Menachot

is in agreement with the view of the following Tanna,1 for it was taught: All meal-offerings which were made into too many or too few cakes are valid, excepting the Shewbread and the griddle-cakes of the High Priest. Others say, Excepting also the cakes of the thank-offering and of the Nazirite-offering. R. Huna said, If for the meal-offering baked in the oven one baked only one cake,2 it is sufficient. Why? Because the word ‘unleavened’ is written defectively [in Scripture].3 R. Papa demurred, is this so only because ‘unleavened’ is written defectively, but had ‘unleavened’ not been written defectively it would not be so? Behold with regard to the cakes of the thank-offering the word ‘unleavened’4 is not written defectively, nevertheless R. Tobi b. Kisna said in the name of Samuel that if for the cakes of the thank- offering one baked only four cakes [instead of forty] it was sufficient! — That statement [of R. Tobi b. Kisna] is at variance with this. MISHNAH. THE ‘OMER CONSISTED OF ONE TENTH [OF AN EPHAH OF FLOUR] TAKEN FROM THREE SE'AHS;5 THE TWO LOAVES CONSISTED OF TWO TENTHS TAKEN FROM THREE SE'AHS; AND THE SHEWBREAD CONSISTED OF TWENTY-FOUR TENTHS TAKEN FROM TWENTY-FOUR SE'AHS. GEMARA. [THE ‘OMER etc.] Why so?-Since it was of the new produce and of barley,6 a tenth of the finest flour could only be obtained out of three se'ahs. THE TWO LOAVES CONSISTED OF TWO TENTHS TAKEN FROM THREE SE'AHS. Since it was of wheat, even though it was of the new produce, two tenths of the finest flour could be obtained out of three se'ahs. THE SHEWBREAD CONSISTED OF TWENTY-FOUR TENTHS TAKEN FROM TWENTY-FOUR SE'AHS. Why so? — Since it was of wheat and of the old produce, one tenth of the finest flour could be obtained out of one se'ah. Our Rabbis taught: In all meal-offerings if the number of tenths was increased or diminished,7 it is invalid; if the number of se'ahs8 was increased or diminished, it is valid.9 MISHNAH. THE ‘OMER10 WAS SIFTED THROUGH THIRTEEN SIEVES, THE TWO LOAVES THROUGH TWELVE, AND THE SHEWBREAD THROUGH ELEVEN. R. SIMEON SAYS, THERE WAS NO PRESCRIBED NUMBER FOR THEM,11 BUT THEY BROUGHT FINE FLOUR AND SIFTED IT AS MUCH AS WAS NECESSARY, AS IT IS SAID, AND THOU SHALT TAKE FINE FLOUR AND BAKE IT:12 [IT MAY NOT BE BAKED] UNTIL IT IS SIFTED AS MUCH AS IS NECESSARY.13 GEMARA. Our Rabbis taught: [It was sifted] through a fine sieve and then a coarse one, and again through a fine sieve and then a coarse one.14 R. Simeon son of Eleazar says, There were thirteen sieves in the Temple, one on top of the other;15 the uppermost retained the bran and the nethermost retained the fine flour. R. SIMEON SAYS, THERE WAS NO PRESCRIBED NUMBER FOR THEM. Our Rabbis taught: Fine flour and bake it:12 this teaches that fine flour was to be taken.16 And how do we know that even grains of wheat may be brought?17 The text therefore states and thou shalt take’, in any manner. I might think that this is so even in regard to all other meal-offerings;18 therefore the text states, ‘It’. This is so here, having regard to sparing [expense]. What is meant by having regard to sparing’? — Said R. Eleazar, The Torah wished to spare Israel unnecessary expense.19 Where is this indicated? For it is written, And thou shalt give the congregation and their cattle drink.20 CHAPTER VIII MISHNAH. THE THANK-OFFERING REQUIRED FIVE SE'AHS [OF FLOUR], JERUSALEM MEASURE, WHICH ARE SIX SE'AHS WILDERNESS MEASURE;21 THIS BEING EQUIVALENT TO TWO EPHAHS (FOR AN EPHAH IS THREE SE'AHS) OR TO TWENTY TENTHS [OF AN EPHAH], TEN FOR THE LEAVENED CAKES AND TEN FOR THE UNLEAVENED.22 Baraitha. singular. was reaped, which was ground, sifted and resifted until reduced to a tenth. V. supra 63b. bullock etc.) was increased or reduced (so Rashi MS. and Tosaf.). Another explanation is: the tenth measure was filled to overflowing, or it was not quite full. of flour was to be obtained. this and in the preceding Mishnah; accordingly it was not essential to sift the flour in a prescribed number of sieves, or to take it out of a prescribed number of se'ahs, so long as fine flour was obtained (Bartinoro). In the separate editions of the Mishnah the reading is vcme vk vhv tk ; accordingly R. Simeon refers only to the number of siftings prescribed for the Shewbread (Rashi MS.). retains the bran, whilst a fine sieve retains the flour and lets through the fine dust only. Here the grain was sifted thirteen times, the first time in a fine sieve and the second time in a coarse one. The third time it was sifted again in the same fine sieve as before and the fourth time in the same coarse sieve as before; thus only two sieves were in use (R. Gershom and Rashi). According to Rashi MS. and Tosaf., thirteen sieves were used of various sizes, the last being the finest of all. On this interpretation the statement of R. Simeon son of R. Eleazar which follows merely elucidates the view of the first Tanna. it prepared in the Temple so as to save expense. consideration for the saving of the cattle. This last passage, ‘Where is this indicated... is omitted in all MSS. Israel, enlarged, so that the measure which was originally equal to six se'ahs was later regarded as being equal to five. In other words, each se'ah was increased by one fifth, which in Rabbinic parlance is called ‘a sixth from the outside’. kinds, ten cakes of each kind.