5779 - dbhbn ovrct [email protected] 1 sxc HALACHIC AND HASHKAFIC ISSUES IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY 125 - TA’ANIT BECHOROT 1 OU ISRAEL CENTER - SPRING 2019 Two key questions need to be asked on Ta’anit Bechorot: (i) Why do we even have such a fast? (ii) Once it is clear that we do, why does almost nobody fast!!? A] THE FIRST BORN AND YETZIAT MITZRAYIM ,t drv h fbt vBv uj KJ k i tn Tu hbs cgh u hb C t jKJ Whkt r n tu (df) :k trGh h rfc hbC wv r nt v F v g rP k t T rnt u (cf) 1. :WrfC WbC df-cf:s ,una One of the first messages that Moshe is required to deliver to Paro is that the Jewish people are the ‘bechor’ - first born of God. They must be allowed to serve Him, failing which the punishment will be the death of the Egyptian firstborn. 2 ut xF kg c J H v v g rP r uf Cn oh r mn . rt C r uf C kF n) (v) :ohr mn * u C tm uh hb+t vk hKv m+jF wv r nt v F v J n r nt Hu (s) 2. :v nv C r uf C k f u ohjrv r jt r J+t v j p- v r uf C sg v-s:th ,una The prelude3 to the actual death of the firstborn predicts that the plague will attack all firstborn in Egyptian homes - from the highest to the lowest class, and will include the firstborn Egyptian animals too. wv hb+t oh .p J v /0gt oh r mn h v k0t kf c) v nv C sg u o stn oh r mn . rt C r uf C kf h hFv u v1v vk hKC oh r mn . rt c h T rcg u 3. ch:ch ,una The death of the Egyptian firstborn will come at the same time as the destruction of their gods. 4 r uf C k f u r uC v hc C r J+t h c -v r uf C sg ut xF kg c J H v v g rP r f Cn oh r mn . rt C r uf C kf vFv wvu vk hKv h m+jC h v hu (yf) 4. :, n o J h t r J!t ,h"C h t h F ohr mn C vk s d v eg m h v Tu oh r mn kf u uh sc+g kf u t)v vk hk v g rP o eHu (k) :vn v C k$yf:ch ,una The actual slaying of the first-born was, as predicted, across the spectrum 5 of Egyptian society, including the animals. In fact, it appears from the text that every Egyptian home lost someone in the plague. r«ufC hbt ;"t (jf:yp ohkhv,) rntba wrufcw hure ,hcca kusd 'rufc oa iht /,n 'rufc oa ah - ,n oa ht rat ,hc ht hf 5. ',jt vatk vanj ov ohngp /vcrv ,urufc ovk uhvu ohhubp oheuurn ,uskuhu ivhkgc ,j, ,ubzn ,uhrmn - rjt rcs /Uv$bT&t /uhctk rufc sjt kf k:ch ,una h"ar Rashi explains that the leaders of each home also died as ‘firstborns’. Any firstborn born illegitimately from an adulterous relationships also died. 1. Is the correct plural ‘BechorIM’ or ‘BechorOT’? As is well-known, although adjectives in Hebrew are always consistent to their masculine or feminine. However plural nouns are notoriously fickle (consider ,uct and ohab to start with!) In fact, some masculine nouns take a regular masculine plural in Biblical Hebrew ( ohrufc) but switch to an irregular plural ( ,urufc) in the language of Chazal. Consider also: ,ukjr(ohkjr and ohxsrp\,uxsrp. Since ta’anit is a word found first in Chazal (as opposed to ‘tzom’ in Tanach), the proper use seems to be Ta’anit Bechorot. For more on irregular plurals, see https://hebrew-academy.org.il. 2. The concept of the Jewish People as the firstborn of the world is very powerful. It implies that all the nations of the world are God’s children. But just as there is an inevitable generation gap between regular children and their parents, so too there will be an almost unbridgeable gap between the finite child and the infinite Parent. The role of the first born is to be one of the siblings, avoiding the generation gap, but also a representative of the parents. So too, the Jews are intended to interact with the non-Jews as ‘siblings’, to relate to them at the same time as communicating the message of God. 3. Makat bechorot is mentioned more times than any of the other plagues. 4. There were part of the idolatrous abuse of the ‘firstborn’ process. Whilst the bechor is intended as a way for the nations to relate to the message of God, avoda zara is used as a means to connect indirectly with God and eventually to bypass God entirely. 5. Although the description in the verse subtly shifts to include even the imprisoned slaves. To download more source sheets and audio shiurim visit www.rabbimanning.com 5779 - dbhbn ovrct [email protected] 2 sxc :o j hk3vt C ohb ut h Jt r ohr mn C r uf C kF *Hu 6. tb:jg ohkv, On the other hand, the verse in Tehillim stresses that the ‘reishit onim 6’ of the Egyptians died. This would be the male firstborn only. v S p t k o t u v / c v S pT r n+j r .P kf u (dh) 5555 t)v hk v nv Cc) o stC k tr /h hb cC o jr kF r .P r uf C kf hk J Se (c) 7. oh r mNn wv )bth m uv sh e7 j C uhkt T rnt u t 1 v n r ntk r jn W bc W kt Jh h F vhv u (sh) :v S pT Whbc C o st r uf C k f u uT pr+gu jc 7 hb+t iF kg v nv C r uf C sg u o st r f Cn oh r mn . rt C r uf C kF wv d r+vHu )b j KJ k v g rp v J ev h F h v hu (u.) :oh sc+g hCn :ohr mNn wv )bth m uv sh e7 j C h F Whbhg ihC p. u. k) vf sh kg ut k vhv u (z.) :v S pt hbC r uf C kf u oh rf 1v o jr r .P kF wvk dh ,una As a consequence, all first born males from the womb - both human and animal - belong to God and must be redeemed. In the case of baby boys this is pidyon haben - redemption for money at 30 days. In the case of kosher male animals, the bechor is brought to the Mikdash and given to the Cohen, either as a korban (if perfect) or a gift (if flawed). In the case of first born male donkeys, the redemption is by way of a sheep given as a gift to the kohen. r uf C kF hk h F (dh) :oHu kv hk )h v u k tr /h hb Cn o jr r .P r uf C kF jT k tr /h hb C * uT n oHu kv t h T jek v8v hb+tu (ch) 8. x :wv hb+t )h vh hk v nv C sg o stn k tr /h C r uf C kf hk h T JS ev oh r mn . rt C r uf C kf h F v o uh C d rcsnc Later, after the Sin of the Calf, the first-born lost the ultimate status, which was transferred to the tribe of Levi. Nevertheless, the first born - human and animal - still retain their special status and require redemption. v nv Cv r uf C t u o stv r uf C t v S p v sP * t *K vh vh v nv Cc) o stC wvk )ch r eh r J+t r /C kf k o jr r .P kF (u.) 9. ut r uJ r uf C * t (zh) :t)v v rD oh r /g J s E v k eJ C ohke J Jn+j ; xF W F rg C v S pT J s j iCn uh)s p) (z.) :v S pT vtn Yv o r/ c) (jh) :wvk j jhb jh r k v -t rh . eT oC kj t u jC 7Nv kg e r 7T o nS t o v J s e v S p t k 7g r uf c ut c /F r uf c :vh vh W k ih nHv e uJ f) vp)b Tv v7+jF *K vh vh jh rcsnc The redemption money for a first-born child is 5 silver coins. A kosher bechor animal may not be redeemed, but belongs to the Cohanim and must be brought as a korban where possible. wv hb pk (f) :Wbt m r uf C 7 d t k u W r uJ r f cC s c+g t k Wh v k0t wvk Jh S eT rf1v W bt m c) W re cC sk)h r J+t r uf Cv kF (yh) 10. wvk )8 jC 7 t k g r o)n k F r)g ut jXP o)n uc vh vh h f u (tf) :W hc) vTt wv r j ch r J+t o ue NC vbJ c vbJ )8k+ft Wh v k0t p :ohNF )8f P JT .