[א] "פר…" – יכול זקן? תלמוד לומר "בן". אי "בן" יכול קטן? תלמוד לומר "פר". הא כיצד? – בן שלש כדברי חכמים. ר' מאיר אומר אף בני ארבע ובני חמש כשרים אלא שאין מביאים זקנים מפני הכבוד.
1) (Vayikra 4:3): ("then he shall offer a) bullock." I might think (he could offer) even an old one; it is, therefore, written "ben" (connoting a young one.) If "ben" alone were written, I might think it meant a very young one (i.e., one or two years old); it is, therefore, written "bullock. What satisfies this? A three-year-old. These are the words of R. Meir. The sages say: Four and five-year olds are also kasher, but old ones are not brought, out of deference (to the L–rd).
[א] "פר…" – יכול זקן? תלמוד לומר "בן". אי "בן" יכול קטן? תלמוד לומר "פר". הא כיצד? – בן שלש כדברי חכמים. ר' מאיר אומר אף בני ארבע ובני חמש כשרים אלא שאין מביאים זקנים מפני הכבוד.
1) (Vayikra 4:3): ("then he shall offer a) bullock." I might think (he could offer) even an old one; it is, therefore, written "ben" (connoting a young one.) If "ben" alone were written, I might think it meant a very young one (i.e., one or two years old); it is, therefore, written "bullock. What satisfies this? A three-year-old. These are the words of R. Meir. The sages say: Four and five-year olds are also kasher, but old ones are not brought, out of deference (to the L–rd).