Menachot 152

דאמר כי האי תנא דתניא כל המנחות שריבה במדת חלתן או שמיעט במדת חלתן כשרות חוץ מלחם הפנים וחביתי כהן גדול ויש אומרים אף לחמי תודה ונזירות

is in agreement with the view of the following Tanna,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Samuel, in whose name R. Tobi b. Kisna reported the statement, accepts the view of the first Tanna in the following Baraitha.');">¹</span> for it was taught: All meal-offerings which were made into too many or too few cakes are valid, excepting the Shewbread and the griddle-cakes of the High Priest.

אמר רב הונא מנחת מאפה שאפה חלה אחת יצא מאי טעמא (מצות) מצת כתיב

Others say, Excepting also the cakes of the thank-offering and of the Nazirite-offering. R'Huna said, If for the meal-offering baked in the oven one baked only one cake,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Instead of ten cakes. ,mn');">²</span>

מתקיף לה רב פפא טעמא דכתיב מצת הא כתיב מצות לא והא גבי לחמי תודה דכתיב מצות ואמר רב טובי בר קיסנא אמר שמואל לחמי תודה שאפאן ארבע חלות יצא ההיא פליגא:

it is sufficient. Why?

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> העומר היה בא עשרון משלש סאין שתי הלחם שתי עשרונים משלש סאין לחם הפנים עשרים וארבע עשרונים מעשרים וארבע סאין:

Because the word 'unleavened' is written defectively [in Scripture].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. II, 4. The word , being written defectively, i.e., without the waw, is interpreted as though it were in the singular. ,umn');">³</span> R'Papa demurred, is this so only because 'unleavened' is written defectively, but had 'unleavened' not been written defectively it would not be so?

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> מאי טעמא כיון דמחדש אתי ומשעורין אתי עשרון מובחר לא אתי אלא משלש סאין

Behold with regard to the cakes of the thank-offering the word 'unleavened'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. VII, 12. The word is written plene and is obviously in the plural.');">⁴</span> is not written defectively, nevertheless R'Tobi B'Kisna said in the name of Samuel that if for the cakes of the thank- offering one baked only four cakes [instead of forty] it was sufficient! - That statement [of R'Tobi B'Kisna] is at variance with this.

שתי הלחם שתי עשרונות משלש סאין כיון דמחיטין אתיין אף על גב דמחדש אתיין שתי עשרונות אתו משלש סאין

<big><b>MISHNAH: </b></big>THE 'OMER CONSISTED OF ONE TENTH [OF AN EPHAH OF FLOUR] TAKEN FROM THREE SE'AHS;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In order to obtain one tenth of an ephah of the finest flour one whole ephah (three se'ahs equal one ephah) of barley was reaped, which was ground, sifted and resifted until reduced to a tenth. V. supra 63b.');">⁵</span> THE TWO LOAVES CONSISTED OF TWO TENTHS TAKEN FROM THREE SE'AHS; AND THE SHEWBREAD CONSISTED OF TWENTY-FOUR TENTHS TAKEN FROM TWENTY-FOUR SE'AHS.

לחם הפנים עשרים וארבעה עשרונות מעשרים וארבעה סאין מאי טעמא כיון דמחיטין אתו ומישן אתו עשרון מובחר אתי מסאה

<big><b>GEMARA: </b></big>[THE 'OMER etc.] Why so? -Since it was of the new produce and of barley,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For there is more offal and bran in fresh corn than in dry, and so too there is more refuse in barley than in wheat.');">⁶</span> a tenth of the fines flour could only be obtained out of three se'ahs.

תנו רבנן כל המנחות שריבה במדת עשרונן או שמיעט במדת עשרון פסולות ריבה במדת סאין שלהן או שמיעט במדת סאין שלהן כשרות:

THE TWO LOAVES CONSISTED OF TWO TENTHS TAKEN FROM THREE SE'AHS. Since it was of wheat, even though it was of the new produce, two tenths of the finest flour could be obtained out of three se'ahs.

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> העומר היה מנופה בשלש עשרה נפה שתי הלחם בשתים עשרה ולחם הפנים באחת עשרה רבי שמעון אומר לא היה להן קצבה אלא סולת מנופה כל צרכה היה מביא שנאמר (ויקרא כד, ה) ולקחת סולת ואפית אותה עד שתהא מנופה כל צרכה:

THE SHEWBREAD CONSISTED OF TWENTY-FOUR TENTHS TAKEN FROM TWENTY-FOUR SE'AHS. Why so? - Since it was of wheat and of the old produce, one tenth of the finest flour could be obtained out of one se'ah.

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> תנו רבנן בדקה בגסה בדקה בגסה ר' שמעון בן אלעזר אומר שלש עשרה נפות היו במקדש זו למעלה מזו וזו למעלה מזו עליונה קולטת סובין תחתונה קולטת סולת:

Our Rabbis taught: In all meal-offerings if the number of tenths was increased or diminished,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the prescribed number of tenths for the meal-offering which accompanied the animal offerings (three tenths for a bullock etc.) was increased or reduced (so Rashi MS. and Tosaf.) . Another explanation is: the tenth measure was filled to overflowing, or it was not quite full.');">⁷</span> it is invalid; if the number of se'ahs<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Out of which the 'Omer, or the Two Loaves, or the Shewbread was taken.');">⁸</span>

רבי שמעון אומר לא היה להן קצבה: תנו רבנן סולת ואפית אותה מלמד. שנקחת סולת

was increased or diminished, it is valid.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For Scripture only prescribes the quantity of flour to be offered but not the quantity of grain out of which the measure of flour was to be obtained.');">⁹</span> <big><b>MISHNAH: </b></big>THE 'OMER<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the flour for the 'Omer-offering. vcme ivk vhv tk');">¹⁰</span>

ומנין שאפילו חיטין תלמוד לומר ולקחת מכל מקום יכול אף בשאר מנחות כן תלמוד לומר אותה מפני החיסחון

WAS SIFTED THROUGH THIRTEEN SIEVES, THE TWO LOAVES THROUGH TWELVE, AND THE SHEWBREAD THROUGH ELEVEN. R'SIMEON SAYS, THERE WAS NO PRESCRIBED NUMBER FOR THEM,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Adopting the reading , R. Simeon clearly refers to all that has been stated previously in this and in the preceding Mishnah; accordingly it was not essential to sift the flour in a prescribed number of sieves, or to take it out of a prescribed number of se'ahs, so vcme vk vhv tk long as fine flour was obtained (Bartinoro) . In the separate editions of the Mishnah the reading is ; accordingly R. Simeon refers only to the number of siftings prescribed for the Shewbread (Rashi MS.) .');">¹¹</span>

(אמר רבי אלעזר) מאי מפני החיסחון אמר רבי אלעזר התורה חסה על ממונן של ישראל היכא רמיזא דכתיב (במדבר כ, ח) והשקית את העדה ואת בעירם:

BUT THEY BROUGHT FINE FLOUR AND SIFTED IT AS MUCH AS WAS NECESSARY, AS IT IS SAID, AND THOU SHALT TAKE FINE FLOUR AND BAKE IT:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXIV, 5.');">¹²</span> [IT MAY NOT BE BAKED] UNTIL IT IS SIFTED AS MUCH AS IS NECESSARY.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But it is immaterial through how many sieves the flour had passed.');">¹³</span>

<br><br><big><strong>הדרן עלך פרק אלו מנחות נקמצות </strong></big><br><br>

<big><b>GEMARA: </b></big>Our Rabbis taught: [It was sifted] through a fine sieve and then a coarse one, and again through a fine sieve and then a coarse one.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A coarse sieve (i.e., which has a netting of large meshes) , when sifting the ground grain, lets through the flour and retains the bran, whilst a fine sieve retains the flour and lets through the fine dust only. Here the grain was sifted thirteen times, the first time in a fine sieve and the second time in a coarse one. The third time it was sifted again in the same fine sieve as before and the fourth time in the same coarse sieve as before; thus only two sieves were in use (R. Gershom and Rashi) . According to Rashi MS. and Tosaf., thirteen sieves were used of various sizes, the last being the finest of all. On this interpretation the statement of R. Simeon son of R. Eleazar which follows merely elucidates the view of the first Tanna.');">¹⁴</span> R'Simeon son of Eleazar says, There were thirteen sieves in the Temple, one on top of the other;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The sieve below being of finer texture and of smaller meshes than the one above it.');">¹⁵</span>

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>