another מום develops. Rebbe Shimon even permits letting blood in a place which may cause a permanent מום, because he permits דבר שאים מתכוין – an unintended act. In a Baraisa, Rebbe Meir forbids letting blood in a place which will cause a מום, but the Chochomim permit letting blood in a place which causes a מום if he must (but it may not be shechted based on that מום).

The Gemara compares this machlokes with one about a barrel of terumah wine which became ספק טמא. It cannot be consumed, nor can it used for זילוף – sprinkling in a room, since it might be tahor. Rebbe Eliezer says: אם היתה במקום התורפה – if it was in an exposed area and likely to become definitely tamei, יניחנה במקום המוצנע – he should place it in an enclosed area; if it was uncovered, he should cover it, i.e., he must protect it from definite tumah. Rebbe Yehoshua says the opposite: if it was concealed, he should expose it to become definitely tamei and usable for זילוף. Rabban Gamliel says: לא יחדש בה דבר – he should make no change in it; he neither causes it to become tamei, nor protects it. These Tannaim appear to argue about further harming “damaged” kedushah to make it usable. However, the Gemara distinguishes between the cases: inflicting a מום through bloodletting is בידים – with his hands (direct), unlike causing tumah to terumah through גרמא – indirectly. On the other hand, the terumah might be found tahor, whereas this bechor will die if left untreated. Finally, the Gemara says that each machlokes is based on derashos.