Why does the Torah juxtapose the Mitzvah of B'chor to that of Eved Ivri?
Seforno: After presenting the Mitzvos of Chesed bein Adam la'Chavero, 1 the Torah discusses Mitzvos that concern thanking Hashem for His kindness, 2 beginning with B'chor - which is befitting for the owner of the flocks to give the One who gave them to him. 3
Ba'al ha'Turim (citing Kidushin 21b): To compare Eved Ivri to B'chor - a. regarding the prohibition of making him work excessively hard, or unnecessarily, just as one may not work with a B'chor and b. inasmuch as just as a blemish disqualifies a B'chor, so too, does it prohibit piercing the ear of an Eved Ivri who is a Kohen, because it would render him a Ba'al-Mum.
Seforno: Regarding produce - Ma'aser Ani; money ? Sh'mitas Kesafim and Tzedakah; and regarding other acquisitions - the Ha'anakah of an Eved Ivri.
Seforno: Including: thanking Hashem for a. taking us out of Egypt - via the Yom-Tov of Pesach, incorporating the Korban Pesach and Matzos and the ripening of the produce - via the Korban Omer; b. A successful harvest - via the Yom-Tov of Shevu'os; c. The ingathering of the produce - via the Yom of Sukos; And by giving Hashem a gift on each of the above occasions, as the Torah writes at the end of the Parshah "ve'Lo Yera'eh es P'nei Hashem Reikam".
Why does the Torah insert the (otherwise superfluous) words "Kol ha?Bechor asher Yivaled bi?Vekorcha u?ve?Tzoncha??
Rashi #1 (in Beitzah, 26b): To teach us that the Kedushah of a B'chor only takes effect when it is born 1 (and not when it is formed inside the mother). 2
Rashi #2 (in Chulin, 69b): Based on answer #1, it teaches us that, if an animal is having dificulty giving birth to a B'chor, up to the time that the majority of the B'chor emerges from the womb, 3 one may cut it up as it emerges, limb by limb, and feed it to the dogs.
Which is from the time that the majority of the fetus has emerged from the womb. See answer #2 and note. See Torah Temimah, note 71.
Yerushalmi Rosh Hashanah, 1:1: Consequently, the year (during which one is obligated to sacrifice it) begins from the time it is born - and not from the eighth day after it is born, when it becomes eligible to bring on the Mizbe'ach - See Torah Temimah, note 72.
Rashi (Ibid.): At which point it is considered born and must be buried.
What are the implications of "bi'Vekorcha <i>u've'Tzoncha"?
Chulin, 35a: It implies that a cow and a ewe which one owns in partnership with a Nochri is exempt from the Din of B'chor. 1
See Torah Temimah, note 73.
What are the implications of "ha'Zachar"?
Whose genitalia are covered and one cannot therefore discern whether it is a male or a female.
Which has the genitalia of both a male and a female, and is therefore considered an independent species. See the Gemara, Ibid., which erases Tumtum from the Beraisa, since a Tumtum is a Safek Zachar, Safek Nekeivah.
How will we reconcile this Pasuk ("Kol ha'Bechor ... Takdish") with the Pasuk in Bechukosai Vayikra, 27:26) "Ach B'chor asher Yevukar ... Lo Yakdish ... "?
Rashi #1: One may not declare it Hekdesh as another Korban, but one may (it is even a Mitzvah - Arachin, 29a): declare it Hekdesh as a B'chor. 1
Rashi #2: One may not declare it intrinsically Hekdesh as another Korban, but one may declare it Hekdesh Iluy - to give its value to Hekdesh. 2
Rashbam, Hadar Zekenim and Rosh: "Takdish" means treat it with Kedushah - Do not work with it or shear it (it is yours only to eat the meat after the Z'rikas Dam and the Haktaras ha'Eimurim - Hadar Zekenim and Rosh), whereas "Lo Yakdish" means that one may not declare it Hekdesh as another Korban.
What will be the Din regarding the reverse case - working with a firstborn lamb and shearing (the tail of) a firstborn calf?
Rashi (citing Chulin, 137a): That too is forbidden, only the Torah presents the more common case. 1
Chulin, 137a: Which we learn from the 'Vav' in "ve'Lo Sagoz", which teaches us to learn one from the other. See Torah Temimah, note 77.
What will be the Din with regard to shearing and working with a Kodshim animal other than a B'chor?
Rashi (in Pesachim, 66b); The Pasuk incorporates all Kodshim animals.
Why does the Torah specify "B'chor Shorecha" and "B'chor Tzonecha"?
Is on permitted to work with a firstborn lamb and shear a firstborn ox?
