Menachot

Then according to him who said [that they stood lengthwise] from north to south it is quite in order,1 but according to him who said that they stood lengthwise from east to west [there is a difficulty]. Let us consider, how far away was the table2 from the [north] wall? Two cubits and a half;3 then there was one cubit [the width of the table] itself, two cubits and a half the space between the tables,4 one cubit [the width of the table] itself,5 again two cubits and a half the space between the tables,6 and one cubit [the width of the table] itself, [in all ten cubits and a half]; thus the tables had encroached to the extent of half a cubit upon the south side [of the Sanctuary]! — You have assumed, have you not, that the table of Moses stood between the two rows of tables? But it was not so, it actually stood at the head of the two rows of tables,7 whilst the latter stood lower down like pupils sitting before their master. Our Rabbis taught: Solomon made ten tables; they set [the Shewbread], however, only on that made by Moses, as it is written, And the table whereon the Shewbread was.8 Also Solomon made ten candlesticks; they lit, however, only that of Moses, as it is written, And the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening.9 R. Eleazar b. Shammua’ says, On all the tables10 they set [the Shewbread], as it is written, And the tables whereon was the shewbread;11 and they lit all the candlesticks, as it is written, And the candlesticks with their lamps, that they should burn according to the ordinance before the Sanctuary, of pure gold.12 R. Jose son of R. Judah says, They set [the Shewbread] only on that of Moses; but how do I explain the verse which says, ‘And the tables whereon was the Shewbread’?11 These are the three tables that were in the Temple:13 two stood inside the porch at the entrance of the House, the one of silver14 and the other of gold. On the table of silver they laid the Shewbread when it was brought in, and on the table of gold they laid the Shewbread when it was brought out, since what is holy we must raise [in honour] but not bring down. And within [the Sanctuary] was a table of gold whereon the Shewbread lay continually. Whence is it inferred that we may not bring down [what is holy]? — Rabbi said, From the verse, And Moses reared up the tabernacle, and laid its sockets, and set up the boards thereof, and put in the bars thereof, and reared up its pillars.15 And whence is it inferred that we must raise up [in honour what is holy]? — R. Aha b. Jacob said, From the verse, Even the fire-pans of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, and let them be made beaten plates for a covering of the altar — for they are become holy, because they were offered before the Lord — that they may be a sign unto the children of Israel.16 At first they were but accessories of the altar and now they are part of the altar itself. Which thou didst break, and thou shalt put them in the ark.17 R. Joseph learnt: This teaches us that both the tablets and the fragments of the tablets were deposited in the ark. Hence [we learn that] a scholar who has forgotten his learning through no fault of his18 must not be treated with disrespect.19 (Mnemonic: Suppression, misdeed, forgets.)20 Resh Lakish said: There are times Shewbread walked around the tables in pairs. east, the table of Moses, being nearest the west side, was indeed on a higher elevation than the other tables. 99b s.v.sjt. degradation had he allowed others to complete it. Aliter: the verse opens with the expression ‘reared up’ and concludes also with this same expression, thus signifying that what is holy must be ‘reared up’ and kept exalted and not brought down.