Menachot 189

מיתיבי כמין כוורת היה לה בתנור ודומה כמין טבלא מרובעת אימא ופיה דומה כמין טבלא מרובעת

An objection was raised: There was in the oven [a mould] in the form of a bee-hive,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., perforated like a bee-hive (Tosaf.) .');">¹</span> and it resembled a square plate!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' in this mould the cake was baked (v. supra p. 577) . It is evident, however, that the cake was not v-shaped, but had a square base, like the bottom of a box.');">²</span>

תניא כמאן דאמר כמין ספינה רוקדת דתניא ארבעה סניפין של זהב היו שם מפוצלין מראשיהן כמין דקרנין היו שסומכין בהן את הלחם שהוא דומה כמין ספינה רוקדת

- Render: the top of it resembled a square plate.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But the sides narrowed downwards until they joined together; i.e., v-shaped.');">³</span> There is [a Baraitha] taught which agrees with the view that they were like a ship's keel.

איבעיא להו לחם הפנים נפסל במסעות או אינו נפסל במסעות רבי יוחנן ורבי יהושע בן לוי חד אמר נפסל וחד אמר אינו נפסל

For it was taught There were four golden props there which put forth branches on top like brackets, and these supported the cakes which resembled a ship's keel. The question was raised: Was the Shewbread rendered invalid on the journeys,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When the camp was about to break up and Israel was ordered to set forth on their journeys, the Tabernacle was dismantled Fig. 2 and its parts carried by the Levites. Now the only offering that was continually in progress a=props; b=cakes; c=rods. in the Tabernacle was the Shewbread, for every Sabbath fresh bread was set upon the table and the old bread which had stood for seven days on the table was removed and consumed by the priests. The question here is, whether the Shewbread was immediately rendered invalid on the dismantling of the Tabernacle or not.');">⁴</span>

מאן דאמר נפסל דכתיב (במדבר ב, יז) כאשר יחנו כן יסעו מה בחנייתו נפסל ביוצא אף בנסיעתו נפסל ביוצא

or not? - R'Johanan and R'Joshua B'Levi [hold different views]. One said, it was rendered invalid.

מאן דאמר אינו נפסל דכתיב (במדבר ד, ז) ולחם התמיד עליו יהיה

The other said, It was not rendered invalid. One said, It was rendered invalid, because it is written, As they encamp so they shall journey;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. II, 17.');">⁵</span>

ואידך נמי הא כתיב (במדבר ב, יז) כאשר יחנו כן יסעו לאידך גיסא מה בחנייתו כי לא יצא ממקומו לא מיפסיל אף בנסיעתו כי לא יצא ממקומו לא מיפסיל

therefore as when they encamped it was rendered invalid by being taken outside [the curtains of the Tabernacle], so when they journeyed it was rendered invalid, since it was taken outside [the Tabernacle].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the Tabernacle has now been dismantled.');">⁶</span> The other says, It was not rendered invalid, because it is written, And the continual bread shall remain thereon.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. IV, 7. I.e., even though the Tabernacle has been dismantled the bread is still holy.');">⁷</span>

ואידך נמי הא כתיב ולחם התמיד עליו יהיה אלא כי אתא רב דימי אמר במסודר דכולי עלמא לא פליגי אלא כי פליגי במסולק

And the other? Is there not written, As they encamp so they shall journey? - This means quite the reverse: just as when they encamped it was not rendered invalid if it had not been taken outside [the Tabernacle], so when they journeyed it was not rendered invalid if it had not been taken outside.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., so long as it had not been removed from the table it was valid.');">⁸</span>

מאן דאמר נפסל דכתיב כאשר יחנו כן יסעו מה בחנייתו נפסל ביוצא אף בנסיעתו מיפסל ביוצא

And the other? Is there not written, And the continual bread shall remain thereon? - The fact is that when R'Dimi came [from Palestine] he reported as follows: As regards [the bread] that was still set [on the table] they do not differ,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That bread was certainly valid, for the last mentioned verse states that so long as the bread was on the table it remained in its sanctity.');">⁹</span>

למאן דאמר אינו נפסל דכתיב (במדבר ב, יז) ונסע אהל מועד אף על פי שנסע אהל מועד הוא

they differ only regarding the bread that had been removed.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But which had not yet been consumed by the priests (Rashi) . According to R. Gershom the reference is to the bread that was set before the Lord but which had for some reason or other been taken off the table at the time of the dismantling of the Tabernacle.');">¹⁰</span> He who said, It was rendered invalid, [argued thus:] It is written, 'As they encamp so they shall journey': therefore just as when they encamped it was rendered invalid by being taken outside [the Tabernacle], so when they journeyed it was rendered invalid, since it was taken outside.

ואידך נמי הכתיב כאשר יחנו כן יסעו לאידך גיסא מה בחנייתו כי לא מפיק ליה לא מיפסיל אף בנסיעתו כי לא מפיק ליה לא מיפסיל

But he who said, It was not rendered invalid, [argued thus:] It is written, Then the tent of meeting shall set forward;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. II, 17.');">⁵</span> thus even though they had set forth it was still the tent of meeting.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And the bread remained in its sanctity.');">¹¹</span>

ואידך נמי הא כתיב ונסע אהל מועד ההוא לדגלים הוא דאתא

And the other? Is there not written, 'As they encamp so they shall journey'? - It means quite the reverse; just as when they encamped it was not rendered invalid if it had not been taken outside [the Tabernacle], so when they journeyed it was not rendered invalid if it had not been taken outside.

ואידך (במדבר ב, יז) ממחנה הלוים בתוך המחנות נפקא

And the other? Is there not written, 'And the tent of meeting shall set forward'? - That only comes to teach us the [order of the] standards.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. the arrangement of the camp and the order of the march.');">¹²</span>

מיתיבי בשעת סילוק מסעות קדשים נפסלין ביוצא וזבין ומצורעין משתלחין חוץ למחיצתן מאי לאו אפילו לחם הפנים לא בר מלחם הפנים

And the other? - He derives [the order of the standards] from the verse, The camp of the Levites in the midst of the camps.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. II, 17.');">¹³</span> An objection was raised: When [the Tabernacle] was dismantled for journeying consecrated things became invalid since they were outside [the Tabernacle]; none the less persons suffering from an issue and lepers were to be put outside their respective bounds.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The leper was excluded from the whole camp, while those afflicted with issues were permitted to remain in the camp of Israel but were excluded from the Sanctuary proper and from the Levite encampment.');">¹⁴</span>

מה נפשך אי אהל מועד דוקא הוא אפילו קדשים נמי אי אהל מועד לאו דוקא הוא אפילו לחם הפנים נמי

Now this applies, does it not, also to the Shewbread? - No, [it applies to everything] except the Shewbread. But what is your view?

אלא כי אתא רבין אמר מר אמר במסודר ומר אמר במסולק ולא פליגי

If you hold that it is still the ten of meeting<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Even though the Tabernacle has been dismantled.');">¹⁵</span> then the consecrated things should also [not become invalid], and if you hold that it is no more the tent of meeting then even the Shewbread should [become invalid]! - Rather [the true position is] as reported by Rabin when he came [from Palestine]: One stated his view<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That it was not invalid.');">¹⁶</span>

אמר אביי שמע מינה יש סילוק מסעות בלילה דאי סלקא דעתך אין סילוק מסעות בלילה אימת מדלי לצפרא מאי איריא משום יוצא תיפוק לי דאיפסיל ליה בלינה

in respect of [the Shewbread] that was still set [on the table], while the other stated his view<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That it became invalid.');">¹⁷</span> in respect of [the Shewbread] that had been removed, and so they do not differ at all.

פשיטא (שמות יג, כא) ללכת יומם ולילה כתיב מהו דתימא הני מילי היכא דעקור ביממא אבל היכא דלא עקור ביממא בליליא לא מצו עקרי קא משמע לן

Abaye said, This<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The statement in the foregoing Baraitha that all consecrated things at the dismantling of the Tabernacle became invalid on the ground of being 'outside'.');">¹⁸</span> proves that the Tabernacle could be dismantled for journeying at night,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., if the cloud was lifted (which was the signal for the people to march onward, cf. Num. IX, 17ff) at night, the Tabernacle was immediately dismantled and the people straightway set forth on their journey and did not wait till the morning.');">¹⁹</span>

ורמינהי הוגללו הפרוכת הותרו הזבין ומצורעין ליכנס לשם אמר רב אשי לא קשיא הא ר' אליעזר הא רבנן דתניא

for should you hold that the Tabernacle could not be dismantled for journeying at night, but it was taken to parts only in the morning, then why [did the consecrated things become invalid] on the ground of being taken outside the Tabernacle? Surely they became invalid by being kept overnight! Is not this obvious? Holy Writ expressly says, That they might go by day and by night!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XIII, 21.');">²⁰</span> - I might have thought that that was so<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That they journeyed by night.');">²¹</span> only when they had already set out by day, but if they had not set out by day they would not set out at night; we are therefore taught [that it was not so]. I can point out a contradiction [to the above teaching].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which stated that those afflicted with an issue and lepers were still excluded from the camp even when the Tabernacle was dismantled.');">²²</span> [It was taught:]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ta'an. 21b.');">²³</span> As soon as the curtains [of the Tabernacle] were folded up those that had an issue and lepers were permitted to enter [into the camp]! - R'Ashi said, This is no difficulty, for one [Baraitha]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The latter Baraitha.');">²⁴</span> represents the view of R'Eliezer, the other the view of the Rabbis. For it was taught:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Pes. 67b.');">²⁵</span>