Menachot

And this is the law of the meal-offering: the sons of Aaron shall offer it before the Lord in front of the altar . . . And that which is left thereof shall Aaron and his sons eat; it shall be eaten as unleavened bread!1 — He [R. Perida] said to him, As to the proper performance of the precept I have no doubt at all, I ask only whether it is indispensable.2 But, said the other, even with regard to the question of indispensability there is written, It shall not be baked leavened, 3 but only unleavened.4 R. Hisda demurred, perhaps it means, ‘It shall not be baked leavened’, but only si'ur!5 — What si'ur is meant? If as defined by R. Meir, it is absolutely unleavened according to R. Judah. If as defined by R. Judah, it is absolutely leavened according to R. Meir. If as defined by R. Meir and following R. Meir's ruling. It is absolutely leavened, since one incurs stripes for [eating] it [on the Passover]! — What is meant is that [si'ur] as defined by R. Judah and following R. Judah's ruling.6 R. Nahman b. Isaac demurred, Perhaps it means, ‘It shall not be baked leavened’, but only halut!7 -What does halut mean? Soaked [in hot water]. But surely if [the meal-offering] must be offered soaked, it is expressly stated so,8 and this9 is not prescribed to be soaked! — Perhaps the meaning is: whatsoever is prescribed to be soaked must be offered soaked, but whatsoever is not prescribed to be soaked may be offered either soaked or unleavened! Rabina demurred, Perhaps the verse, ‘It shall not be baked leavened’, merely imposes a prohibition upon the person, but [the meal-offering] does not become invalid thereby? Whence then is it derived?10 — From the following teaching: One might think that ‘unleavened’11 was only a recommendation, Holy Writ therefore stated, It shall be;11 the verse thus laid it down as an obligation. R. Perida enquired of R. Ammi, Whence is it derived that all meal-offerings, seeing that they were kneaded in lukewarm water,12 must be specially watched lest they become leavened?13 Shall we infer it from the Passover concerning which it Is written, And ye shall watch the unleavened bread!14 — He replied. In that very passage15 It is written, it shall be unleavened,11 that is, keep it so.16 But have you not utilized this verse to indicate indispensability? — If for that alone Scripture would have used the expression ‘It is to be unleavened’; why ‘It shall be’? You may thus infer two things. The Rabbis said to R. Perida, ‘R. Ezra, the grandson of R. Abtolos, who is the tenth generation from R. Eleazar b. ‘Azariah, who is the tenth generation from Ezra, is standing at the door’ — Said he to them, ‘Why all this [pedigree]? If he is a learned man, it is well; if he is a learned man and also a scion of noble ancestors, it is all the better; but if he is a scion of noble ancestors and not a learned man may fire consume him’. They told him that he was a learned man, whereupon he said, ‘Let him come in’. He at once saw that his [R. Ezra's] mind was troubled, so he began his discourse and said, I said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord; my gratefulness is not with thee.17 The congregation of Israel said to the Holy One, blessed be He, ‘Lord of the universe, Show Thy gratefulness unto me for making Thee known in the world’. He replied. ‘My gratefulness is not with thee, but with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who first made Me known in the world, as it is said, With the holy that are in the earth; they are the mighty ones in whom is all my delight.’18 As soon as he [R. Ezra] heard the expression mighty’,19 he began his discourse, saying, Let the Mighty One come and take vengeance for the sake of the mighty from the mighty by means of the mighty. ‘Let the Mighty One come’ — that is, the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written, The Lord on high is mighty.20 ‘And take vengeance for the sake of the mighty’ — that is, Israel, as it is written, They are the mighty ones in whom is all my delight. ‘From the mighty’ — that is, the Egyptians, as it is written, The mighty sank like lead in the waters.21 ‘By means of the mighty’ — that is, the water, as it is written, Above the voices of many waters, mighty waters, breakers of the sea.20 Let the beloved22 the son of the beloved come and build the beloved for the Beloved in the portion of the beloved that the beloved may receive atonement therein. ‘Let the beloved come’ — that is King Solomon, as it is written, And He sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and he called his name Jedidiah [beloved of the Lord], for the Lord's sake.23 meant. According to R. Meir it is that stage when the surface of the dough has become pale; after that it is regarded as absolutely leavened. According to R. Judah it is the advanced stage when the surface of the dough has become wrinkled; before that it is regarded as unleavened. V. Pes. 48b. said that the meal-offering may be si'ur and not necessarily absolutely unleavened, hence R. Perida's question. not baked but only scalded in water.