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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2
face=Arial>From: Akiva Miller via Avodah
<avodah@lists.aishdas.org><BR><BR>>> My eldest grand-daughter asked
me why girls don't go to the siyum on<BR>Erev Pesach, given the medrash
firstborn girls *were* killed in Makas<BR>Bechoros. <<</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2
face=Arial>Akiva Miller</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV>>>>>></DIV>
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<DIV>That's a pretty obscure medrash. It is seemingly contradicted by the
Torah itself, which specifies that a pidyon haben is required for
a firstborn boy because the firstborn boys were spared makas bechoros in
Egypt. Nothing about a pidyon habas. </DIV>
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<DIV>On the other hand, according to Sefer HaToda'ah (Book of Our Heritage),
"There are different customs associated with this fast. Some say that
every firstborn, male or female, whether from the father or from the mother,
must fast on that day. If there is no firstborn, then the oldest in the
house must fast.....However others say that only firstborn males need to fast
and this is the generally accepted custom."</DIV>
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<DIV><B><BR><FONT color=#0000ff>--Toby Katz<BR>t613k@aol.com</FONT><FONT lang=0
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