Menachot 123

כיצד עושה מניח אימורין על פיסת היד וחזה ושוק עליהן ובכל מקום שיש לחם הלחם מלמעלה

How was it arranged?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the waving.');">¹</span> The sacrificial portions were put upon the palm of the hand and the breast and thigh above them; and whenever there were cakes [to be waved] the cakes were always on top, Where [is this seen]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the cakes were put on top.');">²</span>

היכא אמר רב פפא במלואים

- R'Papa said, At the consecration [of the priests].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. Lev. VIII, 26, 27. where it is expressly stated that the cakes were put on top.');">³</span> Why is it so?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the breast and thigh shall be placed above the sacrificial portions i.e., above the fat.');">⁴</span>

מאי טעמא אילימא משום דכתיב (ויקרא י, טו) שוק התרומה וחזה התנופה על אשי החלבים יביאו להניף תנופה והכתיב (ויקרא ז, ל) את החלב על החזה יביאנו

Shall I say it is because it is written, The thigh of heaving and the breast of waving they shall put upon the fat of the fire-offering, to wave it for a wave-offering?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. X, 15.');">⁵</span> But is it not also written, He shall bring the fat upon the breast?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. VII, 30.');">⁶</span>

אמר אביי ההוא דמייתי ליה כהן מבית המטבחיים ורמי ליה

- Abaye answered, The latter refers to the manner in which the priest brings them from the slaughtering place and turns them over [into the hands of the priest that is about to wave them].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that now in the hands of the priest that waves them the breast and thigh are above the fat.');">⁷</span> But is it not also written, And they put the fat upon the breasts?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. IX, 20.');">⁸</span>

והכתיב (ויקרא ט, כ) וישימו את החלבים על החזות ההוא דיהיב ליה לכהן אחרינא ואזיל ומקטר ליה

- This refers to the handing over of these to the priest that is about to burn them.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The priest that waved them when handing them to another priest to be burnt would naturally turn them over into that other priest's hands, so that now the fat would be on top.');">⁹</span> These verses incidentally teach us that three priests are required [for this part of the service], as it is said, In the multitude of people is the king's glory.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. XIV, 28. kg');">¹⁰</span>

והא קא משמע לן דבעינן שלשה כהנים משום דכתיב (משלי יד, כח) ברוב עם הדרת מלך:

THE TWO LOAVES AND THE TWO LAMBS OF PENTECOST. Our Rabbis taught: [It is written,] And the priest shall wave then, upon ['al] the bread of the firstfruits [for a wave-offering before the Lord upon ['al] the two lambs].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXIII, 20. The Heb. usually connotes 'upon', but this term precedes 'the bread' and also 'the two lambs', hence the difficulty as to which was in fact 'upon' the other.');">¹¹</span>

ושתי הלחם ושני כבשי עצרת [וכו']: תנו רבנן (ויקרא כג, כ) והניף הכהן אותם על לחם הביכורים

I might think that he should put the lambs upon the bread, the text therefore states, Upon the two lambs.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXIII, 20. The Heb. usually connotes 'upon', but this term precedes 'the bread' and also 'the two lambs', hence the difficulty as to which was in fact 'upon' the other.');">¹¹</span> If [I had only the expression] 'upon the two lambs' [to go by], I might think that he should put the bread upon the lambs, the text therefore states, 'upon the bread of the firstfruits'.

יכול יניח כבשים על גבי הלחם תלמוד לומר על שני כבשים אי על שני כבשים יכול לחם על גבי כבשים תלמוד לומר על לחם הביכורים

Now the verse is equally balanced and I know not whether the bread shall be upon the lambs or the lambs upon the bread; since, however, we find that in all cases the bread is on top, then here, too, the bread shall be on top. .<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra p. 365, n. 8.');">¹²</span>

נישתקל הכתוב ואיני יודע אם לחם על גבי כבשים ואם כבשים על גבי לחם מה מצינו בכל מקום לחם למעלה אף כאן לחם למעלה היכא אמר רב פפא במילואים

R'Jose B'ha-Meshullam says, The lambs shall be on top. And how can I explain, 'Upon the two lambs'?

רבי יוסי בן המשולם אומר כבשים למעלה ומה אני מקיים על שני כבשים להוציא שבעה

to exclude the seven lambs.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The seven lambs brought as burnt-offerings with the bread (ibid. 18) were not waved with it.');">¹³</span> Hanina B'Hakinai says, He must put the two loaves between the thighs of the lambs and wave them;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He must lay down the lambs on their sides, place the loaves between their legs, i.e., above the lower but beneath the upper leg, and thus wave them.');">¹⁴</span>

חנינא בן חכינאי אומר מניח שתי הלחם בין ירכותיהן של כבשים ומניף ונמצא מקיים שני מקראות הללו לחם על גבי כבשים וכבשים על גבי הלחם אמר רבי לפני מלך בשר ודם אין עושין כן לפני מלך מלכי המלכים הקב"ה עושין כן אלא מניח זה בצד זה ומניף

thus fulfilling both verses, the bread upon the lambs and the lambs upon the bread. Said Rabbi, Surely before a king of flesh and blood one would not do so,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It is most undignified to present the bread in this manner.');">¹⁵</span>

והא בעינן על א"ל רב חסדא לרב המנונא ואמרי לה רב המנונא לרב חסדא רבי לטעמיה דאמר על בסמוך

how much less before the King of Kings, the Holy One, blessed be He! Therefore, he should put one beside the other and wave them. But we have to conform with [the expression] 'al!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which usually means 'upon'.');">¹⁶</span>

דתניא (ויקרא כד, ז) ונתת על המערכת לבונה זכה רבי אומר על בסמוך אתה אומר על בסמוך או אינו אלא על ממש כשהוא אומר (שמות מ, ג) וסכות על הארון את הפרוכת הוי אומר על בסמוך:

- R'Hisda said to R'Hamnuna (others say, R'Hamnuna said to R'Hisda) , Rabbi follows his general view that 'al means 'near to'; as it was taught: It is written, And thou shalt put pure frankincense 'ai each row.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXIV, 7, with reference to the two rows of the Shewbread.');">¹⁷</span> Rabbi says, 'Al means near to'.

מוליך ומביא מעלה ומוריד [וכו']: אמר רבי חייא בר אבא אמר רבי יוחנן מוליך ומביא למי שהרוחות שלו מעלה ומוריד למי שהשמים והארץ שלו

You say that 'al means 'near to'; but perhaps it is not so but rather it signifies literally 'upon'? Since it states, And thou shalt put a veil 'al the ark,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XL, 3. The veil was not 'upon' the ark but 'near to' i.e., in front of it, Screening it off and serving as a partition between the holy place and the Holy of Holies.');">¹⁸</span>

במערבא מתנו הכי אמר רב חמא בר עוקבא אמר רבי יוסי בר רבי חנינא מוליך ומביא כדי לעצור רוחות רעות מעלה ומוריד כדי לעצור טללים רעים

conclude that 'al means 'near to'. AND WAVES THEM FORWARD AND BACKWARD AND UPWARD AND DOWNWARD.

אמר רבי יוסי בר רב אבין זאת אומרת שירי מצוה מעכבים את הפורענות דהא תנופה שירי מצוה היא ועוצרת רוחות רעות וטללים רעים אמר רבה וכן לולב

R'Hiyya B'Abba said in the name of R'Johanan, FORWARD AND BACKWARD,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., in all four directions.');">¹⁹</span> that is to Him unto Whom the [four] directions belong; UPWARD AND DOWNWARD, that is to Him unto Whom heaven and earth belong.

רב אחא בר יעקב ממטי ליה ומייתי ליה ומחוי הכי ואמר גירא בעינא דשטנא ולאו מילתא היא משום דאתי לאתגרויי ביה

In the West<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In Palestine.');">²⁰</span> it was taught as follows: R'Hama B''Ukba said in the name of R'Jose B'R'Hanina, FORWARD AND BACKWARD, in order to keep off violent winds; UPWARD AND DOWNWARD, in order to keep off harmful dews.

תנו רבנן זבחי שלמי צבור טעונין תנופה לאחר שחיטה ותנופתן כמות שהן דברי רבי חכמים אומרים בחזה ושוק

R'Jose son of R'Abin said, This proves that even the dispensable rites of a precept<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'the remainder of a precept', i.e., those rites which even if omitted do not affect the validity of the service. Among such are the rites of laying on the hands and waving.');">²¹</span> [when performed] ward off punishment, for the rite of waving is dispensable in the precept and yet it keeps off violent winds and harmful dews.

במאי קא מיפלגי אמר ליה רב חסדא לרב המנונא ואמרי לה רב המנונא לרב חסדא בדון מינה ומינה בדון מינה ואוקי באתרה קא מיפלגי

Rabbah said, Likewise with the lulab.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The palm branch required for the Festival of Tabernacles must be waved in the same manner as the waving of the offering. viz., 10 the four directions and upward and downward.');">²²</span> R'Aha B'Jacob used to swing it forward and backward, and hold it out and say, 'An arrow in the eyes of Satan!'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' An expression of defiance, as if to say, 'I defy you Satan!' Or: 'this is an arrow or weapon against your wiles, Satan!' (R. Gershom) .');">²³</span>

רבנן סברי דון מינה ומינה מה זבחי שלמי יחיד טעונין תנופה לאחר שחיטה אף זבחי שלמי צבור טעונין תנופה לאחר שחיטה ומינה מה התם בחזה ושוק אף הכא נמי בחזה ושוק

But it is not proper to do so, for it is a challenge [to Satan contend with him. Our Rabbis taught: The peace-offerings of the community require waving [also] after they are slaughtered, and the waving must be of them as they are.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the whole of the slaughtered beast must be waved and not only the breast and thigh.');">²⁴</span>

ורבי סבר דון מינה ואוקי באתרה מה זבחי שלמי יחיד טעונין תנופה לאחר שחיטה אף זבחי שלמי צבור טעונין תנופה לאחר שחיטה ואוקי באתרה התם הוא דחזה ושוק אבל הכא כמות שהן כמות שהן בחיים

So Rabbi. But the Sages say, Only of the breast and thigh. Wherein do they differ? - R'Hisda said to R'Hamnuna (others say, R'Hamnuna said to R'Hisda) , They differ as to whether we say 'Deduce from it and again from it', or 'Deduce from it and establish it in its own place'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Whenever a subject is inferred from another by means of analogy or by 'the common features' the question always arises as to the extent to which the inference must be carried. The rule 'deduce from it and again from it' clearly suggests that the two subjects must in the end be brought to absolute agreement on every point. On the other hand, 'deduce from it and establish it in its place' suggests that the inference is to be made with regard to one point only, and as for the rest each subject is regulated by the rules governing its other aspects.');">²⁵</span> The Rabbis maintain the principle, 'Deduce from it and again from it'. ['Deduce from it':] as the individual's peace-offering requires waving after it is slaughtered, so the peace-offerings of the community also require waving after they are slaughtered; and 'again from it': just as the waving there<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The individual's peace-offering.');">²⁶</span> is of the breast and thigh, so here it is also of the breast and thigh. Rabbi, however, maintains the principle 'Deduce from it and establish it in its own place'. ['Deduce from it':] as the individual's peace-offering requires waving after it is slaughtered, so the peace-offerings of the community also require waving after they are slaughtered; and 'establish it in its own place': whereas there<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The individual's peace-offering.');">²⁶</span> the waving is of the breast and thigh only, here it is of them as they are, that is, as they are when alive.