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Kereisos 5a

כריתות ה׳ ע״א

Keritot 5a

Learn Kereisos 5a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Splitting a לאו שבכללות through extra words in the פסוק, the power of a גזירה שוה, and the laws and recipe of שמן המשחה.

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a discussion of לאו שבכללות, one prohibition that covers several items and normally earns only one set of מלקות. Extra words in a פסוק can split such a לאו, so eating each kind of מעשר שני outside ירושלים is punished separately. The same idea applies to לחם, קלי and כרמל eaten before the עומר. The גמרא proves that קלי is extra by learning it from לחם and כרמל together, and shows from its place in the middle of the פסוק that each food earns its own מלקות. Next, a series of sages (רבי ינאי, רבי סימאי, אביי and רב אשי) teach that a גזירה שוה must never be taken lightly. Major laws rest on one alone: כרת for פיגול and נותר, the ban and the burning penalty for בתו מאנוסתו, and סקילה for certain forbidden relations. The גמרא then turns to the משנה's case of blending שמן המשחה. It learns from the קטרת that blending it for the community is פטור, and explains why half a batch of oil is פטור while half a batch of קטרת is חייב. Finally it discusses the recipe of the oil: the weight of each spice, whether the spices are weighed with a small surplus, and how the oil was made. That last question is a debate between רבי יהודה and רבי יוסי, and רבי יהודה's reply continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

כְּתַב רַחֲמָנָא: ״לֹא תוּכַל״,

The Merciful One wrote: "You may not eat",

לְאוֹקֹמַהּ בְּלָאו.

to establish it as a prohibition.

וַעֲדַיִין, לָאו שֶׁבִּכְלָלוֹת הוּא!

But still, it is a general prohibition!

אִם כֵּן, נֵימָא קְרָא:

If so, let the verse say:

The steps (51)

  1. ResponseThe words 'You may not eat' make it a real prohibition
  2. ChallengeBut it is a general prohibition
  3. ResolutionThe extra listing of grain, wine and oil splits them up
  4. StatementBread, parched grain and fresh stalks: three sets of lashes
  5. ChallengeBut there are no lashes for a general prohibition
  6. ResolutionHere the verses are extra
  7. QuestionCouldn't the verse just say 'bread'?
  8. RejectionBread is special because of challah
  9. QuestionMaybe only parched grain needed to be written
  10. RejectionParched grain has special features the others lack
  11. QuestionMaybe only fresh stalks needed to be written
  12. RejectionFresh stalks are completely unchanged
  13. QuestionNew approach: learn one food from the other two
  14. QuestionTry learning bread from the other two
  15. RejectionBoth sources are still in natural form
  16. QuestionTry learning fresh stalks from the other two
  17. RejectionBoth sources are used in meal offerings
  18. ResolutionParched grain can be learned from bread and fresh stalks
  19. ConclusionSo one gets lashes for each food
  20. ChallengeMaybe only parched grain gets its own lashes
  21. ResolutionParched grain is in the middle to link both sides
  22. StatementNever take a verbal analogy lightly: the case of פיגול
  23. ProofThe source: פיגול learns כרת from נותר
  24. StatementNever take a verbal analogy lightly: the case of נותר
  25. ProofThe word 'sacred' links נותר to its punishment
  26. StatementNever treat a גזירה שוה lightly
  27. ProofThe word הנה teaches the ban
  28. ProofThe word זמה teaches the punishment of burning
  29. Statementרב אשי: stoning is also learned only from a גזירה שוה
  30. ProofThe words 'their blood is upon them' teach stoning
  31. StatementBlending the anointing oil: when one is exempt and when liable
  32. StatementSmearing someone else's oil: only משה's oil brings liability
  33. QuestionWhere do we learn that blending for the community is exempt?
  34. ResponseA גזירה שוה from the קטרת: only 'for yourselves' is forbidden
  35. ChallengeWhy not learn incense from oil the other way?
  36. ResolutionEach verse has its own wording
  37. StatementThe spice amounts in the anointing oil
  38. QuestionWhy does the ברייתא give the total?
  39. ResponseThe total shows calamus is only 250
  40. ChallengeMaybe calamus really is 500
  41. ResolutionThe פסוק would have grouped them together
  42. QuestionWeighed with a little extra or exactly?
  43. Responseאביי: the Torah says 'בד בבד', so exactly
  44. Challengeרב יהודה says there are surpluses
  45. ProofCinnamon in two halves proves there is a surplus
  46. QuestionThen what does 'בד בבד' mean?
  47. Responseרבינא: don't weigh one spice against another
  48. Statementרבי יהודה: The roots were cooked directly in the anointing oil
  49. Challengeרבי יוסי: There was not enough oil even to coat the roots
  50. Statementרבי יוסי's method: Boil roots in water, float the oil on top, then skim it off
  51. Challengeרבי יהודה begins his reply to רבי יוסי