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Kereisos 5b

כריתות ה׳ ע״ב

Keritot 5b

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

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Topic

The miracles of the שמן המשחה, who is anointed with it and how, and signs for the future

Overview

רבי יהודה teaches that the twelve לוג of שמן המשחה made by משה were full of miracles, and that all of it remains for the future, since זה equals twelve. A ברייתא then teaches that a כהן גדול who is the son of a כהן גדול still needs anointing, but a king who is the son of a king does not. A king's son is anointed only when there is a dispute over the throne, as with שלמה, יהואש and יהואחז. The גמרא finds a פסוק for each rule and adds that only kings of בית דוד are anointed. יהוא and יהואחז were anointed with pure balsam, not the holy oil, because the oil had been hidden by יאשיה together with the ארון. Along the way the גמרא sorts out the names and birth order of יאשיהו's sons, and explains that צדקיה was also called שלום and מתניה. It then describes how kings and the כהן גדול are anointed, and tells how the drops of oil on אהרן's beard were not מעילה. The amud ends with the rule that kings are anointed beside a spring, and רב אמי's list of signs about the future, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

וְכִי נֵס אֶחָד נַעֲשָׂה בַּשֶּׁמֶן הַמִּשְׁחָה?

And was only one miracle performed with the anointing oil?

וַהֲלֹא נִסִּים הַרְבֵּה נַעֲשׂוּ בּוֹ

But surely many miracles were performed with it

מִתְּחִלָּתוֹ וְעַד סוֹפוֹ,

from its beginning until its end.

תְּחִלָּתוֹ לֹא הָיָה אֶלָּא שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר לוֹג,

At its beginning it was only twelve log,

The steps (53)

  1. ResolutionThe oil was full of miracles from beginning to end
  2. ProofProof from the word זה that the twelve לוג last forever
  3. StatementA ברייתא lists the miracles of the oil, including what the pot, roots and fire should have used up
  4. StatementWho needs anointing: a כהן גדול's son yes, a king's son no
  5. ChallengeThen why was שלמה anointed?
  6. ResolutionKings' sons were anointed only when someone challenged their right to the throne
  7. QuestionSource for anointing a High Priest's son
  8. ResponseThe word 'anointed' shows a son must be anointed
  9. QuestionSource for not anointing a king's son
  10. ResponseKingship is an inheritance
  11. QuestionWhy does a dispute require anointing?
  12. ResponseInheritance works only in peaceful times
  13. Statementיהוא was anointed because of a dispute
  14. Challengeיהוא was a first king anyway
  15. ResolutionOnly kings of בית דוד are anointed
  16. QuestionWhere do we learn that only kings of בית דוד are anointed?
  17. ResponseThe פסוק about דוד: this one needs anointing
  18. ChallengeWould we misuse the holy anointing oil just because of a fight with יורם?
  19. ResolutionHe was anointed with pure balsam, not the holy oil
  20. Statementיהואחז was anointed because of יהויקים, who was two years older
  21. ChallengeBut the פסוק calls יוחנן, who is יהואחז, the firstborn
  22. Resolutionיהויקים really was older; יהואחז was first to reign
  23. ChallengeDo we crown a younger son before an older one?
  24. Resolutionיהורם was worthy to fill his fathers' place
  25. StatementQuoting the line: שלום is צדקיה
  26. ChallengeBut the פסוק counts them one after another
  27. ResolutionThird by birth, fourth to be king
  28. StatementWhy he was called שלום
  29. StatementHis real name was מתניה
  30. StatementWhy the name צדקיה
  31. ChallengeWas there still anointing oil in יהואחז's time?
  32. StatementThe Philistine gift chest, and יאשיה hid it all
  33. StatementThree word-links tie the items to the ארון
  34. Resolutionיהואחז was anointed with pure balsam
  35. StatementKings are anointed like a crown, priests like a 'chi'
  36. Statementרב מנשיה explains: a Greek 'chi'
  37. ChallengeTwo ברייתות disagree about the order of pouring and anointing
  38. ResolutionIt is a dispute between תנאים about which act is more important
  39. QuestionWhy is pouring more important?
  40. ResponseThe פסוק says pouring came first
  41. ResponseWhy anointing is more important: it was also done to the כלי שרת
  42. ChallengeBut the פסוק says pouring came first
  43. ResolutionThe pouring happened because he had already been anointed
  44. StatementTwo pearl-like drops hung from אהרן's beard
  45. StatementThe drops rose to the roots of his beard when he spoke
  46. Statementמשה רבינו worried he had misused the holy oil
  47. ResponseA heavenly voice says the oil on the beard is like dew
  48. Statementאהרן still worries that he himself misused the oil
  49. ResponseA heavenly voice tells אהרן that he is clear like his brother
  50. StatementKings are anointed only beside a spring
  51. StatementA lamp as a sign for whether one will live through the year
  52. StatementThe rooster sign for business success
  53. StatementThe dark-house sign for returning from a journey begins