Bekhorot 5a

וּפָסְקוּ.

and then their sanctity ceased following the census.

בִּשְׁלָמָא רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ, כִּדְאָמַר טַעַם, אֶלָּא לְרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן — מַאי טַעְמָא?

The Gemara asks: Granted, according to Reish Lakish, who holds the firstborn were not sanctified following the census until they entered Eretz Yisrael, the reason is as he said, that it is written: “And it shall be when the Lord shall bring you into the land of the Canaanites…and you shall set apart all firstborn of the womb to the Lord” (Exodus 13:11–12). But according to Rabbi Yoḥanan, who holds that the firstborn continued to be sanctified following the census, what is the reason, i.e., the source, for his opinion?

אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן חֲזַאי בְּחֶילְמָא דְּמִילְּתָא מְעַלַּיְתָא אָמֵינָא, אָמַר קְרָא ״לִי יִהְיוּ״ — בַּהֲוָיָיתָן יְהוּ.

Rabbi Elazar said: I saw Rabbi Yoḥanan in a dream, which is a sign that I am saying a proper matter in explaining his opinion. The verse states: “For all the firstborn are Mine: On the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified to Me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and animal, Mine they shall be: I am the Lord” (Numbers 3:13). The additional phrase “Mine they shall be” indicates that they shall be, i.e., shall remain, in their current state of sanctity.

וְרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן, ״וְהָיָה כִּי יְבִיאֲךָ... וְהַעֲבַרְתָּ״ מַאי עָבֵיד לֵיהּ? הַהוּא מִיבְּעֵי לֵיהּ לְכִדְתָנָא דְּבֵי רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל: עֲשֵׂה מִצְוָה זוֹ שֶׁבִּשְׁבִילָהּ תִּיכָּנֵס לָאָרֶץ.

The Gemara asks: And as for Rabbi Yoḥanan, with regard to the verse “And it shall be when the Lord shall bring you … and you shall set apart,” what does he do with it? The Gemara answers: That expression is necessary to teach that which the tanna of the school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: Perform this mitzva on account of which you will be privilged to enter into Eretz Yisrael.

אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַב מָרְדֳּכַי לְרַב אָשֵׁי: אַתּוּן הָכִי מַתְנִיתוּ לַהּ, אֲנַן אִיפְּכָא מַתְנִינַן לַהּ, רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר: לֹא קָדְשׁוּ בְּכוֹרוֹת בַּמִּדְבָּר, וְרֵישׁ לָקִישׁ אָמַר: קָדְשׁוּ בְּכוֹרוֹת בַּמִּדְבָּר.

Rav Mordekhai said to Rav Ashi: You teach the dispute between Rabbi Yoḥanan and Reish Lakish in this manner, whereas we teach it in the opposite manner: Rabbi Yoḥanan says the firstborn were not sanctified in the wilderness, and Reish Lakish says the firstborn were sanctified in the wilderness.

אֲמַר לֵיהּ: וְאָפְכִית נָמֵי תְּיוּבָתָא, וְאָפְכִיתוּ לַהּ לְהָא דְּרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: לֹא קָדְשׁוּ לְהוּ — לֹא הוּצְרְכוּ לִיקְדַּשׁ.

Rav Ashi said to him: And do you also reverse the objections raised by one against the other, and do you also reverse that which Rabbi Elazar said, that he saw Rabbi Yoḥanan in a dream and interpreted his opinion to be referring to Reish Lakish instead? Rav Mordekhai said to him: According to my tradition, when Rabbi Yoḥanan stated that the firstborn in the wilderness were not sanctified he meant that they did not need to be consecrated, i.e., one who wished to sacrifice a firstborn lamb did not need to consecrate it, as they were already sanctified as firstborns. And Reish Lakish disagreed.

אִי הָכִי, הַיְינוּ דִּידַן! קָא מַשְׁמַע לַן: חַיָּיב אָדָם לוֹמַר בִּלְשׁוֹן רַבּוֹ.

The Gemara asks: If so, that is the same as our tradition, that in Rabbi Yoḥanan’s opinion the firstborn that were born in the wilderness were sanctified, and in Reish Lakish’s opinion they were not. For what purpose, then, did Rav Mordekhai inform Rav Ashi of his alternative version of the dispute? The Gemara answers that it teaches us that a person must say what he was taught in the precise language employed by his teacher.

שָׁאַל קוּנְטְרוּקוּס הַשַּׂר אֶת רַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי: בִּפְרָטָן שֶׁל לְוִיִּם אַתָּה מוֹצֵא עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁנַיִם אֶלֶף וּשְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת, בִּכְלָלָן אַתָּה מוֹצֵא עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁנַיִם אֶלֶף, וּשְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת לְהֵיכָן הָלְכוּ?

§ With regard to the abrogation of the sanctity of the firstborn in the wilderness by the Levites, the Gemara relates that Kontrokos the officer asked Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai: In the individual count of each family of Levites you find that there were 22,300 (see Numbers 3:22–34). But in the collective count of the entire tribe you find a total of 22,000, as it is stated: “All the males from a month old and upward, were 22,000” (Numbers 3:39). Where, then, did the other three hundred Levites go?

אָמַר לוֹ: אוֹתָן שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת בְּכוֹרוֹת הָיוּ, וְאֵין בְּכוֹר מַפְקִיעַ בְּכוֹר. מַאי טַעְמָא? אָמַר אַבָּיֵי: דַּיּוֹ לַבְּכוֹר שֶׁיַּפְקִיעַ קְדוּשַּׁת עַצְמוֹ.

Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai said to him: The total sum includes only those Levites who redeemed the Israelite firstborn. Those additional three hundred Levites were themselves firstborns, and a firstborn Levite cannot abrogate the sanctity of a firstborn Israelite. The Gemara asks: What is the reason? Abaye says: It is sufficient for a Levite firstborn to abrogate his own firstborn sanctity.

וְעוֹד שְׁאָלוֹ: בְּגִיבּוּי כֶּסֶף אַתָּה מוֹצֵא מָאתַיִם וְאַחַת כִּכָּר וְאַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה מָנֶה, דִּכְתִיב: ״בֶּקַע לַגֻּלְגֹּלֶת מַחֲצִית הַשֶּׁקֶל בְּשֶׁקֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ וְגוֹ׳״,

Additionally, Kontrokos asked Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai: With regard to the collection of silver by Moses for the Tabernacle, you find that the total amount is 201 talents and eleven maneh , as it is written that they amassed: “A beka a head, that is, half a shekel, of the shekel of the Sanctuary …for 603,550 men” (Exodus 38:26), which totals 301,775 shekels. This sum equals 201 talents and eleven maneh , as each talent contains 1,500 shekels, or sixty maneh , and each maneh contains twenty-five shekels.

וּבִנְתִינַת הַכֶּסֶף אַתָּה מוֹצֵא מְאַת כִּכָּר, דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיְהִי מְאַת כִּכַּר הַכֶּסֶף לָצֶקֶת וְגוֹ׳״. מֹשֶׁה רַבְּכֶם גַּנָּב הָיָה, אוֹ קוּבְיוּסְטוּס הָיָה, אוֹ אֵינוֹ בָּקִי בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹנוֹת? נָתַן מֶחֱצָה וְנָטַל מֶחֱצָה, וּמֶחֱצָה שָׁלֵם לֹא הֶחֱזִיר.

But with regard to the giving of the silver to the Tabernacle you find only one hundred talents, as it is written: “And the hundred talents of silver were for casting” (Exodus 38:27). Now, was Moses your teacher a thief, or was he a gambler [ kuveyustus ], or was he not expert in accounting? He gave half of the money for the Tabernacle and took half for himself, and he did not return even a complete half to the Tabernacle.

אָמַר לוֹ: מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ גִּיזְבָּר נֶאֱמָן הָיָה, וּבָקִי בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹנוֹת הָיָה, וּמָנֶה שֶׁל קוֹדֶשׁ כָּפוּל הָיָה.

Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai said to him: Moses, our teacher, was a trustworthy treasurer and was expert in accounting, but a maneh of the Sanctuary, which was used to measure the one hundred talents used for the sockets, was double the value of a standard maneh , i.e., fifty shekels instead of twenty-five shekels. Therefore, the one hundred talents given by Moses were equivalent to the two hundred talents that he collected from the Jewish people.

הָוֵי בַּהּ רַב אַחַאי: מַאי קָא קַשְׁיָא לֵיהּ, ״וַיְהִי מְאַת כִּכַּר הַכֶּסֶף לָצֶקֶת וְגוֹ׳״? הָנָךְ לָצֶקֶת, וְאִינָךְ בֵּי גַזָּא! כְּתַב קְרָא אַחֲרִינָא: ״וְכֶסֶף פְּקוּדֵי הָעֵדָה מְאַת כִּכָּר וְגוֹ׳״.

Rav Aḥai discusses it: What posed a difficulty for Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai that forced him to offer this answer? Was it the verse: “And the hundred talents of silver were for casting the sockets of the Sanctuary” (Exodus 38:27)? If so, one can explain that these one hundred talents were designated for casting the sockets, and the other one hundred talents that are not mentioned here were placed in the treasury. The Gemara answers that another verse is written that discusses the total sum collected, and only one hundred talents are mentioned: “And the silver of those that were numbered of the congregation was a hundred talents” (Exodus 38:25).

וּדְקָאָמַר לֵיהּ: מָנֶה שֶׁל קוֹדֶשׁ כָּפוּל הָיָה, מְנָא לֵיהּ?

The Gemara asks: And with regard to that which Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai said to Kontrokos, that a maneh of the Sanctuary was double the value of a standard maneh , from where does he derive this?

אִילֵימָא מִינֵּיהּ, שֶׁהֲרֵי כָּאן שִׁבְעִים וְאֶחָד מָנֶה — ״וְאֶת הָאָלֶף וּשְׁבַע מֵאוֹת וַחֲמִשָּׁה וְשִׁבְעִים עָשָׂה וָוִים לָעַמּוּדִים״, וְלֹא מְנָאָן הַכָּתוּב אֶלָּא בִּפְרוֹטְרוֹט, וְאִם אִיתָא — מֵאָה וְאֶחָד כִּכָּר וְאַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה מָנֶה מִיבְּעֵי לֵיהּ!

If we say that it is derived from the verse itself that Kontrokos mentioned (Exodus 38:27), then the derivation would be as follows: In addition to the one hundred talents, additional silver coins are mentioned here that equal seventy-one maneh , as it is stated: “And of the 1,775 shekels he made hooks for the pillars” (Exodus 38:28), which is equal to one talent, or sixty maneh , plus an additional eleven maneh , and the verse counted them only using the value of small coins, i.e., shekels, and not in talents. And if it is so that a maneh of the Sanctuary was of equal value to a common maneh , then the verse should have expressed this value using larger coins, writing: 101 talents and eleven maneh .

אֶלָּא, מִדְּלֹא מְנָאָן הַכָּתוּב אֶלָּא בִּפְרוֹטְרוֹט, שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ: מָנֶה שֶׁל קוֹדֶשׁ כָּפוּל הָיָה.

Rather, since the verse counts this value only using the value of small coins, learn from it that a maneh of the Sanctuary was double the value of a standard maneh and equaled fifty shekels. Therefore, the 1,775 shekels mentioned are worth only 35½ maneh , which is less than a full talent, or sixty maneh .

וְדִילְמָא כְּלָלֵי קָחָשֵׁיב בְּכַכְּרֵי, פְּרָטִי לָא קָא חָשֵׁיב בְּכַכְּרֵי!

The Gemara rejects this proof: But perhaps the total amount of shekels does equal the amount of a talent, but the verse calculates the general amounts, i.e., the hundreds of talents, in talents, and the verse does not calculate the details, i.e., any amount less than one hundred talents, in talents, but in shekels.

אֶלָּא מֵהָכָא: ״וּנְחֹשֶׁת הַתְּנוּפָה שִׁבְעִים כִּכָּר וְאַלְפַּיִם וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁקֶל״, שֶׁהֲרֵי כָּאן תִּשְׁעִים וְשִׁשָּׁה מָנֶה, וְלֹא מְנָאָן הַכָּתוּב אֶלָּא בִּפְרוֹטְרוֹט, שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ: מָנֶה שֶׁל קוֹדֶשׁ כָּפוּל הָיָה.

Rather, the principle that a maneh of the Sanctuary is double the value of a common maneh is derived from here: “And the brass of the offering was seventy talents and 2,400 shekels” (Exodus 38:29). The Gemara explains: Aside from the seventy talents mentioned, there are an additional ninety-six maneh here, which is equivalent to one talent and an additional thirty-six maneh , and the verse counts them only using the value of small coins. Learn from it that a maneh of the Sanctuary was double the amount of a standard maneh , and that is why the number of shekels mentioned did not equal a full talent.

וְדִילְמָא פְּרָטָא רַבָּה קָא חָשֵׁיב בְּכַכְּרֵי, פְּרָטָא זוּטָא לָא קָחָשֵׁיב בְּכַכְּרֵי!

The Gemara rejects this proof as well: But perhaps the verse is referring to a standard maneh , and the verse calculates a large unit, i.e., tens of talents, in talents, while the verse does not calculate a small unit, i.e., any amount less than ten talents, in talents.

אֶלָּא אָמַר רַב חִסְדָּא: מֵהָכָא, ״וְהַשֶּׁקֶל עֶשְׂרִים גֵּרָה עֶשְׂרִים שְׁקָלִים חֲמִשָּׁה וְעֶשְׂרִים שְׁקָלִים עֲשָׂרָה וַחֲמִשָּׁה שֶׁקֶל הַמָּנֶה יִהְיֶה לָכֶם״.

Rather, Rav Ḥisda says the claim that a maneh of the Sanctuary was double the size of a standard maneh is derived from here: “And the shekel shall be twenty gera ; twenty shekels, twenty-five shekels, ten, and five shekels, shall be your maneh ” (Ezekiel 45:12). In this verse, Ezekiel defines the various weights used in the Temple and states that each silver shekel consists of twenty gera . In addition, the combination of twenty, twenty-five, ten, and five shekels yields a total sum of sixty shekels, which is the value of a maneh . A maneh , in turn, is equivalent to one hundred dinars.