Keritot

Is this the only miracle that occurred in connection with the oil of anointment? Was it not attended by many miracles from beginning to end! There were only twelve logs of oil and yet with it were anointed the Tabernacle and its vessels, Aaron and his sons throughout the seven days of the consecration, and the high priest and kings, and yet it remained whole for the days to come, as it is written: This shall be a holy anointing oil unto Me throughout your generations.1 [The numerical value of] Zeh [this] is twelve, meaning that this quantity was preserved. Our Rabbis taught: And Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle.2 R. Judah said: Many miracles attended from the beginning to the end the anointing oil which Moses made in the wilderness. There were originally only twelve logs; [consider] how much of it must have been absorbed in the boiler, how much in the roots of the spices, and how much of it was burnt by the fire, and yet with it were anointed the Tabernacle and its vessels, Aaron and his sons throughout the seven days of the consecration, and the high priests and kings. Even a high priest who is the son of a high priest requires anointing, though a king who is the son of a king does not require anointing. And if you ask, Why then was Solomon anointed?3 Because Adoniah disputed his right of succession; similarly Jehoash [was anointed]4 by reason of Athaliah's [claim to the throne], and Jehoahaz5 by reason [of the claim to the throne] of his brother Jehoiakim who was two years6 his senior.7 The Master said: ‘Even the high priest who is the son of a high priest requires anointing’. Whence do we know this? — It is written: And the anointed priest that shall be in his stead from among his sons.8 The text should have stated: ‘And the priest that shall be in his stead from among his sons’, why [add] ‘anointed’, if not to let us know that even from among his sons only the one that is anointed can be high priest, but he who is not anointed cannot be high priest. The Master said: ‘A king who is the son of a king does not require anointing’. Whence do we know this? — Said R. Abba b. Jacob: It is written, That he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children, for all days;9 it is an inheritance. ‘Why then was Solomon anointed? Because Adoniah disputed his right of succession’. ‘Whence do we know that in a case of dispute anointing is required, and that it does not suffice that the king entrusts his kingdom to whomsoever he chooses? — Said R. Papa: It is written there, In the midst of Israel; only if there is peace in Israel [is it an inheritance]. 10 A Tanna taught: Also Jehu son of Nimshi was anointed only by reason of the claim to the throne by Joram son of Ahab. Was it indeed for this reason? ‘Was he not the first king of the dynasty? — The text is incomplete and should read thus: Kings from the House of David were anointed but not the kings of Israel. And if you ask: ‘Why then was Jehu son of Nimshi anointed? Because of the dispute of Joram son of Ahab. The Master said: ‘Kings from the House of David were anointed, but not the kings of Israel’. ‘Whence do we know this? — It is written: Arise, about him, for this is he:11 This one12 requires anointing but not others. The Master said: ‘By reason of the claim to the throne by Joram’. Were we indeed justified to commit sacrilege13 with the oil of anointing solely by reason of the claim to the throne by Joram son of Ahab? — As R. Papa replied elsewhere: It was done with pure balm; so here too: It was done with pure balm.14 ‘And Jehoahaz by reason of the claim to the throne by his brother Jehoiakim who was two years his senior’. ‘Was he indeed older, is it not written: And the sons of Josiah: the first-born Johanan, the second Johoiakim, the third Zedekiah and the fourth Shallum;15 upon which R. Johanan remarked that Johanan was identical with Jehoahaz and Zedekiah with Shallum!16 — Jehoiakim was indeed older, and [the other] was called first-born, because he was first in succession. But is it permitted to install the younger son in preference to the older? Is it not written: And the kingdom he gave to Jehorom for he was the first-born?17 — That one followed in his forefather's footsteps.18 The Master said: ‘Shallum is identical with Zedekiah’. But are not the sons enumerated in numerical order?19 — He [Zedekiah] is called ‘the third’, because he was the third among the sons, and he is called ‘the fourth’, because he was the fourth to reign, for Jeconiah reigned before him: Jehoahaz was the first successor, then followed Jehoiakim, then Jeconiah and then Zedekiah. Our Rabbis taught: Shallum is identical with Zedekiah; and why was he called Shallum? Because he was perfect [‘shalem’] in his deeds; or according to another explanation, because the kingdom of the House of David ended [shalem]20 in his days. ‘What was his real name? — Mattaniah, as it is written, And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father's brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah,21 for the king [Nebuchadnezzar] said to him, God may deal severely22 with thee, if thou wilt rebel against me, as it is written, And he brought him to Babylon,23 and also, And He also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar who had made him swear by the Lord.24 But was there any oil of anointing at that time?25 Has it not been taught: ‘When the holy ark was hidden there disappeared with it the jar of manna,26 the flask of the oil of anointing, the rod of Aaron together with its almonds and blossoms,27 and the coffer which the Philistines had sent as a present to the God of Israel, as it is written: And put the jewels of gold, which ye return Him for a guilt-offering, in a coffer by the side thereof.28 ‘Who hid it? Josiah, king of Judah, hid it, as it is written: And he said, put the holy ark [in the house which Solomon the son of David did build: there shall no more be a burden upon your shoulders].29 [As to the other articles:] R. Eleazar said: [Their disappearance is] inferred by the common expressions of sham, doroth and mishmereth.30 Replied R. Papa: It was done with pure balm. Our Rabbis have taught: In anointing kings one draws the figure of a crown,31 and with priests in the shape of the letter chi. Said R. Menashia: The Greek-[letter] chi is meant. One [Tanna] teaches: The oil was first poured over the head and then smeared between the eye-lids; whereas another [Tanna] teaches: The oil was first smeared between the eye-lids and then poured over the head.32 [On this point there is] a dispute of Tannaim: One holds that the anointing33 has preference; the other holds that the pouring has preference. What is the reason of him who holds that the pouring has preference? He derives it from: And he poured from the anointing oil upon Aaron's head [and anointed him to sanctify him].34 And he who maintains anointing has preference holds [his view] because this was the method employed in connection with the vessels of ministry.35 But is it not written first: ‘And he poured’, and then, ‘and anointed’? — This is what it means: ‘Wherefore did he pour the oil, because he had already anointed him to sanctify him. Our Rabbis have taught: It is like the precious oil upon the head [coming down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard].36 Two drops of the oil were hanging down like pearls from Aaron's beard. Said R. Kahana; It was taught, ‘When he [Aaron] spoke, the drops moved upwards and rested by the roots of his beard. This caused anxiety to Moses. Perhaps, Heaven forfend, [he said] I have committed sacrilege with the oil of anointing!37 But a heavenly voice was heard, saying: Like the dew of the Hermon, that cometh down upon the mountains of Zion;38 as the dew is not subject to sacrilege, so the oil that cometh down upon the beard of Aaron is not subject to sacrilege. Yet Aaron was still worried: ‘Although Moses did not commit sacrilege, I myself am guilty of sacrilege’. Thereupon the heavenly voice pronounced: Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity:39 As Moses is not guilty of sacrilege, so thou too art not guilty of sacrilege. Our Rabbis have taught: Kings are anointed only by the side of a spring, so that their rule be prolonged,40 as it is written: And the king said unto them . . . and bring him down to Gihon . . . and anoint him there.41 Said R. Ammi: ‘When one wishes to know whether he will survive the coming year or not, let him take a burning lamp during the ten days between New Year and the Day of Atonement and place it in a house where there is no draught; if the lamp burns out to the end, he will know that he will survive the year. And if one is about to engage in business and wishes to know whether he will succeed or not,let him get a cock and feed it; if it grows fat and handsome, he will know that he will succeed. When one is about to go on a journey and wishes to know whether he will return home, let him enter a darkened room;42 if he can perceive to be found. law of sacrilege. Jehoiakim, on the other hand, did not follow, in his father's ways and could not therefore exercise his right as firstborn. appointed Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem. coffer had gone removal of the ark from the Temple at the time of the exile, it shall not be restored again to its place. (‘generations’) in connection with the manna ibid. and with the sacred oil, ibid. XXX, 31. Mishmereth (‘guard’) in connection with the manna ibid, and with Aaron's rod in Num. XVII, 25. Manna is thus derived from the ark; and the other two articles from manna. At all events, we learn therefrom that there was no oil of anointing at the time of Jehoahaz.