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Bekhorot 41: Tumtum and Androgynous: Animal Edition

October 29, 2026 | י״ח בחשון תשפ״ז

Beginning with a couple of mishnayot — on a calf whose tail doesn’t reach down to the upper leg joint, which is considered to be a blemish. Imagine a camel to help picture the join on the animal, which is more pronounced on the camel. Also, blemishes in a first-born that don’t lead to slaughtering outside of the Temple — with a decently long list, including, eventually, the tumtum and androgynous in the context of animals, and not people. Also, delving into the question of the tumtum with hidden genitals, where the gender is not known, as compared to an androgynous, who truly has both male and female genitals, which couldn’t be slaughtered in the Temple, in the case of error. Also, note phenomena that may be treated as a blemish, but maybe it’s only a physical cut, and not a real and lasting blemish. Plus, the application of the categories of tumtum and androgynous to the animals. Also, Rabbi Yishmael’s opinion on this serious blemish — in contrast to the other sages, who focus on how it isn’t necessarily a blemish.

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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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