Derasha 45 on Vayikra 12:6

TT #45 · Parshas Tazria · Aliyah 1 · Passuk 6

The Complete Passuk

וּבִמְלֹ֣את ׀ יְמֵ֣י טׇהֳרָ֗הּ לְבֵן֮ א֣וֹ לְבַת֒ תָּבִ֞יא כֶּ֤בֶשׂ בֶּן־שְׁנָתוֹ֙ לְעֹלָ֔ה וּבֶן־יוֹנָ֥ה אוֹ־תֹ֖ר לְחַטָּ֑את אֶל־פֶּ֥תַח אֹֽהֶל־מוֹעֵ֖ד אֶל־הַכֹּהֵֽן׃

English: On the completion of her period of purification, for either son or daughter, she shall bring to the priest, at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, a lamb in its first year for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a purgation offering.

Chabad.org — Chumash, English translation + Rashi for Vayikra 12:6

Source Citation

Torah Temimah cites Arakhin 18b for the rule that an animal’s year for consecrated offerings is reckoned from its own birth, not by the calendar year.

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text — Arakhin 18b
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: שָׁנָה הָאֲמוּרָה בְּקָדָשִׁים מֵעֵת לְעֵת. שָׁנָה הָאֲמוּרָה בְּקָדָשִׁים, מְנָלַן? אָמַר רַב אַחָא בַּר יַעֲקֹב, אָמַר קְרָא: ״כֶּבֶשׂ בֶּן שְׁנָתוֹ״, שְׁנָתוֹ שֶׁלּוֹ, וְלֹא שֶׁל מִנְיַן עוֹלָם.

English: The year stated for consecrated offerings is measured from the offering's own birth date: “its year” means its own year, not a calendar year.

Type of Learning

Textual definition

What Is Learned

For an offering that must be brought during the animal’s first year, the year is measured from the animal’s birth, rather than ending at the close of a calendar year.