Bekhorot

Dolphins are fruitful and multiply by coupling with human beings. What are dolphins? — Said Rab Judah: Humans of the sea.1 In any species which has its male balls outside,2 [the female] give birth [to its young]. But where the male balls are inside, [the female] lay eggs. It is not so. Did not Samuel Say: The domestic and wild goose are forbidden copulation?3 And we raised the point, what is the reason? Said Abaye: In one case, the male balls are outside, and in the other, the male balls are inside. Yet both lay eggs! — Rather say: Whatsoever has its male genital outside, gives birth, but whatsoever has its male genital inside lays eggs.4 Whatsoever copulates in the day time, gives birth in the day time. Whatsoever copulates in the night, gives birth in the night. Whatsoever copulates in the day and night time, gives birth both in the day and in the night. ‘Whatsoever copulates in the day time gives birth in the day time:’ for instance, a cock. ‘What soever copulates in the night, gives birth in the night’: for instance, a bat. ‘Whatsoever copulates in the day and night time, gives birth both in the day and in the night’: for instance, man and all beings resembling him. What is the practical rule [to be derived from this statement]? — The rule of R. Mari, the son of Kahana. For R. Mari, the son of Kahana said: If one searched a nest of chickens on the eve of a Festival and did not find an egg therein and on the morrow, he rose early5 and found there an egg, it is permitted to be eaten on the Festival.6 [But did he not search?]7 — You presume that he did not search thoroughly. But did he not search thoroughly? — You presume that the greater part [of the egg] came forth from the intestines of the chicken but returned,8 and this is in accordance with the ruling of R. Johanan. For R. Johanan said: An egg, the greater part of which came forth [from the intestines of a chicken] on the eve of a Festival and returned [to its intestines,] may be eaten on the Festival. All animals whose copulating and pregnancy are alike,9 give birth from one another, and nurse each other's young. All animals copulate with their faces against the back [of the female], except three, which copulate face to face, and these are a fish, man, and a serpent. And why are these three different? — When R. Dimi came [from Palestine] he said: In the West [Palestine] it was said: Because the Divine Presence spoke with them.10 In a Baraitha it was taught: Camels [copulate] back to back. Our Rabbis taught: A hen lays its eggs after twenty-one days,11 and corresponding [to a hen] is the almond-tree among trees.12 A dog [goes with young] for fifty days, and corresponding [to a dog] is a fig-tree among trees. A cat [goes with young] for fifty-two days, and corresponding [to a cat] is a mulberry-tree among trees, [whose fruit ripens fifty-two days after its blossoming]. A pig [goes with young] for sixty days, and corresponding [to a pig] is an apple tree among trees. A fox and all kinds of reptiles [go with young] for six months, and corresponding [to a fox] etc. is wheat among trees.13 Small clean animals [go with young] for five months, and corresponding [to small animals] is a vine among trees. Large unclean cattle [go with young] for twelve months, and corresponding [to large unclean cattle] is a palm-tree among trees.14 Clean large cattle [go with young] for nine months, and corresponding [to clean large cattle] is an olive-tree among trees. The wolf, lion, bear, leopard, bardeles,15 elephant, monkey, and long-tailed ape [go with young] for three years, corresponding to them are white figs among trees. A viper [or adder] goes with young for Seventy years, and corresponding to it is the carob-tree among trees. From the time of the planting of the carob-tree to the ripening of its fruit, a period of seventy years elapses; and the time of its pregnancy’,16 is three years. A serpent [goes with young] for seven years, and for that wicked animal there is no companion [among trees]. Some, however, say that [corresponding to a serpent] is a kind of white fig [among trees],17 Whence is this proved?18 — Said Rab Judah in the name of Rab and they trace it in tradition up to the name of R. Joshua b. Hanania: Because [Scripture] says: Cursed art thou from among all cattle and from among all the beasts of the field.19 Now if [the serpent] was cursed [to go with young for a period] longer than an animal,20 [how much] longer must this have been than that of a beast?21 But [the object of the verse is] to tell you: Just as the animal is cursed [to go with young] longer than a beast in the proportion of one to seven22 — and what is this? An ass which [goes with young longer] than a cat — so [the serpent] is cursed [to go with young] in the proportion of one to seven, which is seven years.23 But why not say, that just as the beast has been cursed [to go with young longer] than an animal in the proportion of one to three — and what is this? A lion [which goes with young longer] than an ass24 — so, [the serpent] has been cursed [to go with young] longer than the beast in the proportion of one to three, which is nine years? Therefore, in both instances, they lay eggs and do not give birth to their brood. is forbidden on that day. V. Bez. 2a. therefore he did not find it when he searched for it at first in the nest. Consequently, even if, as in this case, it laid the egg at night, it is permitted to eat it on the Festival. But it does not, usually, lay eggs in the night time. period of pregnancy is five months. its eggs for a period of twenty-one days before the young ones emerge. (Rabbenu Gershom.) partook was wheat; v. Ber. 40a. seventy years. i.e., a cat, is fifty-two days. which beasts are cursed to go with young. proportion therefore being one to seven.