Keritot - כריתות

Seder Kodashim | Tractate on Excision

About Keritot

Masechet Keritot deals with the punishment of karet (כרת) - spiritual excision or “cutting off” - and the offerings brought for sins that carry this penalty. The tractate discusses:

• The 36 transgressions punishable by karet
• The sin offerings (chatat) brought for unintentional violations
• The guilt offering for uncertain sins (asham talui)
• Cases of multiple violations and how to count them
• The difference between definite and doubtful sins

The core principle: karet applies to intentional violations of the 36 prohibitions (plus two positive commandments). For unintentional violations, one brings a sin offering for atonement. When uncertain whether a sin occurred, one brings an asham talui (provisional guilt offering).

Structure

Keritot contains 6 chapters and 43 mishnayot.

Available Mishnayot

Chapter 1

• Temurah 7:6-Keritot 1:1 - The 36 karetot in the Torah
• Keritot 1:2-3 - Offerings for karet violations
• Keritot 1:4-5 - Women’s obligations for childbirth offerings
• Keritot 1:6-7 - Multiple births and offerings

Chapter 2

• Keritot 2:1-2 - Four who require offerings; definite vs. uncertain
• Keritot 2:3-4 - The asham talui (provisional guilt offering)
• Keritot 2:5-6 - When asham talui is required

Chapter 3

• Keritot 3:1-2 - Multiple sin offerings for multiple violations
• Keritot 3:3-4 - One act, multiple prohibitions
• Keritot 3:5-6 - Eating forbidden fats
• Keritot 3:7-8 - Awareness and liability
• Keritot 3:9-10 - Counting sin offerings

Chapter 4

• Keritot 4:1-2 - Cases of doubt requiring asham talui
• Keritot 4:3-5:1 - Cross-chapter: Uncertain violations

Chapter 5

• Keritot 4:3-5:1 - Cross-chapter: Uncertain violations
• Keritot 5:2-3 - The sliding-scale offering
• Keritot 5:4-5 - Oaths and their violations
• Keritot 5:6-7 - Cases requiring multiple offerings
• Keritot 5:8-6:1 - Cross-chapter: Final cases of chapter 5

Chapter 6

• Keritot 5:8-6:1 - Cross-chapter: Measuring prohibited quantities
• Keritot 6:2-3 - Rabbi Akiva’s positions
• Keritot 6:4-5 - Combining prohibitions
• Keritot 6:6-7 - The final disputes
• Keritot 6:8-9 - Conclusion of Keritot

← Back to Mishna Yomi