What if one said, "The black ox, which will emerge out of my house first, shall be a sacrifice," – and instead, a white ox comes out first? Will the white ox become a sacrifice?
Beit Shammai says that, indeed, it will. Why? Because Beit Shammai claims that even done by mistake, consecrations are still valid. One cannot undo a consecration to the Temple if done by mistake. Another explanation is that he really made no mistake. He planned for the first ox to become sacred. To emphasize, he specified that it would be black (as this was more valuable to him). But even if a white one comes out first – it will become sacred, and the color does not matter.
Which reason is the real one? Do his mistakes become consecrations, or do we simply reinterpret his words to make sense? The Talmud tries to derive the answer from the rule above, but to every proof, it finds an exception disproving it. Thus, the question remains unresolved – in this particular discussion.
Beit Hillel states that his statement must agree precisely with the intended effect, and his consecration becomes valid only then.
Art: Cart With Red And White Ox by Vincent Van Gogh
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