The toy industry has come a long way since Talmudic times. Perhaps the most popular "toy" during the Talmudic era was that of a…
Bechorot 34: Here Comes A Cow
When a kosher animal gives birth to a bechor, a firstborn male, there is an inherent conflict of interest that arises. The Torah instructs that…
Bechorot 30: Kosher Style
It is highly unlikely that one would give repeat business to a supposedly kosher butcher who sold you non-kosher meat, or to one who misled you…
Bechorot 29: May I Have a Raise
How much should we pay teachers? As we discussed in our last post, the Gemara has a clear and simple answer: Nothing. “Just as I [Moshe] taught…
Bechorot 29: Free Legal Services
In our last post, we discussed the need to have an expert examine a bechor in order to declare that it has a mum, thus allowing…
Bechorot 28: Donkeys for Sale
A rabbi, dayan, shochet, doctor, and matir bechorot—these are some of the licensed functionaries needed to fully run a Jewish…
Bechorot 25: Bad Politician: Great Teacher
Sometimes the most obscure of arguments can teach the greatest of lessons. That Rabbi Eliezer’s “proofs” from heaven were rejected…
Bechorot 13: All Mitzvot Are Not Created Equal
It is not uncommon to hear people define a mitzvah as a “good deed”. And there is little doubt that many mitzvot are, in fact, very good…
Bechorot 2: All Are Welcome
Amongst the many wonderful opportunities and challenges wrought by the return of the Jewish people to the land of Israel is that of running our…
An Introduction to Masechet Bechorot
The privileges and obligations of the firstborn are a major theme of Pesach. Most famously, the proximate cause of the Exodus was makat bechorot, the…