Questions
1. What does God command regarding the first born?
2. What reason does God give for this command?
(א) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֔ן אַתָּ֗ה וּבָנֶ֤יךָ וּבֵית־אָבִ֙יךָ֙ אִתָּ֔ךְ... (טו) כָּל־פֶּ֣טֶר רֶ֠חֶם לְֽכָל־בָּשָׂ֞ר אֲשֶׁר־יַקְרִ֧יבוּ לַֽיהוָ֛ה בָּאָדָ֥ם וּבַבְּהֵמָ֖ה יִֽהְיֶה־לָּ֑ךְ אַ֣ךְ ׀ פָּדֹ֣ה תִפְדֶּ֗ה אֵ֚ת בְּכ֣וֹר הָֽאָדָ֔ם וְאֵ֛ת בְּכֽוֹר־הַבְּהֵמָ֥ה הַטְּמֵאָ֖ה תִּפְדֶּֽה׃ (טז) וּפְדוּיָו֙ מִבֶּן־חֹ֣דֶשׁ תִּפְדֶּ֔ה בְּעֶ֨רְכְּךָ֔ כֶּ֛סֶף חֲמֵ֥שֶׁת שְׁקָלִ֖ים בְּשֶׁ֣קֶל הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ עֶשְׂרִ֥ים גֵּרָ֖ה הֽוּא׃
(1) The LORD said to Aaron: You and your sons and the ancestral house under your charge... (15) The first issue of the womb of every being, man or beast, that is offered to the LORD, shall be yours; but you shall have the first-born of man redeemed, and you shall also have the firstling of unclean animals redeemed. (16) Take as their redemption price, from the age of one month up, the money equivalent of five shekels by the sanctuary weight, which is twenty gerahs.
Question:
3. What does God give to Aaron and his descendants?
Open up the following link, which is also posted as "Background to Pidyon HaBen" on Schoology in the Unit 4 folder:
http://www.aish.com/jl/l/b/Pidyon_Haben_-_Redemption_of_First_Born.html
Answer the following questions:
4. What is the first reason given for Pidyon HaBen?
5. What is the second reason given for Pidyon HaBen?
6. Which of the two explanations do you like more and why?
7. List two cases in which Pidyon HaBen does NOT apply.
8. What form of money is used for Pidyon HaBen in the United States?