{"id":13508,"date":"2011-03-10T23:03:37","date_gmt":"2011-03-10T23:03:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/production.ou.org\/life\/other\/masechet_menahot_intro_2a8b\/"},"modified":"2016-11-30T08:40:07","modified_gmt":"2016-11-30T13:40:07","slug":"masechet_menahot_intro_2a8b","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/torah\/masechet_menahot_intro_2a8b\/","title":{"rendered":"Introduction to Masechet Menachot and 2a-8b"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Coming Week’s Daf Yomi by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz<\/em><\/p>\n

This essay is based upon the insights and chidushim (original ideas) of Talmudic scholar Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, as published in the Hebrew version of the Steinsaltz Edition of the Talmud.<\/em><\/p>\n

Masechet Menachot: Introduction<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Masechet<\/a> Menachot<\/em> and Masechet Zevachim<\/a><\/em> should be viewed as “sister tractates.” Both of them focus on the rules and regulations associated with the sacrificial service, although Masechet Zevachim<\/em> deals with sacrifices brought from living creatures that are slaughtered (animals and fowl), while Masechet Menachot<\/em> is about sacrifices that originate in the plant world – menachot<\/em> – meal offerings brought from grains (wheat and barley) and libations of wine and oil.<\/p>\n

Just as is the case regarding animal sacrifices, we find a variety of different sacrifices in the general category of menachot<\/em>. There are those that are voluntary, those that are obligatory and those that come to effect atonement for sin; there are those brought by individuals and those brought on behalf of the community. Another parallel to animal sacrifice is the fact that while some parts are burned on the altar, other parts are given to the kohanim<\/a><\/em> to eat. Nevertheless, there are differences, as well. For example, all menachot<\/em> are considered kodshei kodashim<\/em> – the highest level of holiness and they can only be eaten by male kohanim<\/em> in the Temple<\/a> courtyard.<\/p>\n

The sacrificial service that we find for the mincha<\/em> is similar to that of an animal sacrifice. After preparing the meal-offering the kohen<\/em> takes a kometz<\/em> – a fistful – from the mixture, places it in one of the Temple vessels to sanctify it, carries it to the altar and burns it on the altar. From that time the remnants are permitted to the kohanim<\/em> to eat. Thus, the four main activities of the mincha<\/em> parallel those of an animal sacrifice:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Kemitzah<\/em> (taking the fistful of flour) parallels shechita<\/em> (slaughtering the animal),<\/li>\n
  2. Placing the kometz<\/em> in the Temple vessel parallels collecting the blood in a Temple vessel,<\/li>\n
  3. Carrying the kometz<\/em> to the altar parallels carrying the blood to the altar,<\/li>\n
  4. Burning the kometz<\/em> on the altar parallels sprinkling the blood on the altar.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    It is during these four acts that inappropriate thoughts will disqualify the sacrifice. Thus, the kometz<\/em> of the meal offering and the blood of the animal sacrifice symbolize the atonement offered by this sacrifice, and completing that service allows the rest of the sacrifice to be eaten or brought on the altar, as appropriate.<\/p>\n

    Among the differences between these sacrifices is the fact that an animal sacrifice is ready to be slaughtered and brought to the altar with minimal preparation, while the meal-offering must be prepared from different ingredients – flour, oil, frankincense – in order to be ready for sacrifice.<\/p>\n

    In reality, the first two tractates in Seder<\/a> Kodashim<\/a><\/em> – Zevachim<\/em> and Menachot<\/em> – constitute a single whole dealing with the sacrificial service, inasmuch as each contains elements of ritual law that apply to the other. The latter part of Masechet Menachot<\/em>, for example, appears to be a summation of the general rules of sacrifice. The concluding Mishnah<\/a> quotes passages that appear regarding animal sacrifice (see Vayikra<\/a> 1:9<\/a>, 17<\/a>) and meal-offerings (Vayikra 2:2<\/a>), which agree that both are offerings desired by God, allowing the Mishnah to close by teaching that it makes no difference whether one offers much or little, so long as he directs his heart to heaven.<\/p>\n

    Meal-offerings can be categorized in a number of different ways:<\/p>\n