Chullin Daf 135 צולין דַף 135

The eleventh Perek begins: ראשית הגז נוהג בארץ ובחו"ל – the obligation to give the first fleece to a Kohen applies both in Eretz Yisroel and outside Eretz Yisroel, and both during and after the Beis Hamikdash, but only to chullin animals, not to kodashim. זרוע לחיים וקבה is more stringent than ראשית הגז, because זרוע לחיים וקבה applies to both בקר – cattle and צאן – flock, whereas ראשית הגז only applies to רחלות – sheep (and not goats), and only applies במרובה – where one owns many sheep. Tannaim dispute the meaning of "מרובה": Beis Shammai says two sheep are obligated in ראשית הגז, because a passuk refers to two sheep as "צאן" – a flock. Beis Hillel requires five sheep, based on the passuk חמש צאן עשויות – five prepared flock. Regarding how much fleece must be shorn to obligate ראשית הגז, Rebbe Dosa ben Harkinas says: חמש רחלות גוזזות מנה מנה ופרס – five sheep, each shorn of a maneh and a half of fleece. The Chochomim say that five sheep shorn in “any amount” are obligated in ראשית הגז, which the Gemara will define.

Kodashim is exempt from ראשית הגז because "צאנך" – your flock excludes the flock of hekdesh. The Gemara asks why a passuk is necessary, since shearing the fleece of hekdesh is forbidden!? It answers that the passuk excludes kodashim of בדק הבית (i.e., monetary kedushah), whose shearing is only prohibited מדרבנן. Although the fleece itself would be hekdesh, it could be redeemed and given to a Kohen. According to the opinion that קדשי בדק הבית require העמדה והערכה – “standing and assessing” before פדיון, shorn fleece cannot be redeemed. Therefore, Rebbe Yannai explains that the passuk is needed where one was makdish an animal חוץ מגיזותיה – except for its fleece, which remains chullin. Since shearing weakens the animal itself, he must have also stipulated חוץ מכחישה – except for its deterioration. [However, if one was makdish an animal as a korban, the kedushah automatically spreads to the entire animal.] Rava says the Mishnah’s exclusion of hekdesh is where one was makdish only the fleece itself. It is exempt from ראשית הגז, because the passuk says "גז צאנך תתן לו" – the fleece of your flock you shall give him, implying that מי שאין מחוסר אלא גזיזה ונתינה – the obligation only applies to that which lacks nothing but shearing and giving to the Kohen, excluding this case, whose shearing would additionally require פדיון.

In a Baraisa, the Tanna Kamma says: בהמת השותפים חייב בראשית הגז – an animal of Jewish partners is subject to the mitzvah of ראשית הגז. רבי אלעאי exempts it, because "צאנך" – your (singular) flock implies ולא של שותפות – not the flock of partners. The Rabbonon respond that this derashah is needed to exempt a partnership with an idolator from ראשית הגז, but שותפות with a Yisroel is obligated. רבי אלעאי counters that שותפות with an idolator is already excluded from a היקש to terumah, where grain jointly owned with an idolator is exempt. The Rabbonon either reject the היקש, or hold that such grain is חייב in terumah. Alternatively, רבי אלעאי agrees that צאנך is needed to exclude a partnership with an idolator from ראשית הגז, but argues that since the reason for that exemption is דלא מייחדא ליה – because [the animal] is not exclusively his, שותפות with a Yisroel is exempt for the same reason. The Rabbonon argue that an idolator is not subject to the entire law of ראשית הגז, whereas a Yisroel is, so such a partnership is likewise חייב.