דיני הבכורות ומעשר הבהמה בספרות קומראן ובהלכת חז"ל

The article analyzes and compares the laws of the firstborn and of the cattle tithe in the Dead Sea Scrolls and rabbinic literature. This comparison, which focuses on the two legal systems' reading of the relevant pentateuchal verses and how they reconcile the apparent contradictions between the various biblical sources, is used as a tool to analyze the overall relationship between the halakhah in these two bodies of literature. It appears that the relationship between the two varied significantly from case to case. Whereas in the case of the firstborn of impure animals rabbinic halakhah is a new, post–70 development and the law in the scrolls represents the 'old' tradition, in the case of the cattle tithe the legal dispute already existed in the Second Temple period and may even reflect two competing pentateuchal traditions. In yet another instance, that of the firstborn of pure animals, both halakhic systems agree on some details of the law. Surprisingly, this mutual agreement does not follow the plain meaning of Scripture.