Ki Seitzei 21:17 · unit 6

TT #56 · Parashas Ki Seitzei · First aliya · Passuk 21:17

The Complete Passuk

כִּי֩ אֶת־הַבְּכֹ֨ר בֶּן־הַשְּׂנוּאָ֜ה יַכִּ֗יר לָ֤תֶת לוֹ֙ פִּ֣י שְׁנַ֔יִם בְּכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־יִמָּצֵ֖א ל֑וֹ כִּי־הוּא֙ רֵאשִׁ֣ית אֹנ֔וֹ ל֖וֹ מִשְׁפַּ֥ט הַבְּכֹרָֽה׃

But he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the hated, by giving him a double portion of all that is found with him; for he is the first of his strength, the right of the firstborn is his.

Chabad.org — 21:17

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Bava Basra 122b / Sifrei.

Sefaria — Bava Basra 122b

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
פִּי שְׁנַיִם – פִּי שְׁנַיִם כְּאֶחָד, שֶׁאִם הָיוּ חֲמִשָּׁה בָּנִים נוֹטֵל הַבְּכוֹר שְׁלִישׁ וְאַרְבָּעָה נוֹטְלִין שְׁנֵי שְׁלִישִׁים.

English: “A double portion” — a double portion as one (ordinary) share. Thus if there were five sons the firstborn takes one-third and the four ordinary sons take two-thirds.

On the daf / in context: The firstborn receives two shares out of the total number of shares equal to the number of sons plus one. He does not receive two-thirds of the entire estate regardless of the number of brothers.

Type of Learning

Derash clarifying the arithmetic of “pi shenayim.”

What Is Learned

The firstborn receives two ordinary shares; the estate is divided into as many shares as there are sons plus one extra share for the firstborn.