Commentary for Menachot 152:15

מתני׳ <big><strong>התודה</strong></big> היתה באה חמש סאין ירושלמיות שהן שש מדבריות שתי איפות האיפה שלש סאין עשרים עשרון עשרה לחמץ ועשרה למצה

the uppermost retained the bran and the nethermost retained the fine flour. R'SIMEON SAYS, THERE WAS NO PRESCRIBED NUMBER FOR THEM. Our Rabbis taught: Fine flour and bake it:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXIV, 5.');">¹²</span> this teaches that fine flour was to be taken.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., finely sifted flour was to be bought in the market for the purpose.');">¹⁶</span> And how do we know that even grains of wheat may be brought?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And ground and sifted in the Temple.');">¹⁷</span> The text therefore states and thou shalt take', in any manner. I might think that this is s even in regard to all other meal-offerings;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That they may buy wheat and grind it and sift it in the Temple. In this way much expense would be saved.');">¹⁸</span> therefore the text states, 'It'. This is so here, having regard t sparing [expense]. What is meant by having regard to sparing'? - Said R'Eleazar, The Torah wished to spare Israel unnecessary expense.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Sifra on Lev. XIV, 36. As the Shewbread was a regular weekly offering it was permitted to buy wheat and have it prepared in the Temple so as to save expense.');">¹⁹</span> Where is this indicated? For it is written, And thou shalt give the congregation and their cattle drink.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XX, 8. The miracle of providing water for the Israelites in the wilderness was performed also out of consideration for the saving of the cattle. This last passage, 'Where is this indicated... is omitted in all MSS.');">²⁰</span> <big><b>MISHNAH: </b></big>THE THANK-OFFERING REQUIRED FIVE SE'AHS [OF FLOUR], JERUSALEM MEASURE, WHICH ARE SIX SE'AHS WILDERNESS MEASURE;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The measures which were used by the Israelites in the wilderness were later on, after the settlement in the Land of Israel, enlarged, so that the measure which was originally equal to six se'ahs was later regarded as being equal to five. In other words, each se'ah was increased by one fifth, which in Rabbinic parlance is called 'a sixth from the outside'.');">²¹</span> THIS BEING EQUIVALENT TO TWO EPHAHS (FOR AN EPHAH IS THREE SE'AHS) OR TO TWENTY TENTHS [OF AN EPHAH], TEN FOR THE LEAVENED CAKES AND TEN FOR THE UNLEAVENED.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Forty cakes were required for the thank-offering, ten leavened and thirty unleavened. The latter consisted of three kinds, ten cakes of each kind.');">²²</span>

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