Talmud Bavli
Talmud Bavli

Tosefta for Horayot 25:14

סגן קודם לאמרכל מאי אמרכל אמר רב חסדא אמר כולא אמרכל קודם לגזבר גזבר קודם לראש משמר ראש משמר קודם לראש בית אב ראש בית אב קודם לכהן הדיוט

סגן קודם לאמרכל מאי אמרכל אמר רב חסדא אמר כולא אמרכל קודם לגזבר גזבר קודם לראש משמר ראש משמר קודם לראש בית אב ראש בית אב קודם לכהן הדיוט

Tosefta Horayot

[A High Priest] anointed with anointing oil takes precedence over [a High Priest] who wears many garments; [a High Priest] who wears many garments takes precedence over [a High Priest] anointed for war; [a High Priest] anointed for war takes precedence over a Deputy [High Priest]; a Deputy [High Priest] takes precedence over the head of the [priestly] watch; the head of the [priestly] watch takes precedence over the head of a patrilineal family; the head of a patrilineal family takes precedence over the overseer [of the Temple]; the overseer [of the Temple] takes precedence over the treasurer [of the Temple]; the treaturer [of the Temple] takes precedence over a common priest; a common priest takes precedence over a Levite; a Levite takes precedence over a [non-Levitical] Israelite; an Israelite [takes precedence over] a mamzer; a mamzer [takes precedence over] a Natin (i.e., a descendent of the Gibeonites, see Josh 9:27); a Natin [takes precedence over] a proselyte; a proselyte [takes precedence over] a freed slave. When does this apply? In a situation where all are [otherwise] equal. But if there was a mamzer who was a scholar, and a High Priest who was an am ha'aretz (i.e., an ignoramus), the mamzer who was a scholar would take precedence over the High Priest who was an am ha'aretz, as it is said (Prov. 3:15): "She (i.e., wisdom) is more precious than rubies; All of your goods cannot equal her." Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says, according to the letter of the law, a freed slave takes precedence over a proselyte because this one grew up in holiness, and that one did not [grow up in] holiness, except that this one was subject to a general curse (applicable to one who does not fulfill the entire Torah, see Sotah 37a:11), and that one was not subject to a general curse.
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