Talmud Bavli
Talmud Bavli

Tosefta for Sotah 73:9

רבי אומר אלו ואלו למטה הן עומדים הפכו פניהם כלפי הר גריזים ופתחו בברכה כלפי הר עיבל ופתחו בקללה מאי (דברים כז, יב) על על בסמוך

It means 'near to'; as it has been taught: And thou shalt put pure frankincense near ['al] each row<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXIV, 7. ');"><sup>17</sup></span> — Rabbi says: 'Al means 'near to'. You declare that 'al means 'near to'; but perhaps it is not so and the signification is actually 'upon'? Since it states: Thou shalt put a veil 'al the ark,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XL, 3. The veil was not 'upon' the ark but 'near to, i.e., in front of it. ');"><sup>18</sup></span>

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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