Talking Talmud

One who purchases a nursing female animal from a non-Jew - and the question is whether that animal can conclusively be said to have born progeny before, or perhaps the animal was nursing another animal's offspring, without having borne any herself. Also, what if the first-born has a blemish? What about the slaughtering of the first-born? How one finds the best place for the slaughtering - moving/parting/plucking hair without shearing it. Maybe plucking IS the same as shearing... but it's allowed because the goal is dramatically different (moving the hair or fur aside vs. shearing it).

Coming in the middle of a long discussion with a focus on a mix of sacred and regular ashes -- where impurity would be nullified via the mixture. Also, a new mishnah! If one purchases an animal from a non-Jew, and it is nursing, we don't worry that the nursing animal had a different mother. Which leads into a discussion about the opinions represented in the mishnah here, in terms of anonymity.

NOTE: This daf talks about animal miscarriage and extends the conversation to human miscarriage. Please be forewarned.
A new mishnah! With various status questions regarding the first-born. Even when the mother has conceived and had a miscarriage before carrying the animal that becomes her first-born to term. Also, if you buy fish brine from someone who is not reliable with issues of purity and impurity, then you have to purify the fish brine. Which is a different process of purification than that of a vessel, for example, because it's liquid to begin with.

More on the female triplet goats who each have triplets to lead into a discussion of Rabbi Shimon's position, as compared to the tanna kama. Specifically about whether a goat that has miscarried will delay for a spate of time before mating again. Which in turn gets into how to count that time, even to the final day. Also, a dispute between Rav and Shmuel (and Rabbi Yochanan) as to whether one can take it as a given that an animal purchased from a non-Jew has had progeny before. How much should one expect the seller to share about the animal he's selling? How much should the buyer be expected to ask?

More on buying an animal from a non-Jew, with the question of whether the animal has given birth before. A goat that has offspring during its first year - those must be the first offspring, and the first-born goes to the kohen. But what if there was evidence of a miscarriage -- does that count as the first-born, as it were? Note the discussion lands on concern for a minority, when there's a stringency (as compared to a leniency). Also, the case of a goat who has female triplets who each has triplets, which leads to sufficient goats for tithing -- with a substantive discussion as to why triplets are needed, when twins might do just as well.