Temurah 1:5-6
משנה תמורה א:ה-ו
Seder: Kodashim | Tractate: Temurah | Chapter: 1
📖 Mishna
Mishna 1:5
משנה א:ה
Hebrew:
אֵין מֵי חַטָּאת נַעֲשִׂין מֵי חַטָּאת אֶלָּא עִם מַתַּן אֵפֶר. אֵין בֵּית הַפְּרָס עוֹשֶׂה בֵית הַפְּרָס, וְלֹא תְרוּמָה אַחַר תְּרוּמָה, וְלֹא תְמוּרָה עוֹשָׂה תְמוּרָה, וְלֹא הַוָּלָד עוֹשֶׂה תְמוּרָה. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, הַוָּלָד עוֹשֶׂה תְמוּרָה. אָמְרוּ לוֹ, הֶקְדֵּשׁ עוֹשֶׂה תְמוּרָה, לֹא הַוָּלָד וְלֹא תְמוּרָה עוֹשִׂין תְּמוּרָה:
English:
And the water of purification of the red heifer becomes water of purification only with the placement of the ashes into the water, but not by placement of water onto the ashes. And one beit haperas does not create another beit haperas. The Sages decreed ritual impurity on a field in which a grave was plowed, scattering the bones throughout the field. This field is called a beit haperas. That impurity extends to the area of one hundred cubits surrounding the grave. Nevertheless, they did not decree impurity on the second field if one plowed from that field into another field. And there is no teruma after teruma. Once one designates produce from his crop as teruma, if he then designates additional produce from that crop as teruma, it is not teruma. And a substitute animal that was consecrated when it was substituted for a consecrated animal does not render a non-sacred animal exchanged for it a substitute; rather, it remains non-sacred. And the offspring born of a consecrated animal that was not consecrated itself does not render a non-sacred animal exchanged for it a substitute. Rabbi Yehuda says: The offspring renders a non-sacred animal exchanged for it a substitute. The Sages said to him: A consecrated animal renders a non-sacred animal exchanged for it a substitute, but the offspring does not render a non-sacred animal exchanged for it a substitute.
קלאוד על המשנה:
This mishna establishes a crucial principle: DERIVED sanctity cannot create further derivatives. Secondary status doesn’t propagate indefinitely.
Five Examples of “No Chain Reaction”:
1. Red Heifer Water (מי חטאת): Ashes must be placed INTO water, not water onto ashes. You can’t reverse the process and get the same result. Order matters.
2. Beit HaPeras (בית הפרס): A plowed graveyard creates a “beit haperas” — a field with uncertain corpse-impurity. But if you plow FROM that field into another field, the second field doesn’t become a new beit haperas. The impurity doesn’t chain.
3. Teruma After Teruma (תרומה אחר תרומה): Once you designate teruma from your produce, any additional “teruma” designation is meaningless. You can’t stack teruma on teruma.
4. Substitute Creating Substitute (תמורה עושה תמורה): A substitute animal has derived sanctity. If someone tries to substitute ANOTHER animal for the substitute, it doesn’t work. The chain stops.
5. Offspring Creating Substitute (ולד עושה תמורה): The offspring of a consecrated animal has sanctity (it’s born holy). But can it create a substitute?
The Dispute:
Sages: No. Offspring have derived sanctity (from the mother), so they can’t create substitutes. Only ORIGINAL consecrated animals can.
Rabbi Yehuda: Yes! The offspring IS genuinely holy — it was born that way. Its sanctity is primary (to itself), not derived. Therefore it can create substitutes.
The Sages’ Response: “Consecrated animals create substitutes — not offspring, not substitutes.” They group offspring with substitutes as types of derived sanctity that lack the power to propagate further.
Key Terms:
- מי חטאת (Mei Chatat) = Water of purification; red heifer mixture
- בית הפרס (Beit HaPeras) = Plowed graveyard field; uncertain impurity area
- ולד (Valad) = Offspring; born of a consecrated animal
- הקדש עושה תמורה (Hekdesh Oseh Temurah) = Consecrated animals create substitutes
Mishna 1:6
משנה א:ו
Hebrew:
הָעוֹפוֹת וְהַמְּנָחוֹת אֵינָן עוֹשִׂין תְּמוּרָה, שֶׁלֹּא נֶאֱמַר אֶלָּא (ויקרא כז) בִּבְהֵמָה. הַצִּבּוּר וְהַשֻּׁתָּפִים אֵינָן עוֹשִׂים תְּמוּרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם), לֹא יָמִיר אֹתוֹ, יָחִיד עוֹשֶׂה תְמוּרָה, לֹא הַצִּבּוּר וְלֹא הַשֻּׁתָּפִים עוֹשִׂים תְּמוּרָה. קָרְבְּנוֹת בֶּדֶק הַבַּיִת אֵינָן עוֹשִׂין תְּמוּרָה. אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, וַהֲלֹא הַמַּעֲשֵׂר בַּכְּלָל הָיָה, וְלָמָּה יָצָא, לְהָקִישׁ אֵלָיו, מַה מַּעֲשֵׂר קָרְבַּן יָחִיד, יָצְאוּ קָרְבְּנוֹת צִבּוּר. מַה מַּעֲשֵׂר קָרְבַּן מִזְבֵּחַ, יָצְאוּ קָרְבְּנוֹת בֶּדֶק הַבָּיִת:
English:
The birds sacrificed as offerings, i.e., doves and pigeons, and the meal offerings do not render non-sacred items exchanged for them substitutes, as only the term “an animal” is stated with regard to substitution, in the verse: “And if he substitutes an animal for an animal” (Leviticus 27:10). A consecrated animal belonging to the community or to partners does not render a non-sacred animal exchanged for it a substitute, as it is stated in the same verse: “He shall neither exchange it nor substitute it.” One derives from the singular pronoun in the verse that an individual renders a non-sacred animal a substitute, but the community and partners do not render a non-sacred animal a substitute. Items consecrated for Temple maintenance do not render non-sacred items exchanged for them substitutes. Rabbi Shimon said: The fact that animals belonging to the community or partners do not render animals exchanged for them substitutes is derived as follows: The animal tithe was included in the category of all offerings, and why was it singled out in the verse: “And all the tithe of the herd or the flock, whatever passes under the rod, the tenth shall be sacred unto the Lord. He shall not inquire whether it is good or bad, neither shall he substitute for it; and if he substitutes it, then both it and that for which it is substituted shall be sacred” (Leviticus 27:32–33)? Rabbi Shimon explains: It was singled out to juxtapose substitution to the animal tithe, to tell you: Just as the animal tithe is brought exclusively as an individual offering, so too, all offerings that render their substitutes sacred are individual offerings, excluding communal offerings and the offerings of partners from the halakha of substitution. And just as the animal tithe is an offering sacrificed on the altar, so too, all offerings that render their substitutes sacred are offerings sacrificed on the altar, excluding items consecrated for Temple maintenance from the halakha of substitution.
קלאוד על המשנה:
This concluding mishna of Chapter 1 lists what CANNOT create substitution, completing our understanding of temurah’s boundaries.
What Cannot Create Substitution:
| Category | Reason |
|---|---|
| Birds (עופות) | Verse says “animal” (בהמה) — excludes birds |
| Meal offerings (מנחות) | Same — “animal” excludes non-animal offerings |
| Communal offerings (ציבור) | Singular language: “HE shall not substitute” |
| Partner offerings (שותפים) | Same — individual language excludes joint ownership |
| Temple maintenance funds (בדק הבית) | Not altar offerings |
Rabbi Shimon’s Derivation:
Rabbi Shimon offers an elegant alternative source. The Torah mentions animal tithe separately (Leviticus 27:32-33), even though it’s already included in general consecration laws. Why the repetition?
To teach by comparison (הקש):
| Animal Tithe Feature | What It Excludes |
|---|---|
| Individual offering | Communal & partner offerings |
| Altar offering | Temple maintenance items |
The tithe is ALWAYS individual (each person counts their own animals) and ALWAYS for the altar (eaten by the owner as a peace offering). These features define what CAN create substitution.
Practical Summary:
Substitution (temurah) applies ONLY when:
- It’s an ANIMAL (not bird, not meal offering)
- Owned by an INDIVIDUAL (not community, not partners)
- Designated for the ALTAR (not Temple maintenance)
- ORIGINALLY consecrated (not offspring, not substitute)
Key Terms:
- עופות (Ofot) = Birds; doves and pigeons used for offerings
- מנחות (Menachot) = Meal offerings; flour-based sacrifices
- ציבור (Tzibbur) = Community; the collective of Israel
- שותפים (Shutafim) = Partners; joint owners
- בדק הבית (Bedek HaBayit) = Temple maintenance; repair funds
- מעשר (Ma’aser) = Tithe; specifically animal tithe here