Menachot

Ze'iri said, This1 applies only where he said ‘a meal-offering’, but where he did not say ‘a meal-offering’2 it is not so.3 R. Nahman was once sitting and reciting the above statement [of Ze'iri]. Thereupon Raba raised the following objections against R. Nahman: IF ‘OF COARSE MEAL’, HE MUST BRING IT OF FINE FLOUR. Is it not the case that he did not say ‘a meal-offering’? — No, he actually said ‘a meal-offering’. IF ‘WITHOUT OIL AND WITHOUT FRANKINCENSE’, HE MUST NEVERTHELESS BRING IT WITH OIL AND FRANKINCENSE. Is it not the case that he did not say ‘a meal-offering’? No, he actually said ‘a meal-offering’. IF ‘HALF A TENTH’, HE MUST BRING A WHOLE TENTH. Is it not the case that he did not say ‘a meal-offering’? — No, he actually said ‘a meal-offering’. If so, consider the next clause: IF ‘A TENTH AND A HALF’, HE MUST BRING TWO. But as soon as he said a meal-offering [of a tenth]’ he immediately was bound to bring a tenth, and when he added ‘and a half’ it is of no account!4 — The case must be that he said, ‘I take upon myself to bring a meal-offering of half a tenth and a tenth’; for as soon as he said ‘a meal-offering’ he immediately was bound to bring a tenth, when he added ‘half a tenth’ it was of no account, and when he finally said ‘a tenth’ he became bound to bring another tenth. If so, what can be the reason for the last statement: R. SIMEON DECLARES HIM EXEMPT, BECAUSE HE DID NOT MAKE HIS OFFERING IN THE MANNER IN WHICH PEOPLE USUALLY MAKE THEIR OFFERINGS?5 — Raba answered, R. Simeon stated this according to the view of R. Jose who maintained that a man is bound by his last words too.6 MISHNAH. A MAN MAY OFFER A MEAL-OFFERING CONSISTING OF SIXTY TENTHS AND BRING THEM IN ONE VESSEL IF7 A MAN SAID, I TAKE UPON MYSELF TO OFFER SIXTY TENTHS’, HE MAY BRING THEM IN ONE VESSEL. BUT IF HE SAID, I TAKE UPON MYSELF TO OFFER SIXTY-ONE TENTHS’, HE MUST BRING SIXTY IN ONE VESSEL AND THE ONE IN ANOTHER VESSEL; FOR SINCE THE CONGREGATION BRING ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE FEAST [OF TABERNACLES] WHEN IT FALLS ON A SABBATH SIXTY-ONE TENTHS [AS A MEAL-OFFERING],8 IT IS ENOUGH FOR AN INDIVIDUAL THAT [HIS MEAL-OFFERING] BE LESS BY ONE TENTH THAN THAT OF THE CONGREGATION. R. SIMEON SAID, BUT SOME OF THESE [SIXTY-ONE TENTHS] ARE FOR THE BULLOCKS AND SOME FOR THE LAMBS, AND THEY MAY NOT BE MIXED ONE WITH THE OTHER!9 BUT THE FACT IS THAT UP TO SIXTY TENTHS THEY CAN BE MINGLED [IN ONE VESSEL].10 THEY SAID TO HIM, CAN SIXTY BE MINGLED [IN ONE VESSEL] AND NOT SIXTY-ONE? HE ANSWERED, SO IT IS WITH ALL THE MEASURES PRESCRIBED BY THE SAGES: A MAN MAY IMMERSE HIMSELF IN FORTY SEAHS11 OF WATER, BUT HE MAY NOT IMMERSE HIMSELF IN FORTY SE'AHS LESS ONE KORTOB.11 GEMARA. This question was asked before12 R. Judah b. Ila'i: How do we know that if a man said, ‘I take upon myself to offer Sixty-one tenths’, he must bring sixty in one vessel and the one in another vessel? R. Judah b. Ila'i, the chief speaker on all occasions,13 opened the discussion and said, Since we find that the congregation bring on the first day of the Feast [of Tabernacles] when it falls on a Sabbath sixty-one tenths, it is enough for an individual that [his meal-offering] be less by one tenth than that of the congregation. R. Simeon said to him, But some of these [sixty-one tenths] are for the bullocks and the rams and some for the lambs, with some the mixture is thick and with some it is thin,14 some are mingled in the morning and some in the evening,15 and they may not be mixed one with the other! Thereupon [R. Judah] said to him, You explain it. He replied, It is written, And every meal-offering mingled with oil or dry:16 thus the Torah says, Bring a meal-offering that can be mingled [in one vessel]. To this he objected saying, Can sixty be mingled [in one vessel] and not sixty-one? He replied, So it is with all the measures prescribed by the Sages: a man may immerse himself in forty se'ahs [of water], but he may not immerse himself in forty se'ahs less one kortob; an egg's bulk of food can convey food-uncleanness, but an egg's bulk of food less one sesame seed cannot convey food-uncleanness; [a cloth that is] three handbreadths square is susceptible to midras-uncleanness,17 but [that which is] three handbreadths square less one thread is not susceptible to midras-uncleanness. But what of it if they cannot be mingled? Have we not learnt:18 If he did not mingle it it is valid? — R. Zera answered, Wherever mingling is possible the mingling is not indispensable, but wherever mingling is not possible19 the mingling is indispensable. R. Bibi said in the name of R. Joshua b. Levi, Once a mule belonging to the house of Rabbi died, and the Sages measured the blood that flowed out therefrom [to ascertain whether there was] a quarter-log.20 R. Isaac b. Bisna raised an objection from the following: R. Joshua and R. Joshua b. Bathyra testified that the blood of carcasses was clean. Moreover R. Joshua b. Bathyra related that it once happened that wild asses were speared in the royal square for the lions, and the Festival pilgrims had to wade up to their knees in blood, and nothing was said to them about it! He21 remained silent. Thereupon R. Zerika said to him, Why does not the Master give an answer? He replied, How can I answer? Behold R. Hanin has said, It is written, And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee:22 this refers to one who buys grain from year to year;23 and thou shalt fear night and day:22 this refers to one who buys grain from week to week;24 and shalt have no assurance of thy life:25 this refers to one who has to rely upon the bread dealer. 26 this case the word ,jbn cannot stand by itself. the proper manner. offering and he is therefore entirely exempt. This view of R. Jose is to be found in Tem. 25b. meal-offering, two rams, each requiring two tenths, and fourteen lambs, each requiring one tenth; thus 39 + 4 + 14 tenths 57. In addition there were two further tenths for the two lambs of the daily offering, and two more for the two lambs of the Sabbath Additional offering; thus making a total of 61. oil, hence the mixture was thick, whereas the tenth that was brought with each lamb required three logs of oil, thus making a thin mixture. Accordingly the sixty-one tenths were not all put in one vessel. tenths up to sixty. The Mishnah here accepts the view of R. Eliezer b. Jacob. But even according to the Rabbis it will be admitted that sixty tenths with a corresponding number of logs of oil cannot well be mingled together in one vessel (v. Rashi supra 18b s.v. sjtu ohaa). offering in the morning and that offered in the evening. uncleanness like the carcass itself; cf. ‘Ed. V, 1; VIII, 1.