Ki Seitzei 21:15 · unit 5

TT #34 · Parashas Ki Seitzei · First aliya · Passuk 21:15

The Complete Passuk

כִּֽי־תִהְיֶ֨יןָ לְאִ֜ישׁ שְׁתֵּ֣י נָשִׁ֗ים הָאַחַ֤ת אֲהוּבָה֙ וְהָאַחַ֣ת שְׂנוּאָ֔ה וְיָֽלְדוּ־ל֣וֹ בָנִ֔ים הָאֲהוּבָ֖ה וְהַשְּׂנוּאָ֑ה וְהָיָ֛ה הַבֵּ֥ן הַבְּכֹ֖ר לַשְּׂנִיאָֽה׃

If a man has two wives, the one beloved and the one hated, and they bear him sons, the beloved and the hated, and the firstborn son is the hated one’s—

Chabad.org — 21:15

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Sifrei Devarim.

Sefaria — Sifrei Devarim

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
בָּנִים – יָכוֹל לְפִי שֶׁמָּצִינוּ שֶׁהַבָּנוֹת נִכְנָסוֹת בַּנַּחֲלָה תַּחַת הָאַחִין תְּהֵא בְּכוֹרָה נוֹהֶגֶת בָּהֶן, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר וְיָלְדוּ לוֹ בָּנִים, בָּנִים בְּתוֹרַת בְּכוֹרָה וְאֵין בָּנוֹת בְּתוֹרַת בְּכוֹרָה.

English: “Sons” — one might have thought that because daughters enter the inheritance in place of brothers the bechorah would also apply to them; therefore the verse says “and they bear him sons”: sons are subject to the law of the firstborn, but daughters are not.

On the daf / in context: Although daughters inherit when there are no sons, the double portion of the firstborn is restricted to male offspring. The word “banim” excludes daughters from the bechorah.

Type of Learning

Mi’ut from the word “banim.”

What Is Learned

The double portion of the firstborn applies only to sons, not to daughters.