Menachos 11a

מנחות י״א ע״א

Menachot 11a

Learn Menachos 11a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Menachos 11a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

What ruins the קומץ, how the קמיצה is done, and how changes to a מנחה's oil or לבונה disqualify it

Overview

The amud opens at the end of a משנה: a pebble, salt, or לבונה that comes up with the קומץ makes the מנחה פסול. The גמרא explains why all three examples are needed. It then explains why the משנה blames a קומץ that is חסר or יתר rather than חציצה: the item may be off to the side. אביי and רבא discuss how the קומץ is taken, and a ברייתא confirms that the כהן bends three fingers over his palm and levels the handful with his thumb and little finger. The גמרא calls this one of the hardest עבודות in the מקדש. רב פפא and מר בר רב אשי then ask about unusual ways of doing קמיצה, חפינה, and putting the קומץ into a כלי, and every question ends in תיקו. A new משנה rules that too much oil, too little oil, or too little לבונה makes a מנחה פסולה. רבי אליעזר explains 'too much oil' as two לוגין set aside for it, and the גמרא defends his reading from the word 'its oil.' Finally, רבי יהודה and רבי שמעון disagree about how little לבונה may remain.

Opening lines

The steps (35)

1. StatementEnd of the משנה: a pinch of לבונה invalidates
2. QuestionWhy does the משנה need all three examples?
3. ResponseSalt is needed beyond the pebble
4. Responseלבונה is needed beyond salt
5. StatementThe משנה's reason: a short or oversized handful is invalid
6. ChallengeWhy not say the problem is a barrier?
7. ResolutionThe item may be off to the side
8. Questionאביי asks how the handful is taken
9. Responseרבא: the way people normally grab a handful
10. Challengeאביי objects: each finger has its own job
11. ResolutionThe little finger is used for leveling
12. QuestionHow exactly is the handful taken?
13. Responseרב: bend three fingers onto the palm
14. ProofA ברייתא supports רב: three fingers bent over the palm
15. StatementWiping off the extra for pan offerings, the hard job
16. ChallengeIs this really the only hard job?
17. ResolutionIt is one of the hard jobs
18. StatementThe normal handful is the way people usually grab
19. QuestionUnusual ways of taking the handful
20. StatementThe normal scoop is the way people usually scoop
21. QuestionUnusual ways of scooping the incense
22. QuestionA handful stuck to the wall of the vessel
23. QuestionA handful stuck to the bottom of an upside-down vessel
24. StatementThe משנה: how the handful is taken, and three disqualifications
25. QuestionWhat counts as 'too much oil'?
26. Responseרבי אליעזר: he set aside two לוגין
27. ChallengeWhy not a simpler case of outside oil?
28. ResolutionSuggested defense: outside oil does not disqualify
29. Rejectionרב זוטרא בר טוביה: then how is מנחת חוטא disqualified by oil?
30. RejectionEvery possible source of oil in a מנחת חוטא is ruled out
31. Resolutionרבי אליעזר chose the bigger surprise
32. QuestionWhere did רבי אליעזר learn this?
33. ResponseThe word 'its oil' in the משנה
34. Statementרבי יהודה: how much לבונה must remain
35. Statementרבי שמעון: even one pinch is enough