1 MISHNAH. IF A MAN SAID, ‘I TAKE UPON MYSELF [TO OFFER A MEAL-OFFERING] PREPARED ON A GRIDDLE’, HE MUST NOT BRING ONE PREPARED IN A PAN; IF ‘IN A PAN’, HE MUST NOT BRING ONE PREPARED ON A GRIDDLE. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A GRIDDLE [MAHABATH] AND A PAN [MARHESHETH]? THE PAN HAS A LID TO IT, BUT THE GRIDDLE HAS NO LID. SO R. JOSE THE GALILEAN. R. HANINA B. GAMALIEL SAYS, A PAN IS DEEP AND WHAT IS PREPARED THEREIN IS SPONGY, A GRIDDLE IS FLAT AND WHAT IS PREPARED THEREON IS HARD. GEMARA. What is R. Jose's reason? Shall I say that marhesheth is so called because it is offered for the stirrings of the heart, as it is written, My heart is stirred [rahash] by a goodly matter, and mahabath because it is offered for the pratings of the mouth, as people remark ‘He is prating’ [menabah nabuhe]? But the reverse might just as well be said, namely, mahabath is so called because it is offered for the secrets of the heart, as it is written, Wherefore didst thou flee secretly [nahbetha], and marhesheth because it is offered for the whispering [of the lips], as people remark ‘His lips were whispering [merahshan]’! — We must say that it is established so by tradition. R. HANINA B. GAMALIEL SAYS etc. The pan is a deep vessel, for so it is written, And all that is prepared in the pan; the griddle is flat, for so it is written, And on the griddle. Our Rabbis taught: Beth Shammai say, If a man said, ‘I take upon myself [to offer] a marhesheth’, [the vow] must stand over until Elijah comes. They are in doubt as to whether [these terms] refer to the vessel or to the pastry prepared therein. But Beth Hillel say, There was a vessel in the Temple called marhesheth, resembling a deep mould, which gave the dough that was put into it the shape of Cretan apples and Grecian nuts. Furthermore it is written, And all that is prepared in the pan and on the griddle; we thus see that these terms refer to the vessels and not to the pastry prepared therein. MISHNAH. [IF A MAN SAID,] ‘I TAKE UPON MYSELF [TO OFFER A MEAL-OFFERING BAKED] IN AN OVEN’, HE MUST NOT BRING WHAT IS BAKED IN A STOVE OR ON TILES OR IN THE FIREPLACE OF THE ARABS. R. JUDAH SAYS, IF HE SO WISHES HE MAY BRING WHAT IS BAKED IN A STOVE. [IF HE SAID,] I TAKE UPON MYSELF [TO OFFER] A BAKED MEAL-OFFERING’, HE MAY NOT BRING HALF IN CAKES AND HALF IN WAFERS. R. SIMEON PERMITS IT SINCE BOTH KINDS BELONG TO THE SAME OFFERING. GEMARA. Our Rabbis taught: Baked in the oven — but not baked in a stove or on tiles or in the fireplaces of the Arabs. R. Judah says, Oven is stated twice, in order to permit even what is baked in a stove. R. Simeon says, ‘Oven’ is stated twice, once to teach that it must be baked in an oven, and once that it is hallowed by the oven. But is R. Simeon of this view? Surely we have learnt: R. Simeon says, Accustom thyself to say, The Two Loaves and the Shewbread were valid whether made in the Temple court or in Beth Page! — Raba answered, Say rather, it should be consecrated for the oven. [IF HE SAID,] ‘I TAKE UPON MYSELF [TO OFFER] A BAKED MEAL-OFFERING’, HE MAY NOT BRING HALF IN CAKES etc. Our Rabbis taught: And when thou bringest, that is, when thou bringest, doing so as a matter of free choice. An offering of a meal-offering: R. Judah said, Whence do I know that if a man said, ‘I take upon myself [to offer] a baked meal-offering’, he may not bring half in cakes and half in wafers? Because the text states, ‘An offering of a meal-offering’: I spoke to thee of one offering but not of two or three offerings. Said to him R. Simeon,ᵃᵇᶜᵈᵉᶠᵍʰⁱʲᵏˡᵐⁿᵒᵖᵠʳˢᵗᵘᵛ
2 Is the term ‘offering’ stated twice in the verse? ‘Offering’ is stated only once, and concerning it are mentioned cakes and wafers; so that if he so desires he may bring cakes or he may bring wafers or he may ‘bring half in cakes and half in wafers. He must mingle them [with oil] and the handful must be taken from the two [kinds]. If when taking the handful there came into his hand only one of the two [kinds], it is valid. R. Jose son of R. Judah says, Whence do I know that if a man said, ‘I take upon myself [to offer] a baked meal-offering’, he may not bring half in cakes and half in wafers? Because it is written, And every meal-offering that is baked in the oven, and every [meal-offering] that is prepared in the pan, and on the griddle, shall be the priest's that offereth it. And every meal-offering mingled with oil or dry, shall all the sons of Aaron have. Just as the term ‘every’ in the latter cases refers to two distinct kinds, so the term ‘every’ in the former case refers to two distinct kinds. And what can R. Judah [say]? R. Simeon is quite right in his argument! — [R. Judah] can reply, since the expression ‘with oil’ is stated twice in the verse it is as though the expression ‘offering’ had been repeated. And R. Simeon, [what would he say to this]? — Had not the expression ‘with oil’ been repeated I would have said that the offering must consist half of cakes and half of wafers, but not of cakes alone or of wafers alone; we are therefore taught [otherwise]. Is not the view of R. Jose son of R. Judah identical with that of his father? — There would be a difference between them in the case where one actually did so. C H A P T E R V I MISHNAH. R. ISHMAEL SAYS, ON THE SABBATH THE OMER WAS TAKEN OUT OF THREE SE'AHS [OF BARLEY]. AND ON A WEEKDAY OUT OF FIVE. BUT THE SAGES SAY, WHETHER ON THE SABBATH OR ON A WEEKDAY IT WAS TAKEN OUT OF THREE SE'AHS. R. HANINA THE VICE-HIGH PRIEST SAYS, ON THE SABBATH IT WAS REAPED BY ONE MAN WITH ONE SICKLE INTO ONE BASKET, AND ON A WEEKDAY IT WAS REAPED BY THREE MEN INTO THREE BASKETS AND WITH THREE SICKLES. BUT THE SAGES SAY, WHETHER ON THE SABBATH OR ON A WEEKDAY IT WAS REAPED BY THREE MEN INTO THREE BASKETS AND WITH THREE SICKLES. GEMARA. The opinion of the Rabbis is quite clear, for they hold that a tenth of the finest [flour] can be obtained out of three se'ahs, and therefore it is all one whether it was a Sabbath or a weekday. But what can be the opinion of R. Ishmael? If he holds that a tenth of the finest [flour] can be obtained only out of five se'ahs, then on a Sabbath too [five should be necessary]; and if it can be obtained out of three se'ahs then on a weekday too [three should be sufficient]! — Raba said, R. Ishmael is of the opinion that a tenth of the finest [flour] can be obtained out of five se'ahs without much labour, but with much labour out of three. On a weekday, therefore, it is taken out of five se'ahs, as this would give the best results; but on the Sabbath it is better that [the Sabbath be profaned] by one work, namely sifting, [being repeated many times,] rather than by many works [being performed once only]. Rabbah said, R. Ishmael and R. Ishmael the son of R. Johanan b. Beroka both hold the same view. For it was taught: If the fourteenth of Nisan fell on a Sabbath, one should flay the Passover-offering only as far as the breast: such is the opinion of R. Ishmael the son of R. Johanan b. Beroka. But the Sages say, One should flay the whole of it. Now did not R. Ishmael the son of R. Johanan b. Beroka say there that where it is possible [to manage with a little] we must not trouble to do more on the Sabbath? Here, too, since it is possible [to manage with less] we must not trouble [to do more on the Sabbath]! Whence [do you know this]? Perhaps R. Ishmael only said so here, since there is no disrespect to the offering. but there, since there is actual disrespect to the offering. 21ʷˣʸᶻᵃᵃᵃᵇᵃᶜᵃᵈᵃᵉᵃᶠᵃᵍᵃʰᵃⁱᵃʲᵃᵏᵃˡᵃᵐᵃⁿᵃᵒᵃᵖᵃᵠ