Ki Seitzei 21:15 · unit 9

TT #38 · 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 Bava Basra 127a.

Sefaria — Bava Basra 127a

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
וְיָלְדוּ לוֹ בָּנִים – אָמַר אַמֵּימָר, טֻמְטוּם שֶׁנִּקְרַע וְנִמְצָא זָכָר אֵינוֹ מְמַעֵט חֵלֶק בְּכוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְיָלְדוּ לוֹ בָּנִים – שֶׁיְּהֵא בֵּן בִּשְׁעַת לֵידָה.

English: “And they bear him sons” — Ameimar said: a tumtum who is later opened and found to be male does not reduce the firstborn’s portion, as it is said “and they bear him sons” — he must be a son at the time of birth.

On the daf / in context: At the moment of birth the child’s sex was indeterminate. Even if later surgery reveals a male, the child was not known as a “ben” at birth and therefore does not share in reducing the bechorah.

Type of Learning

Derash requiring known male status at the moment of birth.

What Is Learned

A tumtum later revealed to be male does not diminish the firstborn’s double portion, because he was not known as a son at birth.