Talking Talmud

More on the consecration vs. blemish and their implications for practice, in terms of order: where is all this derived? From the different animals mentioned in the Torah, and how each of them teaches something new. Also, what about the exchange for blemished offerings? What about the offspring of blemished offerings? When can you redeem which? Are the offspring -- which can't be redeemed -- really subject to redemption? To sacrifice? Again, the timing (in this case, the time of conception in the context of the mother's consecration) matters.

A new mishnah! Consecrated animals that acquire a blemish -- so they cannot be used for a regular sacrifice, what happens when they're then used for other things -- which doesn't rid the animal of the first-born status (or the obligation to give the kohen gifts). Note that the order that things happen (when consecrated, when blemished) make a difference in terms of the halakhah for the given animal. Also: Significantly, the Gemara rereads the details of the mishnah completely differently -- limiting the cases there for private altars, which changes the circumstances, the consequences, and more.

Summary/description to follow after shabbat/chag, with apologies.

Two mishnayot! First - How you cannot redeem the first-born donkey (a list of the animals that don't work for this redemption). Who's opinion is represented in the mishnah? Ben Bag-bag. [Who's Who: Ben Bag-bag]. Second - What if the redemption lamb died before it was given to the kohen? The Gemara delves into the dispute in the mishnah, and attempts different rationales to see what the dispute is really based on.

Our first story in the tractate! Meaning, an actual case and discussion between the sages. On how much a person pays to redeem an animal from the kohanim, whether generous or stingy -- namely, via a lamb that is worth a certain amount of zuzim. What if there is no lamb? Then the redemption takes place via the value in another item. Also, in the event of depositing produce with a kuti or an ignoramus, you can pretty much continue apace when you get it back, but if you left your produce with a non-Jew, you need to treat it as produce that is new to you, as if nothing had been done, or at the very least as produce that has a doubt attached to it.