Menachot

כָּל הַמְּנָחוֹת שֶׁנִּקְמְצוּ שֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁמָן, כְּשֵׁרוֹת, אֶלָּא שֶׁלֹּא עָלוּ לַבְּעָלִים מִשּׁוּם חוֹבָה, חוּץ מִמִּנְחַת חוֹטֵא, וּמִנְחַת קְנָאוֹת. מִנְחַת חוֹטֵא וּמִנְחַת קְנָאוֹת שֶׁקְּמָצָן שֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁמָן, נָתַן בַּכְּלִי, וְהִלֵּךְ, וְהִקְטִיר שֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁמָן, אוֹ לִשְׁמָן וְשֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁמָן, אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁמָן וְלִשְׁמָן, פְּסוּלוֹת. כֵּיצַד לִשְׁמָן וְשֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁמָן, לְשֵׁם מִנְחַת חוֹטֵא וּלְשֵׁם מִנְחַת נְדָבָה, אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁמָן וְלִשְׁמָן, לְשֵׁם מִנְחַת נְדָבָה וּלְשֵׁם מִנְחַת חוֹטֵא:

All minhahs from which the handful was taken not in their own name are valid, except that they do not count in fulfilling their owners’ obligation, with the exception of the sinner's minhah and the minhah of jealousy. A sinner’s minhah and the minhah of jealousy from which he removed the handful not in their own name, or he put into the vessel, or brought [to the altar], or burned not in their own name, or for their own name and not for their own name, or not for their own name and for their own name, they are invalid. How can they be “for their own name and not for their own name”? [If offered it] as a sinner's minhah and as a voluntary minhah. And how can they be “not for their own name and for their own name”? [If offered it] as a voluntary minhah and as a sinner's minhah.

Mishnah Menachot 1:1 · Mishnah Yomit by Dr. Joshua Kulp

הַקּוֹמֵץ אֶת הַמִּנְחָה לֶאֱכֹל שְׁיָרֶיהָ אוֹ לְהַקְטִיר קֻמְצָהּ לְמָחָר, מוֹדֶה רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בָּזֶה, שֶׁהוּא פִגּוּל וְחַיָּבִין עָלָיו כָּרֵת. לְהַקְטִיר לְבוֹנָתָהּ לְמָחָר, רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, פָּסוּל וְאֵין בּוֹ כָרֵת, וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, פִּגוּל וְחַיָּבִין עָלָיו כָּרֵת. אָמְרוּ לוֹ, מַה שָּׁנָה זוֹ מִן הַזָּבַח. אָמַר לָהֶם, שֶׁהַזֶּבַח דָּמוֹ וּבְשָׂרוֹ וְאֵמוּרָיו אֶחָד, וּלְבוֹנָה אֵינָהּ מִן הַמִּנְחָה:

If he took out the handful [intending] to eat the remainder or to burn the handful the next day, in this case Rabbi Yose agrees that the offering is piggul and he is obligated for karet. [If he intended] to burn its frankincense the next day: Rabbi Yose says: it is invalid but he is not liable for karet. But the sages say: it is piggul and he is liable for karet. They said to him: how does this differ from an animal-offering? He said to them: with the animal-offering the blood, the flesh and the sacrificial portions are all one; but the frankincense is not part of the minhah.

Mishnah Menachot 2:1 · Mishnah Yomit by Dr. Joshua Kulp

הַקּוֹמֵץ אֶת הַמִּנְחָה לֶאֱכֹל דָּבָר שֶׁאֵין דַּרְכּוֹ לֶאֱכֹל, לְהַקְטִיר דָּבָר שֶׁאֵין דַּרְכּוֹ לְהַקְטִיר, כָּשֵׁר. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר פּוֹסֵל. לֶאֱכֹל דָּבָר שֶׁדַּרְכּוֹ לֶאֱכֹל, לְהַקְטִיר דָּבָר שֶׁדַּרְכּוֹ לְהַקְטִיר, פָּחוֹת מִכַּזַּיִת, כָּשֵׁר. לֶאֱכֹל כַּחֲצִי זַיִת וּלְהַקְטִיר כַּחֲצִי זַיִת, כָּשֵׁר, שֶׁאֵין אֲכִילָה וְהַקְטָרָה מִצְטָרְפִין:

If he took the handful from the minhah intending to eat [outside its proper place or after its proper time] a thing that it is not usual to eat or to burn [outside its proper place or after its proper time] a thing that it is not usual to burn, the offering is valid. But Rabbi Eliezer says it is invalid. If he intended to eat less than an olive's worth of a thing that it is usual to eat, or to burn less than an olive's worth of a thing that it is usual to burn, the offering is valid. If he intended to eat a half of an olive's worth and to burn a half of an olive’s worth, the offering is valid, for eating and burning cannot be reckoned together.

Mishnah Menachot 3:1 · Mishnah Yomit by Dr. Joshua Kulp

הַתְּכֵלֶת אֵינָהּ מְעַכֶּבֶת אֶת הַלָּבָן, וְהַלָּבָן אֵינוֹ מְעַכֵּב אֶת הַתְּכֵלֶת. תְּפִלָּה שֶׁל יָד אֵינָהּ מְעַכֶּבֶת שֶׁל רֹאשׁ, וְשֶׁל ראשׁ אֵינָהּ מְעַכֶּבֶת שֶׁל יָד. הַסֹּלֶת וְהַשֶּׁמֶן אֵינָם מְעַכְּבִין אֶת הַיַּיִן, וְלֹא הַיַּיִן מְעַכְּבָן. הַמַּתָּנוֹת שֶׁעַל מִזְבֵּחַ הַחִיצוֹן אֵינָן מְעַכְּבוֹת זוֹ אֶת זוֹ:

The [absence of the] blue [in the tzitzit] does not invalidate the white, neither does the [absence of the] white invalidate the blue. The [absence of the] hand-tefillin does not invalidate the head-tefillin, neither does the [absence of the] head-tefillin invalidate the hand-tefillin. The [absence of the] fine flour and the oil does not invalidate the wine, neither does the [absence of the] wine invalidate them. The [omission of one of the] sprinklings [of the blood] on the outer altar does not invalidate the rest.

Mishnah Menachot 4:1 · Mishnah Yomit by Dr. Joshua Kulp

כָּל הַמְּנָחוֹת בָּאוֹת מַצָּה, חוּץ מֵחָמֵץ שֶׁבַּתּוֹדָה וּשְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם, שֶׁהֵן בָּאוֹת חָמֵץ. רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר, שְׂאֹר בּוֹדֶה לָהֶן מִתּוֹכָן וּמְחַמְּצָן. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, אַף הִיא אֵינָהּ מִן הַמֻּבְחָר, אֶלָּא מֵבִיא אֶת הַשְּׂאֹר, וְנוֹתֵן לְתוֹךְ הַמִּדָּה, וּמְמַלֵּא אֶת הַמִּדָּה. אָמְרוּ לוֹ, אַף הִיא הָיְתָה חֲסֵרָה אוֹ יְתֵרָה:

All minhahs must be offered unleavened, with the exception of the leavened cakes of the todah and the two loaves [of Shavuot] which are offered leavened. Rabbi Meir says: the leaven must be taken from [the minhahs] themselves and with this they are leavened. Rabbi Judah says: that is not the best way, rather [first of all] he brings leaven and puts into the measuring vessel and then he fills the measuring vessel up [with flour]. But they said to him: even so [it is not satisfactory], for it would be sometimes too little and sometimes too much.

Mishnah Menachot 5:1 · Mishnah Yomit by Dr. Joshua Kulp

אֵלּוּ מְנָחוֹת נִקְמָצוֹת וּשְׁיָרֵיהֶן לַכֹּהֲנִים, מִנְחַת סֹלֶת, וְהַמַּחֲבַת, וְהַמַּרְחֶשֶׁת, וְהַחַלּוֹת, וְהָרְקִיקִין, מִנְחַת גּוֹיִם, מִנְחַת נָשִׁים, מִנְחַת הָעֹמֶר, מִנְחַת חוֹטֵא, וּמִנְחַת קְנָאוֹת. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, מִנְחַת חוֹטֵא שֶׁל כֹּהֲנִים נִקְמֶצֶת, וְהַקֹּמֶץ קָרֵב לְעַצְמוֹ, וְהַשִּׁירַיִם קְרֵבִין לְעַצְמָן:

From the following menahot the handful must be taken and the remainder is for the priests: The minhah of fine flour, that prepared on a griddle, that prepared in a pan, the loaves and the wafers, the minhah of a Gentile, the minhah of women, the minhah of the omer, the sinners’ minhah, and the minhah of jealousy. Rabbi Shimon says: a sinners’ minhah brought by priests the handful is taken, and the handful is offered by itself and so also the remainder is offered by itself.

Mishnah Menachot 6:1 · Mishnah Yomit by Dr. Joshua Kulp

הַתּוֹדָה הָיְתָה בָאָה חָמֵשׁ סְאִין יְרוּשַׁלְמִיּוֹת, שֶׁהֵן שֵׁשׁ מִדְבָּרִיּוֹת, שְׁתֵּי אֵיפוֹת, הָאֵיפָה שָׁלשׁ סְאִין, עֶשְׂרִים עִשָּׂרוֹן, עֲשָׂרָה לֶחָמֵץ וַעֲשָׂרָה לַמַּצָּה. עֲשָׂרָה לֶחָמֵץ, עִשָּׂרוֹן לְחַלָּה. וַעֲשָׂרָה לַמַּצָּה, וּבַמַּצָּה שְׁלשָׁה מִינִין, חַלּוֹת וּרְקִיקִים וּרְבוּכָה. נִמְצְאוּ שְׁלשָׁה עֶשְׂרוֹנוֹת וּשְׁלִישׁ לְכָל מִין, שָׁלשׁ חַלּוֹת לְעִשָּׂרוֹן. בְּמִדָּה יְרוּשַׁלְמִית הָיוּ שְׁלשִׁים קַב, חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר לֶחָמֵץ, וַחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר לַמַּצָּה. חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר לֶחָמֵץ, קַב וָחֵצִי לְחַלָּה. וַחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר לַמַּצָּה, וְהַמַּצָּה שְׁלשָׁה מִינִין, חַלּוֹת וּרְקִיקִים וּרְבוּכָה, נִמְצְאוּ חֲמֵשֶׁת קַבִּים לְכָל מִין, שְׁתֵּי חַלּוֹת לְקָב:

The todah required five Jerusalem seahs [of flour], which are six wilderness seahs; This is the equivalent to two ephahs, for an ephah is three seahs, or to twenty tenths [of an ephah], ten for the leavened cakes and ten for the matzot. “Ten for the leavened cakes” one tenth for each cake; “And ten for the matzot” –there were three kinds of matzot: loaves, wafers, and soaked cakes, thus there were three and a third tenths of flour for each kind, three cakes to every tenth. By Jerusalem measure they were thirty kavs, fifteen for the leavened cakes and fifteen for the matzot. “Fifteen for the leavened cakes”, one kav and a half for each cake. “And fifteen for the matzot” there were three kinds of matzot: loaves, wafers, and soaked cakes, thus there were five kavs for each kind, two cakes to every kav.

Mishnah Menachot 7:1 · Mishnah Yomit by Dr. Joshua Kulp

כָּל קָרְבְּנוֹת הַצִּבּוּר וְהַיָּחִיד בָּאִים מִן הָאָרֶץ וּמִחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ, מִן הֶחָדָשׁ וּמִן הַיָּשָׁן, חוּץ מִן הָעֹמֶר וּשְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם, שֶׁאֵינָן בָּאִים אֶלָּא מִן הֶחָדָשׁ וּמִן הָאָרֶץ. וְכֻלָּן אֵינָן בָּאִים אֶלָּא מִן הַמֻּבְחָר. וְאֵיזֶהוּ מֻבְחָר. מִכְמָס וּמְזוֹנִיחָה, אַלְפָא לַסֹּלֶת. שְׁנִיָּה לָהֶם, חֲפָרַיִם בַּבִּקְעָה. כָּל הָאֲרָצוֹת הָיוּ כְשֵׁרוֹת, אֶלָּא מִכָּאן הָיוּ מְבִיאִים:

All the sacrifices communal or individual may be offered from [produce grown] in the Land [of Israel] or outside the Land, from new [produce] or from the old, except for the omer and the two loaves, which must be offered only from new produce and from [produce grown] in the land. All [offerings] must be offered from the choicest produce. And which is the choicest? That from Michmas and Zanoha are “alpha” for the quality of their fine flour; second to them is Hafaraim in the valley. The [produce of the] whole land was valid, but they used to bring it from these places.

Mishnah Menachot 8:1 · Mishnah Yomit by Dr. Joshua Kulp

שְׁתֵּי מִדּוֹת שֶׁל יָבֵשׁ הָיוּ בַמִּקְדָּשׁ, עִשָּׂרוֹן, וַחֲצִי עִשָּׂרוֹן. רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר, עִשָּׂרוֹן, עִשָּׂרוֹן, וַחֲצִי עִשָּׂרוֹן. עִשָּׂרוֹן מֶה הָיָה מְשַׁמֵּשׁ, שֶׁבּוֹ הָיָה מוֹדֵד לְכָל הַמְּנָחוֹת. לֹא הָיָה מוֹדֵד, לֹא בְשֶׁל שְׁלשָׁה לְפַר, וְלֹא בְשֶׁל שְׁנַיִם לְאַיִל, אֶלָּא מוֹדְדָן עֶשְׂרוֹנוֹת. חֲצִי עִשָּׂרוֹן מֶה הָיָה מְשַׁמֵּשׁ, שֶׁבּוֹ הָיָה מוֹדֵד חֲבִתֵּי כֹהֵן גָּדוֹל, מֶחֱצָה בַּבֹּקֶר וּמֶחֱצָה בֵּין הָעַרְבָּיִם:

There were two dry-measures in the Temple: the tenth and the half-tenth. Rabbi Meir says: a tenth, [another] tenth, and a half-tenth. For what purpose did the tenth measure serve? By it they used to measure all the menahot. One did not measure with a three-tenths measure [the minhah] for a bull or with a two-tenths measure [the minhah] for a ram, rather, one measured them by all by tenths. For what purpose did the half-tenth measure serve? By it one used to measure the griddlecakes of the high priest [which was offered] half in the morning and the half towards evening.

Mishnah Menachot 9:1 · Mishnah Yomit by Dr. Joshua Kulp

רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר, הָעֹמֶר הָיָה בָא בְשַׁבָּת מִשָּׁלשׁ סְאִין, וּבְחֹל מֵחָמֵשׁ. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, אֶחָד בְּשַׁבָּת וְאֶחָד בְּחֹל, מִשָּׁלשׁ הָיָה בָא. רַבִּי חֲנִינָא סְגָן הַכֹּהֲנִים אוֹמֵר, בְּשַׁבָּת הָיָה נִקְצָר בְּיָחִיד וּבְמַגָּל אֶחָד וּבְקֻפָּה אַחַת. וּבְחֹל, בִּשְׁלשָׁה וּבְשָׁלשׁ קֻפּוֹת וּבְשָׁלשׁ מַגָּלוֹת. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, אֶחָד בְּשַׁבָּת וְאֶחָד בְּחֹל, בִּשְׁלשָׁה וּבְשָׁלשׁ קֻפּוֹת וּבְשָׁלשׁ מַגָּלוֹת:

Rabbi Ishmael says: On Shabbat the omer was taken out of three seahs [of barley] and on a weekday out of five. But the sages say: whether on Shabbat or on a weekday it was taken out of three seahs. Rabbi Hanina the vice-high priest says: on Shabbat it was reaped by one man with one sickle into one basket, and on a weekday it was reaped by three men into three baskets and with three sickles. But the sages say: whether on Shabbat or on a weekday it was reaped by three men into three baskets and with three sickles.

Mishnah Menachot 10:1 · Mishnah Yomit by Dr. Joshua Kulp

שְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם נִלּוֹשׁוֹת אַחַת אַחַת, וְנֶאֱפוֹת אַחַת אַחַת. לֶחֶם הַפָּנִים נִלּוֹשׁ אֶחָד אֶחָד, וְנֶאֱפֶה שְׁנַיִם שְׁנָיִם. וּבִטְפוּס הָיָה עוֹשֶׂה אוֹתָן. וּכְשֶׁהוּא רָדָן, נוֹתְנָן בִּטְפוּס, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִתְקַלְקְלוּ:

The two loaves [of Shavuot] were kneaded each on its own and baked each on its own. The [cakes of the] showbread were kneaded each on its own and baked two at a time. They were prepared in a mould, and when they were taken out from the oven they were again put in a mould lest they become damaged.

Mishnah Menachot 11:1 · Mishnah Yomit by Dr. Joshua Kulp

הַמְּנָחוֹת וְהַנְּסָכִים שֶׁנִּטְמְאוּ עַד שֶׁלֹּא קִדְּשָׁן בַּכְּלִי, יֶשׁ לָהֶן פִּדְיוֹן. מִשֶּׁקָּדְשׁוּ בַכְּלִי, אֵין לָהֶם פִּדְיוֹן. הָעוֹפוֹת וְהָעֵצִים וְהַלְּבוֹנָה וּכְלֵי שָׁרֵת, אֵין לָהֶם פִּדְיוֹן, שֶׁלֹּא נֶאֱמַר אֶלָּא בְּהֵמָה:

If menahot and libation-offerings became unclean before they were sanctified in a vessel, they may be redeemed. If [they became unclean] after they were sanctified in a vessel, they may not be redeemed. Bird-offerings, the wood, the frankincense, and the ministering vessels, may not be redeemed, for the rule of redemption applies only to [offerings of] beasts.

Mishnah Menachot 12:1 · Mishnah Yomit by Dr. Joshua Kulp

נֶאֱמַר בְּעוֹלַת הַבְּהֵמָה אִשֵּׁה רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ (ויקרא א), וּבְעוֹלַת הָעוֹף אִשֵּׁה רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ (שם), וּבַמִּנְחָה אִשֵּׁה רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ (שם ב), לְלַמֵּד, שֶׁאֶחָד הַמַּרְבֶּה וְאֶחָד הַמַּמְעִיט, וּבִלְבַד שֶׁיְּכַוֵּן אָדָם אֶת דַּעְתּוֹ לַשָּׁמָיִם:

It is said of the olah of cattle, “An offering made by fire of pleasing odor” (Leviticus 1:9); and of the olah of birds, “An offering made by fire of pleasing odor (vs. 17); and of the minhah, “An offering made by fire of pleasing odor” (Leviticus 2:2): to teach you that it is the same whether one offers much or little, so long as one directs one’s heart to heaven. Congratulations! We have finished Tractate Menahot! It is a tradition at this point to thank God for helping us finish learning the tractate and to commit ourselves to going back and relearning it, so that we may not forget it and so that its lessons will stay with us for all of our lives. It is no accident that the last mishnah of the tractate finishes with the message that we learned today. After having learned 14 chapters of Zevahim and 13 chapters of Menahot, there is a grave danger that one could learn that all God cares about, and all that is important in Judaism, is bringing the proper sacrifice in the proper manner. Our mishnah teaches that the important issue is the proper intent, that one’s intent in sacrifice should be to worship God. This is not to deny that that the minutiae of rules are extremely important, both in the eyes of the rabbis and surely in the eyes of the priests who served in the Temple while it still stood. Rather, what today’s mishnah seems to say is that the rules are an outer manifestation of the inner kavannah, intent, of the worshipper. Without following the rules, there is no way to bring that intent into the world. But without the intent, the rules are just empty exercises devoid of meaning. I believe that this is a message that is as true of Judaism today as it was in Temple times. Mishnah Menahot has probably been a great challenge for many of you; I know it was for me. So please accept an extra congratulations on completing it. Tomorrow we begin Hullin, the one tractate in all of Seder Kodashim that does not deal with sacrifices or the Temple.

Mishnah Menachot 13:11 · Mishnah Yomit by Dr. Joshua Kulp

אָמַר לְפָנָיו: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, הַרְאֵהוּ לִי, אָמַר לוֹ: חֲזוֹר לַאֲחוֹרֶךָ. הָלַךְ וְיָשַׁב בְּסוֹף שְׁמוֹנֶה שׁוּרוֹת, וְלֹא הָיָה יוֹדֵעַ מָה הֵן אוֹמְרִים, תָּשַׁשׁ כֹּחוֹ. כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִגִּיעַ לְדָבָר אֶחָד, אָמְרוּ לוֹ תַּלְמִידָיו: רַבִּי, מִנַּיִן לָךְ? אָמַר לָהֶן: ״הֲלָכָה לְמֹשֶׁה מִסִּינַי״, נִתְיַישְּׁבָה דַּעְתּוֹ.

He said before Him, "Master of the Universe! Show him to me." He said to him, "Turn backwards." He went and sat at the end of eight rows [of students in Rabbi Akiva's Beit Midrash], and he did not know what they were talking [about]. He got upset. When he [Rabbi Akiva] got to [teaching] something, his students said to him, "Teacher, from where do you learn this?" He said to them, "It is a law [that was taught] to Moshe at Sinai." He calmed down.

Menachot 29b:4 · Sefaria Community Translation

מַתְנִי׳ נֶאֱמַר בְּעוֹלַת בְּהֵמָה ״אִשֶּׁה רֵיחַ נִיחוֹחַ״, וּבְעוֹלַת עוֹף ״אִשֶּׁה רֵיחַ נִיחוֹחַ״, וּבְמִנְחָה ״אִשֶּׁה רֵיחַ נִיחוֹחַ״, לוֹמַר לְךָ: אֶחָד הַמַּרְבֶּה וְאֶחָד הַמַּמְעִיט, וּבִלְבַד שֶׁיְּכַוֵּין לִבּוֹ לַשָּׁמַיִם.

MISHNA: It is stated with regard to an animal burnt offering: “A fire offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord” (Leviticus 1:9), and with regard to a bird burnt offering: …

Menachot 110a:14 · William Davidson Edition - English · excerpt; the full text is on Sefaria