Menachot 41

אפיק עצים ועייל נסכים דתניא אבל היין והדם והעצים והקטרת אין טעונין מלח

Leave out 'the wood' and insert 'the drink-offerings' in its place. For it was taught: But the wine, the blood, the wood and the incense do not require salting. Who is the author of this Baraitha?

מני אי רבי קשיא עצים אי רבנן קשיא קטרת

If Rabbi, then the [inclusion of the] wood is a difficulty;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since according to Rabbi the wood like the meal-offering requires salting.');">¹</span> and if the Rabbis, then the [inclusion of the] incense is a difficulty.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the principle enunciated by the Rabbis, namely that every offering for which other things (sc. wood) are requisite must be seasoned with salt, assuredly applies to the incense. V. supra p. 129.');">²</span> - It is the following Tanna, for it was taught: R'Ishmael the son of R'Johanan B'Beroka says, Just as the particular item specified<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. the meal-offering, expressly mentioned in Lev. II, 13.');">³</span>

האי תנא הוא דתניא רבי ישמעאל בנו של ר' יוחנן בן ברוקה אומר מה הפרט מפורש דבר שמקבל טומאה ועולה לאשים וישנו על מזבח החיצון אף כל דבר המקבל טומאה ועולה לאשים וישנו על מזבח החיצון

is clearly something which can contract uncleanness,is consumed by fire and is offered upon the outer altar, so everything which can contract uncleanness, is consumed by fire and is offered upon the outer altar [requires salting]. Hence the wood is excluded since it cannot contract uncleanness, the blood and the wine are excluded since they are not consumed by fire, and the incense is excluded since it is not offered upon the outer altar. Now this is so<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the blood does not require salting.');">⁴</span>

יצאו עצים שאין מקבלין טומאה יצאו דם ויין שאין עולים לאשים יצאה קטרת שאינה על מזבח החיצון

clearly because the verse excluded the blood, but otherwise I should have said that the blood must be salted. Surely by salting it it loses the character of blood!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And is certainly not fit for sprinkling. '');">⁵</span> For Ze'iri said in the name of R'Hanina, If blood was cooked [and then one ate of it], one does not thereby commit a transgression.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For once it has been cooked it has lost the character of blood.');">⁶</span>

אלא טעמא דמעטיה קרא לדם הא לאו הכי הוה אמינא דם ליבעי מלח כיון דמלחיה נפיק ליה מתורת דם דאמר זעירי א"ר חנינא דם שבישלו אינו עובר עליו ורב יהודה אמר זעירי דם שמלחו אינו עובר עליו

And Rab Judah said in the name of Ze'iri, If blood was salted [and one ate of it], one does not thereby commit a transgression.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' According to the principle that whatsoever is salted is counted as hot i.e., as roasted or cooked. V. Hul. 97b.');">⁷</span> Moreover Rab Judah on his own authority said, If the sacrificial limbs were roasted and then brought up [on the altar], they are no longer under the denomination of 'a sweet savour'!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And are not acceptable. Similarly cooked blood would not be acceptable.');">⁸</span> - One might have thought that in compliance with the precept a little [salt] should be sprinkled therein, we are therefore taught [that it is excluded from this law].

ורב יהודה דידיה אמר אברים שצלאן והעלן אין בהם משום לריח ניחוח

The text [above stated]: 'Ze'iri said in the name of R'Hanina, If blood was cooked [and then one ate of it] one does not thereby commit a transgression'. Raba was sitting reciting this statement, when Abaye raised against him the following objection: If a man coagulated blood<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He rendered it into a solid mass by much cooking.');">⁹</span> and ate it, or if he dissolved forbidden fat and gulped it down, he is culpable! - This is no difficulty, in the one case he coagulated it by the fire, in th other he coagulated it in the sun; if by the fire it will not resolve into its former state,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that it has lost entirely its character as blood, and therefore Ze'iri maintains that no transgression is committed when one eats thereof.');">¹⁰</span>

מהו דתימא מישדא בה משהו למצוה בעלמא קמ"ל:

if in the sun it will d so. But even though [it was coagulated] in the sun should we not say that once it has been set aside it must remain so?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., once it has lost the character of blood during coagulation, it cannot again assume that character when melted down, on the principle that once a thing has been rejected it can no more be fit again.');">¹¹</span> For did not R'Mani enquire of R'Johanan, 'What is the law if one ate congealed blood? ' and he replied, 'Once it has been set aside it must remain so'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And whosoever eats thereof - it being assumed that the congealed blood was not of a consecrated animal-does not commit a transgression.');">¹²</span>

גופא אמר זעירי א"ר חנינא דם שבישלו אינו עובר עליו יתיב רבא וקא אמר לה להא שמעתא איתיביה אביי הקפה את הדם ואכלו או שהמחה את החלב וגמעו חייב

- He<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Raba.');">¹³</span> remained silent. Then said [Abaye] to him, perhaps the one case deals with [the blood of] external<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., sin-offerings whose blood must be applied to the horns of the altar which stood in the Temple Court.');">¹⁴</span>

לא קשיא כאן שהקפה באור כאן שהקפה בחמה באור לא הדר בחמה הדר

sin-offerings,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The blood of these sin-offerings, even though hardened in the sun, is still fit for its ritual purpose, and it still retains its character as blood. Likewise the blood of non-consecrated animals when hardened by the sun is also counted as blood, and therefore whosoever eats thereof commits a transgression.');">¹⁵</span> and the other<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ze'iri's case.');">¹⁶</span> with [the blood of] internal<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., sin-offerings whose blood must be sprinkled upon the veil and upon the golden altar, e.g., the bullocks and the he-goats which were to be wholly burnt, v. Lev. IV, ff.');">¹⁷</span>

בחמה נמי לימא הואיל ואידחי אידחי דהא בעא מיניה רבי מני מר' יוחנן דם שקרש ואכלו מהו אמר ליה הואיל ונדחה ידחה אישתיק

sin-offerings.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In this case the coagulated blood is absolutely unfit for its purpose. as is soon to be explained.');">¹⁸</span> You have now, he exclaimed, reminded me of the law. For Rabbah said in the name of R'Hisda, If one ate the congealed blood of an external sin-offering, one is culpable, for the Divine Law says, And he shall take.

אמר ליה דלמא ודאי כאן בחטאות החיצוניות (החיצונות) כאן בחטאות הפנימיות

and put it,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. IV, 30.');">¹⁹</span> and such is fit for taking and putting [upon the horn of the altar]. If one ate [the congealed blood] of an internal sin-offering, one is not culpable, for the Divine Law says, And he shall dip.

אמר אדכרתן מילתא דאמר רב חסדא דם שקרש בחטאות ואכלו חייב (ויקרא ה, טז) ולקח ונתן אמר רחמנא [והאי] בר לקיחה ונתינה הוא בחטאות הפנימיות ואכלו פטור וטבל והזה אמר רחמנא והאי לאו בר טבילה והזאה הוא

and sprinkle,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 6.');">²⁰</span> and such is not fit for dipping and sprinkling. And Rabbah on his own authority said, Even if one ate [the congealed blood] of an internal sin-offering one is culpable, since with external sin-offerings [blood] in such a condition is fit for the ritual purpose.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It is therefore regarded as blood.');">²¹</span>

ורבא דידיה אמר אפילו בחטאות הפנימיות ואכלו חייב הואיל וכנגדו ראוי בחטאות החיצונות אמר רב פפא הלכך דם חמור שקרש ואכלו חייב הואיל וכנגדו ראוי בחטאות החיצונות

.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This passage is omitted in all MSS.');">²²</span> R'Giddal said in the name of Ze'iri, Blood is regarded as an interposition,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Blood adhering to the body interposes between the body and the water so that the immersion is not valid. For immersion to be valid no part of the body may be untouched by the water.');">²³</span> whether it be moist or dry.

אמר רב גידל אמר זעירי דם בין לח בין יבש חוצץ מיתיבי הדם והדיו והדבש והחלב יבשין חוצצין לחין אינן חוצצין לא קשיא הא דסריך הא דלא סריך:

An objection was raised: Blood, ink, honey and milk, if dry constitute an interposition; if moist, they do not constitute an interposition. - This is no difficulty, in one case [the blood] was viscid,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And almost dry; it therefore interposes.');">²⁴</span> in the other it was not.

תמלח למאי אתא לכדתניא במלח יכול תבונהו ת"ל תמלח אי תמלח יכול במי מלח ת"ל במלח

For what purpose does Scripture state, Thou shalt salt?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. II, 13.');">²⁵</span> - For the following which was taught: [If the verse had only stated] 'with salt',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. II, 13. uvbuc,');">²⁶</span> I might have thought that it meant tebonehu,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' . This word is explained in the text presently. ,hca, tk ,ca');">²⁷</span>

(ויקרא ב, יג) ולא תשבית מלח הבא מלח שאינה שובתת ואיזו זו מלח סדומית ומנין שאם לא מצא מלח סדומית שמביא מלח איסתרוקנית ת"ל תקריב תקריב כל שהוא תקריב מכל מקום תקריב ואפילו בשבת תקריב ואפילו בטומאה

the verse therefore stated, Thou shalt salt. [And if the verse had only stated,] Thou shalt salt, I might have thought that it meant even with salt water, the verse therefore stated, 'With salt'. Neither shalt thou suffer the salt to be lacking,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. Heb. , the verb being interpreted as of the same root as ,');">²⁸</span>

מאי תבונהו אמר רבה בר עולא הכי קאמר יכול יתבוננו כתבן בטיט אמר ליה אביי אי הכי יתבוננו מיבעי ליה אלא אמר אביי יכול יעשנו כבנין אמר ליה רבא אי הכי יבננו מיבעי ליה אלא אמר רבא יכול תבונהו

that is, bring that salt which has no Sabbath,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., is generated at all times and is cast up by the sea, both in winter and summer. This is identified with salt of Sodom, which is a fine sea salt.');">²⁹</span> and that is the salt of Sodom. And whence do we know that if one cannot obtain the salt of Sodom one may bring salt of Istria?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A town in Pontus where there were salt mines. This name is applied to all coarse rock salt.');">³⁰</span>

מאי תבונהו אמר רב אשי יכול יתן בו טעם כבינה תלמוד לומר תמלח כיצד הוא עושה מביא האבר ונותן עליו מלח וחוזר והופכו ונותן עליו מלח ומעלהו

Because the verse states, 'Thou shalt offer':<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. II, 13. uvbuc,');">²⁶</span> 'Thou shalt offer', whatever [salt] it is; 'thou shalt offer', from whatever place it comes; 'thou shalt offer', on the Sabbath;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The offerings of the congregation may be brought on the Sabbath and in certain circumstances even in conditions of uncleanness. The salting of the offering is evidently a vital service and overrides the rules of Sabbath and of uncleanness. ubbc,h ubbc,h ic,');">³¹</span> 'thou shalt offer', even in conditions of uncleanness.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The offerings of the congregation may be brought on the Sabbath and in certain circumstances even in conditions of uncleanness. The salting of the offering is evidently a vital service and overrides the rules of Sabbath and of uncleanness. ubbc,h ubbc,h ic,');">³¹</span>

אמר אביי וכן לקדירה

What is the meaning of tebonehu? - Rabbah B''Ulla said, This is what was meant: I might have thought that one should heap the salt upon it as straw in clay. If so, said to him Abaye, it should have said yetabnenu!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' (or) , denom. of 'straw', meaning 'to mix with straw', 'to put in much straw', and then to apply a large quantity (of any substance) '. ubbch');">³²</span> Rather said Abaye: I might have thought that one should pile up the salt like a building. If so, said Raba to him, it should have said yibnenu!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' , implying building up row upon row.');">³³</span> Rather said Raba: I might have thought that it meant tebonehu. And what does tebonehu mean? R'Ashi explained: I might have thought that one should apply to it [salt] only to give it a taste,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., only a small quantity of salt, just a sprinkling in order to give it a taste.');">³⁴</span> just as the understanding,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Just as the understanding gives 'taste' and distinction to man (Rashi) . Or, that one might 'understand' that salt has been sprinkled on it');">³⁵</span> the verse therefore stated, Thou shalt season. How should one do it? One takes the limb, spreads salt over it, turns it over and again spreads salt over it, and then offers it. Abaye said, And so, too, it should be done for [cooking meat in] the pot.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the meat must be salted on both sides.');">³⁶</span>