excision
At a glance
In short
Karet is excision: the sinner himself is cut off, whether from his years, from his soul's place in the World of Souls, or from the Upper Source to which his soul is joined. Ariri is childless, the line ending rather than the man. Whether they are one punishment or two is a machlokes. Rashi holds that every karet can carry ariri with it; Riva holds that ariri is a separate penalty, attaching only to the forbidden marriages.
Distinctions
Karet (כרת)
Root כ-ר-ת. Rabbi Shlomo Pappenheim (Yerios Shlomo, in a treatment of more than fifteen Hebrew words for cutting): karet is the general word for cutting, whether or not the cut actually severs. So a get is a sefer krisus (Devarim 24:1), a document of cutting, since marriage joins two into one and ending it tears one body in two. A covenant, too, is karat, "cut," from the ancient rite of cutting animals in half and having the parties to the agreement walk between the pieces, which is why the Biblical verb for entering a covenant is karet at all. Some linguists link this to the English idiom "to cut a deal." In Cheshek Shlomo Rabbi Pappenheim takes the two-letter root כ-ר as a kind of digging, which breaks up the earth and parts one clod from another, and cutting does the same. Karet also carries plain destruction, and above all the Divine punishment of spiritual excision, on which the Mishnah (Kerisos 1:1) counts thirty-six prohibitions.
What is severed, and from what:
- Rabbi Yaakov Tzvi Mecklenburg: cut off from the rest of the World to Come, in which all souls have their eternal reunion with Hashem. The man punished is isolated from that joy and does not join the others.
- Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin (Nefesh HaChaim 1:18): cut off from the soul's Upper Source. The soul's lifeline is a sort of umbilical cord from creature to Creator; with karet, nine tenths of that cord is cut, and it is never completely severed.
- Ramban and Rabbeinu Bachya (to Vayikra 18:29) divide it in three. Karet of the body: for one whose merits outweigh his sins but who transgressed a karet prohibition; he dies early, but his soul enters the World of Souls and returns at Techiyas HaMeisim. Karet of the soul: for one whose sins outweigh his merits; he may live long and comfortably, and the punishment falls only after death, barring his soul from the World of Souls. Both together: for avodah zarah, where the Torah writes the doubled hikares tikares (Bamidbar 15:31), an early death and a punished soul after it.
The age at which "early death" is measured is itself disputed.
- Yerushalmi Bikkurim 2:1: before fifty, derived from Bamidbar 4:18, where Moshe and Aharon are warned not to let the tribe of Kehas be "cut off" through gazing at the uncovered vessels, together with Bamidbar 8:25, that the Levi'im served only to fifty.
- Moed Katan 28a: even a death between fifty and sixty is karet; Rav Yosef made a seudah on turning sixty, no longer liable, and even past sixty a sudden death can be karet.
- Ibn Ezra (Bereishis 17:14): death before fifty two, or else the death of one's descendants, so that his memory is wiped out entirely and his legacy is what gets cut off.
Ariri (ערירי)
Root ע-ר-ר. Four appearances in Tanach. Avraham, questioning the promise of the land: v'anochi holech ariri, "I go childless" (Bereishis 15:2). Yechonyah, next to last king of Yehudah, cursed to remain ariri (Yirmiyahu 22:30; by tradition he later did teshuvah and the decree was lifted, and some sources have Mashiach descending from him). And twice as aririm, the penalty for the forbidden marriages of Vayikra 20:20 and 20:21.
- Rashi (to Shabbos 25b), like Ibn Ezra, holds that just as karet can bring a man's own early death, it can also reach his children; every karet therefore potentially includes ariri.
- Riva, a Tosafist (probably Rabbi Yitzchak ben Asher HaLevi, a talmid of Rashi), disputes this: karet does not touch the sinner's children at all, and ariri is a separate punishment attaching only to the forbidden marriages (Tosafos to Yevamos 2a).
Even Rashi grants that grown children who do not follow their father in his sin are not affected by his karet (Tosafos Yeshanim to Yevamos 2a).
Shadal (to Bereishis 15:2): ariri is bare, without descendants.
Rabbi Shlomo Astruc (to Bereishis 15:1): Avraham's holech ariri (15:2), with an ayin, is related to arur, cursed, with an aleph, alluding to Eliezer's cursed descent, which unfitted him to be Avraham's heir.
Also discussed in
- Cuttingכרת (kares / karet)
Radak on these roots
Sefer HaShorashim
כ-ר-ת
To cut: to cut a covenant, to be cut off from one's people, and to cut off; סֵפֶר כְּרִיתֻת, a bill of divorce; and cedar beams cut and well hewn.
Cutting a covenant
וַיִּכְרְתוּ בְרִית בִּבְאֵר שָׁבַע (Bereishis 21:32), they made a covenant at Be'er Sheva; הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי כֹּרֵת בְּרִית (Shemos 34:10), I am making a covenant; כְּרָת ־לָנוּ בְרִית (Shmuel I 11:1), make a covenant with us; and אָלוֹת שָׁוְא כָּרֹת בְּרִית (Hoshea 10:4), swearing falsely in making a covenant. Also וְכָתַב לָהּ סֵפֶר כְּרִיתֻת (Devarim 24:1), he writes her a bill of divorce, and its plural, וָאֶתֵּן אֶת־סֵפֶר כְּרִֽיתֻתֶיהָ אֵלֶיהָ (Yirmiyahu 3:8), I gave her her bill of divorce.
A dispute over one word in Yirmiyahu
כָּרְתוּ יַעְרָהּ (Yirmiyahu 46:23) is read two ways. Some read it with kamatz chatuf and say it is a command, cut down her forest; others read it with the first vowel held, and so the accurate books have it, the kaf held with a ga'ya. That, he holds, is right, and it is then a past standing for a future, יִכְרְתוּ יַעְרָהּ, they will cut down her forest, as Scripture does in many places and very often in prophecy. נְאֻם, the declaration, is joined here to a past verb, though that is not the usual way in prophecy; יָֽרְדוּ לַטָּבַח (Yirmiyahu 48:15), they have gone down to the slaughter, is one like it, and so with a past verb in words of rebuke, כֻּלְּכֶם פְּשַׁעְתֶּם בִּי (Yirmiyahu 2:29), all of you have rebelled against Me.
Being cut off, and cutting off
וְנִכְרַת מֵֽעַמָּֽיו (Shemos 30:33), he is cut off from his people; וְנִכְרְתָה הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִוא (Vayikra 7:20), that soul is cut off; הִכָּרֵת תִּכָּרֵת (Bamidbar 15:31), it is surely cut off; אַֽחֲרִית רְשָׁעִים נִכְרָֽתָה (Tehillim 37:38), the end of the wicked is cut off. Where another does the cutting, וְהִכְרַתִּי לְאַחְאָב (Melachim II 9:8), I will cut off from Achav, and לְהַכְרִית הַֽצְפַרְדְּעִים (Shemos 8:5), to cut off the frogs. וְלוֹא נַכְרִית מֵהַבְּהֵמָה (Melachim I 18:5) is that we not cut the city off from the beasts.
The man who cannot beget
וּכְרוּת שָׁפְכָה (Devarim 23:2) is one whose member has been cut, so that it no longer shoots the stream of seed like an arrow but pours and dribbles, and he does not beget.
The Kereisi
וְהַכְּרֵתִי וְהַפְּלֵתִי (Melachim I 1:38), the Kereisi and the Peleisi, were two families in Yisrael whose name was so, and Targum Yonasan renders them as archers and slingers. But נֶגֶב הַכְּרֵתִי (Shmuel I 30:14), the Negev of the Kereisi, is of the Pelishtim, as it says of them גּוֹי כְּרֵתִים (Tzefaniah 2:5), the nation of the Kereisim.
Cut timber
כְּרֻתֹת אֲרָזִֽים (Melachim I 6:36), which he explains as beams of cedar, cut and well hewn; and כִּרְתוּ עֵצָה (Yirmiyahu 6:6), cut down timber, has a chirik under its first root letter.
כָּרַת י"י אֶת־אַבְרָם בְּרִית לֵאמֹר (בראשית טו, יח). כָּֽרְתוּ יַעְרָהּ נְאֻם י"י (ירמיה מו, כג) יש מחלוקת בקריאת המלה הזאת יש שקורין אותה בקמץ חטף ואומרים שהיא צווי, ויש שקורין אותה בהעמדה, וכן מצאנוה בספרים מדוייקים הכ"ף מעמדת בגעיא. והוא הנכון ויהיה עבר במקום עתיד יִכְרְתוּ יַעְרָהּ, כי כן דרך המקרא במקומות רבים ובדברי הנבואה הרבה מאד. וסמך נְאֻם אל פעל עבר אף על פי שאינו מן המנהג בדברי הנבואה, הנה נא כמוהו יָֽרְדוּ לַטָּבַח נְאֻם־הַמֶּלֶךְ י"י צְבָאֹות שְׁמֹֽו (ירמיה מח, טו), וכן עם פעל עבר בדברי תוכחה כֻּלְּכֶם פְּשַׁעְתֶּם בִּי נְאֻם־י"י (ירמיה ב, כט). נִכְרָת־בְּרִית לֵאלֹהֵינוּ (עזרא י, ג), וַיִּכְרְתוּ בְרִית בִּבְאֵר שָׁבַע (בראשית כא, לב), הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי כֹּרֵת בְּרִית (שמות לד, י), כְּרָת־לָנוּ בְרִית (שמואל א' יא, א), אָלוֹת שָׁוְא כָּרֹת בְּרִית (הושע י, ד), וַיִּכְרֹת יְהֽוֹנָתָן עִם־בֵּית דָּוִד (שמואל א' כ, טז), בִּכְרָת־בְּנִי עִם־בֶּן־יִשַׁי (שמואל א' א' כב,. כִּרְתוּ עֵצָה (ירמיה ו, ו), בחירק פ"א הפעול. וּכְרוּת שָׁפְכָה (דברי כג, ב). וְכָתַב לָהּ סֵפֶר כְּרִיתֻת (דברי כד, א). והקבוץ וָאֶתֵּן אֶת־סֵפֶר כְּרִֽיתֻתֶיהָ אֵלֶיהָ (ירמיה ג, ח). והנפעל וְנִכְרַת מֵֽעַמָּֽיו (שמות ל, לג), אַֽחֲרִית רְשָׁעִים נִכְרָֽתָה (תהלים לז, לח), וְנִכְרְתָה הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִוא (ויקרא ז, כ), הִכָּרֵת תִּכָּרֵת (במדבר טו, לא). ושלא נזכר פעלו מהדגוש [פֻּעַל] לֹֽא־כָרַּת שָׁרֵךְ (יחזקאל טז, ד), וְהָֽאֲשֵׁרָה אֲשֶׁר־עָלָיו כֹּרָתָה (שופטים ו, כח). והפעל הכבד [הִפְעִיל] וְהִכְרַתִּי לְאַחְאָב (מלכים ב' ט, ח), כִּֽי־יַכְרִית י"י אֱלֹהֶיךָ (דברים יב, כט), לְהַכְרִית הַֽצְפַרְדְּעִים (שמות ח, ה). וְלוֹא נַכְרִית מֵהַבְּהֵמָֽה (מלכים א' יח, ה), פירוש ולא נכרית העיר מהבהמה. ושלא נזכר פעלו [הָפְעַל] הָכְרַת מִנְחָה וָנֶסֶךְ (יואל א, ט), ידוע. ופירוש כרות שפכה שנכרת הגיד ושוב אינו יורה כחץ קלוח הזרע אלא שופך ושותת ואינו מוליד. וְהַכְּרֵתִי וְהַפְּלֵתִי (מלכים א' א, לח), שתי משפחות היו בישראל ששמם כך. ויונתן תרגם וְקַשָׁתַיָא וְקַלָעַיָא. אבל נֶגֶב הַכְּרֵתִי (שמואל א' ל, יד), הוא מפלשתים, כמו שנאמר עליהם גּוֹי כְּרֵתִים (צפניה ב, ה), וְהִכְרַתִּי אֶת־כְּרֵתִים (יחזקאל כה, טז) כְּרֻתֹת אֲרָזִֽים (מלכים א' ו, לו), פירוש קורות ארזים כרותות וחטובות היטב.
ע-ר-ר
Childless: the עֲרִירִי is a man alone, with no children.
The whole entry
וְאָֽנֹכִי הוֹלֵךְ עֲרִירִי (Bereishis 15:2), and I go childless, which he glosses as alone, without children; and likewise כִּתְבוּ אֶת־הָאִישׁ הַזֶּה עֲרִירִי (Yirmiyahu 22:30), write this man down childless. On עֲרִירִים יִֽהְיֽוּ (Vayikra 20:21), they shall be childless, Chazal said (Yevamos 55a) that even if he has children he buries them, and they are left without children. עֲרִירִים יָמֻֽתוּ (Vayikra 20:20), they shall die childless, is read as their having no children.
וְאָֽנֹכִי הוֹלֵךְ עֲרִירִי (בראשית טו, ב), יחיד בלא בנים. וכן כִּתְבוּ אֶת־הָאִישׁ הַזֶּה עֲרִירִי (ירמיה כב, ל). עֲרִירִים יִֽהְיֽוּ (ויקרא כ, כא), אמרו רבותינו ז"ל (יבמות נה, ע"א) אף על פי שיש לו בנים קוברן ויהיו בלא בנים. עֲרִירִים יָמֻֽתוּ (ויקרא כ, כ), שלא יהיו להם בנים.
Radak, Sefer HaShorashim, Berlin 1847. Public domain, digitised by Sefaria from the National Library of Israel.
Sources
Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein, "Karet and Ariri," What's in a Word?, Ohr Somayach, 1 June 2019.
Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein, "Karet and Ariri," What's in a Word? Synonyms in the Hebrew Language (book manuscript).
Cited in the essay: Mishnah Kerisos 1:1; Devarim 24:1; Pappenheim, Yerios Shlomo and Cheshek Shlomo; Rabbi Yaakov Tzvi Mecklenburg, HaKsav VeHaKabbalah to Shemos 31:14 and Vayikra 4:13; Nefesh HaChaim 1:18; Ramban and Rabbeinu Bachya to Vayikra 18:29; Bamidbar 15:31; Yerushalmi Bikkurim 2:1 with Bamidbar 4:18 and 8:25; Moed Katan 28a; Ibn Ezra to Bereishis 17:14; Bereishis 15:2; Yirmiyahu 22:30; Vayikra 20:20 and 20:21; Rashi to Shabbos 25b; Tosafos and Tosafos Yeshanim to Yevamos 2a; Shadal to Bereishis 15:2; Rabbi Shlomo Astruc to Bereishis 15:1.