• September 8, 2026
  • 26 5786, Elul
  • פרשת ויחי

Halachot of the Bechor

Hello Everyone,

The title of this shiur  is  “Halachot of Bechor.” The picture for this shiur is the hand of a human baby and for most people the only first-born of  practical concern is a human , male, first born child. But the Torah has mitzvot that concern the first born (male) of cattle, sheep and goats as well as the first born (male) donkeys.

I have the impression that most of us have at least a passing familiarity with the mitzvah of פדיון הבן but probably none of us have had the privilege of performing the mitzvah of פדיון פטר חמור. So I chose to focus this evening on the the lesser known ( but no less important) mitzvot that pertain to these other types of Bechor.