הלכה על מנחות 53:26
Sefer HaMitzvot
And this principle is very subtle in its understanding. And I will explain the nature of its subtlety: It is understood concerning everything about which the Sages, may their memory be blessed, said, "X and y impede one another" - like the four species of the lulav - that it is one commandment. Likewise the bread of display and the pure frankincense that is made with it - as their words about this are (Menachot 27a), "The bread of display and the bowls (of frankincense) impede one another." So it is clear that it is one commandment. Likewise anything about which it is understood that the desired outcome is not accomplished by one of the parts - it is then understood that their combination is the matter that is counted. This is like recognition of someone with tsaraat; as it is understood by you that were his clothes rent, but he did not leave his head bare, and he did not cover over his upper lip and he did not call out, "Impure, impure" - he will not have done anything. For his recognition will not be accomplished until he does all of them. And likewise is his purification not accomplished without all that is mentioned about the birds, the cedar wood, the fabric dyed scarlet and the shaving. However the point of difficulty is in the things about which they said, "They do not impede one another." For one would have thought that since each one of these parts do not require their counterpart, each one would be a separate commandment. As with their saying (Menachot 38a), "The blue-purple (tekhelet) is not impeded by the white, and the white is not impeded by the blue-purple" - it would have been possible for us to say that the white and the blue-purple be counted as two commandments. This is if we had not found a clear statement [otherwise] from them in the Mekhilta of Rabbi Yishmael. It says there, "It is possible that they are two commandments, the commandment of the white and the commandment of the blue-purple. [Hence] we learn to say (Numbers 15:39), 'That shall be your tzitzit (fringes)' - it is one commandment and not two commandments." So it has been already made clear to you that even parts that do not impede one another sometimes constitute one commandment - when their content is singular. For the intention of the tzitzit, is "in order that you should remember" (Numbers 15:40). If so - that the principle of the required thing is the remembering - it is counted as one commandment. Behold that it follows that in the count of the commandments, we may not look at their saying, it impedes or it does not impede - but rather only at the content. Is the content singular or is it multiple? [This is] as we explained in the ninth principle of these principles that we are trying to elucidate.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Sefer HaChinukh
From the laws of the commandment is that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Sifra, Emor Chapter 18 5) that in each array, they would put a vessel that would have a fistful of frankincense in it, as it is stated (Leviticus 24:7), "And you shall set on the array," meaning to say on each one of them, "pure frankincense" - and this vessel is called a bazakh (bowl), And [that which] they, may their memory be blessed, said (Menachot 26a) that [the absence of one of] the two sets [of loaves] impinges on the other, and [that] the two bowls impinge upon one another; that they would remove the bread and arrange other bread immediately, from one Shabbat day to another Shabbat day (Menachot 99b); [that] that which they take out is what is split by the two shifts, the incoming [one] and the departing [one], along with the high priest, and they [would all] eat it (Yoma 17b); and how it was arranged, that four would come in with the bread and the bowls, and four would precede them to take the [old] bread from upon the table. And they, may their memory be blessed, said (Menachot 99b) that they would orchestrate [it], that in their setting them down, the [edge] of [the new one] would be alongside the [edge] of the [old one] - to fulfill that which it states, "before Me always," And the form of the bread; how was the matter of its placement, such that it [be exposed] to the air; and the rest of its details - are [all] elucidated in the eleventh chapter of Menachot (see Mishneh Torah, Laws of Daily Offerings and Additional Offerings 5).
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy