Keritot 28b — the Talmud in English

It was said about Yohanan ben Nadavai that he would eat three hundred calves and drink three hundred jugs of wine, and eat forty seah of fledglings ![](pamud.bmp "

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as a dessert after the meal

after he had eaten. [For he raised many koens in his house, Rashi, Pesachim].

They said: All the days

of Yohanan ben Nadavai

there was no leftover in the courtyard!

A third cry: “Lift up your heads, O gates,” and let Yishmael ben Pikhai, the student of Pinhas, enter [as though he were the student of Pinhas ben Elazar the koen. Maharsha, Pesachim]

[as though he were the student of Pinhas ben Elazar the kohen. Maharsha, Pesaḥim]

and let him serve as High Koen! [Since the members of his household were men of power, the courtyard testified that he himself was fit, Arukh la-Ner according to Rashi in Pesachim] .

[Since the members of his household were men of power, the Temple courtyard testified that he himself was fit. Arukh LaNer, based on Rashi in Pesaḥim] .

A fourth cry: “Open the gates and take out”

him

—Yissakhar, the man of Kefar Barkai, who honors himself and disgraces the sacred offerings of Heaven!

And we explain:

What would he do? He would wrap silk upon his hands

he would wrap his hands in silk so that he would not become soiled by the meat and the blood

, and he would perform the service.

And the service becomes invalid because of the interposition, and furthermore, he disgraces the sacred offerings .

What punishment did he receive

what punishment did Yissakhar, the man of Kefar Barkai, receive for this

? Yanai the king and the queen

of the Hasmonean kings

were sitting at a feast. The king said: A kid is better

the meat of a goat kid is tastier than that of a lamb

. And the queen said: A lamb is better.

The lamb is tastier than the kid.

They said: Let us ask Yissakhar, the man of Kefar Barkai, for he is the High Koen, who offers offerings every day, and is well acquainted with them

which of them has the superior taste .

They called him and asked him. He said to them: “If a kid is better, let it ascend for the daily offering!”

That is to say, since a lamb, and not a kid, is offered as the daily offering, it follows that a lamb is better for eating.

As he said this, he gestured with his hand.

He made with his hand a gesture of arrogance and mockery.

The king said to them: Since he gestured with his hand

and rebelled against the monarchy

, cut off his right hand!

He gave

Yissakhar

a bribe

to the king’s men

. They cut off his left hand. The king heard and said: “Let them cut off his right hand as well!” They also cut off his right hand.

Rav Yosef said: Blessed is the Merciful One, who took Yissakhar, the man of Kefar Barkai, to his punishment from him

He repaid him in kind

in this world [measure for measure: since the principal service is performed with the right hand and he wrapped it in silk, therefore it was decreed upon him that that hand should be cut off; Maharsha, Pesachim].

[measure for measure: the main part of the service is performed with the right hand, and he wrapped that hand in silk; therefore it was decreed that this hand be cut off. Maharsha, Pesaḥim].

Rav Ashi said: And did he not teach him

the Mishna

? For we learned: Rabbi Shimon says: Lambs take precedence over goats everywhere. Could it be because they are choicer? The verse says, “And if a lamb”; this teaches that both are equal to one another!

Ravina said: He did not even read the verse, as it is written, “Whether a lamb or whether a goat”

That is the verse of the Mishna above: earlier it writes “goat,” and afterward it writes “lamb,” indicating that both are equal.

Rabbi Eliezer said in the name of Rabbi Hanina: Torah scholars increase peace in the world, as it is said, “And all your children shall be disciples of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children.” Do not read “your children” but “your builders.”

For they are the Torah scholars who build and maintain the world, and through their merit there is “great peace” in the world .

We shall return to you, chapter “He Who Brings a Guilt-offering,” and the tractate Keritot is concluded.