Keritot

I might then include also the meal-offering; therefore it reads ‘so’. Another [Baraitha] teaches: [From the text,] ‘and will offer an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord’, I might derive everything that is offered up by fire, including a meal-offering; therefore it is written, ‘As ye do, so shall he do’: As ye offer blood sacrifices, so they1 too blood sacrifices. I might then conclude: As ye offer a burnt- and a peace-offering, so shall they also offer a burnt-offering and a peace-offering;2 it is therefore written, ‘As ye are, so shall the stranger be’: He is compared to you, but not wholly concerning your offerings.3 Rabbi says: ‘As ye’ means as your forefathers: As your forefathers entered into the covenant only by circumcision, immersion and the sprinkling of the blood,4 so shall they enter the Covenant only by circumcision, immersion and the sprinkling of the blood. The offering of one pigeon does not suffice, for we do not find anywhere in the Torah [such an offering]; and the prescription of birds as sacrifices is only a rule towards greater leniency. Is this indeed so?5 Has it not been taught: What is the meaning of, and he shall offer it?6 It reads concerning turtle-doves, ‘he shall offer’,7 and I might argue therefrom that if a man vows to offer a burnt-offering of a bird he shall offer no less than two pigeons,8 therefore it is written, ‘and he shall offer it’.9 Even one pigeon! — After all, we do not find an obligatory offering of this kind. But is there not the case of the woman after confinement who offers one young pigeon or one turtle-dove as a sin-offering? There a lamb is offered in addition. The Master said: ‘As your forefathers entered into the Covenant only etc.’. It is right concerning circumcision, for it is written, For all the people that came out were circumcised,10 alternatively. And when I passed by thee, and saw thee wallowing in thy blood, I said unto thee: In thy blood, live, etc.;11 as to the sprinkling of the blood, it is mentioned in the text, And he sent the young men of the children of Israel [who offered burnt-offerings and sacrificed peace offerings];12 but whence do we know the immersion? — It is written, And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people,13 and there can be no sprinkling without immersion.14 If so, we should nowadays not receive any proselytes, since there are no sacrifices to-day? — Said R. Aha son of Jacob: It is written, And if a stranger sojourn with you, or whosoever may be among you, etc.15 Our Rabbis taught: A proselyte in these days has to put aside a fourth [of a denar]16 for his sacrifice of birds.17 Said R. Simeon: R. Johanan b. Zakkai held a vote on this rule and abolished it for fear of misuse.18 Said R. Idi b. Gershom in the name of R.Adda son of Ahaba, The decision is according to R. Simeon. Some report the latter statement with reference to that which has been taught: A resident alien19 may do work for himself on the Sabbath in the same measure as an Israelite may do on the intermediate days of the festivals.20 R. Akiba says as an Israelite on the festival.21 R. Jose says: A resident alien may do work for himself on the Sabbath in the same measure as an Israelite on week-days.22 R. Simeon says: Both a resident alien and a male or female sojourning heathen slave may do work for themselves in the same measure as an Israelite may do on week-days. MISHNAH. THE FOLLOWING OFFER A SACRIFICE FOR WILFUL AS WELL AS FOR INADVERTENT TRANSGRESSION: ONE WHO HAS INTERCOURSE WITH A HANDMAID,23 A NAZIRITE WHO HAS BECOME UNCLEAN,24 [ONE WHO SWORE FALSELY] THE OATH CONCERNING EVIDENCE25 OR THE OATH CONCERNING A DEPOSIT.26 THERE ARE FIVE PERSONS WHO BRING ONE SACRIFICE FOR SEVERAL TRANSGRESSIONS, AND FIVE WHO BRING A SACRIFICE OF HIGHER OR LESSER VALUE.27 THE FOLLOWING BRING ONE SACRIFICE FOR SEVERAL TRANSGRESSIONS: ONE WHO HAS INTERCOURSE WITH A HANDMAID23 SEVERAL TIMES, AND A NAZIRITE WHO BECAME UNCLEAN SEVERAL TIMES.28 GEMARA. Whence do we know the law concerning the handmaid? — Our Rabbis taught: And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt-offering for his sin which he hath sinned;29 this teaches that one may bring one offering for several sins; and he shall be forgiven for his sin which he hath sinned:30 that wilful transgression is equal to transgression in error. A NAZIRITE WHO HAS BECOME UNCLEAN. Whence do we know this? — It is written, And if any man die in sudden [be-fetha’] unawareness [pithe'om] beside him:31 fetha’ means unintentionally, for thus it is written: But if he thrust him unintentionally [be-fetha’] without enmity;32 pithe'om means unexpectedly, and thus it is written: And the Lord spoke suddenly [pithe'om] unto Moses.33 Another [Baraitha] taught: Pithe'om means intentionally, and thus it is written: A prudent man seeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple [petha'im] pass on, and are punished.34 Why has the text not written just pithe'om, which denotes error, intention and accident at the same time: intention and accident as has been explained before; it denotes, however, also error, as it is written: The thoughtless [pethi] believeth every word?35 Why then mention befetha’? — If pithe'om alone was mentioned, which denotes both error and intention and accident, I might have thought that an offering nevertheless was brought only for transgression in error, as is the case with all the laws of the Torah, but not in the case of accidental or wilful transgression; therefore the Divine Law mentions also befetha’, which denotes error only, to indicate that pithe'om shall denote accident and wilfulness, so that also in these circumstances the Divine Law enjoins an offering. THE OATH CONCERNING EVIDENCE. Whence do we know this? — Our Rabbis have taught:36 In connection with the other laws37 the term it being hidden [from him] is used;38 in connection with this law39 this term is not used, to indicate that he is liable to an offering for wilful as well as for inadvertent transgression. THE OATH CONCERNING A DEPOSIT. Whence do we know this? — It is derived from the oath concerning evidence through the common term sinneth [teheta].40 THERE ARE FIVE PERSONS WHO BRING ONE SACRIFICE FOR SEVERAL TRANSGRESSIONS. It is stated ONE WHO HAS INTERCOURSE WITH A HANDMAID SEVERAL TIMES; whence do we know this? — Our Rabbis have taught: And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt-offering for his sin which he hath sinned’:41 this teaches that one may bring one offering for several sins; ‘and he shall be forgiven for his sin which he hath sinned’: that wilful transgression is equal to transgression in error. But does not the text deal with the wilful transgression? — Rather say: that transgression in error be equal to wilful transgression. R. Hanina of Tirna'ah42 put the following query to R. Johanan: If one had intercourse with five designated handmaids43 in one spell of unawareness,44 is he liable to a sacrifice for each of them or altogether only to one sacrifice? — The latter replied: He is guilty for each of them. And why, the former asked, is this case different from one who had intercourse five times with one handmaid in different spells of unawareness? — He replied: In the case of one handmaid one cannot argue that there were different bodies; in the instance of the five handmaids there were different bodies.45 And whence do we know that the argument of different bodies holds good in the case of the handmaid? — He replied: Did you not say46 with reference to forbidden relations that the word ‘and a woman’47 implies that one is guilty for each woman? Also in connection with the handmaid it is written: And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman meal-offering. circumcision. include a multitude of sins. appearance and sound. The latter word conveys a weakling who cannot control himself, yet commits his follies with intention. paragraph, Lev. V, 1ff.