Keritot 1:7
What is the relationship between ritual practice and the marketplace?
讛讗砖讛 砖讬砖 注诇讬讛 住驻拽 讞诪砖 讝讬讘讜转 讜住驻拽 讞诪砖 诇讬讚讜转 诪讘讬讗讛 拽专讘谉 讗讞讚, 讜讗讜讻诇转 讘讝讘讞讬诐, 讜讗讬谉 讛砖讗专 注诇讬讛 讞讜讘讛. 讞诪砖 诇讬讚讜转 讜讚讗讜转, 讞诪砖 讝讬讘讜转 讜讚讗讜转, 诪讘讬讗讛 拽专讘谉 讗讞讚, 讜讗讜讻诇转 讘讝讘讞讬诐, 讜讛砖讗专 注诇讬讛 讞讜讘讛. 诪注砖讛 砖注诪讚讜 拽谞讬诐 讘讬专讜砖诇讬诐 讘讚讬谞专讬 讝讛讘, 讗诪专 专讘谉 砖诪注讜谉 讘谉 讙诪诇讬讗诇: 讛诪注讜谉 讛讝讛, 诇讗 讗诇讬谉 讛诇讬诇讛, 注讚 砖讬讛讬讜 讘讚讬谞专讬谉. 谞讻谞住 诇讘讬转 讚讬谉 讜诇诪讚, 讛讗砖讛 砖讬砖 注诇讬讛 讞诪砖 诇讬讚讜转 讜讚讗讜转, 讞诪砖 讝讬讘讜转 讜讚讗讜转, 诪讘讬讗讛 拽专讘谉 讗讞讚, 讜讗讜讻诇转 讘讝讘讞讬诐, 讜讗讬谉 讛砖讗专 注诇讬讛 讞讜讘讛. 讜注诪讚讜 拽谞讬诐 讘讜 讘讬讜诐 讘专讘注转讬诐.
If a woman has had five ambiguous cases of vaginal bleeding or miscarriages, she brings one [purification] sacrifice, may eat from sacrificial meat, and has no further liability. If she has had five certain cases of miscarriage or vaginal bleeding, she brings one sacrifice, may eat from the sacrificial meat, but is liable for the rest [i.e., four more offerings]. There was a case in which the cost of pigeons [used for these sacrifices] stood at a gold dinar. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said, 鈥淏y this Temple! I will not sleep tonight until their price is [reduced to] a silver dinar.鈥� He entered the court and instructed: 鈥淎 woman who has five certain miscarriages or five certain cases of vaginal bleeding shall bring one sacrifice, eat from the sacrificial meat, and have no further liability.鈥� That very day the price of pigeons fell to a fourth of [a silver dinar].
Comments
This mishnah is a window into the complex interaction between ritual purity and physical conditions, especially various genital discharges. What is fascinating is the awareness shown by Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel (who lived in the late Second Temple period) of the impact of his court鈥檚 rulings on the economic situation of the people. A gold dinar was worth twenty-five silver dinarim; hence it seems that the rabbinic action caused a precipitous decline in the market price of pigeons. Rabban Shimon apparently considered the financial well-being of the people to be of greater concern than the quantity of sacrifices offered at the Temple.
Question
What can we do to make living a full Jewish life more affordable today?
