Menachot

R. Hanina said, Like a broken box.1 R. Johanan said, Like a ship's keel.2 According to him who says ‘like a broken box’, we clearly understand where the dishes [of frankincense] were placed,3 but according to him who says ‘like a ship's keel’, where were the dishes placed?4 — A special place was made for them.5 Again according to him who says ‘like a broken box’, we clearly understand how the rods lay [on the sides of the cakes],6 but according to him who says ‘like a ship's keel’, how could the rods lie [on the side of the cakes]?7 — Projections were attached to them [on top].8 Again according to him who says ‘like a broken box’, we clearly understand how the props supported the cakes,9 but according to him who says ‘like a ship's keel’, how could the props support the cakes?10 — They were made obliquely.11 Now according to him who says ‘like a ship's keel’, we clearly understand the need for props,12 but according to him who says ‘like a broken box’, what need was there for props? — [For otherwise] they might break by reason of the pressure of the [upper] cakes.13 Again according to him who says ‘like a ship's keel’, it is clear that the props rested on the table,14 but according to him who says ‘like a broken box’, where were the props placed?15 Were they perhaps placed on the ground? — Yes. for R. Abba b. Memel said, According to him who says ‘like a ship's keel’, the props stood on the table, and according to him who says ‘like a broken box’, they stood on the ground.16 With which view agrees the statement of R. Judah that the cakes held up the props and the props held up the cakes? With the view [that the cakes were] like a ship's keel. 17 consisted of a base and two sides which rose perpendicularly, thus (Fig. 1). the side of each cake narrowed downwards until there was but a fingerbreadth between Fig. 1 them at the bottom; v-shaped. It also appears (v. Rashi) that each side of the cake tapered upwards almost to a point, thus (Fig. 2). The sides (s) rose upwards at an angle from the dotted lines. placed. row of the Shewbread and fourteen for the other. And the cakes were arranged as follows: the nethermost cake stood on the table; three rods were placed above it, their ends resting on the perpendicular or rising sides of the cake and also in the grooves of the two upright props (v. infra p. 579, n. 1), and the second cake was placed on the rods. Three rods were similarly placed above the second, third and fourth cakes, but only two above the fifth, since it only had to bear the pressure of one single cake. top for three rods; there might at most have been sufficient space for one rod, but no more. projections the rods lay. Now if it is assumed that the sides of each cake rose up perpendicularly at the edge of the table, then the props which stood close to the table gave abundant support to the sides of the cakes so that they could bear the pressure of the upper cakes. of the table, and that contact obviously afforded very little support. cakes thus rested on these brackets. bracket under the lowest cake rested on the Fig. 1 table, v. Fig. 1. a=props: b=cakes: c=rods. were flush with the edge of the table there was no room on the table for the props. the shape of a box broken at two sides; Fig. 1 illustrates the arrangement according to the view that they were in the shape of a ship's keel, v-shaped. cakes.