My Morning Mensch

וּמָה בְּנֵי יוֹנָה שֶׁלֹּא הוּכְשְׁרוּ בִּגְדוֹלִים הוּכְשְׁרוּ בִּקְטַנִּים, תּוֹרִים שֶׁהוּכְשְׁרוּ בִּגְדוֹלִים אֵינוֹ דִּין שֶׁהוּכְשְׁרוּ בִּקְטַנִּים? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״תּוֹרִים״ – גְּדוֹלִים וְלֹא קְטַנִּים.

If pigeons, which were not deemed fit when older, were deemed fit when younger, as the term “young pigeons” indicates that they are young, then with regard to doves, which were deemed fit when older, isn’t it logical that they were deemed fit when younger? Therefore, the verse states: “Doves,” meaning older and not younger.

״בְּנֵי יוֹנָה״ – קְטַנִּים וְלֹא גְּדוֹלִים, שֶׁיָּכוֹל וַהֲלֹא דִּין הוּא: וּמָה תּוֹרִים שֶׁלֹּא הוּכְשְׁרוּ בִּקְטַנִּים – הוּכְשְׁרוּ בִּגְדוֹלִים, בְּנֵי יוֹנָה שֶׁהוּכְשְׁרוּ בִּקְטַנִּים – אֵינוֹ דִּין שֶׁהוּכְשְׁרוּ בִּגְדוֹלִים? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר ״בְּנֵי יוֹנָה״ – קְטַנִּים וְלֹא גְּדוֹלִים.

The baraita continues: Young pigeons must be younger and not older, as one might have thought: And couldn’t this be derived through an a fortiori inference: If doves, which were not deemed fit when younger, were deemed fit when older, then with regard to pigeons, which were deemed fit when younger, isn’t it logical that they were deemed fit when older? Therefore, the verse states: “Young pigeons,” meaning younger and not older.

מַאי תַּלְמוּדָא? אָמַר רָבָא: לָא לִישְׁתְּמִיט קְרָא וְלִכְתּוֹב ״מִן בְּנֵי הַתּוֹרִים אוֹ מִן הַיּוֹנָה״.

The Gemara asks: What is the biblical derivation of these matters? Rava said: It is derived from the fact that it is not found that the verse would deviate from the norm and write: Of young doves, or of pigeons; rather, the wording in the Torah is always “of doves” or “of young pigeons.” Evidently, doves must be older and pigeons must be younger.

אֵימָא: בְּנֵי יוֹנָה דִּכְתַב בְּהוּ רַחֲמָנָא ״בְּנֵי״ – קְטַנִּים אִין, גְּדוֹלִים לָא, תּוֹרִים – אִי בָּעֵי גְּדוֹלִים לַיְיתֵי, אִי בָּעֵי קְטַנִּים לַיְיתֵי! דֻּמְיָא דִּבְנֵי יוֹנָה: מָה בְּנֵי יוֹנָה – קְטַנִּים אִין, גְּדוֹלִים לָא, אַף תּוֹרִים – גְּדוֹלִים אִין, קְטַנִּים לָא.

The Gemara objects: Say instead that with regard to pigeons, since the Merciful One writes: “Young,” this means younger birds, yes, older birds, no; but with regard to doves, if one wishes, let him bring older birds, and if he wishes, let him bring younger birds. The Gemara responds: Since doves and pigeons are always juxtaposed to one another in the Torah, it is derived that the halakha of doves is similar to the halakha of pigeons: Just as with regard to pigeons the halakha is younger birds, yes, older birds, no, so too with regard to doves, the halakha is older birds, yes, younger birds, no.

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: יָכוֹל יְהוּ כׇּל הַתּוֹרִים וְכׇל בְּנֵי הַיּוֹנָה כְּשֵׁרִים? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״מִן הַתּוֹרִים״ – וְלֹא כׇּל הַתּוֹרִים, ״מִן בְּנֵי הַיּוֹנָה״ – וְלֹא כׇּל בְּנֵי יוֹנָה, פְּרָט לִתְחִילַּת הַצִּיהוּב שֶׁבָּזֶה וְשֶׁבָּזֶה שֶׁפָּסוּל. מֵאֵימָתַי הַתּוֹרִים כְּשֵׁרִים – מִשֶּׁיַּזְהִיבוּ, מֵאֵימָתַי בְּנֵי יוֹנָה פְּסוּלִין – מִשֶּׁיַּצְהִיבוּ.

The Sages taught in a baraita: One might have thought that all the older doves or all the younger pigeons would be fit for sacrifice; therefore, the verse states: “Of doves,” and not all doves; “of young pigeons,” and not all young pigeons. This serves to exclude birds at the beginning of the yellowing of their neck plumage, which are unfit as this, doves, and as that, pigeons. They are unfit as doves because they are not sufficiently old and as pigeons because they are no longer young. The tanna elaborates: From when are the doves fit? It is from when the color of their feathers turns a glistening gold. From when are the pigeons unfit? It is from when their feathers turn yellow.

תָּנֵי יַעֲקֹב קָרְחָה: מֵאֵימָתַי בְּנֵי יוֹנָה כְּשֵׁרִים? מִשֶּׁיְּעַלְעוּ. הוּא תָנֵי לַהּ וְהוּא אָמַר לַהּ, ״אֶפְרוֹחָיו יְעַלְעוּ דָם״. אֵימַת? אָמַר אַבָּיֵי: מִכִּי שָׁמֵיט גַּדְפָּא מִינֵיהּ וְאָתֵי דְּמָא.

Ya’akov Korḥa taught a baraita: From when are pigeons fit? It is from when ye’alu. He teaches the baraita and he states its explanation: The reference is to that which is stated: “Its fledglings will suck up [ye’alu] blood” (Job 39:30). When is that? Abaye said: It is from the stage when one plucks a feather from it and blood emerges.

בָּעֵי רַבִּי זֵירָא: הָאוֹמֵר ״הֲרֵי עָלַי עוֹלָה מִן הַתּוֹרִים אוֹ מִן בְּנֵי הַיּוֹנָה״, וְהֵבִיא תְּחִלַּת הַצִּיהוּב שֶׁבָּזֶה וְשֶׁבָּזֶה, מַהוּ? סְפֵיקָא הָוֵי וְנָפֵיק, אוֹ דִילְמָא בְּרִיָּה הָוֵי וְלָא נָפֵיק?

§ Rabbi Zeira raises a dilemma: With regard to one who says: It is incumbent upon me to bring a burnt offering of doves or of pigeons, and he brought birds at the beginning of the yellowing of their neck plumage of this, doves, and of that, pigeons, what is the halakha? Is it a case of uncertainty whether it is considered older or younger, and therefore when he brings both he fulfills his obligation, as one of the birds was fit for sacrifice; or perhaps a bird at the beginning of the yellowing is an entity in and of itself and is neither older nor younger, and he does not fulfill his obligation?

אָמַר רָבָא, תָּא שְׁמַע: פְּרָט לִתְחִילַּת הַצִּיהוּב שֶׁבָּזֶה וְשֶׁבָּזֶה, שֶׁפָּסוּל. אִי אָמְרַתְּ בִּשְׁלָמָא בְּרִיָּה הָוֵי – שַׁפִּיר, אֶלָּא אִי אָמְרַתְּ סְפֵיקָא הָוֵי, אִיצְטְרִיךְ קְרָא לְמַעוֹטֵי סְפֵיקָא?

Rava said: Come and hear proof from the baraita where it is taught that the verse: “Of doves or of young pigeons,” serves to exclude birds at the beginning of the yellowing of their neck plumage that are unfit as this, doves, and as that, pigeons. Granted, if you say that a bird at that stage is an entity in and of itself, that works out well, as the verse serves to ensure that a bird at that stage of development will never be sacrificed. But if you say that it is a case of uncertainty, was it necessary for the verse to exclude a case of uncertainty?