Horayot 12a (יב.) — the Talmud in English

The Gemara now discusses the statement of the beraita above, which says that Jehoahaz was anointed because of Jehoiakim:

And was there anointing oil

in the days of Jehoahaz?

But it was taught in a beraita: When the Ark was concealed

in the days of Josiah,

the anointing oil was also concealed,

as were

the jar of manna, Aaron’s staff, and

on it

its almonds and blossoms.

And

the following was likewise concealed together with the Ark:

the chest that the Philistines sent as a gift to Israel

when they returned the Ark of the Lord.

As it is stated [I Samuel 6]:

“And the golden vessels that you are returning to Him

to the God of Israel as a guilt-offering, place them in a chest beside

the Ark,

and send it away, and it will go!”

And since the Ark was concealed in the days of Josiah, the chest that was beside the Ark was also concealed.

And where do we find that these five things were concealed?

And who concealed

the Ark?

Josiah, king of Judah, concealed it!

Because

he saw

what

is written in the Torah: “The Lord will lead you and the king whom you will appoint over you

to a nation that neither you nor your fathers have known”; therefore

he commanded that they be concealed

together with the Ark and the other objects listed above, so that they would not be exiled with the exiles.

As it is stated [II Chronicles 35]:

“And he said

to the Levites who had understanding,

those who were holy to the Lord for all Israel:

‘Give the Holy Ark into the House that Solomon son of David, king of Israel, built!

For you have no

further role of

carrying it on your shoulders.

Therefore,

now serve the Lord your God and His people Israel!’”

And it is explained in tractate Shekalim that Josiah said to the Levites as follows: If the Ark goes into exile with you, you will no longer return it on your shoulders. Therefore, so that it would not go into exile and you would then be unable to return it, Josiah commanded that it be concealed.

And

regarding this,

Rabbi Elazar

said: From where did Josiah learn that the other objects also had to be concealed with the Ark?

It is derived

by means of a gezeira shava: The law of concealing the jar of manna is derived from the law of concealing the Ark, through the identical term

“there, there.”

For concerning the Ark it is stated: “There I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the Ark-cover,” while concerning the jar of manna it is stated: “And place it there.”

And likewise,

it is derived

that Aaron’s staff was concealed through the gezeira shava

“a safeguard, a safeguard,”

for concerning the jar of manna it is stated: “As a safeguard for your generations,” while concerning Aaron’s staff it is stated: “As a safeguard, as a sign for the rebellious children.”

And likewise,

it is derived

that the anointing oil was concealed through the gezeira shava

“generations, generations,”

for concerning the jar of manna it is stated: “As a safeguard for your generations,” while concerning the anointing oil it is stated: “Holy anointing oil for your generations.” If so, it is puzzling: How was Jehoahaz anointed? The anointing oil had already been concealed in the days of King Josiah! The Gemara answers: They did not anoint him with the anointing oil, but

with pure balsam oil!

That is, with pure persimmon oil.

The Sages taught: How were kings anointed

when they were enthroned?

In the form of a crown!

The entire circumference of their heads was encircled with anointing oil.

And the High Priests

were anointed

in the form of a Greek letter khi,

on both sides of the head and at the nape, but they were not anointed on the front of the head!

And we explain:

What is the meaning of “in the form of a khi”? Rabbi Menashya bar Gadya said: In the form of a Greek letter kaf!

They began anointing between his eyebrows and drew the oil with a finger until they reached the nape; they did not anoint the front of the head.

One beraita teaches: At first they pour oil on the head

of the High Priest,

and afterward they place oil between his eyebrows,

and spread it from there to the nape, in the form of a Greek letter kaf. But on the other hand,

it is taught

in another

beraita: At first they place oil between his eyebrows,

and spread it from there in the form of a Greek letter kaf,

and

only

afterward do they pour oil on his head!?

The Gemara answers that there is no contradiction between the beraitot; rather, it is a dispute among

the tannaim

:

There are those who say that anointing is preferable

and should precede pouring on the head.

And there are those who say that pouring is preferable.

The Gemara explains:

What is the reason of the one who says that pouring is preferable?

For it is written concerning Aaron’s anointing [Leviticus 8]:

“And he poured from the anointing oil upon Aaron’s head,”

and only afterward it is stated:

“And he anointed him to sanctify him.”

And what is the reason of the one who says that anointing is preferable?

He holds that this is what you find concerning sacred vessels,

for only anointing was performed on them. Therefore, anointing is preferable to pouring, which was performed only in the anointing of the High Priest.

The Gemara raises an objection:

But it is written

concerning Aaron’s anointing:

“And he poured,” and at the end, “and he anointed,”

so how can one derive from sacred vessels that anointing should precede pouring? The Gemara answers:

This is what the verse is saying

concerning Aaron’s anointing:

Why did he pour? Because “he anointed”

first.

The Sages taught:

It is written in the book of Psalms [chapter 133]:

“Like the precious oil

on the head,

that descends upon the beard, the beard of Aaron.”

The anointing oil appeared on Aaron’s beard

like two drops of pearls,

which

hung from Aaron’s beard!

Rav Pappa said: A beraita teaches:

When he, Aaron, was

speaking,

with other people, those two drops

rose and rested at the root of his beard,

sticking to his flesh so that they would not fall when his beard moved because of his speech.

And concerning this matter,

these drops of oil,

Moses was worried,

that he might have sinned with regard to them.

Moses

our teacher

said: “God forbid,

perhaps

I misused the anointing oil,

for I touched it when I dressed Aaron in his priestly garments?!

A heavenly voice emerged and said: “Like the precious oil

and so on—

like the dew of Hermon

that descends upon the mountains of Zion.”

Just as there is no misuse with regard to the dew of Hermon, so too there is no misuse with regard to the anointing oil on Aaron’s beard!

Aaron was still worried. He said: Perhaps Moses did not misuse it, but I misused it,

since it is possible that some of the oil fell on a place unsuitable for anointing?!

A heavenly voice emerged and said to him—

“How good and how pleasant it is when brothers dwell together.” Just as Moses did not misuse it, so too you,

his brother,

did not misuse it! The Sages taught: Kings are not anointed

when they are enthroned

except beside a spring, so that

the spring will be a favorable sign

that their kingship should endure,

like a spring that continually flows without interruption.

And so we find that David commanded that Solomon be anointed king beside the spring,

as it is stated [

1 Kings 1 ]:

“And the king said to them: Take the servants of your lord

and so on

and bring him down to

a spring,

Gihon.

And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed him there as king over Israel”.

Rabbi Ami said: One who wishes to know

whether he will live through the beginning of the year,

whether he will complete the year,

whether he will complete his year,

or not,

should light a lamp

and light a lamp

during the ten days between Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur, in a house where there is no wind,

in a house where the wind does not blow, and he should examine it:

if its light continues,

if the lamp burns until the oil is exhausted,

he will know that he will complete the year,

that he will complete his year, just as the lamp burned until the oil was finished.

And one who wishes to engage in a business venture and wishes to know whether he will succeed or not should raise a chicken.

He should raise a chicken on behalf of this business venture.

If it grows fat and improves,

if it grows fat and becomes better, this is a sign that it

will succeed.

One who wishes to set out on a journey and wishes to know whether he will return and come home or not—

he should stand in a friend’s house,

he should stand in a dark house.

If he sees the reflection of his reflection,

if he sees the shadow of his shadow,

he should know that he will return and come home.

And we say:

But this is not a valid matter!

For sometimes he will return home even if he does not see the reflection of his reflection, and therefore this sign should not be performed, since if he performs it and does not see the reflection of his reflection,

perhaps his mind will become distraught,

and as a result,

his fortune will deteriorate,

and he will not return. Had he not performed the sign, he would have returned; therefore, it should not be performed!

Abaye said: Now that you have said that a sign is significant,

10 , a person should always

be

accustomed to eat at the beginning of the year—

gourd, fenugreek, leek, beet greens, and dates

[as these grow quickly or grow abundantly! And so that one should not stumble with regard to them by treating them as divination, the Sages instituted that one should recite statements over them that inspire repentance, such as saying over the gourd, “May our merits be proclaimed,” and the like—the Meiri] .

Rav Mesharsheya said to his sons: When you wish to enter and study before your teachers, review

by yourselves

a baraita,

the passage first, until it is fluent in your mouths.

And

only afterward

go up before your teachers,

so that you will know what to ask them.

And when you sit before him—

look at his mouth,

for looking at the teacher while he speaks assists in understanding his words,

as it is written: “And your eyes shall see your teacher.”

12 . And when you review

your learning by yourselves before the lesson,

review

it

beside a river of water,

as a good sign.

For just as the water flows

and does not cease, so

your learning will flow,

and will not cease from your mouths.

And sit,

that is, it is preferable for you to live

in the refuse heap

in the place of refuse

of Mata Meḥasya,

whose inhabitants are Torah scholars fit to issue rulings and people of refined culture,

and not sit

and not live

in the palaces

of

Pumbedita,

whose people are not as refined as the people of Mata Meḥasya.

And likewise,

a small, spoiled fish

a small, putrid fish

from Mata Meḥasya is better to eat than kutḥa

which is a fine and potent food

of those who dwell in lofty towers,

which is eaten by the wealthy and dignitaries who live in tall towers.

That is: It is better to live in Mata Meḥasya, whose people are worthy of associating with, and to make do with inferior foods, than to live in places where the wealthy reside and eat expensive foods, which nevertheless dull the heart.

The Gemara concludes with another detail that they expounded concerning the manner of anointing with the anointing oil:

Hannah said: “My horn is exalted through God,”

“My horn is exalted,” and not “my flask is exalted”!

Hannah prophetically indicated by this that

David and Solomon, who were anointed with a horn,

from oil placed in a horn, which is a favorable sign for kingship,

had their kingship extended,

whereas

Saul and Jehu, who were anointed

with oil that had been placed

in a flask, did not have their kingship extended!

We learned in the Mishna: And who is the anointed one who brings a bull for his unwitting sin? This is

one anointed with the anointing oil. The Sages taught:

It is stated

“anointed one”; one might

understand this according to its plain meaning, so that even a

king

who was anointed would bring a bull?

The verse states: “priest.”

If

“priest” is stated in the passage,

one might

say that even a

priest consecrated by wearing the additional garments

who was not anointed brings a bull?

The verse states: “anointed”!

If “anointed” is stated, one might even

say that a

priest anointed for war

who is not the high priest is included?

The verse states: “the anointed priest,” meaning one who does not have an

one who has no

anointed one

of a higher rank than he,

above him!

What is the indication?

How is it indicated by this verse that “the anointed priest” is the most distinguished priest?

As Rava said:

How do we know that liability for the sciatic nerve applies only to the nerve in the right leg? It is stated: “Therefore the children of Israel shall not eat the sciatic nerve that is on the thigh.” We expound from the fact that

“the thigh”

is written with the definite article, teaching that it is

the most distinguished

[the most important]

of the thighs.

And if so,

here too,

with regard to an anointed priest, we derive from the definite article in the expression

“the anointed,”

that he is the

most distinguished

[most important]

among those anointed!

The Master said: “Anointed”—

one might have thought a king

would bring a bull? The verse states: “priest.”

The Gemara is astonished: Was there reason to entertain the possibility that a

king would bring a bull!?

Yet the verse explicitly states that a king

brings a goat!

For the king is a ruler, and it is explained in the passage below that he brings a goat, not a bull!

The Gemara explains:

It was necessary

to write in connection with “anointed” that it specifically means “priest,” in order to exclude a king from bringing a bull.

For

it might enter your mind to say

that only

for an unwitting act

is it stated that the king

brings

a

goat.

But

for an unwitting ruling,

in a case where the king erred in his ruling, mistakenly issuing an instruction,

he brings a bull.

It teaches us

that only the anointed priest brings a bull, whereas a king’s law is only that he brings a goat.

We learned in the Mishna:

The only difference between a priest anointed with the anointing oil

and one consecrated by wearing the additional garments is the bull brought for all the mitzvot.

The Gemara infers:

Our Mishna,

the approach of our Mishna, which states that a high priest who is merely consecrated by wearing the additional garments but is not anointed does not bring the bull of the high priest, is

not in accordance with Rabbi Meir!

For if it were in accordance with Rabbi Meir, was it not taught:

A priest who is

“consecrated by wearing the additional garments,”

who wears the eight garments of the high priest but was not anointed,

brings the bull brought for all the mitzvot

like an anointed priest?

These are the words of Rabbi Meir.

And the Sages did not concede to him!

And we explain:

What is Rabbi Meir’s reason?

For it was taught:

It is written concerning the bull of the high priest brought for all the mitzvot,

“anointed.”

I have derived only that one anointed with the anointing oil is included. From where

do we know that one consecrated by wearing the additional garments is also obligated to bring a bull?

The Torah states: “the anointed priest”!

The word “priest” is superfluous, and comes to include even a priest consecrated by wearing the additional garments who was not anointed.

And we inquire:

On what basis did you establish

our Mishna

in accordance with the Rabbis,

who disagree with Rabbi Meir?