Reeh 15:22 · unit 2

TT #358 · Parashas Reeh · Sixth Aliyah · Passuk 15:22

The Complete Passuk

בִּשְׁעָרֶ֕יךָ תֹּאכְלֶ֕נּוּ הַטָּמֵ֤א וְהַטָּהוֹר֙ יַחְדָּ֔ו כַּצְּבִ֖י וְכָאַיָּֽל׃

Within your gates you shall eat it, the unclean and the clean together, as the gazelle and as the deer.

Chabad.org — 15:22

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Bekhoros.

Sefaria — Bekhoros

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
תֹּאכְלֶנּוּ הַטָּמֵא וְהַטָּהוֹר וגו׳ – בֵּית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים, בְּכוֹר מְזַמְּנִין עָלָיו אֲפִלּוּ זָרִים וּמַאֲכִילִין אוֹתוֹ לְנִדּוֹת, מַאי טַעְמָא דִּכְתִיב הַטָּמֵא וְהַטָּהוֹר יֹאכְלֶנּוּ וּזָרִים לֹא כָּל שֶׁכֵּן.

English: "You shall eat it, the unclean and the clean..." — Beis Hillel say: One may invite even ordinary Israelites to partake of a firstborn and may feed it to menstruant women. What is the reason? Because it is written "the unclean and the clean shall eat it," and ordinary Israelites all the more so.

On the daf / in context: Once a firstborn has become blemished it loses the restrictions that apply to pure sacrificial meat and may be shared widely.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Bekhoros) — a blemished firstborn may be shared with zarim and niddos.

What Is Learned

A blemished firstborn may be eaten by ordinary Israelites and even by menstruant women.