Rabbi Shimon dit: Les agneaux viennent avant les boucs en tous lieux [dans les Écritures]. Vous pourriez penser [que c'est] parce qu'ils sont plus sélectifs. [Par conséquent,] l'Écriture déclare: «Et s'il apporte un agneau comme offrande» (Lévitique 4:32), Pour nous enseigner que les deux sont égaux. Les tourterelles viennent avant les jeunes pigeons en tous lieux [dans les Écritures]. Vous pourriez penser [que c'est] parce qu'ils sont plus sélectifs. [Par conséquent,] l'Écriture déclare: «Un jeune pigeon ou une tourterelle pour un sacrifice pour le péché» (Lévitique 12: 6), Pour nous enseigner que les deux sont égaux. Le père vient devant la mère en tout lieu [dans les Écritures]. Vous pourriez penser [que c'est parce que] l'honneur dû au père dépasse l'honneur dû à la mère. [Par conséquent,] l'Écriture déclare: «Vous craindrez chaque homme sa mère et son père» (Lévitique 19: 3), Pour [nous] enseigner que les deux sont égaux. Mais les Sages ont dit: Le père vient devant la mère en tout lieu, parce que lui et sa mère sont tenus d'honorer le père. Et il en est de même pour l'étude de la Torah; Si le fils a été digne [de s'asseoir et d'étudier] devant l'enseignant, l'enseignant vient devant le père en tous lieux, parce que [tous les deux] lui et son père sont tenus d'honorer l'enseignant.
Bartenura on Mishnah Keritot
כבשים קודמים לעזים – in every place, Scripture advanced lambs t goats, as it is written (Exodus 12:5): “[Your lamb shall be without blemish, a yearling male;] you may take it from the sheep or from the goats,” and similarly, (Numbers 15:11): “[Thus shall be done with each ox, with each ram,] and with any sheep or goat.” It is possible that the person who says, “This burnt-offering is upon me,” and he has and he has a male lamb or a goat, he should bring the lamb, specifically.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Keritot
Introduction
The final mishnah of our tractate deals with the question of why some things are usually mentioned before others in the Torah.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Keritot
תלמוד לומר ואם כבש יביא קרבנו – but above this it is written (Leviticus 4:23): “[or the sin of which he is guilty is brought to his knowledge] –he shall bring as his offering a male goat without blemish;” here, it (i.e., the Torah) advanced the goat to the lamb, to teach that both are equivalent and that he may bring either of them that he wishes.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Keritot
Rabbi Shimon says: lambs are mentioned before goats in all places. You might think that it is because they are choicer, therefore Scripture states, “And if he brings a lamb as his offering,” (Leviticus 4:32) to teach that both are equal. In the Torah “lambs” are always mentioned before “goats,” when the two come in one verse. See for instance Exodus 12:5, or Leviticus 5:6. This is not because there is any preference to offer a lamb. The proof of this is Leviticus 4:32, which mentions the lamb, whereas in vs. 28 of the same chapter the goat is mentioned. The Torah switches the order to let us know that the two are equal.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Keritot
תורים קודמין לבני יונה – for in most places, turtle-doves are written first and afterwards pigeons.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Keritot
Turtle-doves are mentioned before young pigeons in all places. You might think that it is because they are choicer, therefore Scripture states, “A young pigeon or a turtle-dove for a hatat,” (Leviticus 12:6) to teach that both are equal. The same is true with regard to turtle doves and pigeons see Leviticus 1:14, 5:7; 12:8; 14:22 and others. To teach that they are the same, the Torah switches the order in Leviticus 12:6.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Keritot
אם זכה הבן לפני הבן – that most of his wisdom he learned from him (see Tractate Bava Metzia, Chapter 2, Mishnah 11 for a parallel statement).
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English Explanation of Mishnah Keritot
The father comes before the mother in all places. You might think that it is because the honor due a father is greater than the honor due a mother, therefore Scripture states, “A man shall fear his mother and his father,” (Leviticus 19: to teach that both are equal. But the sages have said: the father comes before the mother in all places, because both a son and his mother are obligated to honor the father. Generally, a father is mentioned before the mother, for instance Exodus 20:12; 21:15, 17; Leviticus 20:9 and others. To teach that both are equal in terms of honor, the Torah switches the order once in Leviticus 19. The other rabbis, however, hold that the father does take precedence over the mother. This is because a wife is obligated to honor her husband. Personally, I will admit that this is one of those times that one could say that the Mishnah is best explained when we remember that it was written by men.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Keritot
And so it is also with the study of Torah; if the son has been worthy [to sit] before the teacher, the teacher comes before the father in all places, because both a man and his father are obligated to honor the teacher. Finally, at the top of the ladder of respect come those who teach Torah. Both the father and son are obligated to honor the teacher of Torah. Congratulations! We have finished Tractate Keritot! It is a tradition at this point to thank God for helping us finish learning the tractate and to commit ourselves to going back and relearning it, so that we may not forget it and so that its lessons will stay with us for all of our lives. The main topic of Keritot was sacrifices brought in cases of doubt, whether the hatat or the asham talui. I think that this subject helps get us into the mindset of Temple worship. A sacrifice is not a penalty but rather an opportunity for atonement. Indeed, one who transgresses intentionally is not allowed to offer a sacrifice to achieve atonement. But one who is not sure whether he transgressed or not may actually be afraid that without the ability to bring a sacrifice, he will never be able to achieve atonement. Tractate Keritot taught us that there were two ways for one to receive atonement for an uncertain sin: the asham talui and Yom Kippur. Both of these institutions remind us that we need and can fix not just the things that we know we did wrong, but those that we might have done wrong as well. I hope you have enjoyed Keritot. Tomorrow we begin Tractate Meilah.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Keritot
קודם את האב בכל מקום – as for example, to restore a lost object and to redeem from captivity, and to preserve life and to unload [an animal] with him. But if his father is a scholar, even though he is not equivalent corresponding to his teacher, his father comes before his teacher/Rabbi , and even his distinguished teacher [who is a scholar].
