Ki Seitzei 21:17 · unit 9

TT #59 · 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 111b.

Sefaria — Bava Basra 111b

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
רֵאשִׁית אוֹנוֹ – רֵאשִׁית אוֹנוֹ וְלֹא רֵאשִׁית אוֹנָהּ.

English: “The first of his strength” — the first of his strength, and not the first of her strength.

On the daf / in context: Firstborn status for inheritance follows the father, not the mother. (This differs from the firstborn for the priest, which depends on the opening of the womb.)

Type of Learning

Mi’ut excluding maternal firstborn status.

What Is Learned

The firstborn for inheritance is determined by the father’s first viable offspring, not by the mother’s first birth.