To give the first shearing to the priest: That we were commanded to give the first shearing of the flock to the priests. And about this is it stated (Deuteronomy 18:4), “and the first shearing of your flock shall you give him.” And the matter of the commandment is that anyone who has a flock of five — whether they are males or females, whether they are lambs or grown sheep, and even if he has sheared them several times — is obligated to give a present from the wool to the priest each time. And there is no measure of this gift from the Torah, but Rav, Shmuel and Rabbi Yochanan said in Tractate Chullin 137b, “The first shearing is in sixty” — meaning to say that he gives him one portion out of sixty. And since Scripture mentioned the expression of giving about this — as it stated, “shall you give him” — the Sages said (Chullin 135a) that one who has many shearings and wants to distribute them to many priests, give no less than the weight of five sela when it is cleaned, so that it be fit to make a small garment with it. [It is] not that the Israelite would clean it and afterwards give it to him, but rather that it be fit to make so much [finished] wool after the priest has cleaned it, so that it be a useful gift. And so too did they, may their memory be blessed, say (Chullin 137b) that the obligation of this commandment is only when there is a flock of [at least] five, such that the shearing amount to sixty sela, and that each one be no less than twelve sela.
And from the roots of the commandment is like the matter that I wrote about the tithe given to the Levites in the Order of Vayikach Korach (Sefer HaChinukh 395); and the priests are the same. Since they constantly serve in front of God and have no inheritance in the lands nor in the shearings, God, may He be blessed, acquired for them all the needs of their livelihood through their brothers. And behold, He gave them the priestly tithe and the tithe of the tithe, which are their bread and their wine; the gifts of the beast, which is the foreleg, the jaw and the maw and their portion in the consecrated [animals] of the Temple, such that there will be enough meat for their satisfaction. And [since what is] still lacking is shearing for their clothing, He also acquired the first of the shearing for their clothing. And for the rest of their expenses and needs, He also acquired for them the field of possession, the [recovered] theft from a convert [that has died], expropriations and the redemption [money] of firstborn [sons].
From the laws of the commandment is that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Chullin 137a) that the obligation of this commandment is only with the shearing of sheep, the wool of which is soft and fit to wear. But if the wool was hard and not fit to wear, he is exempt from the first shearing, from the reason that I said — as the priests acquired this for the [purpose] of clothing. But if the wool was red, black or brown, he is [still] obligated in the first shearing, since it is fit for wearing. And the rest of its details are elucidated in the eleventh chapter of Chullin.
And this commandment is practiced by males and females, Israelites and Levites, whether in front of the [Temple] or not in front of the [Temple]. But [it is practiced] only in the Land of Israel, and not outside of the Land; and like Rav Nachman bar Yitschak said in Chullin 136b in the chapter [entitled] Reishit HaGez, “The world acts like the three elders: Like Rabbi Eelayai in the first shearing, etc.” — meaning to say that he exempted outside the Land, as it is found there. And one who transgresses it and did not give his first shearing to the priest — when he has shearing that is fit, according to the matter that we wrote — has nullified this positive commandment.
לָתֵת לַכֹּהֵן רֵאשִׁית הַגֵּז – שֶׁנִּצְטַוִּינוּ לָתֵת רֵאשִׁית גִּזַּת הַצֹּאן לַכֹּהֲנִים, וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר (דברים יח ד) וְרֵאשִׁית גֵּז צֹאנְךָ תִּתֶּן לּוֹ. וְעִנְיַן הַמִּצְוָה הוּא שֶׁכָּל מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ חָמֵשׁ צֹאן, בֵּין זְכָרִים בֵּין נְקֵבוֹת, בֵּין טְלָאִים בֵּין כְּבָשִׂים גְּדוֹלִים, אֲפִלּוּ גְּזָזָן כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים, בְּכָל פַּעַם חַיָּב לָתֵת מִן הַצֶּמֶר מַתָּנָה לַכֹּהֵן, וְאֵין לְמַתָּנָה זוֹ שִׁעוּר מִן הַתּוֹרָה, אֲבָל רַב וּשְׁמוּאֵל וְרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמְרוּ בְּמַסֶּכֶת חֻלִּין (קלז, ב) רֵאשִׁית הַגֵּז בְּשִׁשִּׁים, כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁיִּתֵּן לוֹ חֵלֶק אֶחָד מִשִּׁשִּׁים. וּלְפִי שֶׁהִזְכִּיר הַכָּתוּב לְשׁוֹן נְתִינָה בָּזֶה, שֶׁאָמַר תִּתֶּן לוֹ, אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים (שם קלה א) שֶׁמִּי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ גִּזּוֹת הַרְבֵּה וְרוֹצֶה לְחַלְּקָם לְהַרְבֵּה כֹּהֲנִים לֹא יִתֵּן לְכָל אֶחָד פָּחוֹת מִמִּשְׁקַל חֲמִשָּׁה סְלָעִים מְלֻבָּן כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּהֵא רָאוּי לַעֲשׂוֹת בּוֹ בֶּגֶד קָטָן, לֹא שֶׁיְּלַבְּנֶנּוּ הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִי וְאַחַר כָּךְ יִתְּנֶנּוּ לוֹ, אֶלָּא שֶׁיְּהֵא רָאוּי לַעֲשׂוֹת כָּל כָּךְ אַחַר שֶׁיְּלַבְּנֶנּוּ הַכֹּהֵן, כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּהֵא בּוֹ מַתָּנָה הַמּוֹעֶלֶת, וּכְמוֹ כֵן אָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (שם קלז ב), שֶׁאֵין חִיּוּב מִצְוָה זוֹ, אֶלָּא בְּחָמֵשׁ צֹאן, שֶׁתַּעֲלֶה הַגִּזָּה שֶׁלָּהֶן לְשִׁשִּׁים סְלָעִים, וְלֹא תְּהֵא כָּל אַחַת מֵהֶן פָּחוֹת מִמִּשְׁקַל שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר סֶלַע.
To give the first shearing to the priest: That we were commanded to give the first shearing of the flock to the priests. And about this is it stated (Deuteronomy 18:4), “and the first shearing of your flock shall you give him.” And the matter of the commandment is that anyone who has a flock of five — whether they are males or females, whether they are lambs or grown sheep, and even if he has sheared them several times — is obligated to give a present from the wool to the priest each time. And there is no measure of this gift from the Torah, but Rav, Shmuel and Rabbi Yochanan said in Tractate Chullin 137b, “The first shearing is in sixty” — meaning to say that he gives him one portion out of sixty. And since Scripture mentioned the expression of giving about this — as it stated, “shall you give him” — the Sages said (Chullin 135a) that one who has many shearings and wants to distribute them to many priests, give no less than the weight of five sela when it is cleaned, so that it be fit to make a small garment with it. [It is] not that the Israelite would clean it and afterwards give it to him, but rather that it be fit to make so much [finished] wool after the priest has cleaned it, so that it be a useful gift. And so too did they, may their memory be blessed, say (Chullin 137b) that the obligation of this commandment is only when there is a flock of [at least] five, such that the shearing amount to sixty sela, and that each one be no less than twelve sela.
מִשָּׁרְשֵׁי הַמִּצְוָה. כְּעִנְיָן מָה שֶׁכָּתַבְתִּי בַּמַּעֲשֵׂר הַנִּתָּן לַלְּוִיִּם, בְּסֵדֶר וַיִּקַּח קֹרַח (מצוה שצה). וְהַכֹּהֲנִים כְּמוֹ כֵן שֶׁהֵם הַמְשָׁרְתִים תָּמִיד פְּנֵי הַשֵּׁם וְאֵין לָהֶם נַחֲלָה בְּקַרְקָעוֹת, וְלֹא בְּגִזָּה זִכָּה לָהֶם הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ כָּל צֹרֶךְ מִחְיָתָם עַל יְדֵי אֲחֵיהֶם, וְהִנֵּה נָתַן לָהֶם הַתְּרוּמָה וּמַעֲשֵׂר מִן הַמַּעֲשֵׂר, שֶׁהֵם לַחְמָם וְיֵינָם, וּמַתְּנוֹת בְּהֵמָה, שֶׁהֵם זְרוֹעַ וּלְחָיַיִם וְקֵבָה, וְחֶלְקָם בְּקָדְשֵׁי מִקְדָּשׁ, שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶם בָּשָׂר דֵּי סִפְקָם, וַעֲדַיִן חָסֵר לָהֶם מַלְבּוּשׁ, זִכָּה לָהֶם רֵאשִׁית הַגֵּז לְמַלְבּוּשֵׁיהֶם, וְעוֹד זִכָּה לָהֶם שְׂדֵה אֲחֻזָּה, וְגֶזֶל הַגֵּר, וְהַחֲרָמִים, וּפִדְיוֹן בְּכוֹרוֹת, לִשְׁאָר הוֹצָאוֹת וּצְרָכִים שֶׁהָאָדָם צָרִיךְ.
And from the roots of the commandment is like the matter that I wrote about the tithe given to the Levites in the Order of Vayikach Korach (Sefer HaChinukh 395); and the priests are the same. Since they constantly serve in front of God and have no inheritance in the lands nor in the shearings, God, may He be blessed, acquired for them all the needs of their livelihood through their brothers. And behold, He gave them the priestly tithe and the tithe of the tithe, which are their bread and their wine; the gifts of the beast, which is the foreleg, the jaw and the maw and their portion in the consecrated [animals] of the Temple, such that there will be enough meat for their satisfaction. And [since what is] still lacking is shearing for their clothing, He also acquired the first of the shearing for their clothing. And for the rest of their expenses and needs, He also acquired for them the field of possession, the [recovered] theft from a convert [that has died], expropriations and the redemption [money] of firstborn [sons].
מִדִּינֵי הַמִּצְוָה. מָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (שם קלז א), שֶׁאֵין בְּחִיּוּב מִצְוָה זוֹ, אֶלָּא גִּזַּת הַכְּבָשִׂים שֶׁצַּמְרָן רַךְ וְרָאוּי לִלְבֹּשׁ, אֲבָל הָיָה הַצֶּמֶר קָשֶׁה וְאֵינוֹ רָאוּי לִלְבִישָׁה פָּטוּר מֵרֵאשִׁית הַגֵּז, מִן הַטַּעַם שֶׁאָמַרְתִּי, כִּי לְצֹרֶךְ לְבִישָׁה זָכוּ בָּזֶה הַכֹּהֲנִים. אֲבָל הָיָה הַצֶּמֶר אָדֹם, אוֹ שָׁחוֹר, אוֹ שָׁחוּם חַיָּב בְּרֵאשִׁית הַגֵּז, מִכֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאוּי לִלְבִישָׁה. וְיֶתֶר פְּרָטֶיהָ מְבֹאָרִים בְּחֻלִּין בְּפֶרֶק אַחַד עָשָׂר.
From the laws of the commandment is that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Chullin 137a) that the obligation of this commandment is only with the shearing of sheep, the wool of which is soft and fit to wear. But if the wool was hard and not fit to wear, he is exempt from the first shearing, from the reason that I said — as the priests acquired this for the [purpose] of clothing. But if the wool was red, black or brown, he is [still] obligated in the first shearing, since it is fit for wearing. And the rest of its details are elucidated in the eleventh chapter of Chullin.
וְנוֹהֶגֶת מִצְוָה זוֹ בִּזְכָרִים וּנְקֵבוֹת יִשְׂרְאֵלִים וּלְוִיִּם, בֵּין בִּפְנֵי הַבַּיִת, בֵּין שֶׁלֹּא בִּפְנֵי הַבַּיִת, וְדַוְקָא בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֲבָל לֹא בְּחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ, וְכִדְאָמַר רַב נַחְמָן בַּר יִצְחָק בְּחֻלִּין בְּפֶרֶק רֵאשִׁית הַגֵּז (חולין קלו, ב) נָהוּג עָלְמָא כִּתְלָתָא סָאבֵי, כְּרַבִּי אִלְעַאי בְּרֵאשִׁית הַגֵּז. כְּלוֹמַר דְּפָטַר בְּחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ, וְכוּ', כִּדְאִיתָא הָתָם. וְהָעוֹבֵר עַל זֶה וְלֹא נָתַן רֵאשִׁית גִּזָּתוֹ לַכֹּהֵן, כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ גִּזָּה הָרְאוּיָה עַל הָעִנְיָן שֶׁכָּתַבְנוּ, בִּטֵּל עֲשֵׂה זֶה.
And this commandment is practiced by males and females, Israelites and Levites, whether in front of the [Temple] or not in front of the [Temple]. But [it is practiced] only in the Land of Israel, and not outside of the Land; and like Rav Nachman bar Yitschak said in Chullin 136b in the chapter [entitled] Reishit HaGez, “The world acts like the three elders: Like Rabbi Eelayai in the first shearing, etc.” — meaning to say that he exempted outside the Land, as it is found there. And one who transgresses it and did not give his first shearing to the priest — when he has shearing that is fit, according to the matter that we wrote — has nullified this positive commandment.