Keritot 6:6-7
משנה כריתות ו:ו-ז
Seder: Kodashim | Tractate: Keritot | Chapter: 6
📖 Mishna
Mishna 6:6
משנה ו:ו
Hebrew:
הַמַּפְרִישׁ שְׁתֵּי סְלָעִים לְאָשָׁם וְלָקַח בָּהֶן שְׁנֵי אֵילִים לְאָשָׁם, אִם הָיָה אַחַד מֵהֶן יָפֶה שְׁתֵּי סְלָעִים, יִקְרַב לַאֲשָׁמוֹ, וְהַשֵּׁנִי יִרְעֶה עַד שֶׁיִּסְתָּאֵב, וְיִמָּכֵר, וְיִפְּלוּ דָמָיו לִנְדָבָה. לָקַח בָּהֶן שְׁנֵי אֵילִים לְחֻלִּין, אֶחָד יָפֶה שְׁתֵּי סְלָעִים וְאֶחָד יָפֶה עֲשָׂרָה זוּז, הַיָּפֶה שְׁתֵּי סְלָעִים יִקְרַב לַאֲשָׁמוֹ, וְהַשֵּׁנִי לִמְעִילָתוֹ. אֶחָד לְאָשָׁם וְאֶחָד לְחֻלִּין, אִם הָיָה שֶׁל אָשָׁם יָפֶה שְׁתֵּי סְלָעִים, יִקְרַב לַאֲשָׁמוֹ, וְהַשֵּׁנִי לִמְעִילָתוֹ, וְיָבִיא עִמָּהּ סֶלַע וְחֻמְשָׁהּ:
English:
With regard to one who designates two sela, which is the minimal value of a guilt offering, to purchase a ram for a guilt offering, and he purchased two rams for a guilt offering with the two sela, if one of them is now worth two sela, he shall sacrifice it for his guilt offering. And the second ram that he purchased with the money he designated does not become non-sacred. Rather, it shall graze until it becomes blemished; and then it shall be sold, and the money received for it shall be allocated for communal gift offerings. If he purchased two rams for non-sacred use with those two sela designated for a guilt offering, he has misused consecrated property. He is therefore liable to bring a guilt offering and to compensate the Temple treasury for those two sela and add one-fifth to the sum for a total of ten dinars, as there are four dinars in a sela. If one of the rams is now worth two sela, and the other one is now worth ten dinars, i.e., two and a half sela, the one that is worth two sela shall be sacrificed as his guilt offering for misuse of the two sela, and the second one shall be sacrificed for his initial misuse, as it is worth two sela plus one-fifth. In a case where he purchased two rams with those two sela designated for a guilt offering, one for a guilt offering and one for non-sacred use, if the ram for the guilt offering is now worth two sela, it shall be sacrificed for his initial guilt offering. And with regard to the second ram that he purchased for non-sacred use, if it is now worth two sela, it shall be sacrificed as a guilt offering for his present misuse, and he brings with it the sum of one sela and one-fifth to the Temple treasury as payment for his misuse.
Claude on the Mishna:
This mishna presents complex scenarios involving designated money, purchasing rams, and the chain reaction of me’ilah (misuse of consecrated property).
Background:
- Asham (guilt offering) requires a ram worth at least 2 sela
- 1 sela = 4 dinars (zuz)
- Me’ilah occurs when consecrated funds are used for non-sacred purposes
- Me’ilah requires: principal + 1/5 + asham me’ilot
Scenario 1: Two rams bought for asham
He designated 2 sela for an asham, then bought TWO rams (both intended as asham).
| Ram | Current Value | Disposition |
|---|---|---|
| Ram A | 2 sela | Sacrificed as his asham |
| Ram B | Less than 2 sela | Grazes → blemished → sold → nedavah |
Both were intended for asham, so no me’ilah. But he only needs ONE. The second retains sanctity.
Scenario 2: Two rams bought for chulin (misuse)
He bought BOTH rams for non-sacred use = ME’ILAH on 2 sela!
Now he owes:
- Original asham (the reason he designated the money)
- Asham me’ilot (for misusing the consecrated funds)
- Principal (2 sela) + 1/5 (8 dinars total + 2 dinars = 10 dinars)
| Ram | Current Value | Disposition |
|---|---|---|
| Ram worth 2 sela | 2 sela | Original asham |
| Ram worth 10 dinars | 2.5 sela | Asham for the me’ilah |
The 10-dinar ram covers the 2 sela principal + approximately the chomesh (fifth).
Scenario 3: One ram for asham, one for chulin
| Ram | Intention | Current Value | Disposition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asham ram | Asham | 2 sela | Original asham |
| Chulin ram | Non-sacred | 2 sela | Me’ilah asham + pays 1 sela + 1/5 |
He only misused HALF the money (1 sela went for the asham ram properly). So he pays 1 sela + chomesh.
Key Terms:
- שְׁתֵּי סְלָעִים (shtei sela’im) = Two sela - minimum asham value
- עֲשָׂרָה זוּז (asarah zuz) = Ten dinars = 2.5 sela
- לִנְדָבָה (lindavah) = For voluntary/communal offerings
- לִמְעִילָתוֹ (lime’ilato) = For his misuse
Mishna 6:7
משנה ו:ז
Hebrew:
הַמַּפְרִישׁ חַטָּאתוֹ, וּמֵת, לֹא יְבִיאֶנָּה בְנוֹ אַחֲרָיו. וְלֹא יְבִיאֶנָּה מֵחֵטְא עַל חֵטְא, אֲפִלּוּ עַל חֵלֶב שֶׁאָכַל אֶמֶשׁ לֹא יְבִיאֶנָּה עַל חֵלֶב שֶׁאָכַל הַיּוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא ד), קָרְבָּנוֹ עַל חַטָּאתוֹ, שֶׁיְּהֵא קָרְבָּנוֹ לְשֵׁם חֶטְאוֹ:
English:
In the case of one who designates a sin offering for his performance of an unwitting sin and dies, his son shall not bring it in his stead, neither on behalf of his father nor for his own unwitting sin, even if it was the same transgression. Likewise, one may not bring a sin offering by reassigning it from the sin for which it is designated to atone and sacrificing it for atonement of another sin. Even if he designated a sin offering as atonement for forbidden fat that he unwittingly ate yesterday, he may not bring it as atonement for forbidden fat that he unwittingly ate today, as it is stated: “And he shall bring his sin offering, an unblemished female goat, for his sin that he has sinned” (Leviticus 4:28), indicating that he does not satisfy his obligation until his offering is brought for the sake of the sin for which he designated it.
Claude on the Mishna:
This mishna establishes the strict specificity required for sin offerings.
Rule 1: No inheritance of chatat If a person designates a chatat and then dies, his son CANNOT bring it - not for the father’s sin, and not for his own sin.
Rule 2: No reassignment between sins A chatat designated for one sin CANNOT be used for a different sin - even of the SAME TYPE!
The striking example:
- Day 1: Ate chelev unknowingly → designated chatat
- Day 2: Ate chelev unknowingly again
Can he use yesterday’s chatat for today’s sin? NO!
The scriptural basis: Leviticus 4:28 - “קָרְבָּנוֹ עַל חַטָּאתוֹ” - “His offering for HIS sin”
The verse emphasizes a specific connection:
- HIS offering (not inherited)
- For HIS sin (the specific sin for which it was designated)
Why such strictness?
The chatat creates atonement through a specific designation linking:
- The person who sinned
- The specific sin committed
- The animal designated for that sin
Breaking any of these links invalidates the offering’s purpose.
What happens to the orphaned chatat? This mishna doesn’t say, but the general rule is: A chatat whose owner died must be left to die (one of the “five chata’ot that die”).
Key Terms:
- הַמַּפְרִישׁ חַטָּאתוֹ (hamafrish chatato) = One who designates his sin offering
- מֵחֵטְא עַל חֵטְא (mecheit al cheit) = From one sin to another sin
- קָרְבָּנוֹ עַל חַטָּאתוֹ (korbano al chatato) = His offering for his sin