Keritot 10
והלא נסים הרבה נעשו בו מתחלתו ועד סופו תחלתו לא היה אלא י"ב לוג ובו נמשח המשכן וכליו ואהרן ובניו כל שבעת ימי המלואים ובו נמשחו כהנים גדולים ומלכים וכולו קיים לעתיד לבא שנאמר
Was it not attended by many miracles from beginning to end! There were only twelve logs of oil and yet with it were anointed the Tabernacle and its vessels, Aaron and his sons throughout the seven days of the consecration, and the high priest and kings, and yet it remained whole for the days to come, as it is written: This shall be a holy anointing oil unto Me throughout your generations.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XXX, 31.');"><sup>1</sup></span>
שמן המשחה שעשה משה במדבר הרבה נסים נעשו בו מתחלתו ועד סופו תחלתו לא היה אלא י"ב לוגין כמה יורה בולעת כמה עיקרין בולעין כמה האור שורף ובו נמשח משכן וכליו אהרן ובניו כל ז' ימי המלואים ובו נמשחו כהנים גדולים ומלכים ואפי' כהן גדול בן כ"ג טעון משיחה
There were originally only twelve logs; [consider] how much of it must have been absorbed in the boiler, how much in the roots of the spices, and how much of it was burnt by the fire, and yet with it were anointed the Tabernacle and its vessels, Aaron and his sons throughout the seven days of the consecration, and the high priests and kings.
(ויקרא ו, טו) והכהן המשיח תחתיו מבניו נימא קרא
The text should have stated: 'And the priest that shall be in his stead from among his sons', why [add] 'anointed', if not to let us know that even from among his sons only the one that is anointed can be high priest, but he who is not anointed cannot be high priest.
הא קמ"ל דאפי' מבניו ההוא דמשח הוי כ"ג ואי לא משח לא הוי כ"ג
Whence do we know this? - Said R'Abba B'Jacob: It is written, That he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children, for all days;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XVII, 20 where instead of the last three words, it reads: In the midst of Israel. In Hor. this copyist's error is not to be found.');"><sup>9</sup></span>
אמר רב אחא בר יעקב דכתיב
Whence do we know that in a case of dispute anointing is required, and that it does not suffice that the king entrusts his kingdom to whomsoever he chooses? - Said R'Papa: It is written there, In the midst of Israel; only if there is peace in Israel [is it an inheritance].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But if there is dissension concerning the throne, the successor has to be specially sanctified and anointed.');"><sup>10</sup></span>
תיפוק ליה דמלך ראשון הוא
Were we indeed justified to commit sacrilege<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In using the oil for the anointing of a king, who does not require this according to the Torah, we transgressed the law of sacrilege.');"><sup>13</sup></span>
חסורי מיחסרא והכי קתני
with the oil of anointing solely by reason of the claim to the throne by Joram son of Ahab? - As R'Papa replied elsewhere: It was done with pure balm; so here too: It was done with pure balm.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And not with the proper oil of anointing.');"><sup>14</sup></span>
מפני מה משחו יהוא בן נמשי
upon which R'Johanan remarked that Johanan was identical with Jehoahaz and Zedekiah with Shallum!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Thus the version of Rashi. The text thus states that Jehoahaz was the firstborn.');"><sup>16</sup></span>
מנלן
- That one followed in his forefather's footsteps.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., he (Jehoram) was like his father a pious man, at the time of succession. He became corrupted later on. Jehoiakim, on the other hand, did not follow, in his father's ways and could not therefore exercise his right as firstborn.');"><sup>18</sup></span>
אמר מר
- He [Zedekiah] is called 'the third', because he was the third among the sons, and he is called 'the fourth', because he was the fourth to reign, for Jeconiah reigned before him: Jehoahaz was the first successor, then followed Jehoiakim, then Jeconiah and then Zedekiah.
ומשום מחלוקת יורם בן אחאב נמעל בשמן המשחה
Because he was perfect ['shalem'] in his deeds; or according to another explanation, because the kingdom of the House of David ended [shalem]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Both 'perfect' and 'ended' may be conveyed by the term 'shalem'.');"><sup>20</sup></span>
באפרסמא דכיא ה"נ באפרסמא דכיא
What was his real name? - Mattaniah, as it is written, And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father's brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 11 Kings XXIV, 17.');"><sup>21</sup></span>
ומי קשיש
with thee, if thou wilt rebel against me, as it written, And he brought him to Babylon,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Chron. XXXVI, 10. This phrase actually refers to Jehoiakim. The latter part of the verse is meant: And he appointed Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.');"><sup>23</sup></span>
(דברי הימים א ג, טו) ובני יאשיה הבכור יוחנן והשני יהויקים והשלישי צדקיהו והרביעי שלום וא"ר יוחנן
But was there any oil of anointing at that time?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Viz., the time of Jehoahaz, whose anointment is mentioned above.');"><sup>25</sup></span>
ומי מוקמינן זוטא קמי קשישא
and the coffer which the Philistines had sent as a present to the God of Israel, as it is written: And put the jewels of gold, which ye return Him for a guilt-offering, in a coffer by the side thereof.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Sam. VI, 8. This implies that the coffer had to be by the side of the ark. With the disappearance of the ark also the coffer had gone');"><sup>28</sup></span>
(דברי הימים ב כא, ג) ואת הממלכה נתן ליהורם כי הוא הבכור
Josiah, king of Judah, hid it, as it is writt And he said, put the holy ark [in the house which Solomon the son of David did build: there shall no more be a burden upon your shoulders].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Chron. XXXV, 3. Cf. J. Shek. I, 1 where the latter part of the passage is understood to imply that after the removal of the ark from the Temple at the time of the exile, it shall not be restored again to its place.');"><sup>29</sup></span>
ההוא ממלא מקום אבותיו הוה
[As to the other articles:] R'Eleazar said: [Their disappearance is] inferred by the common expressions of sham, doroth and mishmereth.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sham ('there') is mentioned in connection with the ark in Ex. XXX, 36 and with the manna in XVI, 33. Doroth ('generations') in connection with the manna ibid. and with the sacred oil, ibid. XXX, 31. Mishmereth ('guard') in connection with the manna ibid, and with Aaron's rod in Num. XVII, 25. Manna is thus derived from the ark; and the other two articles from manna. At all events, we learn therefrom that there was no oil of anointing at the time of Jehoahaz.');"><sup>30</sup></span>
ומאי קרי ליה רביעי שהוא רביעי למלכות משום דמלך יכניה קמיה
One [Tanna] teaches: The oil was first poured over the head and then smeared between the eye-lids; whereas another [Tanna] teaches: The oil was first smeared between the eye-lids and then poured over the head.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' These two centres of oil are joined with one another and extended to the neck, Rashi.');"><sup>32</sup></span>
(דברי הימים ב לו, יג) וגם במלך נבוכדנאצר מלך בבל מרד אשר השביעו באלהים
But a heavenly voice was heard, saying: Like the dew of the Hermon, that cometh down upon the mountains of Zion;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. v. 3.');"><sup>38</sup></span>
משנגנז ארון נגנז צנצנת המן וצלוחית שמן המשחה ומקלו של אהרן שקדים ופרחים וארגז ששגרו פלשתים דורון לאלהי ישראל שנאמר
Thereupon the heavenly voice pronounced: Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. v. 1.');"><sup>39</sup></span>
אמר רב פפא
Said R'Ammi: 'When one wishes to know whether he will survive the coming year or not, let him take a burning lamp during the ten days between New Year and the Day of Atonement and place it in a house where there is no draught; if the lamp burns out to the end, he will know that he will survive the year.