Menachos 21b

מנחות כ״א ע״ב

Menachot 21b

Learn Menachos 21b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Menachos 21b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Salt in the מקדש: מעילה, the כהנים' use of communal salt, and בן בוכרי on the half-shekel

Overview

The amud opens with a ברייתא: salt already on a limb of a קרבן is subject to מעילה, but salt sitting on the כבש or on top of the מזבח is not. רב מתנה brings a פסוק in יחזקאל as the source. A משנה in שקלים says בית דין let the כהנים benefit from the salt and wood, and שמואל limits this to 'their קרבנות', not eating. The גמרא first reads this as salting their own offerings. It challenges that reading, since salt was given even to cure the hides of קדשים. It then reads שמואל as allowing salt for eating קדשים but not for חולין. רבינא supports the second reading: a ברייתא proves salt comes from communal supplies for every ישראל, so the כהנים would need no special rule just to salt their offerings. רב מרדכי answers in the name of רב שישא that the rule is needed according to בן בוכרי, who holds that כהנים do not have to give the half-shekel. This answer revives the first reading. The גמרא quotes the משנה about בן בוכרי and explains how a כהן who pays hands his coin over to the community. It then begins to explain the mistaken idea the salt rule corrects, and that explanation continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (22)

1. StatementSalt on a limb is subject to misuse, salt on the ramp or altar is not
2. ProofThe verse showing that salt on the limb is part of the offering
3. StatementA משנה lets the priests benefit from the salt and the wood
4. Statementשמואל limits the permission to their offerings, not to eating
5. QuestionFirst guess at what שמואל meant
6. ChallengeIf salt is given even for hides, surely it is given for eating
7. ProofProof that salt was used for the hides of sacrificial animals
8. ResolutionA new reading of שמואל: salt for eating קדשים is allowed, salt for ordinary food is not
9. ChallengeIsn't it obvious that ordinary food gets no מקדש salt?
10. Resolutionכהנים do eat ordinary food with a מנחה, yet still get no salt for it
11. Proofרבינא shows the new reading is more logical
12. ProofA ברייתא begins: maybe one must bring salt for a מנחה from home
13. ChallengeMaybe salt is like wood, which comes from the public
14. ProofWood is the better match because it applies to all offerings
15. ChallengeNo, salt is like לבונה because they share one vessel
16. ConclusionA פסוק proves salt comes from communal supplies
17. ResolutionThe rule for כהנים is needed only according to בן בוכרי
18. Proofבן בוכרי and רבן יוחנן בן זכאי argue about כהנים and the shekel
19. ProofThe כהנים' reason for not paying the shekel
20. ChallengeAccording to בן בוכרי, a כהן who pays should be sinning
21. ResolutionThe כהן hands his shekel over to the community
22. ResolutionOpening the 'you might have thought' explanation