Keritot

the reflection of his shadow, he will know that he will return home. But it is not the proper thing [to make these tests], for one might be discouraged and mar his fortune. Said Abaye: Since you hold that symbols are meaningful, every man should make it a habit to eat on New Year pumpkin, fenugreek, leek, beet and dates.1 R. Mesharsheya said to his sons: ‘When you wish to come before your teacher to learn, revise at first your Mishnah and then go to your teacher; and when you are sitting before your teacher look at the mouth of your teacher, as it is written: But thine eyes shall see thy teacher;2 and when you study any teaching, do so by the side of water, for as the water is drawn out, so your learning may be prolonged. Be on the dustheaps of Matha Mehasia rather than in the palaces of Pumpeditha.3 Eat a stinking fish rather than cutha4 that breaks rocks. And Hannah prayed and said: my heart exulteth in the Lord, my horn is exalted.5 It says, ‘my horn is exalted’, but not ‘my jar is exalted’. David and Solomon were anointed from a horn,6 and therefore their rule was prolonged; Saul and Jehu, however, were anointed from a jar,7 and their rule8 was not prolonged. WHEN ONE COMPOUNDS INCENSE. Our Rabbis have taught: ‘When one compounds incense for experimenting or in order to hand it over to the community, he is culpable; if in order to smell of it, he is guilty. He who smells it9 is not culpable,10 but he is guilty of sacrilege.11 But is smelling subject to the law of sacrilege? Has not R. Simeon son of Pazzi stated in the name of R. Joshua son of Levi on behalf of Bar Kappara: Hearing, seeing and smelling12 are not subject to the law of sacrilege?13 — The reference to smelling means, after the pillar of the [incense] smoke has ascended,14 in which case it is not subject to the law of sacrilege, for nothing is subject to the law of sacrilege, after the prescribed command has been performed therewith. Is this indeed so? Behold the separation of the ashes15 is subject to the law of sacrilege, although the prescribed, command has been performed therewith. — The law concerning the separation of the ashes and that of the garments of the High Priest16 are two texts teaching the same thing, and where two texts teach the same thing no inference may be made [from them].17 This is right according to the Rabbis, but what is to be said according to R. Dosa? For it has been taught: And he shall place them [the garments] there,18 [means] that they have to be hidden.19 R. Dosa holds: They may be used by an ordinary priest, and ‘he shall place them there’ means that he [the high priest] shall not use it again on another Day of Atonement.20 — The law concerning the separation of the ashes and that of the heifer whose neck is broken are two texts teaching the same thing, and where two texts teach the same thing no inference may be made [from them for other instances]. ‘What is the case of the separation of the ashes? — It has been taught: He shall place it by the side of the altar;21 this teaches that it has to be hidden. ‘What is the case of the heifer whose neck is broken? — It has been taught: And shall break the heifer's neck there in the valley,22 this teaches that it has to be buried. And even according to him who holds, one may infer for other instances where two texts teach the same thing, here indeed no inference can be made because there are two limitations. In connection with the separation of the ashes, it is written: ‘He shall place it’: It, and not anything else; in connection with the heifer whose neck is broken, it is written: Whose neck is broken;23 only the one whose neck is broken and not anything else. Our Rabbis have taught: The compound of incense consisted of balm, onycha, galbanum and frankincense, each in the quantity of seventy manehs;24 of myrrh, cassia, spikenard and saffron, each sixteen manehs by weight; of costus twelve, of aromatic rind three, and of cinnamon nine manehs; of lye obtained from leek nine kabs;24 of Cyprus wine three se'ahs24 and three kabs, though if Cyprus wine is not available, old white wine may be used instead; of salt of Sodom25 the fourth of a kab, and of ma'aleh ‘ashan26 a minute quantity. R. Nathan says: Also of Jordan resin a minute quantity. If, however, honey is added, the incense is rendered unfit; while if one omits one of the ingredients,27 he is liable to the penalty of death.28 R. Simeon son of Gamaliel said: Balm is nothing but a resin which exudes from the wood of the balsam-tree; the lye obtained from leek was rubbed over the onycha in order to render it beautiful, and in the Cyprus wine the onycha was steeped that its odour might be intensified. In fact urine might well serve this purpose, but urine may not be brought within the precincts of the Temple. This29 supports R. Jose son of R. Hanina, who says: It is holy and it shall be holy unto you,30 implies that all work in connection therewith must be performed within the sacred precincts. An objection was raised: If one dedicates his possessions to the Temple31 and there are among them things fit for communal offerings, they shall be given to the [Temple] craftsmen as wages.32 Now what is meant by ‘things fit [for communal offerings]’? If cattle or beast,33 this has already been taught;34 if wine, oil or fine flour, this has already been taught; hence It must refer to incense.35 — Said R. Oshaia: [It refers to] that which is given to the craftsmen as their wages;36 for we learnt: ‘What was done with the remnant of the frankincense? They set apart [an amount equivalent to the craftsmen's] wages [from the Temple Treasury], the remnant was then exchanged against this money, handed over to the craftsmen as their wages and then bought back again from them with the money of the new levy.37 To this R. Joseph demurred: Surely in connection with all remnants it teaches: ‘And then it is bought back again from the new levy’; whereas in connection with this teaching,38 this is not stated.39 — Rather, said R. Joseph: It refers to one of the ingredients of the frankincense. 40 Our Rabbis have taught: The frankincense consisted of three hundred and sixty-eight manehs;41 three hundred and sixty-five42 corresponding to the days of the solar year, and of the three remaining manehs the high priest took his hands full [into the holy of holies] on the Day of Atonement,43 while the remnant was given to the craftsmen for their wages, as we have learnt: What was done with the remnant of the frankincense? They set apart an amount equivalent to the craftsmen's wages [from the Temple Treasury], the remnant was then exchanged against this money, handed over to the craftsmen as their wages and then bought back again from then, with the money of the Temple Chamber.44 body and spirit. Even when it is as hot and as hard so as to break rocks, one should not eat it. others. manufacturer of the incense. altar must not be used for the repair fund. Objects fit for communal offerings cannot be offered, however, for the community, because such offerings must be brought out of communal funds. communal offerings were collected. The frankincense bought with the money of the previous levy was not allowed to be used in the new year. It was therefore necessary to resort to the device mentioned below, in order to make the use of the remnant in the new year possible.