Menachot 176

חוץ הוא ואי נזיר לחם נזיר בשחיטת איל הוא דקדיש

but that was outside [the camp];<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The water did not need to be hallowed for that purpose.');">¹</span> and if [to hallow the quarter-log of oil] of the Nazirite,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the measuring vessel should hallow the oil and the oil when mixed with the bread should hallow the bread.');">²</span>

אמר ליה רבי חייא שבה היה מודד לחביתי כהן גדול רביעית שמן לכל חלה וחלה קרי עליה (ישעיהו מו, יא) מארץ מרחק איש עצתי:

but the bread-offering of the Nazirite was hallowed only by the slaughtering of the ram!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But not before by the oil.');">³</span> - Said to him R'Hiyya.

חצי לוג מה היה משמש: יתיב רבי וקא קשיא ליה חצי לוג למה נמשח אי סוטה וכי חולין הוא דצריכי לקדושי (במדבר ה, יז) מים קדושים כתיב אי תודה לחמי תודה בשחיטת תודה הוא דקדשי

By it one measured the oil for the griddle-cakes of the High Priest, a quarter-log of oil for each cake.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the six cakes that were offered in the morning one log and a half of oil was used, that is, a quarter-log for each cake. Similarly for the six cakes offered in the evening.');">⁴</span> Rabbi then applied to him the verse, The man of my counsel from a far country.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Isa. XLVI, 11. R. Hiyya had come from Babylon to Palestine.');">⁵</span>

אמר ליה ר' שמעון ברבי שבו היה מחלק חצי לוג שמן לכל נר ונר אמר לו נר ישראל כך היה

FOR WHAT PURPOSE DID THE HALF-LOG SERVE? Rabbi was sitting and raised this difficulty: Wherefore was the half-log measure anointed?

אמר רבי יוחנן אמר רבי נר שכבתה נידשן השמן נידשנה הפתילה כיצד עושה מטיבה ונותן בה שמן ומדליקה

If [it was in order to hallow the water used] in the case of a suspected woman, but was it unconsecrated [water that was used]? Is it not written, Holy water?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. V, 17. As the water used was already consecrated, being taken from the laver, there was no need for a consecrated measuring vessel to hallow the water (Rashi MS. and Tosaf.) .');">⁶</span>

יתיב רבי זריקא וקא מיבעיא ליה כשהוא נותן בה שמן כמדה ראשונה או כמו שחסרה

And if [to hallow the half-log of oil] of the thank-offering, but the bread of the thank-offering was hallowed only by the slaughtering of the thank-offering!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But not before by the oil.');">³</span> Said to him R'Simeon, Rabbi's son, By it [the priest] divided the oil for the Candlestick, a half-log for each lamp.

אמר רבי ירמיה פשיטא דכמדה ראשונה דאי כמה שחסרה מנא ידעינן מאי חיסר וכי תימא דמשער ליה אם כן שבע מדות נפיש להו מדות טובא

Rabbi then exclaimed, O Lamp of Israel, it was so indeed. R'Johanan said in the name of Rabbi, If a lamp had gone out,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Each lamp was filled every evening with a half-log of oil which was estimated to burn through the night until the morning. In this case the lamp had accidentally gone out in the night.');">⁷</span>

קרי עליה (תהלים מה, ה) והדרך צלח רכב על דבר אמת וענוה צדק

both the oil and the wick have become unfit.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'have become ashes'.');">⁸</span> What must he do?

איתמר נמי אמר רבי אבהו אמר ר' יוחנן ואמרי לה אמר רבי אבא אמר רבי חנינא אמר רבי נר שכבתה נידשן השמן נידשנה הפתילה כיצד עושה מטיבה ונותן בה שמן כמדה ראשונה ומדליקה

He must clean it out, put in it fresh oil [and a fresh wick], and relight it. R'Zerika was sitting and asked the following question, When he puts in fresh oil does he put in the same quantity of oil as at first, or only the quantity needed [for the remainder of the night]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That is the amount of oil left unburnt which was thrown out.');">⁹</span>

אמר רב הונא בריה דרב יהודה אמר רב ששת נר שבמקדש של פרקים הוה

- It is obvious, said R'Jeremiah. that he puts in as much oil as at first, for should you say only the quantity needed [for the remainder of the night, the question will be asked].

קסבר כי כתיב (שמות כה, לט) ככר ומקשה אמנורה ונרותיה כתיב כיון דמיבעיא הטבה אי לאו דפרקים הוי לא הוה מטייבא ליה

How do we know how much is needed? But should you say that it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That is the amount of oil left unburnt which was thrown out.');">⁹</span>

מיתיבי כיצד עושה מסלקן ומניחן באוהל ומקנחן בספוג ונותן בהן שמן ומדליקן

can be measured,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The oil is placed in a measure before it is thrown out. lrsvu lssju');">¹⁰</span> then there must have been not only seven measures but numerous measures?

הוא דאמר כי האי תנא דתניא חכמים אומרים לא היו מזיזין אותה ממקומה

[R'Zerika] thereupon applied [to R'Jeremiah] the verse, And in thy majesty prosper, ride on, on behalf of truth and meekness and righteousness.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. XLV, 5. Cf. Shab. ');">¹¹</span> And so it has been stated: R'Abbahu said in the name of R'Johanan-others say, R'Abba said it in the name of R'Hanina who said it in the name of Rabbi - If a lamp had gone out, both the oil and the wick have become unfit.

מכלל דאיבעיא ליה לאוזוזה מצי מזיז לה אלא אימא לא היתה זזה ממקומה

What must he do? He must clean it out, put in fresh oil as much as at first, [put in a fresh wick] and relight it.

ומאן חכמים ר' אלעזר הוא דתניא רבי אלעזר ברבי צדוק אומר כמין טס של זהב היה לה על גבה כשהוא מטיבה דוחקו כלפי פיה כשהוא נותן בה שמן דוחקו כלפי ראשה

R'Huna the son of Rab Judah said in the name of R'Shesheth: The lamp [at the top of each branch of the Candlestick] in the Temple was flexible.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., separate parts'. The meaning is that although the whole Candlestick, including the lamps, was beaten () out of one piece of gold, the ends of the branches which supported the lamps were made quite thin and flexible so that the whole lamp could be turned in any direction and thus be cleaned out well.');">¹²</span> He is of the opinion that the expressions 'a talent'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XXV, 39. This word is omitted in MS.M.');">¹³</span>

ובפלוגתא דהני תנאי דתניא מנורה ונרותיה באות מן הככר ואין מלקחיה ומחתותיה מן הככר ר' נחמיה אומר מנורה היתה באה מן הככר ולא נרותיה ומלקחיה ומחתותיה באות מן הככר

and 'beaten work'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid, 31, 36.');">¹⁴</span> apply to the Candlestick and also to the lamps; and since the latter had to be cleaned out, were they not flexible, they could not very well be cleaned out.

במאי קא מיפלגי בהאי קרא דתניא (שמות כה, לט) ככר זהב טהור יעשה אותה למדנו למנורה שבאה מן הככר מנין לרבות נרותיה תלמוד לומר (שמות כה, לט) את כל הכלים האלה יכול שאני מרבה אף מלקחיה ומחתותיה תלמוד לומר אותה דברי רבי נחמיה

An objection was raised: How did he do it?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., how did the priest clean the lamps? kvut');">¹⁵</span> He removed [the lamps from the Candlestick] and put them in a cleansing mixture.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Heb. , a mineral substance used for cleansing (Jast.) . 'Among aloes' (Goldschmidt) . According to Rashi: 'in the tent', i.e., in the Temple.');">¹⁶</span>

קשיא דרבי נחמיה אדרבי נחמיה תרי תנאי ואליבא דרבי נחמיה

He then dried them with a sponge, put oil in them, and lit them!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It is evident from this Baraitha that the lamps could be removed from the Candlestick, which is contrary to R. Shesheth.');">¹⁷</span> - He<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Shesheth.');">¹⁸</span>

ר' יהושע בן קרחה אומר מנורה באה מן הככר ואין מלקחיה ומחתותיה ונרותיה באה מן הככר ואלא מה אני מקיים את כל הכלים האלה שהיו כלים של זהב

agrees with the following Tanna, for it was taught: The Sages say, They did not move it [the lamp] from its place at all. Does this mean to imply that it could be moved if one wanted to do so? - Say rather, They could not move it from its place at all.

זהב בהדיא כתיב בו (שמות כה, לז) ועשית את נרותיה שבעה והעלה את נרותיה והאיר אל עבר פניה ומלקחיה ומחתותיה זהב טהור לא נצרכא אלא לפי נרות סלקא דעתך אמינא הואיל ופי נרות אשחורי משחר התורה חסה על ממונן של ישראל

Who are 'The Sages'? - R'Eleazar son of R'Zadok is meant. For it was taught: R'Eleazar son of R'Zadok says, There was a kind of thin plate of gold over [each lamp]; when cleaning out [the lamp the priest] used to press it down towards the mouth of the lamp,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Thus ejecting all burnt-out matter.');">¹⁹</span> and when putting oil in it he used to press it down towards the back of the lamp.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Thus making a wide opening to receive the oil.');">²⁰</span> And this matter is the subject of dispute between the following Tannaim. For it was taught: The Candlestick and the lamps were made out of the talent,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The talent of pure gold used in the making of the Candlestick; cf. Ex. XXV, 39');">²¹</span> but the tongs and the snuff dishes were not made out of the talent. R'Nehemiah said, The Candlestick [only] was made out of the talent, but neither the lamps nor the tongs nor the snuff dishes were made out of the talent. Wherein do they differ? - In the exposition of the following verse. For it was taught: Of a talent of pure gold shall it be made;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. ibid.');">²²</span> we thus learn that the Candlestick was made out of the talent, but whence do I know that it included the lamps too? Because Scripture says, With all these vessels.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. ibid.');">²²</span> Then I might think that it included even the tongs and the snuff dishes; the text therefore states, It.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. ibid.');">²²</span> This is the opinion of R'Nehemiah. ²³ - Two Tannaim differ as to R'Nehemiah's view."&gt; R'Joshua B'Korha says, The Candlestick was made out of the talent, but neither the lamps nor the tongs nor the snuff dishes were made out of the talent. How then do I interpret the words 'with all these vessels'? That the vessels were of gold. But that they were of gold is expressly stated in the verses, And thou shalt make the lamps thereof seven; and they shall light the lamps thereof, to give light over against it. And the tongs thereof and the snuff dishes thereof, shall be of pure gold!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XXV, 37, 38.');">²⁴</span> - [The former verse] was stated only for the sake of the mouth of the lamp.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Where the flame is.');">²⁵</span> For I might have thought that since the mouth of the lamp becomes black the Torah has consideration for the money of Israel,