Positive Commandment 80 (Digest)
Redeeming Firstborn Sons
"Give to Me the firstborn of your sons"—Exodus 22:28.
We are commanded to "redeem" male firstborn and to give the redemption money – five sela'im – to the priest.
The obligation to redeem the firstborn son lies with the boy's father; the mother is not obligated in this mitzvah.
The
80th mitzvah is that we are commanded
to redeem a first-born male and to give the redemption value to a kohen.
The
source of this commandment is G‑d's statement, "Give Me the first-born of your sons." The
explanation of this "giving" is that we must redeem him as if the kohen already owns him. We acquire the
child from the kohen by giving him
five selah.
The
source of this commandment is G‑d's statement, "You must redeem a first-born male child."
This
mitzvah is called pidyon haben. Women are not obligated in
this mitzvah; it is the child's mitzvah which the father must fulfill,
as explained in Kiddushin.
The
details of this mitzvah are explained
in tractate B'choros.
Levites
are exempt from this mitzvah.
Positive Commandment 81 (Digest)
Redeeming Firstborn Donkeys
"The firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb"—Exodus 34:20.
We are commanded to redeem a firstborn male donkey with a lamb—which is given to the priest. (Unless the owner wishes to give the priest the monetary value of the donkey.)
Levites are exempt from this mitzvah.
The
81st mitzvah is that we are commanded
to redeem a first-born donkey with a sheep, and to give the sheep to a kohen — unless we give the monetary
value.
The
source of this commandment is G‑d's statement, "The first-born of a donkey you shall redeem
with a sheep."
The
details of this mitzvah are also
explained in tractate B'choros.
Levites
are also exempt from this mitzvah.
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