Karetot 10: Sacrifices That can be Offered on a Sliding Scale

Our Mishna teaches about sacrifices that are korban oleh v'yored, sacrifices that go up and down.  These are sacrifices that are offered on a sliding scale.  Five of them are named: 

• Shemi’at kol, cases where a person refuses to offer testimony, swearing that he does not have information that would be useful to a friend in court 

• Bituy sefatayim, someone who takes an oath l'hara o l'hetiv, committing to perform a positive act or to refrain from doing something 

• Tum’at Mikdash v'kodashav, when someone in a state of ritual impurity enters the Temple or eats consecrated food 

• Yoledet, the time when a woman is considered ritually impure after giving birth

• Metzora, someone suffering from biblical leprosy who recovers must bring various sacrifices in order to be permitted into the Temple and once again eat sacrifices, etc.

These are clear examples of rabbinical interpretations of Torah law based on practical and compassionate consideration.