Menachot

I include other meal-offerings since they may be offered by themselves,1 but I exclude the meal-offering offered with the drink-offerings since it may not be offered by itself. But the meal-offering of the priests and the meal-offering of the anointed High Priest are offered by themselves, are they not? Then I would say that they require bringing near! The text therefore states, ‘And he shall bring it near’, But surely this expression is required for its own sake, namely that [the meal-offerings mentioned in the context] require bringing near! — [For that alone Scripture could have stated] ‘And he shall bring near’, but it says, And he shall bring it near.2 And why do you prefer to include other meal-offerings and to exclude the meal-offering of the priests and the meal-offering of the anointed High Priest [rather than the reverse]? I include the other meal-offerings since [like the meal-offerings stated in the context] part thereof is put upon the fire of the altar, they are offered by themselves, and part thereof3 is eaten by the priests, but I exclude the Two Loaves and the Shewbread since no part thereof is put upon the fire of the altar, [I exclude] the meal-offering offered with the drink-offerings since it is not offered by itself, and [I exclude] the meal-offering of the priests and the meal-offering of the anointed High Priest since no part thereof is eaten by the priests. And he shall take out:4 I might think with a vessel; the text therefore states [elsewhere], And he shall take out therefrom with his handful;5 as the taking out in the latter case is with his handful, so the taking out in the former is with his handful. MISHNAH. THESE REQUIRE WAVING BUT NOT BRINGING NEAR: THE LOG OF OIL OF THE LEPER AND HIS GUILT-OFFERING,6 THE FIRSTFRUITS ACCORDING TO R. ELIEZER B. JACOB, THE SACRIFICIAL PORTIONS OF AN INDIVIDUAL'S PEACE-OFFERINGS AND THE BREAST AND THIGH THEREOF, WHETHER THEY ARE THE OFFERINGS OF MEN OR OF WOMEN, BY ISRAELITES BUT NOT BY OTHERS;7 THE TWO LOAVES AND THE TWO LAMBS OF PENTECOST. HOW IS IT PERFORMED? HE PLACES THE TWO LOAVES UPON THE TWO LAMBS AND PUTS HIS TWO HANDS BENEATH THEM AND WAVES THEM FORWARD AND BACKWARD AND UPWARD AND DOWNWARD, FOR IT IS WRITTEN, WHICH IS WAVED AND WHICH IS HEAVED UP.8 THE WAVING WAS PERFORMED ON THE EAST SIDE9 [OF THE ALTAR] AND THE BRINGING NEAR ON THE WEST SIDE. THE CEREMONY OF WAVING COMES BEFORE THAT OF BRINGING NEAR.10 THE MEAL-OFFERING OF THE ‘OMER AND THE MEAL-OFFERING OF JEALOUSY REQUIRE BRINGING NEAR AND WAVING. THE SHEWBREAD AND THE MEAL-OFFERING WITH THE DRINK-OFFERINGS REQUIRE NEITHER BRINGING NEAR NOR WAVING. R. SIMEON SAYS, THERE ARE THREE KINDS OF OFFERING WHICH [BETWEEN THEM] REQUIRE THREE RITES; TWO [OF THE THREE RITES] APPLY TO EACH KIND OF OFFERING, BUT THE THREE ARE WITH NONE. AND THESE ARE THEY: THE PEACE-OFFERING OF THE INDIVIDUAL, THE PEACE-OFFERING OF THE COMMUNITY11 AND THE GUILT-OFFERING OF THE LEPER. THE PEACE-OFFERING OF THE INDIVIDUAL REQUIRES THE LAYING ON OF HANDS FOR THE LIVING ANIMAL AND WAVING12 AFTER IT IS SLAUGHTERED, BUT IT DOES NOT REQUIRE WAVING FOR THE LIVING ANIMAL. THE PEACE-OFFERING OF THE COMMUNITY REQUIRES WAVING FOR THE LIVING ANIMAL AND ALSO AFTER IT IS SLAUGHTERED, BUT IT DOES NOT REQUIRE THE LAYING ON OF HANDS. THE GUILT-OFFERING OF THE LEPER REQUIRES THE LAYING ON OF HANDS AND ALSO WAVING FOR THE LIVING ANIMAL, BUT IT DOES NOT REQUIRE WAVING AFTER IT IS SLAUGHTERED. GEMARA. Our Rabbis taught: And he shall offer it for a guilt-offering, and the log of oil, and shall wave them for a wave-offering;13 this teaches us that they14 are to be waved together. But whence is it inferred that it is valid even if each was waved separately? The text therefore states, And he shall offer it for a guilt-offering, and the log of oil, and shall wave.15 Perhaps then they14 should first be waved [together] and again be waved [separately]?16 The verse clearly states, ‘For a wave-offering’, and not for wave-offerings. Before the Lord,17 that is, on the east side of the altar.18 But has it not been said, ‘Before the Lord:19 perhaps this means on the west side’?20 — I answer, That was said only of the meal-offering for it is designated a sin-offering, and a sin-offering requires the base of the altar,21 whereas at the south-east corner there was no base;22 here,23 however, we certainly can speak of the east side as ‘before the Lord’. THE FIRSTFRUITS ACCORDING TO R. ELIEZER B. JACOB. What is the teaching of R. Eliezer b. Jacob? — It was taught: And the priest shall take the basket out of thy hand:24 this indicates that the firstfruits require waving; so R. Eliezer b. Jacob. What is the reason of R. Eliezer b. Jacob? — It is derived from the occurrence of the word ‘hand’ both here and in connection with the peace-offerings. Here it is written, ‘And the priest shall take the basket out of thy hand’, and there it is written, His25 own hands shall bring the offerings.26 from this ceremony. side nearest to the inner Sanctuary and thus best fulfils the expression ‘before the Lord’ used in connection with the waving (Lev. XIV, 12). According to Maim. it is to be performed on the east side only; v. Yad, Ma'aseh ha-Korbanoth IX, 7. interpreted as the south-west corner; west being essential on account of the base; and south also, so as to fulfil the requirement ‘to the front of the altar’ (Lev. VI, 7), since that is considered as the front of the altar, for there the ascent begins.