Bechorot 17: Animals that do not look like their Mothers

Today's Mishna teaches about animals that do not look like their mothers. If an ewe gave birth to what looked like a kid, or vice versa, it prohibited from the responsibilities of the bachor.  But if it  has marks clearly tying it to the mother, it is liable to the laws of the bachor.

The Gemara describes the different species of sheep and goats and other animals of the time.  In addition there seem to be sub-groups that are not currently bred.  Sheep referred to an animal with white, soft, curly wool, a long thick fatty tail.  Goats referred to an animal with black, hard fur, a straight tail, long, dangling ears, and a beard.  The ram does not have a beard, and the female grows horns (unlike the adult female ewe).  Voices are also distinguishers.

Unlike daf 12, our Mishna is considering circumstances where one animal is born with characteristics of another.  In daf 12, an animal is born of two animals that look like others.  Nidmeh, creatures that appear to be something else, have some laws that apply to them:

• must be set aside as newborns
• the laws of kilayim, forbidden mixtures, do not apply to its wool
• its wool cannot be used for techelet, the blue thread used to create tzitzit, the threads at the ends of tallit, prayer shawls

Other laws are discussed as well.