Menachot 197

בשלמא למאן דאמר צפון ודרום שפיר

Then according to him who said [that they stood lengthwise] from north to south it is quite in order,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the tables were almost completely on the north side of the Sanctuary, overstepping but slightly the middle line.');">¹</span> but according to him who said that they stood lengthwise from east to west [there is a difficulty].

אלא למאן דאמר מזרח ומערב מכדי שלחן כמה משוך מן הכותל שתי אמות ומחצה ואמה דידיה ושתי אמות ומחצה דביני ביני

Let us consider, how far away was the table<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. the row of tables nearest the north wall.');">²</span> from the [north] wall?

ואמה ושתי אמות ומחצה דביני ביני ואמה דידיה אישתכח דקאכיל שולחן פלגא דאמתא בדרום

Two cubits and a half;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This space provided sufficient room for two persons to walk side by side, for the priests who attended to the Shewbread walked around the tables in pairs.');">³</span> then there was one cubit [the width of the table] itself, two cubits and a half the space between the tables,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., between the north row of tables and the table of Moses.');">⁴</span>

מי סברת שלחן דמשה בהדייהו הוה יתיב לא דמידלי ליה ומנח ליה ומיתתי להו לדידהו פורתא כתלמיד היושב לפני רבו

one cubit [the width of the table] itself,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. the table of Moses.');">⁵</span> again two cubits and a half the space between the tables,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., between the table of Moses and the south row of tables.');">⁶</span>

תנו רבנן עשרה שלחנות עשה שלמה ולא היו מסדרין אלא על של משה שנאמר (מלכים א ז, מח) ואת השלחן אשר עליו לחם הפנים זהב

and one cubit [the width of the table] itself, [in all ten cubits and a half]; thus the tables had encroached to the extent of half a cubit upon the so side [of the Sanctuary]! - You have assumed, have you not, that the table of Moses stood between the two rows of tables? But it was not so, it actually stood at the head of the two rows of tables,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And was thus nearest to the Holy of Holies. Moreover, as the ground of the Temple sloped downwards from west to east, the table of Moses, being nearest the west side, was indeed on a higher elevation than the other tables.');">⁷</span>

עשר מנורות עשה שלמה ולא היו מדליקין אלא בשל משה שנאמר (דברי הימים ב יג, יא) (את) מנורת הזהב ונרותיה לבער בערב

whilst the latter stood lower down like pupils sitting before their master. Our Rabbis taught: Solomon made ten tables; they set [the Shewbread], however, only on that made by Moses, as it is written, And the table whereon the Shewbread was.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Kings VII, 48. Only one table is mentioned for the Shewbread.');">⁸</span>

רבי אלעזר בן שמוע אומר על כולם היו מסדרין שנאמר (דברי הימים ב ד, יט) את השולחנות ועליהם לחם הפנים ובכולן היו מדליקין שנאמר (דברי הימים ב ד, כ) את המנורות ונרותיהם לבערם כמשפט לפני הדביר זהב סגור

Also Solomon made ten candlesticks; they lit, however, only that of Moses, as it is written, And the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Chron. XIII, 11. Thus only one candlestick was burning every evening.');">⁹</span> R'Eleazar B'Shammua' says, On all the tables<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., sometimes on one table and sometimes on another.');">¹⁰</span>

ר' יוסי בר' יהודה אומר לא היו מסדרין אלא על של משה אלא מה אני מקיים ואת השלחנות אשר עליהם לחם הפנים זהב אלו שלשה שלחנות שהיו במקדש שנים שהיו באולם מבפנים לפתח הבית אחד של כסף ואחד של זהב

they set [the Shewbread], as it is written, And the tables whereon was the shewbread;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. IV, 19. This verse speaks of many tables used for the Shewbread.');">¹¹</span> and they lit all the candlesticks, as it is written, An the candlesticks with their lamps, that they should burn according to the ordinance before the Sanctuary, of pure gold.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 20.');">¹²</span>

על של כסף נותן לחם הפנים בכניסתו ועל של זהב ביציאתו שמעלין בקודש ולא מורידין אחד של זהב בפנים שעליו לחם הפנים תמיד

R'Jose son of R'Judah says, They set [the Shewbread] only on that of Moses; but how do I explain the verse which says, 'And the tables whereon was the Shewbread'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. IV, 19. This verse speaks of many tables used for the Shewbread.');">¹¹</span> These are the three tables that were in the Temple:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That were used in connection with the Shewbread. V. next Mishnah, infra p. 607. sjt');">¹³</span>

ומנא לן דאין מורידין אמר רבי דאמר קרא (שמות מ, יח) ויקם משה את המשכן ויתן את אדניו וישם את קרשיו ויתן את בריחיו ויקם את עמודיו

two stood inside the porch at the entrance of the House, the one of silver<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' According to the next Mishnah it was of marble, but it had a bright appearance like silver. V. however, Tosaf. infra ');">¹⁴</span> and the other of gold.

ומנלן דמעלין אמר רבי אחא בר יעקב דאמר קרא (במדבר יז, ג) את מחתות החטאים האלה בנפשותם ועשו אותם רקועי פחים ציפוי למזבח כי הקריבום לפני ה' ויקדשו ויהיו לאות לבני ישראל בתחילה תשמישי מזבח ועכשיו גופו של מזבח

On the table of silver they laid the Shewbread when it was brought in, and on the table of gold they laid the Shewbread when it was brought out, since what is holy we must raise [in honour] but not bring down. And within [the Sanctuary] was a table of gold whereon the Shewbread lay continually.

(דברים י, ב) אשר שברת ושמתם בארון תני רב יוסף מלמד שהלוחות ושברי לוחות מונחין בארון מכאן לתלמיד חכם ששכח תלמודו מחמת אונסו שאין נוהגין בו מנהג בזיון

Whence is it inferred that we may not bring down [what is holy]? - Rabbi said, From the verse, And Moses reared up the tabernacle, and laid its sockets, and set up the boards thereof, and put in the bars thereof, and reared up its pillars.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XL, 18. Moses himself completed the erection of the Tabernacle, for since he had begun it it would have been a degradation had he allowed others to complete it. Aliter: the verse opens with the expression 'reared up' and concludes also with this same expression, thus signifying that what is holy must be 'reared up' and kept exalted and not brought down.');">¹⁵</span> And whence is it inferred that we must raise up [in honour what is holy]? - R'Aha B'Jacob said, From the verse, Even the fire-pans of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, and let them be made beaten plates for a covering of the altar - for they are become holy, because they were offered before the Lord - that they may be a sign unto the children of Israel.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XVII, 3 (E. VV. XVI, 38) .');">¹⁶</span>

(סימ"ן ביט"ל סר"ח ושכ"ח)

At first they were but accessories of the altar and now they are part of the altar itself. Which thou didst break, and thou shalt put them in the ark.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. X, 2.');">¹⁷</span>

אמר ריש לקיש פעמים

R'Joseph learnt: This teaches us that both the tablets and the fragments of the tablets were deposited in the ark. Hence [we learn that] a scholar who has forgotten his learning through no fault of his<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'by reason of his misfortune'; i.e., through old age, sickness or trouble, but not through wilful neglect.');">¹⁸</span> must not be treated with disrespect.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since even the broken pieces of the tablets were also treated with sanctity and were placed in the ark.');">¹⁹</span> <br>(Mnemonic: Suppression, misdeed, forgets).<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' These words form the subject matter of the following three teachings of Resh Lakish respectively.');">²⁰</span> Resh Lakish said: There are times