Shavuoth Insights 2007 #3

Here I will look at the way Bechor is depicted in D. Our laining discusses the bechor. The first born sheep has holiness. And, we are instructed to sacrifice it. But, what is the nature of that sacrifice? The Torah is very clear.
לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ תֹאכְלֶנּוּ שָׁנָה בְשָׁנָה, בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר-יִבְחַר יְהוָה--אַתָּה, וּבֵיתֶךָ. כא וְכִי-יִהְיֶה בוֹ מוּם, פִּסֵּחַ אוֹ עִוֵּר, כֹּל, מוּם רָע--לֹא תִזְבָּחֶנּוּ, לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ. כב בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ, תֹּאכְלֶנּוּ--הַטָּמֵא וְהַטָּהוֹר יַחְדָּו, כַּצְּבִי וְכָאַיָּל. כג רַק אֶת-דָּמוֹ, לֹא תֹאכֵל
In other words, the owner of the animal can eat it , but the important point is that it be eaten in Jerusalem. Whereas, if it has a blemish, it can be eaten anywhere. This is consistently the way D describes the first born. See for example 12:6-7
וַהֲבֵאתֶם שָׁמָּה, עֹלֹתֵיכֶם וְזִבְחֵיכֶם, וְאֵת מַעְשְׂרֹתֵיכֶם, וְאֵת תְּרוּמַת יֶדְכֶם; וְנִדְרֵיכֶם, וְנִדְבֹתֵיכֶם, וּבְכֹרֹת בְּקַרְכֶם, וְצֹאנְכֶם
וַאֲכַלְתֶּם-שָׁם, לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, וּשְׂמַחְתֶּם בְּכֹל מִשְׁלַח יֶדְכֶם, אַתֶּם וּבָתֵּיכֶם--אֲשֶׁר בֵּרַכְךָ, יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ.
or 12:17
לֹא-תוּכַל לֶאֱכֹל בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ, מַעְשַׂר דְּגָנְךָ וְתִירֹשְׁךָ וְיִצְהָרֶךָ, וּבְכֹרֹת בְּקָרְךָ, וְצֹאנֶךָ; וְכָל-נְדָרֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר תִּדֹּר, וְנִדְבֹתֶיךָ וּתְרוּמַת יָדֶךָ. יח כִּי אִם-לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ תֹּאכְלֶנּוּ, בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בּוֹ--אַתָּה וּבִנְךָ וּבִתֶּךָ וְעַבְדְּךָ וַאֲמָתֶךָ, וְהַלֵּוִי אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ; וְשָׂמַחְתָּ, לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, בְּכֹל, מִשְׁלַח יָדֶךָ
or 14:23
וְאָכַלְתָּ לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר-יִבְחַר לְשַׁכֵּן שְׁמוֹ שָׁם, מַעְשַׂר דְּגָנְךָ תִּירֹשְׁךָ וְיִצְהָרֶךָ, וּבְכֹרֹת בְּקָרְךָ וְצֹאנֶךָ: לְמַעַן תִּלְמַד, לְיִרְאָה אֶת-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ--כָּל-הַיָּמִים.

So, the bechor is eaten by the baalim in Yerushaliam with the Levi and the poor joining in. What about according to JE & P? What do they see as the function of the bechor? Well, in JE there is kedusha of a bechor, but no mention of Yerushalaim, nor of what to do with it. See Ex 13:2
קַדֶּשׁ-לִי כָל-בְּכוֹר פֶּטֶר כָּל-רֶחֶם, בִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל--בָּאָדָם, וּבַבְּהֵמָה: לִי, הוּא
But, no mention that the way one sanctifies it is by bringing it to Jerusalem.
Likewise in Ex 13:12
וְהַעֲבַרְתָּ כָל-פֶּטֶר-רֶחֶם, לַיהוָה; וְכָל-פֶּטֶר שֶׁגֶר בְּהֵמָה, אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה לְךָ הַזְּכָרִים--לַיהוָה.
But, again, no mention of what to do with it.
Likewise, in Ex 22:29
מְלֵאָתְךָ וְדִמְעֲךָ, לֹא תְאַחֵר; בְּכוֹר בָּנֶיךָ, תִּתֶּן-לִי. כט כֵּן-תַּעֲשֶׂה לְשֹׁרְךָ, לְצֹאנֶךָ: שִׁבְעַת יָמִים יִהְיֶה עִם-אִמּוֹ, בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי תִּתְּנוֹ-לִי
But, again, what do you do with it?
Likewise in Ex 34:19
כָּל-פֶּטֶר רֶחֶם, לִי; וְכָל-מִקְנְךָ תִּזָּכָר, פֶּטֶר שׁוֹר וָשֶׂה. כ וּפֶטֶר חֲמוֹר תִּפְדֶּה בְשֶׂה, וְאִם-לֹא תִפְדֶּה וַעֲרַפְתּוֹ; כֹּל בְּכוֹר בָּנֶיךָ תִּפְדֶּה, וְלֹא-יֵרָאוּ פָנַי רֵיקָם
But, what do you do with it?
While JE doesn't say explicitly what you do with the Bechor, it sounds like he's saying you bring it as a korban. Generally, when you say something is given to God, you mean as a korban. Interesting though, that JE consistently makes no mention of the fact that it is brought in Yerushalaim. But, that seems to be all D cares about. What about P? What does P have to say Lev 27:26
אַךְ-בְּכוֹר אֲשֶׁר-יְבֻכַּר לַיהוָה, בִּבְהֵמָה--לֹא-יַקְדִּישׁ אִישׁ, אֹתוֹ: אִם-שׁוֹר אִם-שֶׂה, לַיהוָה הוּא.
But again, what do you do with it? Finally, we get to Nu 18:8 where we get the answer - the Bechor is eaten by the Kohen!
וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה, אֶל-אַהֲרֹן, וַאֲנִי הִנֵּה נָתַתִּי לְךָ, אֶת-מִשְׁמֶרֶת תְּרוּמֹתָי: לְכָל-קָדְשֵׁי בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל לְךָ נְתַתִּים לְמָשְׁחָה, וּלְבָנֶיךָ--לְחָק-עוֹלָם. ................
כָּל-חֵרֶם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, לְךָ יִהְיֶה. טו כָּל-פֶּטֶר רֶחֶם לְכָל-בָּשָׂר אֲשֶׁר-יַקְרִיבוּ לַיהוָה, בָּאָדָם וּבַבְּהֵמָה--יִהְיֶה-לָּךְ: אַךְ פָּדֹה תִפְדֶּה, אֵת בְּכוֹר הָאָדָם, וְאֵת בְּכוֹר-הַבְּהֵמָה הַטְּמֵאָה, תִּפְדֶּה

It's interesting that both P verses seem to speak of the Kohen. Although Lev 27 doesn't say the Kohen gets the Bechor and just says it goes to God. In that chapter, generally speaking, most of the things that go to God means it goes to the Kohen. For example,
וְהָיָה הַשָּׂדֶה בְּצֵאתוֹ בַיֹּבֵל, קֹדֶשׁ לַיהוָה--כִּשְׂדֵה הַחֵרֶם: לַכֹּהֵן, תִּהְיֶה אֲחֻזָּתוֹ
So, in summary, D, consistently, again and again, says the Bechor is eaten by the Baalim in Yerushalaim. JE, again and again, says it's a korban anywhere. And P, again and again, says it goes to the Kohen (again, no mention of Jerusalem). The problem here is 3 fold
1. the contradiction in and of itself, is problematic
2. The fact that there is great internal consistency within D, within JE, and within P, points to a unity of authorship (or at least common ground between the authors) for the individual books
3. Notice that each book's slant on bechor is consistent with their general agenda. D is generally concerned with Jerusalem, and the Israelites personal connection to God, so the Bechor is eaten by the baalim in Yerushalaim. P is generally concerned with the priests, and so the Bechor is eaten by the priests.