Study Ketubot folio 26A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
במסיח לפי תומו. כי הא דאמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל: מעשה באדם אחד שהיה מסיח לפי תומו, ואמר: זכורני כשאני תינוק ומורכב על כתיפו של אבא, והוציאוני מבית הספר, והפשיטוני את כותנתי, והטבילוני לאכול בתרומה לערב.
The Talmud answers: R' Ḥiyya is speaking of a case where the brother speaks offhandedly in the context of a conversation about a different topic. It was understood from this that his brother is a Levite. This is similar to that which Rav Yehuda said that Shmuel said: There was an incident involving a person who was speaking offhandedly and said: I remember when I was a child and still young enough to be carried on my father’s shoulder, and they took me out of school, and removed my cloak, and immersed me to purify me from any possible ritual impurity, so that I would be able to partake of teruma that evening.
ורבי חייא מסיים בה: וחבירי בדילין ממני, והיו קורין אותי ״יוחנן אוכל חלות״. והעלהו רבי לכהונה על פיו.
And R' Ḥiyya, who related that incident, concluded the story and related that the man said: And my friends distanced themselves from me, and would call me: Yoḥanan who partakes of ḥallot, as it was prohibited for his friends, who were non-priests, to eat ḥalla and teruma. And R' Yehuda HaNasi elevated him to priesthood based on his statement. Just as one’s offhanded statement is reliable, so too, is the offhanded statement of one’s brother.
תניא, רבי שמעון בן אלעזר אומר: כשם שתרומה חזקה לכהונה — כך מעשר ראשון חזקה לכהונה, והחולק בבית דין אינה חזקה.
§ It is taught in a baraita that R' Shimon ben Elazar says: Just as teruma establishes the presumptive status for priesthood, so too the first tithe establishes the presumptive status for priesthood. And one who receives a share of teruma in court does not establish the presumptive status of priesthood.
מעשר ראשון דלוי הוא! כרבי אלעזר בן עזריה. דתניא: תרומה לכהן, מעשר ראשון ללוי, דברי רבי עקיבא. רבי אלעזר בן עזריה אומר: מעשר ראשון אף לכהן. אימור דאמר רבי אלעזר בן עזריה ״אף לכהן״, לכהן ולא ללוי מי אמר?
The Talmud asks: First tithe is given to a Levite. How does it establish the presumptive status of priesthood? The Talmud answers: This is in accordance with the opinion of R' Elazar ben Azarya, as it is taught in a baraita: Teruma is given to a priest, first tithe is given to a Levite; this is the statement of R' Akiva. R' Elazar ben Azarya says: First tithe is given to a priest as well. The Talmud asks: Say that R' Elazar ben Azarya said: To a priest as well. Did he actually say to a priest and not to a Levite? Since it is given to both a Levite and a priest, first tithe cannot establish the presumptive status of priesthood.