שבועות 15 — Soncino English Talmud

¹even so shall ye make it — for future generations. Raba objected: All the vessels which Moses made were consecrated by their anointing; thenceforth, their employment in the service dedicated them. Now why? Let us say: so shall ye make it — for future generations. — It is different there, for Scripture says: And he anointed them and sanctified them — ‘them’ he anointed; but [vessels] in future generations [are] not [consecrated] by anointing. But you may say: ‘them’ he anointed; but [vessels] in future generations [may be consecrated] either by anointing or by employment in the service? — R. Papa said: Scripture says. [And they shall take all the vessels of ministry,] wherewith they minister in the sanctuary; the verse makes them dependent upon ministry. Now that Scripture has written ‘wherewith they minister’, why do we require ‘them’? — If Scripture had not written ‘them’, I might have said: these [in the time of Moses] were [consecrated] by anointing [only], but [vessels] in future generations [require both] anointing and employment in service, for Scripture has written so shall ye make it; therefore Scripture limits [by writing] ‘them’ — them by anointing, but not [vessels] in future generations by anointing. AND WITH TWO [LOAVES] OF THANKSGIVING. We learnt: The two thanksgiving offerings which are mentioned refer to their loaves and not their flesh. How do we know? R. Hisda said: Because Scripture says: And I placed two great thanksgiving offerings, and we went in procession, on the right upon the wall. Now, what is meant by ‘great’? Shall we say, from a great [or, large] kind actually? [If so,] let him say, oxen! But then, large of their kind? [That is impossible, for] is there any importance [attached to size] before Heaven? Surely we learnt: It is said with reference to a burnt offering of cattle: an offering made by fire, a sweet savour [unto the Lord]; with reference to a burnt offering of a bird: an offering made by fire, a sweet savour [unto the Lord]; with reference to a meal offering: an offering made by fire, a sweet savour [unto the Lord]. This teaches us that it is the same whether one gives much or little, as long as he directs his heart to his Father who is in Heaven! — Well then, that which is [inevitably] the larger in the thanksgiving offering, and which is it? The leaven. For we learnt: The thanksgiving offering came from five Jerusalem se'ahs, which are equivalent to six wilderness se'ahs, which are two ephahs, (for an ephah is three se'ahs); twenty tenths [of an ephah], ten for leavened, and ten for unleavened [loaves]; and the unleavened [loaves] were of three kinds: cakes, wafers, and cakes saturated with oil. [Hence, the leavened loaves were larger.] Rami b. Hama said: The [addition to the] Temple court is not sanctified except by the remnants of the meal offering. What is the reason? — Like Jerusalem; just as Jerusalem is sanctified by that which must be eaten within it, so the Temple court is sanctified by that which must be eaten within it. Cannot then the loaves of thanksgiving be eaten in the Temple court? — Well then, like Jerusalem; just as Jerusalem [is sanctified by] that which must be eaten within it, and which, if it goes outside it, becomes invalid, so the Temple court [is sanctified by] that which must be eaten within it, and which, if it goes outside it, becomes invalid. [But why not say,] just as there it is leaven, so here let it be leaven? — How can you reason thus? Is there, then, a meal offering of leaven!33^ᵃ^ᵇ^ᶜ^ᵈ^ᵉ^ᶠ^ᵍ^ʰ^ⁱ^ʲ^ᵏ^ˡ^ᵐ^ⁿ^ᵒ^ᵖ^ᵠ^ʳ^ˢ^ᵗ^ᵘ^ᵛ^ʷ^ˣ^ʸ^ᶻ^ᵃᵃ^ᵃᵇ^ᵃᶜ^ᵃᵈ^ᵃᵉ^ᵃᶠ^ᵃᵍ

^ᵃnote:Ex. XXV, 9; the phrase, so shall ye make it, being superfluous, because it has already been said, Let them make Me a sanctuary (verse 8), is taken to imply that whatever was done for the tabernacle in the wilderness should be done for any future tabernacle or Temple. The tabernacle was consecrated in the presence of King and Prophet (Moses), Urim and Tummim (worn by Aaron), and the seventy elders.
^ᵇnote:With the holy anointing oil (Ex. XXX, 25-28), becoming thereby bodily holy.
^ᶜnote:Vessels in later times were not anointed.
^ᵈnote:V. Sanh 16b.
^ᵉnote:And let them require anointing.
^ᶠnote:Num. VII, 1; the tabernacle and all its vessels.
^ᵍnote:Num. IV, 12; this verse is taken to refer to future vessels, because the word used, u,rah is in the future tense (lit., ‘they will minister’); v. Rashi, Sanh. 16b.
^ʰnote:I.e., being employed in the service, they become vessels of ministry (holy).
^ⁱnote:Since we deduce from the phrase wherewith they minister that vessels in the future are consecrated by ‘ministry’, why do we require the emphasis on ‘them’ to exclude vessels in the future.
^ʲnote:In the future: Just as now the vessels are consecrated by anointing, so they shall be in the future; and that vessels in the future are consecrated by ‘ministry’ is deduced from wherewith they minister; hence they require both anointing and employment in service in order to become consecrated.
^ᵏnote:In the time of Moses.
^ˡnote:But by ‘ministry’ only.
^ᵐnote:A thanksgiving offering comprises, in addition to the animal sacrificed, loaves of unleavened and leavened bread (Lev. VII, 12, 13).
^ⁿnote:,ukusd ,usu, h,a: E.V, two great companies that gave thanks.
^ᵒnote:Neh. XII, 31. The verse refers to the re-dedication of Jerusalem by Nehemiah.
^ᵖnote:The animals of the thanksgiving offerings were of a large breed (e g., oxen) and not of a small breed (e.g., sheep).
^ᵠnote:I.e., even if they were of a small breed (e.g., sheep), the largest of that kind were brought.
^ʳnote:Lev. I, 9.
^ˢnote:Ibid. 17.
^ᵗnote:Lev. II, 2.
^ᵘnote:I.e., Biblical se'ahs, measures referred to in the Bible, when the Israelites were in the wilderness.
^ᵛnote:For it was is made of 6 se'ahs = 2 ephahs; and an ephah is 10 tenths (i.e., omers): an omer is the tenth part of and ephah (Ex. XVI, 36).
^ʷnote:Lev. VII, 12; ten loaves of each kind were made, so that there were thirty unleavened loaves made from the ten omers; the leavened loaves were only of one kind (Lev. VII, 13); so that the ten leavened loaves were equal to the thirty unleavened loaves; each leavened loaf was, therefore, three times the size of an unleavened loaf (Men. 77a).
^ˣnote:Nehemiah's statement that he took two large thanksgiving offerings therefore means two leavened loaves of the thanksgiving offering.
^ʸnote:Eaten by the priests (Lev. VI, 9).
^ᶻnote:The two loaves of the thanksgiving offering must be eaten within the city.
^ᵃᵃnote:The remnant of the meal offering eaten by the priests (Lev. VI, 9).
^ᵃᵇnote:The priest may eat the portion he receives from an Israelite's thanksgiving offering (Lev. VII, 14) within the Temple court, if he desires. Since the loaves of thanksgiving may, therefore, be eaten in the Temple court, let them sanctify the addition to the Temple court.
^ᵃᶜnote:The loaves of thanksgiving, if taken outside the city walls, become invalid.
^ᵃᵈnote:The remnant of the meal offering eaten by the priests becomes invalid, if taken outside the Temple court,
^ᵃᵉnote:In sanctifying the city two loaves of leavened bread are used.
^ᵃᶠnote:In sanctifying the Temple court.
^ᵃᵍnote:Since we require the remnant of a meal offering to sanctify the Temple Court, it must perforce be unleavened: No meal offering, which ye shall bring unto the Lord, shall be made with leaven (Lev. II, 11).

²And if you should say that he leavens the remnants, and sanctifies with them, [that cannot be, for] it is written: It shall not be baked leavened. As their portion [have I given it]. And Resh Lakish said: Even their portion must not be baked leavened. But why not? It is possible to sanctify it with the two loaves of Pentecost! — It is impossible. How shall he do it? Shall he build it on the eve [of Pentecost], and sanctify it on the eve? The two loaves become holy only by the sacrifice of the lambs [on Pentecost]. Shall he build it on the eve, and sanctify it now [on Pentecost]? We require sanctification at the time of [the completion of] the building. Shall he complete the building on the festival, and sanctify it on the festival? The building of the Temple does not supersede the festival. Shall he leave [the two loaves] till [a day] later, and complete the building and sanctify it? They [the loaves] become invalid by linah. Shall he build it on the eve of the festival, and leave a little [incomplete], so that when he has recited the blessing at the end of the day [Habdalah], he may complete it immediately and sanctify it? The building of the Temple cannot take place at night, for Abaye said: How do we know that the building of the Temple cannot take place at night? Because it is said: ‘And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up’ — during the ‘day’ it is reared up, during the night it is not reared up. Therefore it is not possible. AND WITH SONG. Our Rabbis taught: The song of thanksgiving was [accompanied by] lutes, lyres, and cymbals at every corner and upon every great stone in Jerusalem; and [the psalm] is intoned; I will extol Thee, O Lord, for Thou hast raised me up etc.; and the song against evil occurrences, and some call it the song against plagues. He who calls it [the song] against plagues [does so] because it is written: neither shall any plague come nigh thy tent; and he who calls it [the song] against evil occurrences [does so] because it is written: a thousand may fall at my side; [that is to say, this psalm] is intoned: O thou who dwellest in the secret place of the Most High, and abidest in the shadow of the Almighty, till for thou hast made the Lord who is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation; and then again [this psalm] is intoned; A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son. Lord, how many are mine adversaries become! till Salvation belongeth unto the Lord; Thy blessing be upon Thy people. Selah. R. Joshua b. Levi recited these verses when retiring to sleep. How could he do so? Did not R. Joshua b. Levi [himself] say it is prohibited to heal oneself with words of the Torah? — To protect oneself is different. Well then, when he said it is prohibited, [he meant] where there is [already] a wound. If there is a wound, is it merely prohibited, and nothing else? Surely, we have learnt: He who utters an incantation over a wound has no portion in the world to come! — But it has been taught with reference to this; R. Johanan said: They taught [this law only] if he spits, for the Name of Heaven must not be mentioned in connection with spitting. THE BETH DIN WALK IN PROCESSION, THE TWO [LOAVES] OF THANKSGIVING BEING BORNE AFTER THEM, etc. Shall we say that the Beth din walk in front of the [loaves of] thanksgiving? Surely, it is written: And after them [the two loaves] went Hoshaiah and half of the princes of Judah. — Thus he means: The Beth din walk, and the two [loaves] of thanksgiving are borne, and the Beth din walk behind. How are they borne? — R. Hiyya and R. Simeon son of Rabbi [disagreed]: One said, one opposite the other; and the other said, one behind the other. According to the one who holds they were opposite each other, the inner one is that which is nearest the wall; and according to the one who holds that they were one behind the other, the inner one is that which is nearest the Beth din. We learnt: THE INNER ONE IS EATEN, AND THE OUTER ONE IS BURNT. It is right according to the one who holds that they were one behind the other, therefore the inner one is eaten, because the outer one came before it and sanctified the place; but according to the one who holds that they were opposite each other, they both simultaneously sanctified the place! — But even according to your reasoning, according to the one who holds they were one behind the other, [why is the inner one eaten?] does the one [loaf] then sanctify the place? Surely, we have learnt: ANY [ADDITION] THAT WAS NOT MADE WITH ALL THESE [IS NOT HOLY]; and even according to the one who holds [that the reading in the Mishnah is]: ‘with any one of all these’, [still] these two [loaves] together are one precept! — Well then, said R. Johanan,^ᵃʰ^ᵃⁱ^ᵃʲ^ᵃᵏ^ᵃˡ^ᵃᵐ^ᵃⁿ^ᵃᵒ^ᵃᵖ^ᵃᵠ^ᵃʳ^ᵃˢ^ᵃᵗ^ᵃᵘ^ᵃᵛ^ᵃʷ^ᵃˣ^ᵃʸ^ᵃᶻ^ᵇᵃ^ᵇᵇ^ᵇᶜ^ᵇᵈ^ᵇᵉ^ᵇᶠ^ᵇᵍ^ᵇʰ^ᵇⁱ^ᵇʲ^ᵇᵏ^ᵇˡ^ᵇᵐ^ᵇⁿ^ᵇᵒ^ᵇᵖ^ᵇᵠ^ᵇʳ^ᵇˢ

^ᵃʰnote:After the ritual has been performed by the priest with the unleavened meal offering, he takes the remnant due to him, and makes it leavened.
^ᵃⁱnote:Lev. VI, 10. oekj .nj vpt, tk may be translated: ‘their portion must not be baked leavened.’
^ᵃʲnote:Is it not really possible to sanctify the Temple court with a meal offering of leaven?
^ᵃᵏnote:Lev. XXIII, 17: they shall be baked leavened.
^ᵃˡnote:The addition in the Temple court.
^ᵃᵐnote:Lev. XXIII, 20: And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the first-fruits for a wave offering before the Lord, with the two lambs; they shall be holy to the Lord. Though the loaves are holy for their value (ohns ,ause) before the lambs are sacrificed, for they are purchased from the Temple funds, they do not become bodily holy (;udv ,ause) until the lambs are sacrificed on Pentecost; v. Men. 78b.
^ᵃⁿnote:No building operation may be performed on a Sabbath or festival even if it be for so sacred a task as the building of the Temple; v. Yeb. 6a.
^ᵃᵒnote:vbhk (night rest) ‘Being left overnight till the morrow’: for they are permitted to be eaten only for one day (Pentecost) and one night (till midnight); v. Zeb. 54b.
^ᵃᵖnote:Before midnight, while the loaves are still valid.
^ᵃᵠnote:Num. IX, 15.
^ᵃʳnote:To sanctify the Temple court with leavened loaves.
^ᵃˢnote:Ps. C.
^ᵃᵗnote:Of seven strings (v. ‘Ar. 13b), resembles the guitar.
^ᵃᵘnote:Stringed instrument like harp; or, leather wind instrument like accordion or concertina; v. ibid. Rashi.
^ᵃᵛnote:Of metal, clashed together in pairs.
^ᵃʷnote:Ps. XXX; the heading is: A psalm; a Song at the Dedication of the House.
^ᵃˣnote:I.e., the psalm referring to evil spirits or demons, XCI.
^ᵃʸnote:Ps. XCI, 10.
^ᵃᶻnote:Ibid. 7; i.e., the evil spirits will depart when the place is sanctified.
^ᵇᵃnote:Ps. XCI, 1-9 this is actually the song of pegaim or nega'im; v. Rashal.
^ᵇᵇnote:Ps. III; according to Maharsha the heading of this psalm was not recited.
^ᵇᶜnote:Ps. XCI, 1-9.
^ᵇᵈnote:And these verses are intended to drive away evil spirits.
^ᵇᵉnote:And is permitted; the verses are not intended to heal an actual wound, but to shield from possible affliction.
^ᵇᶠnote:Lit., ‘whispers’.
^ᵇᵍnote:Sanh. 90a. This is more than merely prohibiting it. [‘Spitting was believed to have the power of breaking the spell, v. Blau, Zauberwesen, p.68.]
^ᵇʰnote:If he spits on the wound, and utters an incantation of Biblical verses, he has no portion in the world to come; but to utter the incantation without spitting is also prohibited; to utter verses to protect oneself from a possible affliction is permitted, v. Sanh. 101a.
^ᵇⁱnote:Neh. XII, 32.
^ᵇʲnote:And the Mishnah should be emended accordingly.
^ᵇᵏnote:The loaves are borne by two priests; according to one view, the priests walk side by side; according to the other view, they walk one behind the other.
^ᵇˡnote:According to Rashi, the procession marched round the wall outside; according to Tosaf., inside the city. In either case, the inner one is that which is nearest the wall. Tosaf. suggest that they marched inside the wall, because if the loaves were taken outside, they would automatically become invalidated by being tmuh (outside the consecrated area, i.e., the city of Jerusalem).
^ᵇᵐnote:Because there is one priest in front, and the Beth din behind.
^ᵇⁿnote:As soon as the first loaf in the procession comes to a place, it sanctifies it; the second one, coming to it, enters holy ground, and does not, therefore, become invalid by being tmuh (going out into unconsecrated ground). The first one, however, is burnt, because at the actual moment of entering the unconsecrated spot it became tmuh.
^ᵇᵒnote:Then, either both should be burnt, if we assume that at the moment of entry into unconsecrated ground they became tmuh; or, both should be eaten, if we assume that the act of entry automatically sanctifies the spot at the same moment.
^ᵇᵖnote:The first.
^ᵇᵠnote:Hence we require both loaves to enter a place in order to consecrate it.
^ᵇʳnote:Infra 16a; that any one of those mentioned in the Mishnah suffices to consecrate a place; and you might, therefore, conceivably say that one loaf suffices.
^ᵇˢnote:They are inseparable; ‘any one of these’ means either King or priest or Sanhedrin or two loaves.