Shevuot 12

ואם איתא של צמר דיהה הימנה מיבעי ליה

And if it is [as you say, that R'Akiba holds they are one above the other, i.e., Bahereth, then Se'eth], he should have said: White wool [i.e., Se'eth] is fainter than it? - That is so [R'Akiba really said Se'eth, and n Sid]. And so said R'Nathan: R'Akiba did not say: Sid is fainter than it, but white wool [i.e., Se'eth] is fain than it.

אמרי אין הכי נמי והתניא רבי נתן אומר לא שאמר ר' עקיבא של סיד דיהה הימנה אלא של צמר דיהה הימנה

And how do we know that Bahereth is brilliantly white? Abaye said: Because Scripture says: And if the bright spot be white.

ומנלן דבהרת עזה היא אמר אביי אמר קרא (ויקרא יג, ד) ואם בהרת לבנה היא היא לבנה ואין אחרת לבנה

.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XIII. 4: 'bright spot' is the translation of Bahereth.');">¹</span> That is white and no other is [as] white [as it].

תנו רבנן בהרת עמוקה וכן הוא אומר (ויקרא יג, כה) ומראה עמוק מן העור כמראה חמה העמוקה מן הצל שאת אין שאת אלא גבוה וכן הוא אומר (ישעיהו ב, יד) על כל ההרים הרמים ועל כל הגבעות הנשאות ספחת אין ספחת אלא טפילה וכן הוא אומר (שמואל א ב, לו) ואמר ספחני נא

Our Rabbis taught: Bahereth is deep; and so Scripture says: And the appearance thereof [of the Bahereth] is deeper than the skin<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 25. ,utab ,ta');">²</span> - like the appearance of the sun which is deeper than the shade.

אשכחן טפילה לשאת טפילה לבהרת מנלן אמר רבי זירא נאמרה לבנה בשאת ונאמרה לבנה בבהרת מה לבנה האמורה בשאת יש לה טפילה אף לבנה האמורה בבהרת יש לה טפילה

Se'eth: Se'eth denotes high; and so Scripture says: Upon all the high mountains and upon all the hills that are lifted up.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Isa. II, 14: (lifted up) is from the same root as . hbjpx ,jpx');">³</span> Sappahath: Sappahath denotes an attachment [i.

במתניתא תנא הטיל הכתוב לספחת בין שאת לבהרת לומר לך כשם שטפילה לשאת כך טפילה לבהרת:

e derivative]; and so Scripture says: And he shall say: Attach me, I pray thee, [to one of the priest's offices].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Sam. II, 36. (Attach me) is from the same root as .');">⁴</span> We find a derivative for Se'eth.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra p. 17, n. 7.');">⁵</span>

שאת כצמר לבן: מאי צמר לבן אמר רב ביבי אמר רב אסי צמר נקי בן יומו שמכבנין בו למילת

Whence do we deduce that there is a derivative for Bahereth.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This question is according to the Sages who hold that Bahereth has a derivative; and not according to R. Akiba who holds that it has no derivative.');">⁶</span> R'Zera said: The word 'white' is mentioned with Se'eth,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XIII, 10.');">⁷</span>

אמר רבי חנינא משל דרבנן למה הדבר דומה לתרי מלכי ולתרי איפרכי מלכו של זה למעלה ממלכו של זה ואיפרכו של זה למעלה מאיפרכו של זה

and the word 'white' is mentioned with Bahereth.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 4. vua vrzd');">⁸</span> Just as the 'white' mentioned with Se'eth has a derivative, so the 'white' mentioned with Bahereth has a derivative.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This kind of deduction is called Gezerah Shawah: an inference from similarity of phrases; v. Glos.');">⁹</span>

האי זה למעלה מזה וזה למעלה מזה הוא

In a Baraitha it is taught: Scripture put Sappahath<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Meaning derivative.');">¹⁰</span> between Se'eth and Bahereth<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XIV, 56.');">¹¹</span>

אלא מלכו של זה למעלה מאיפרכיה דנפשיה ומלכו של זה למעלה מאיפרכיה דנפשיה

to teach you that just as there is a derivative for Se'eth, so there is a derivative for Bahereth. Se'eth is like white wool.

רב אדא בר אבא אמר כגון מלכא ואלקפטא רופילא וריש גלותא האי זה למעלה מזה הוא אלא כגון מלכא ורופילא ואלקפטא וריש גלותא

What white wool? - R'Bibi said that R'Assi said: Clean wool of a new-born lamb which is covered, up [to be made] into a cloak of fine wool.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A covering of skin is clasped round the lamb to protect the wool.');">¹²</span> R'Hanina said: The Rabbis' enumeration [of the four shades] - to what may it be likened?

רבא אמר כגון שבור מלכא וקיסר

To two Kings and two Governors: the King of this is higher than the King of that; and the Governor of this is higher than the Governor of that.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Bahereth, the King (i.e., principal) of Sid, is higher than Se'eth, the King of Kerum; and Sid, the Governor (i.e., second in command) of this King (Bahereth) , is higher than Kerum, the Governor of that King (Se'eth) . According to this, the order is: Bahereth, Se'eth, Sid, Kerum.');">¹³</span> But this [enumeration] is one above the other!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which is R. Akiba's and not the Rabbis' enumeration.');">¹⁴</span>

א"ל רב פפא לרבא הי מינייהו עדיף אמר ליה בחורשיא קא אכיל ליה פוק חזי טיבעא דמאן סגי בעלמא דכתיב (דניאל ז, כג) ותאכל כל ארעא ותדושנה ותדקנה א"ר יוחנן זו רומי חייבת שטיבעה יצא בכל העולם כולו

- Well then, the King of this is higher than his own Governor; and the King of that is higher than his own Governor.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., Principal and derivative: Bahereth, Sid; Se'eth, Kerum.');">¹⁵</span> R'Adda bar Abba said: It is like King, Alkafta,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' High Persian dignitary.');">¹⁶</span>

רבינא אמר כגון גלימא דעמר ושחקיה סדינא דכיתנא ושחקיה:

Rufila,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Persian military officer, lower than Alkafta.');">¹⁷</span> and Resh Galutha.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Chief of the Babylonian Jews.');">¹⁸</span>

את שיש בה ידיעה בתחלה וכו': ת"ר מנין שאין הכתוב מדבר אלא בטומאת מקדש וקדשיו

But this is one above the other! Well then, it is like King, Rufila, Alkafta, and Resh Galutha. Raba said: It is like King Shapur and Caesar.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., Persian King and Roman Emperor, each having an adjutant.');">¹⁹</span>

ודין הוא הואיל והזהיר וענש על הטומאה וחייב קרבן על הטומאה מה כשהזהיר וענש על הטומאה לא הזהיר וענש אלא על טומאת מקדש וקדשיו אף כשחייב קרבן על הטומאה לא חייב אלא על טומאת מקדש וקדשיו

R'Papa said to Raba: Which of them is greater? He replied: You eat in the forest!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' You live in a forest, and know not what is going on in the world. Surely you know that the Roman Emperor is greater! R. Papa, however, asked the question, because Raba had mentioned Shapur before Caesar. Raba had done so, because he was a Persian subject.');">²⁰</span>

ואימא תרומה שהזהיר וענש לא אשכחן עון מיתה דחייב עליה קרבן

Go forth and see whose authority is greater in the world; for it is written: It shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it pieces.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Dan. VII, 23. hnur xrp');">²¹</span> Said R'Johanan: This is wicked Rome<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Read in the text instead of .');">²²</span>

אימא ה"מ קרבן קבוע אבל

whose authority is recognised all over the world. Rabina said: It is like a [new white] woollen garment, and a worn-out woollen garment; and a [new white] linen garment, and a worn-out linen garment.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' New garments are whiter than worn-out ones. New woollen and linen garments are closer to each other in whiteness than are the new and worn-out garments of each kind; so the two principals are, according to the Rabbis, nearer to each other than are principal and derivative of each kind.');">²³</span> WHERE THERE IS KNOWLEDGE AT THE BEGINNING ETC. Our Rabbis taught: How do we know that Scripture [in demanding a sliding scale sacrifice for uncleanness] refers only to cases where the Temple is entered or holy food eaten while unclean?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. V, 2. The verse merely states: If anyone touch any unclean thing . ., making no mention of eating holy food or entering the Temple while unclean.');">²⁴</span> - There is a good argument for this deduction. Scripture warns against uncleanness,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. V, 2-3: Command the Children of Israel that they put out of the camp . . whosoever is unclean . . that they defile not their camp; this is explained (Pes. 67a) as a warning against entering the Temple while unclean. Lev. XXII, 4: He shall not eat of the holy things until he be clean; this is the warning against eating holy food while unclean.');">²⁵</span> and punishes it;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' With Kareth for willing transgression; Num. XIX. 13: Whosoever toucheth the dead . . and purifieth not himself - he hath defiled the tabernacle of the Lord - that soul shall be cut off; this is the punishment for entering the Temple while unclean. Lev. VII, 20: Anyone that eateth of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings . . having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off; this is the punishment for eating holy food while unclean.');">²⁶</span> and also enacts that a sacrifice be brought for uncleanness.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For unwitting transgression.');">²⁷</span> Now just as Scripture, in warning against uncleanness and punishing it, did so only in cases where the Temple was entered or holy food eaten while unclean; so when it enacted that a sacrifice be brought for uncleanness,it did so only in cases where the Temple was entered or holy food eaten. Then let us include Terumah<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The priest's share of the produce, which is holy in a minor degree; v. Glos. v,hn');">²⁸</span> [for sacrifice, if eaten while unclean], since Scripture also warned [against its being eaten while unclean] and punished [the transgressor with death by divine intervention]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Mithah, as distinct from Kareth (v. Glos.) . Lev. XXII, 4: He shall not eat of the holy things until he be clean; this is explained (Yeb. 74b) as being a warning also against eating Terumah while unclean, holy things including Terumah. Ibid. 9: They shall therefore keep My charge, lest they bear sin for it, and die therein, if they profane it; this is the punishment for eating Terumah while unclean.');">²⁹</span> - We do not find that the sin for which the death penalty by divine intervention is inflicted [for wilful transgression] should be punishable by sacrifice [for unwitting transgression].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When wilful transgression is punished by Kareth, unwitting transgression is punished by sacrifice (Hor. 8a) .');">³⁰</span> You may say it is only the case in regard to a fixed sacrifice, but