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Bekhorot 17: True Simultaneity (or Not)

October 05, 2026 | כ״ד בתשרי תשפ״ז

If a ewe gives birth to animal that looks like a goat, or vice versa, but also looks a little like its mother… Rabbi Meir says it is subject to the laws of first-born, but the majority view of the sages say no, the owner is exempt. Plus, when lambs are exempt from the first fleece. Also, a new mishnah! When a female sheep gives birth to twin male lambs – and their heads emerge at exactly the same time. Who gets which of the lambs? Does the first-born status kick in, and for which animal? Plus, can such things happen truly simultaneously?

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Anne and Yardaena

Anne Gordon is the deputy editor of Ops & Blogs at The Times of Israel. She is a veteran educator, having taught in high school and post-high school institutions in Israel and America for several decades. Yardaena Osband is a pediatrician and teaches in her community and online. They both hail from Boston, proud alumna of Maimonides School, where they first learned Gemara. Talking Talmud is their conversation (via podcast) on the daf yomi. They say: “Learning the daf? We have something for you to think about. Not learning the daf? We have something for you to think about! (Along with a taste of the daf…) Join the conversation with us!”

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