Menachot

just as here there must be the putting in of oil in the vessel [at the outset], so there there must also be the putting in of oil in the vessel [at the outset]. And just as there there must be mingling and pouring, so here there must also be mingling and pouring.1 THE [BAKED] CAKES WERE MINGLED [WITH OIL]. SO RABBI. BUT THE SAGES SAY, THE FINE FLOUR [WAS MINGLED WITH OIL]. Our Rabbis taught: [The expression] ‘fine flour mingled with oil’ signifies that the fine flour was mingled [with oil]. But Rabbi says, The cakes were mingled, as it is said, Cakes mingled with oil.2 They said to him, Is it not written in connection with the loaves of the thank-offering, Cakes [mingled with oil]?3 Nevertheless it was not possible4 to mingle the cakes [with oil] but only the flour!5 How was it6 made ready? He put in oil into the vessel at the outset, put in [the flour], added oil to it and mingled them together; he then kneaded it, baked it, broke it in pieces, poured oil on it, and then took the handful from it. Rabbi says, The cakes were mingled, as it is said, ‘Cakes mingled with oil’. How was it made ready? He put in oil into the vessel at the outset, put in [the flour], kneaded it, baked it, broke it in pieces, added oil to it and mingled them together, again poured oil on it, and then took the handful from It. This was indeed a sound argument that the Sages put to Rabbi.7 What is the argument?Said R. Samuel son of R. Isaac, Since there was only one quarter log of oil, how could it be distributed among so many cakes?8 THE CAKES REQUIRED MINGLING [WITH OIL] AND THE WAFERS ANOINTING. Our Rabbis taught: It is written, ‘Cakes mingled [with oil]’,9 but not wafers mingled with oil. For [without the Biblical direction] I might have argued by an a fortiori argument thus: if cakes which do not require anointing require mingling, wafers which require anointing should surely require mingling! The text therefore states, ‘Cakes mingled [with oil]’, but not wafers mingled with oil. [It is written,] ‘Wafers anointed [with oil]’,9 but not cakes anointed with oil. For [without the Biblical direction] I might have argued by an a fortiori argument thus: if wafers which do not require mingling require anointing, cakes which require mingling should surely require anointing! The text therefore states ‘Wafers anointed [with oil]’, but not cakes anointed with oil. How is this implied? — Raba explained, Because [Scripture] should not have omitted to state at least once the expression ‘cakes anointed with oil and wafers mingled with oil’.10 HOW WERE THEY ANOINTED? IN THE FORM OF CHI. What is the meaning of ‘IN THE FORM OF CHI’?-Said R. Kahana, In the form of the Greek letter chi.11 Our Rabbis taught: If the meal-offering [baked in the oven] is composed half of cakes and half of wafers,12 one must bring for it one log of oil and divide it, one half for the cakes and the other half for the wafers. The cakes are to be mingled [with oil] and the wafers anointed. One must anoint the wafer over the whole of its surface; and the residue of the oil is to be put into the cakes. R. Simeon son of Judah says in the name of R. Simeon, One must anoint it in the form of [the letter] chi; and the residue of the oil is consumed by the priests. Another Baraitha taught: If wafers are brought as an offering by themselves, one must bring for them one log of oil and anoint them, repeating this again and again until all the oil in the log has been used up. R. Simeon son of Judah says in the name of R. Simeon, One must anoint them in the form of [the letter] chi, and the residue of the oil is consumed by the priests. MISHNAH. ALL MEAL-OFFERINGS THAT ARE PREPARED IN A VESSEL13 REQUIRE TO BE BROKEN IN PIECES. GEMARA. What does it exclude?-Said R. Papa, It excludes the Two Loaves and the Shewbread.14 Our Rabbis taught: Thou shalt break it in pieces . . . it is a meal-offering:15 this includes all meal-offerings that they require to be broken in pieces. I might then say that it includes also the Two Loaves and the Shewbread; the text therefore states, ‘It’. And pour oil thereon, it is a meal-offering:15 this includes all meal-offerings that they require oil to be poured on them. I might then say that it includes also the meal-offering baked in the oven; the text therefore states, ‘Oil thereon’. Perhaps I must thus exclude the cakes but not the wafers; the text therefore states, ‘It is’. How is this implied? Perhaps I should rather exclude the meal-offering of the priests! the pouring at the end; and with regard to that prepared in a pan Scripture only mentions the putting in of oil at the outset. On the strength of the analogy it is established that what is stated of the one applies to the other, thus both kinds require three applications of oil. Tosaf. sv. rhpa. V, Rashi. Cur. edd. read: What was the purport of the words ‘nevertheless it was not possible etc.’ which the Sages said to Rabbi? soaked cakes, and the other half (i.e., a quarter log) for the ten cakes and the ten wafers. It would therefore be impossible to mingle ten baked cakes with less than a quarter log of oil, for baked cakes are porous and all the oil would soon be absorbed in a few cakes. Obviously then the mingling could only have been performed before the cakes were baked, i.e., mingling the oil with the flour. And so it was, according to the Sages, with all meal-offerings. manner of applying the oil is exclusive in each case. cakes and five wafers. V. supra p. 372.