Menachot

How was it arranged?1 The sacrificial portions were put upon the palm of the hand and the breast and thigh above them; and whenever there were cakes [to be waved] the cakes were always on top, Where [is this seen]?2 — R. Papa said, At the consecration [of the priests].3 Why is it so?4 Shall I say it is because it is written, The thigh of heaving and the breast of waving they shall put upon the fat of the fire-offering, to wave it for a wave-offering?5 But is it not also written, He shall bring the fat upon the breast?6 — Abaye answered, The latter refers to the manner in which the priest brings them from the slaughtering place and turns them over [into the hands of the priest that is about to wave them].7 But is it not also written, And they put the fat upon the breasts?8 — This refers to the handing over of these to the priest that is about to burn them.9 These verses incidentally teach us that three priests are required [for this part of the service], as it is said, In the multitude of people is the king's glory.10 THE TWO LOAVES AND THE TWO LAMBS OF PENTECOST. Our Rabbis taught: [It is written,] And the priest shall wave then, upon [‘al] the bread of the firstfruits [for a wave-offering before the Lord upon [‘al] the two lambs].11 I might think that he should put the lambs upon the bread, the text therefore states, Upon the two lambs.11 If [I had only the expression] ‘upon the two lambs’ [to go by], I might think that he should put the bread upon the lambs, the text therefore states, ‘upon the bread of the firstfruits’. Now the verse is equally balanced and I know not whether the bread shall be upon the lambs or the lambs upon the bread; since, however, we find that in all cases the bread is on top, then here, too, the bread shall be on top. (Where was it so? — R. Papa said, At the consecration [of the priests].)12 R. Jose b. ha-Meshullam says, The lambs shall be on top. And how can I explain, ‘Upon the two lambs’? to exclude the seven lambs.13 Hanina b. Hakinai says, He must put the two loaves between the thighs of the lambs and wave them;14 thus fulfilling both verses, the bread upon the lambs and the lambs upon the bread. Said Rabbi, Surely before a king of flesh and blood one would not do so,15 how much less before the King of Kings, the Holy One, blessed be He! Therefore, he should put one beside the other and wave them. But we have to conform with [the expression] ‘al!16 — R. Hisda said to R. Hamnuna (others say, R. Hamnuna said to R. Hisda), Rabbi follows his general view that ‘al means ‘near to’; as it was taught: It is written, And thou shalt put pure frankincense ‘ai each row.17 Rabbi says, ‘Al means near to’. You say that ‘al means ‘near to’; but perhaps it is not so but rather it signifies literally ‘upon’? Since it states, And thou shalt put a veil ‘al the ark,18 conclude that ‘al means ‘near to’. AND WAVES THEM FORWARD AND BACKWARD AND UPWARD AND DOWNWARD. R. Hiyya b. Abba said in the name of R. Johanan, FORWARD AND BACKWARD,19 that is to Him unto Whom the [four] directions belong; UPWARD AND DOWNWARD, that is to Him unto Whom heaven and earth belong. In the West20 it was taught as follows: R. Hama b. ‘Ukba said in the name of R. Jose b. R. Hanina, FORWARD AND BACKWARD, in order to keep off violent winds; UPWARD AND DOWNWARD, in order to keep off harmful dews. R. Jose son of R. Abin said, This proves that even the dispensable rites of a precept21 [when performed] ward off punishment, for the rite of waving is dispensable in the precept and yet it keeps off violent winds and harmful dews. Rabbah said, Likewise with the lulab.22 R. Aha b. Jacob used to swing it forward and backward, and hold it out and say, ‘An arrow in the eyes of Satan!’23 But it is not proper to do so, for it is a challenge [to Satan] to contend with him. Our Rabbis taught: The peace-offerings of the community require waving [also] after they are slaughtered, and the waving must be of them as they are.24 So Rabbi. But the Sages say, Only of the breast and thigh. Wherein do they differ? — R. Hisda said to R. Hamnuna (others say, R. Hamnuna said to R. Hisda), They differ as to whether we say ‘Deduce from it and again from it’, or ‘Deduce from it and establish it in its own place’.25 The Rabbis maintain the principle, ‘Deduce from it and again from it’. [‘Deduce from it’:] as the individual's peace-offering requires waving after it is slaughtered, so the peace-offerings of the community also require waving after they are slaughtered; and ‘again from it’: just as the waving there26 is of the breast and thigh, so here it is also of the breast and thigh. Rabbi, however, maintains the principle ‘Deduce from it and establish it in its own place’. [‘Deduce from it’:] as the individual's peace-offering requires waving after it is slaughtered, so the peace-offerings of the community also require waving after they are slaughtered; and ‘establish it in its own place’: whereas there26 the waving is of the breast and thigh only, here it is of them as they are, that is, as they are when alive. other priest's hands, so that now the fat would be on top. hence the difficulty as to which was in fact ‘upon’ the other. upper leg, and thus wave them. between the holy place and the Holy of Holies. Among such are the rites of laying on the hands and waving. offering. viz., 10 the four directions and upward and downward. Satan!’ (R. Gershom). arises as to the extent to which the inference must be carried. The rule ‘deduce from it and again from it’ clearly suggests that the two subjects must in the end be brought to absolute agreement on every point. On the other hand, ‘deduce from it and establish it in its place’ suggests that the inference is to be made with regard to one point only, and as for the rest each subject is regulated by the rules governing its other aspects.