SHEYIBANEH BEIT HAMIKDASH...
A series of articles on Beit HaMikdash-related topics by Catriel Sugarman intended to increase the knowledge, interest, and anticipation of the reader, thereby hastening the realization of our hopes and prayers for the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Beit HaMikdash.

The Chavitin of the Kohein Gadol
Like most other Menachot, meal offerings, the 12 Chavitin ("unleavened loaves") that the Kohein Gadol offered with the daily morning and afternoon Temidim, were prepared from the finest well-sifted wheat flour mixed with olive oil and accompanied by frankincense. The Chavitin were baked in the Lishkat Osei Chavitin - "Chamber of the Griddle-Cake Makers" - which was located in the Ezrat Yisrael (the Court of the Israelites), to the south of the Nicanor Gate in the eastern side of the Azara. Early every morning, "the Kohanim entered (into the Azara) after him (the Segan - Deputy Kohein Gadol) carrying two lighted torches and they separated into two groups, one going along the colonnade eastward and the other going along the colonnade westward. As they went, they kept diligent watch until they came to the Lishkat Osei Chavitin. When both groups came there, they called [one to the other] 'Is it well?' 'All is well' There they left them who made the Chavitin to make the Chavitin" (Tamid 1:3). Tif'eret Yisrael (47) explains that these Kohanim who "were left there" were assigned to begin heating up water necessary for the baking of the Chavitin. The amount of flour required for the Chavitin was one ISARON, a tenth of an Eifa.

The Kohanim-bakers first placed this amount flour in a Mikdash- measuring vessel whose capacity was exactly 1 ISARON to ascertain that they had the correct amount. The very act of placing the flour in a Mikdash vessel, Hakdasha, sanctified the flour and permitted it to be utilized for an offering. After the flour was removed from the measuring bowl, the Kohanim divided it into two portions... enough for six Chavitin. Then the Kohanim took three LOG of oil and divided it into twelve, one quarter of a LOG for each loaf (Menachot 88b). They poured the flour into another vessel (a procedure called Matan Solet) and proceeded to knead it with lukewarm water (Lisha). Lisha was one of the unique features of the Chavitin of the Kohein Gadol and the similar Minchat Chinuch of the Kohein Hedyot. The resultant paste was mixed with oil. The oil and the flour for each loaf was mixed separately (Belila). The priestly bakers then poured boiling water on the mixed flour and oil. This act is called Chalita. The commentaries vary widely as to the order and the exact procedure of Chalita and the Rambam in his commentary on Mishna Challa 1:6, differentiates between the process of adding the dough to boiling water and adding the boiling water to the dough. The first is called Me'isa and only the second process is called Chalita. Unlike the Chavitin, other Menachot required oil to be placed in the pan before the placement of flour (Matan Shemen). Then oil would be added a second time and mixed with the flour and oil. Then oil was poured on the mixture yet a third time after Belila.

However, oil was added only once to the Chavitin-"paste" (and the Minchat Chinuch) and then mixed. Since the Torah ordained that the Chavitin were to be unleavened, the Kohanim had to be very careful that the dough did not begin the leavening process (Vayikra 6:9). With the exception of one of a variety of loaves offered with the Korban Toda (Vayikra 7:13) and the Shtei HaLechem brought on Shavu'ot (Vayikra 23:17), all other Menachot were unleavened. The Kohanim then made from the resulting mixture 12 loaves and placed them directly on the floor of the metal oven located in Lishkat Osei Chavitin (Zevachim 95b). No container or cooking utensil was used (Tif'eret Yisrael, Chomer BaKodesh 2:42). The Chavitin were not fully baked (Ma'asei HaKorbanot 13:3). Quoting "opposing" sources, R. Chiya bar Abba maintains that the baking preceded the frying and R. Assi maintained the opposite view.

Rambam ruled that baking preceded frying but that the baking should be minimal - perhaps only sufficient to insure that the oily dough which had just been mixed with boiling water would be solid enough not to splatter into the fire. Rashi (Menachot 50b) maintains that the Chavitin were baked yet a second time after frying.)

After baking, the Kohanim placed the Chavitin in a pan over an open fire and fried them in oil. They removed the Chavitin from the pan and placed them in the Mikdash vessel that would be used to convey them to the Mizbei'ach. The other Chavitin were put aside until the time of the afternoon Tamid. They were folded over twice but not broken. However, the Gemara asks, "Does not the Mishna teach us that the Chavitin were not folded? The Amora Rabba said that they were not folded into four like other Menachot; they were only folded in two. Moreover, neither the Chavitin of the Kohein Gadol nor any Menachot of other Kohanim were broken into pieces" (Menachot 75b). (Today Matzot are made very thin and cannot be bent without breaking, but in Mikdash times, they could be quite thick and could easily be folded without breaking.

Even today, traditional Yemenite Matzot are like that.) Granules of frankincense were placed on the side of the Chavitin (Menachot 108b). Before taking the Chavitin to the top of the Mizbei'ach, the Chavitin similar to all other Menachot, required Hagasha, which meant that the Kohein first carried the vessel containing the Chavitin to the southwest corner of the Mizbei'ach and touched it with the vessel containing the Chavitin before conveying it to the top of the altar. Hagasha completed, a Kohein carried the Chavitin up the ramp to the top of the Mizbei'ach at the same time that other Kohanim were carrying the Netachim - dismembered parts of the sacrificial animal (Tamid 3:1). One of the four "lotteries" held in the Mikdash among the Kohanim was to determine who would participate in offering the Tamid and bring it to the Mizbei'ach. "The second lot [was to determine] who should slaughter, who should toss the blood… also [who should take up] the fine flour, the Chavitin, and the wine…" (Yoma 2:3). The Chavitin, similar to all other Korbanot, needed to be salted. A pile of salt was positioned at the southwest corner of the top of the Altar so that Menachot (and bird offerings) could be salted. (Animal sacrifices were salted from another pile of salt located on the west side of the ramp leading up to the top of the Mizbei'ach.) The Kohanim first cast the Netachim of the Tamid into the large fire on the southeast corner of the Altar. The Chavitin were only added to the flames (Haktara) after the casting of the Netachim.

Even though the Chavitin were the personal offering of the Kohein Gadol and he even had to pay for the flour, he was not required to participate in their preparation or convey them to the Mizbei'ach. He was not even required to be present when the Kohanim consigned his Chavitin to the flames. Despite the fact that these Chavitin was a personal Korban of the Kohein Gadol, since the Chavitin had to be brought at a "fixed time" (i.e., together with the Temidin), they were also brought on Shabbat. Even the kneading and baking took place on Shabbat because the Chavitin of the Kohein Gadol had to be crisp and fresh.

Catriel's book in progress: The Temple of Jerusalem, A Pilgrim’s Perspective; A Guided Tour through the Temple and the Divine Service