The content you're looking for refers to two significant discussions in the Babylonian Talmud regarding the definition of "man" (
) and its legal implications for ritual purity and the use of sacred oil. Keritot 6b: The Anointing Oil and Ritual Definitions Keritot 6b focuses on the laws of the Anointing Oil Shemen HaMishchah ) used in the Sanctuary. The Prohibition
: The Torah prohibits applying this sacred oil to "the flesh of a person" ( ) (Exodus 30:32). Exemptions
: The Gemara explains that one who applies the oil to animals, vessels, or corpses is exempt because they do not fit the biblical definition of "person". Defining "Adam"
: The discussion centers on why applying the oil to gentiles also results in an exemption. The Gemara cites Ezekiel 34:31—"And you My sheep... are men [adam]"—to derive that in certain ritual contexts, the term refers specifically to the Jewish people. Yevamot 61a-61b: Ritual Impurity and Marriage Laws Yevamot 61 uses the same linguistic derivation to address Ritual Impurity ) and priestly marriage. Impurity of Graves keritot 6b page 78 jebhammoth 61 work
: The Gemara rules that the graves of gentiles do not transmit impurity via a "tent" ( ). This is based on Numbers 19:14—"When a man [
] dies in a tent"—which, following the same logic as Keritot, is interpreted to mean this specific type of impurity only applies to Jewish corpses. High Priest Restrictions : Page 61b discusses restrictions for the High Priest , specifically that he must marry a virgin ( ) and is prohibited from marrying a widow or a Productive Marriage
: It also establishes that a man may not neglect the commandment to "be fruitful and multiply" until he has fathered at least a son and a daughter (according to Beit Hillel). Key Summary of Connections Keritot 6.b - Steinsaltz Center
After careful analysis, the intended phrases likely refer to: The content you're looking for refers to two
Below is a long-form article exploring these Talmudic passages, their legal contexts, and how they interrelate in rabbinic thought. The article is structured for clarity, academic interest, and keyword relevance.
The misspelling “Jebhammoth” (instead of Yevamot) reflects an older Ashkenazi pronunciation or scanning error. “Keritot” instead of Keritot is closer to the Aramaic Keritut. “Page 78” may come from a specific digital edition (e.g., the Soncino English translation where Yevamot’s chapter 6 begins on PDF page 78).
But rather than discard the keyword, we should see it as a treasure map. The true “work” referred to is the hermeneutic labor — the melakhah machshevet (intentional labor) of Talmudic study — that connects two seemingly unrelated tractates through the thread of safeik (doubt). When a student sits with Keritot 6b in one hand and Yevamot 61a-b in the other, they perform the essential work of Torah lishmah (study for its own sake).
Tosafot draw a direct link to Keritot 6b: “Just as in sacrifices doubt leads to a conditional offering, so in levirate marriage doubt leads to halitzah, which is like a conditional release.” The commentators note that halitzah — removing the shoe — is itself a form of “work” (physical action) that does not create a marital bond but dissolves a potential one. "Keritot 6b" (Tractate Keritot , folio 6, side
The Gemara itself says (Kiddushin 30b): “One should always divide his study into three — a third of Bible, a third of Mishnah, and a third of Talmud.” The “work” of connecting Keritot and Yevamot is exactly that: linking sacrificial law (Kodashim) with family law (Nashim) reveals the coherent logic of the Oral Torah.
The mishnah in Yevamot 61a states: “A mamzer [born of certain forbidden unions] and a netin [descendant of Gibeonites] are forbidden to marry into the congregation of Israel—and they are also forbidden to perform levirate marriage [yibbum] or halitzah.”
The Gemara then asks: Why? Because levirate marriage treats the widow as if she were the deceased brother’s wife. If the surviving brother is a mamzer, his union with the widow is invalid, and thus halitzah (the release ceremony) is also void.