Bamidbar 3:13 · unit 1 — they shall be Mine

Parashas Bamidbar

The Complete Passuk

כִּ֣י לִי֮ כׇּל־בְּכוֹר֒ בְּיוֹם֩ הַכֹּתִ֨י כׇל־בְּכ֜וֹר בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֗יִם הִקְדַּ֨שְׁתִּי לִ֤י כׇל־בְּכוֹר֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מֵאָדָ֖ם עַד־בְּהֵמָ֑ה לִ֥י יִהְי֖וּ אֲנִ֥י יְהֹוָֽה׃ {פ}

For every such first-born is Mine: at the time that I smote every [male] first-born in the land of Egypt, I consecrated every first-born in Israel, human and animal, to Myself, to be Mine, GOD’s.

Chabad.org — 3:13

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to R’ Yochanan / R’ Elazar — TT / Bechoros related (verified).

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text

לי יהיו — איתמר, ר׳ יוחנן אמר: קדשו בכורות במדבר ולא פסקו.

English: “They shall be Mine” — it was stated: R’ Yochanan said: The firstborn were sanctified in the wilderness and did not cease [from that status].

On the daf / in context: The continuous present “li yihyu” supports the view that the sanctity of the firstborn that began with the Exodus remained in force.

Type of Learning

Custom

What Is Learned

Chazal debate whether the sanctity of the firstborn persisted from the wilderness onward; the verse is cited for the affirmative view.

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