Sotah

WITH ALL OTHER MEAL-OFFERINGS etc. The following is quoted in contradiction: How is the procedure of meal-offerings? A man brings a meal-offering from his house  in silver or golden baskets, places it in a ministering vessel, hallows it in a ministering vessel, adds to it its oil and frankincense, and carries it to a priest who carries it to the altar and brings it near unto the south-west corner opposite the point of the altar's horn, and that suffices. He then moves the frankincense to one side [of the vessel], takes a handful [of the flour] from a place where its oil is abundant, sets it in a ministering vessel, hallows it in a ministering vessel, gathers its frankincense and places it on the top thereof, and sets it upon the altar and fumigates it in a ministering vessel. He next salts [the handful of flour] and sets it upon the fire. When the handful has been offered, the remainder may be eaten, and the priests are allowed to mix it with wine, oil and honey, and are only forbidden to make it leaven.  Now here it is taught that [meal-offerings are brought only] in silver or golden baskets!  — R. Papa said: The correct version [of the Mishnah] is: in vessels which are proper to be used as ministering vessels. It therefore follows that a basket of palm-twigs is not proper to be used as a vessel. This would not agree with the view of R. Jose son of R. Judah; for it has been taught: As regards a ministering vessel of wood, Rabbi disqualifies it but R. Jose son of R. Judah allows it! — If you wish you may say that it is in accord even with the view of R. Jose son of R. Judah, because he is referring to [wooden vessels which are] valuable, but does he say that with regard to [wooden vessels which are] inferior!  Does R. Jose son of R. Judah not hold with the text: Present it now unto thy governor? 'Places it in a ministering vessel and hallows it in a ministering vessel'. Is the conclusion to be drawn from this that the ministering vessels only hallow when such is the intention!  — The correct version is: places it in a ministering vessel in order to hallow it in a ministering vessel. 'Adds to it its oil and frankincense'; as it is said: He shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon.  'And carries it to a priest'; for it is written: And he shall bring it to Aaron's sons etc.  'Who carries it to the altar'; for it is written: And he shall bring it unto the altar.  Brings it near unto the south-west corner opposite the point of the altar's horn, and that suffices'. Whence is this? — For it is written: And this is the law of the meal-offering: the sons of Aaron shall offer it before the Lord, before the altar;  and it has been taught: 'Before the Lord' — it is possible [to think that this means] on the west [side of the altar],  therefore the text declares, 'Before the altar'.  If [Scripture only had] 'before the altar', it is possible [to think that this means] on the south side, therefore the text declares, 'Before the Lord'. So what was the procedure? He sets it on the south-west corner opposite the point of the altar's horn, and that suffices. R. Eleazar says: It is possible [to think that the meaning is] he sets it on the west of the horn or the south of the horn; but you can answer: Wherever you find two texts, one self-confirmatory and confirming the words of the other, whereas the second is self-confirmatory but annuls the words of the other, we abandon the latter and accept the former. Thus when you emphasize 'before the Lord' on the west [side of the altar],  you annul 'before the altar' on the south side;  but when you emphasize 'before the altar' on the south side,  you confirm 'before the Lord' on the west side.  What, then, is the procedure? He brings it on the south of the horn. But how do you confirm it?  — R. Ashi said: This Tanna holds that the whole of the altar stood in the north. What means 'and that suffices'?  — R. Ashi said: It was necessary [to mention this], because otherwise it may have occurred to me to say that the bringing of the meal-offering itself [to the altar without the ministering vessel] is required. Consequently we are informed [that the contrary is the correct procedure]. But say that it is really so [and the ministering vessel is not necessary]! — The text states: And it shall be presented unto the priest, and he shall bring it unto the altar  — as the presentation to the priest is in a [ministering] vessel, so also the bringing to the altar must be in a [ministering] vessel. 'He then moves the frankincense to one side [of the vessel]', so that none of it may be included in the handful taken of the meal-offering; as we have learnt: If, when he took a handful, there came into his hand a pebble or particle of salt or grain of frankincense, it is disqualified.  'Takes a handful [of flour] from a place where its oil is abundant' — whence is this? For it is written: Of the fine flour thereof and of the oil thereof;  of the bruised corn thereof and of the oil thereof.  'Sets it in a ministering vessel and hallows it in a ministering vessel' — for what purpose, since he has already hallowed it once? — It is analogous to the case of blood: although the knife  hallows it in the animal's neck, [the priest] again hallows it in a ministering vessel;  so here, too, there is no difference. 'Gathers its frankincense and places it on the top thereof; for it is written: And all the frankincense which is upon the meal-offering.  'And sets it upon the altar