Menachot

‘The son of the beloved’ — that is, the son of Abraham, as it is written, What hath My beloved to do in My house?1 ‘And build the beloved’ — that is, the Temple, as it is written, How lovely are Thy tabernacles!2 ‘For the Beloved’ — that is, the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written, Let me sing of my Beloved.3 ‘In the portion of the beloved’ — that is, Benjamin, as it is said, Of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him.4 ‘That the beloved may receive atonement therein’ — that is, Israel, as it is written, I have given the dearly beloved of My soul into the hand of her enemies.5 Let the good come and receive the good from the Good for the good. ‘Let the good come’ — that is, Moses, as it is written, And she saw that he was good.6 ‘And receive the good’ — that is, the Torah, as it is written, For I give you good doctrine. 7 ‘From the Good’ — that is, the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written, The Lord is good to all.8 ‘For the good’ — that is, Israel, as it is written, Do good, O Lord, unto the good.9 Let this come and receive this from This for this people. ‘Let this come’ — that is, Moses, as it is written, For as for this Moses, the man.10 ‘And receive this’ — that is, the Torah, as it is written, And this is the Torah which Moses set.11 ‘From This’ — that is, the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written, This is my God and I will glorify Him.12 ‘For this people’ — that is, Israel, as it is written, This people that Thou hast gotten. 13 R. Isaac said, At the time of the destruction of the Temple the Holy One, blessed be He, found Abraham standing in the Temple. Said He, ‘What hath My beloved to do in My house?’14 Abraham replied, ‘I have come concerning the fate of my children’ . . . Said He, ‘Thy children sinned and have gone into exile’. ‘Perhaps’, said Abraham, ‘they only sinned in error?’ And He answered, ‘She hath wrought lewdness’.15 ‘Perhaps only a few sinned?’ ‘With many’,15 came the reply. ‘Still’, he pleaded, ‘Thou shouldst have remembered unto them the covenant of circumcision’. And He replied, ‘The hallowed flesh is passed from thee.’16 ‘Perhaps hadst Thou waited for them they would have repented’, he pleaded. And He replied, ‘When thou doest evil, then thou rejoicest!’14 Thereupon he put his hands on his head and wept bitterly, and cried, ‘Perhaps, Heaven forfend, there is no hope for them’. Then came forth a Heavenly Voice and said, The Lord called thy name a leafy olive-tree, fair with goodly fruit:17 as the olive-tree produces its best only at the very end,18 so Israel will flourish at the end of time. Because of the noise of the great tumult He hath kindled fire upon it, and its branches are broken.17 Said R. Hinena b. Papa, Because of the noise of the words of the spies the branches19 of Israel were broken; for R. Hinena b. Papa said, A grievous statement did the spies make at that moment when they said, For they ore stronger than we.20 Read not ‘than we’, but ‘than He’;21 as it were, even the Master of the House cannot remove His furniture from there.22 R. Hiyya b. Hinena demurred, Then why does the verse read ‘Because of the noise of the great tumult’? It should read, ‘Because of the noise of the great word’.23 Rather [it must be interpreted thus]: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Abraham, ‘I heard thy voice and will have compassion upon them.24 I had said that they shall be subjected to four successive Empires,25 each to endure the length of time that the four Empires together [actually lasted], but now each shall endure only the time alotted to it’. Another version: ‘I had said [that they shall be subjected to the four Empires] in succession, but now [they shall be subjected to the four] concurrently’. 26 R. Joshua b. Levi said, Why is Israel likened to an olive-tree? To tell you that as the olive-tree loses not its leaves either in summer or in winter, so Israel shall never be lost either in this world or in the world to come. R. Johanan said, Why is Israel likened to an olive-tree? To tell you that just as the olive produces its oil only after pounding, so Israel returns to the right way only after suffering. R. MEIR SAYS, THE LEAVEN MUST BE TAKEN FROM [THE MEAL-OFFERINGS] THEMSELVES AND WITH THIS THEY ARE LEAVENED etc. What is meant by SOMETIMES TOO LITTLE AND SOMETIMES TOO MUCH? — R. Hisda explained, If the yeast [used] was of a thick consistency, then there would be too much [flour in the meal-offering], and if it was thin, there would be too little.27 But in any event only a tenth is measured!28 — Rabbah and R. Joseph both said that we must measure it according to its former state.29 But one can surely take a little of the flour30 and have it leavened outside, and then it can be brought back and kneaded with the rest [of the flour]! — It is to be feared that one might bring leaven from elsewhere.31 Our Rabbis taught: One may not leaven [the meal-offering]32 in order to distinguish between the third person masc. sing. and the first person plur.; v. Sot., Sonc. ed., p. 172, n. 1. is taken up by the yeast, so long as the measure is full. standpoint there would be either too much or too little flour according to the consistency of the leaven. the meal-offering.