Menachot 150

אמר רבה איזהו דבר שצריך שני מיעוטין הוי אומר זו מנחת מאפה:

- Rabbah explained, Which meal-offering is it that needs two expressions to exclude it?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Viz., 'it' and 'thereon'.');">¹</span> You must say it is the meal-offering baked [in the oven].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For it consists of two kinds, cakes and wafers; accordingly two expressions are required to exclude this meal-offering.');">²</span> <big><b>MISHNAH: </b></big>THE MEAL-OFFERING<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., each cake.');">³</span>

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> מנחת ישראל קופל אחד לשנים ושנים לארבעה ומבדיל מנחת כהנים קופל אחד לשנים ושנים לארבעה ואינו מבדיל מנחת כהן משיח לא היה מקפלה רבי שמעון אומר מנחת כהנים ומנחת כהן משיח אין בהן פתיתה מפני שאין בהן קמיצה וכל שאין בהן קמיצה אין בהן פתיתה וכולן פותתן כזיתים:

OF AN ISRAELITE WAS FOLDED INTO TWO AND THE TWO WERE FOLDED INTO FOUR,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Thus fulfilling the precept of breaking in pieces.');">⁴</span> AND IT WAS SEVERED<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that the handful could be taken therefrom.');">⁵</span> [AT EACH BEND]; THE MEAL-OFFERING OF PRIESTS WAS FOLDED INTO TWO AND THE TWO WERE FOLDED INTO FOUR, BUT IT WAS NOT SEVERED;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since the handful was not taken from it but it was wholly burnt.');">⁶</span>

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> תנו רבנן פתות יכול לשנים תלמוד לומר פתים אי פתים יכול יעשנה פירורין תלמוד לומר אותה אותה לפתיתים ולא פתיתה לפתיתים

THE MEAL-OFFERING OF THE ANOINTED HIGH PRIEST WAS NOT FOLDED. R'SIMEON SAYS, NEITHER THE MEAL-OFFERING OF THE PRIESTS<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. his freewill-offering, for according to R. Simeon from the priest's obligatory meal-offering the handful was taken. i,,up ih,h,p');">⁷</span> NOR THE MEAL-OFFERING OF THE ANOINTED HIGH PRIEST WAS BROKEN IN PIECES, SINCE THE HANDFUL WAS NOT TAKEN FROM THEM, AND WHENEVER THE HANDFUL IS NOT TAKEN [FROM THE OFFERING] IT IS NOT TO BE BROKEN IN PIECES.

הא כיצד מנחת ישראל קופל אחד לשנים ושנים לארבעה ומבדיל מנחת [כהנים] וכהן משיח היה מקפלה וכו' והא אנן תנן לא היה מקפלה אמר רבה אינו מקפלה לארבעה אבל מקפלה לשנים

THEY MUST ALL BE BROKEN INTO PIECES THE SIZE OF AN OLIVE.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Reading . In the MSS., and also further in the Gemara and in Rashi, the reading is , 'All the pieces must be about the size of an olive'. The exact implication of this statement is doubtful and many interpretations have been suggested: (i) After the pieces have been folded and broken into four, they must be broken into eight, and then again into sixteen and so on until each piece is reduced to the size of an olive. This statement accordingly continues the view of the first Tanna in this Mishnah (R. Gershom and Rashi) . (ii) This statement is the expression of R. Simeon's view, that the pieces must be broken many times until each is reduced to an olive's size, this in opposition to the first Tanna who maintained that the cake was broken into four pieces only (Rashi in MS.) . (iii) Each cake must first be broken into pieces each about the size of an olive, and then the pieces must be folded into two and then into four (Maim. in Com. on Mishnah, and Bartinoro) .');">⁸</span> <big><b>GEMARA: </b></big>Our Rabbis taught: [It is written,] Thou shalt break.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. II, 6.');">⁹</span> From this expression I would say [that it must be broken] in two, the text therefore states, In pieces.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. II, 6.');">⁹</span>

רבי שמעון אומר מנחת כהנים ומנחת כהן משיח אין בהן פתיתה אמר רב יוסף האי חביצא דאית בה פירורין כזית מברכינן עליה המוציא לחם מן הארץ אי לית בה פירורין כזית מברכינן עליה בורא מיני מזונות

[From the expression] 'in pieces' I would say that it should be broken into crumbs, the text therefore states, 'It':<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. II, 6.');">⁹</span> it (0) must be broken in pieces but not the pieces into further pieces. How then must it be done?

אמר רב יוסף מנא אמינא לה דתניא היה עומד ומקריב מנחות בירושלים אומר ברוך שהחיינו וקימנו נטלן לאכלן אומר המוציא לחם מן הארץ ותנן וכולן פתיתים בכזית

The meal-offering of an Israelite was folded into two and the two into four, and it was severed [at each bend]; the meal-offering of priests and of the anointed High Priest were folded etc. But have we not learnt: [THE MEAL-OFFERING OF THE ANOINTED HIGH PRIEST] WAS NOT FOLDED? -Rabbah said, It means it was not folded into four but it was folded into two. R'SIMEON SAYS, NEITHER THE MEAL-OFFERING OF THE PRIESTS NOR THE MEAL-OFFERING OF THE ANOINTED HIGH PRIEST WAS BROKEN IN PIECES. R'Joseph said, Over habiza<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' , a dish of flour, honey and oil beaten in a pulp (Jast.) .');">¹¹</span>

אמר ליה אביי ולתנא דבי רבי ישמעאל דאמר מפרכן עד שמחזירן לסלתן הכי נמי דלא מברך המוציא

which contains pieces of bread the size of an olive the benediction is '. who bringest forth bread from the earth'. If it doe not contain pieces of bread the size of an olive the benediction is '.

וכי תימא הכי נמי והתניא ליקט מכולן כזית ואכלו אם חמץ הוא ענוש כרת אם מצה הוא אדם יוצא בהן ידי חובתו בפסח

who createst various kinds of food'. R'Joseph said, Whence do I know this? From the following teaching: If he<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. a priest who is offering his first meal-offering of the year. Another interpretation: An Israelite who is offering a meal-offering for the first time in his life.');">¹²</span>

הכא במאי עסקינן בשעירסן

was standing and offering meal-offerings [in the Temple] in Jerusalem, he says, 'Blessed art thou. who hast kept us in life and hast preserved us and enabled us to reach this season'. If he<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. the priest.');">¹³</span>

אי הכי היינו דקתני עלה והוא שאכלן בכדי אכילת פרס ואי בשעירסן שאכלו מיבעי ליה אלא הכא במאי עסקינן בבא מלחם גדול

took them to eat he says the benediction. - who bringest forth bread from the earth'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The benediction prescribed for bread.');">¹⁴</span> And we have learnt: THEY MUST ALL BE BROKEN INTO PIECES THE SIZE OF AN OLIVE.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence over food containing pieces of bread the size of an olive one must say the benediction .. - who bringest forth bread from the earth'.');">¹⁵</span>

מאי הוי עלה רב ששת אמר אפילו פירורין שאין בהן כזית אמר רבא והוא דאיכא תוריתא דנהמא עלייהו:

Abaye said to him, Then according to the Tanna of the School of R'Ishmael who said, 'He must crumble [the meal-offerings] until they have been reduced to the fineness of the flour of which they had been made', it would not be necessary to say the benediction 'who bringest forth' -<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since there are no pieces the size of an olive.');">¹⁶</span> And should you say that it is so, but it has been taught:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Ber. 37b.');">¹⁷</span> If a man gathered together crumbs from all of them<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. from the five species of grain, v. supra p. 414 (Tosaf.) .');">¹⁸</span> the size of an olive and ate them [on the Passover], if they were leavened he has thereby incurred the penalty of kareth,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Glos.');">¹⁹</span> but if unleavened he fulfils therewith his obligation on Passover!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Thus crumbs when collected unto an olive's bulk are regarded as bread, consequently one must say over them the benediction 'who bringest forth'.');">²⁰</span> -We are dealing here<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the 'Baraitha quoted from Ber.');">²¹</span> with the case where he pressed [the crumbs] into a compact mass.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Making one piece the size of an olive.');">²²</span> In that case, consider the comment on the above teaching: 'Provided he ate them<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. the crumbs.');">²³</span> in the time it takes to eat half a loaf'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., a Piece of bread equivalent in size to four eggs (according to Maim: three) . The eating of the crumbs must not be spread out over a longer space of time.');">²⁴</span> Now if he pressed them into a compact mass it should have stated 'he ate it'! - Rather we are dealing here with the case where the crumbs come from a large loaf.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since the whole loaf has not been reduced to crumbs but only a portion of it, the loose crumbs, even though each is less than an olive's bulk, are considered as of some worth, and when they make up an olive's bulk one must say over them the benediction 'who bringest forth'. Where, however, the entire cake is reduced to crumbs, as in the case of the meal-offering according to the view of the Tanna of the School of R. Ishmael, one would not have to say over them the benediction 'who bringest forth'.');">²⁵</span> What is the decision then?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Regarding the saying of the benediction for bread over pieces less than the size of an olive.');">²⁶</span> R'Shesheth said, Even though the pieces of bread [in the habiza] are not the size of an olive, [one must say the benediction 'who bringest forth']. Raba said, This is so provided they still have the semblance of bread.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the pieces of bread have not been soaked too long in the mixture so as to be reduced to a pulp.');">²⁷</span>