The sages derive halakhah from a brief phrase in a verse from Leviticus – on an “am ha-aretz,” a commoner, or more specifically from a halakhic sense, a person who is not careful regarding certain aspects of Jewish law – and when he would bring a sin-offering to atone. This status excludes a “meshumad,” an apostate, who can’t atone with a sin-offering for a general intent to act against Torah. Though even the apostate can be selective in when he wants to observe Torah and when he is intent on breaking the given halakhah – for example, one who is willing to eat forbidden fat, but not willing to eat blood. Plus, an apostate vs. a heretic, where the first follows his desire, while the second is antagonistic to Torah. Also, a new mishnah! More on the anointed kohen – namely, one who was made kohen gadol with the anointing oil, and not what happened later, in the Second Temple period, where the kohen gadol was inaugurated by wearing the 8 garments of the kohen gadol, as there was no anointing oil then. Note the differences (or lack thereof) between the kohanim in the different eras. Plus, the anointing of a king, and the anointing in the future…
Horayot 11: Cherry-picking Torah and the Anointing Oil
Share this shiur:

Get Beyond the Daf via podcast
All Hadran Beyond the Daf weekly classes are available on our Beyond the Daf podcast.
Pick your podcast platform of choice: