Temurah 1:1-2

Temurah 1:1

Anyone, male or female, can sanctify an animal as temurah by trying to exchange it for one that was already sanctified. This is not to say that one is permitted to exchange another animal for one that has been consecrated, just that if one does so, it effectively consecrates the second animal; one receives 40 lashes (because doing so is prohibited). Kohanim can make temurah with animals that they consecrated, and Yisroelim (Israelites) can make temurah with animals that they consecrated. Kohanim cannot make a sin offering, a guilt offering or a firstborn animal temurah (all of which were given to him by a Yisroel). Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri asked why kohanim can’t make a firstborn animal temurah (seeing that it belongs to them). Rabbi Akiva explained that the sin offering and guilt offering are given to the kohanim as gifts, as is the firstborn. Just like they can’t make temurah for the former, the same is true for the latter. Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri asked what difference it makes that they can’t make a sin offering or a guilt offering temurah; the reason for that is because they have no claim on those animals while they’re alive. Such is not the case with a firstborn, in which he has a claim in the animal while it’s still alive. Rabbi Akiva replied by citing Leviticus 27:10: “Both (the first animal) and its potential replacement will be sanctified.” Where do these animals get sanctified? In the owner’s house (i.e., the Yisroel). The temurah can likewise only be sanctified while still in the owner’s home.

Temurah 1:2

The laws of temurah apply to exchanging cattle for flocks and vice versa, to sheep for goats and vice versa, to male animals for female animals and vice versa, to unblemished animals for blemished animals and vice versa, as per Leviticus 27:10, “One may not exchange it for another animal, nor substitute another for it, not a good one for a bad one nor a bad one for a good one.” Substituting a good animal for a bad animal refers to blemished animals that were consecrated before they got blemished. One animal can become temurah by trying to exchange it for two, two can become temurah for one, one can become temurah for 100 animals, and 100 animals can become temurah for one. Rabbi Shimon says that temurah is only created when trying to exchange animals one for one as per the verse cited above, “It and its exchange” – both “it” and “its exchange” are in the singular.