Pidyon Haben: Difference between revisions
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When a male child, who is not a Cohen or a Levi, is naturally born of his mother's first pregnancy to a father not descended of Cohanim or Levim he must be "redeemed" by his father with the value of five biblical shekels, to be payed to a Cohen.<ref>Rambam (Bikkurim 11:1), Shulchan Aruch YD 305:1, Yalkut Yosef Sova Semachot vol. 2 pg. 221 </ref> | When a male child, who is not a Cohen or a Levi, is naturally born of his mother's first pregnancy to a father not descended of Cohanim or Levim he must be "redeemed" by his father with the value of five biblical shekels, to be payed to a Cohen.<ref>Rambam (Bikkurim 11:1), Shulchan Aruch YD 305:1, Yalkut Yosef Sova Semachot vol. 2 pg. 221 </ref> | ||
==Background== | ==Background== | ||
# This Mitzvah is based on the pasuk בְּכוֹר בָּנֶיךָ תִּתֶּן לִּי "the firstborn of your sons you shall give Me" <ref>Shemot 22:28 </ref>and וְכֹל בְּכוֹר אָדָם בְּבָנֶיךָ תִּפְדֶּה "and every firstborn of man among your sons, you shall redeem" <ref>Shemot 13:13, Mishna Kidushin 29a </ref>. It is considered a | # This Mitzvah is based on the pasuk בְּכוֹר בָּנֶיךָ תִּתֶּן לִּי "the firstborn of your sons you shall give Me" <ref>Shemot 22:28 </ref>and וְכֹל בְּכוֹר אָדָם בְּבָנֶיךָ תִּפְדֶּה "and every firstborn of man among your sons, you shall redeem" <ref>Shemot 13:13, Mishna Kidushin 29a </ref>. It is considered a biblical positive commandment. <ref>Rambam Sefer HaMitzvot (Aseh #80), Sefer Hachinuch Mitzva 18, Shulchan Aruch Y"D 305:1, Smag Aseh 143-144, Smak 243, Yereim 140 </ref> | ||
# The idea behind the mitzvah is to redeem the firstborn of his innate kedusha as the pasuk says "קַדֶּשׁ־לִי כָל־בְּכוֹר פֶּטֶר כָּל־רֶחֶם בִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּאָדָם וּבַבְּהֵמָה לִי הוּא".<ref>Shemot 13:2</ref> The kedusha is a result of Hashem killing the Egyptian firstborns and saving the Jewish firstborns.<ref>Rashi Shemot 13:2 explains that Hashem "acquired" the firstborns when he killed the Egyptian firstborns and saved the Jewish ones. See also Shemot 13:15. The Zohar (Intro 14a, cited in Pidyon Haben Kehilchato p. 4) says that redeeming a firstborn is a merit that it should live.</ref> Nonetheless, even before the pidyon haben the baby isn't forbidden from benefit.<ref>Gemara Bechorot 3b, Pidyon Haben Kehilchato 1:3. See, however, Seforno Shemot 13:15.</ref> Another explanation is that we have a mitzvah with our first offspring to recognize that everything is from Hashem.<ref>Sefer Hachinuch (Mitzvah 18)</ref> | # The idea behind the mitzvah is to redeem the firstborn of his innate kedusha as the pasuk says "קַדֶּשׁ־לִי כָל־בְּכוֹר פֶּטֶר כָּל־רֶחֶם בִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּאָדָם וּבַבְּהֵמָה לִי הוּא".<ref>Shemot 13:2</ref> The kedusha is a result of Hashem killing the Egyptian firstborns and saving the Jewish firstborns.<ref>Rashi Shemot 13:2 explains that Hashem "acquired" the firstborns when he killed the Egyptian firstborns and saved the Jewish ones. See also Shemot 13:15. The Zohar (Intro 14a, cited in Pidyon Haben Kehilchato p. 4) says that redeeming a firstborn is a merit that it should live.</ref> Nonetheless, even before the pidyon haben the baby isn't forbidden from benefit.<ref>Gemara Bechorot 3b, Pidyon Haben Kehilchato 1:3. See, however, Seforno Shemot 13:15.</ref> Another explanation is that we have a mitzvah with our first offspring to recognize that everything is from Hashem.<ref>Sefer Hachinuch (Mitzvah 18)</ref> | ||
