Menachos 23a

מנחות כ״ג ע״א

Menachot 23a

Learn Menachos 23a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Menachos 23a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Oil and the קומץ, רבא's unresolved question about oil on the altar wood, a משנה on mixed מנחות, and רב חסדא and רבי חנינא on cancelling נבילה and שחוטה.

Overview

First, רבא explains רבי יהודה's rule for mixtures. You set aside the same kind as if it were not there, and a larger amount of a different kind cancels it out. Next, רבי יוחנן and ריש לקיש argue about a קומץ of a מנחת חוטא that got oil on it. רבי יוחנן says it is פסול, and ריש לקיש says it is fine. ריש לקיש survives a challenge from a פסוק and two challenges from ברייתות. Then רבא asks whether oil squeezed onto the altar wood still counts as part of the קומץ. רבינא links this question to the bone-and-limb dispute between רבי יוחנן and ריש לקיש. רב אשי shows that the cases may be different, so the question ends as תיקו. A new משנה then teaches what happens when מנחות or a קומץ get mixed together. In the גמרא, רב חסדא and רבי חנינא give opposite rules about when נבילה and שחוטה cancel each other in a mixture. The גמרא asks which earlier opinion they follow, and it shows they cannot follow the רבנן. It then starts testing רבי יהודה, a challenge that continues on the next עמוד.

Opening lines

The steps (24)

1. Statementרבא explains רבי יהודה's rule for mixtures
2. StatementDispute: a sinner's handful that got oil on it
3. ChallengeA verse says no oil on a sinner's offering
4. ResolutionThe verse only forbids a set portion of oil
5. Challengeרבי יוחנן challenges from a dry offering mixed with an oily one
6. Resolutionריש לקיש reads the ברייתא as bull and ram offerings mixed with sheep offerings
7. ChallengeAnother ברייתא lists the bull and ram case separately
8. ResolutionThe second clause explains the first
9. Questionרבא asks about a קומץ whose oil was squeezed onto the wood
10. Proofרבינא links רבא's question to a known מחלוקת
11. StatementThe dispute about a limb completed to a כזית by its bone
12. StatementThe reasons behind the bone dispute
13. RejectionThe question still stands for רבי יוחנן
14. RejectionThe question still stands for ריש לקיש
15. ConclusionMaybe there is no difference, so the question stays open
16. StatementTwo מנחות that got mixed before the קמיצה
17. StatementA handful mixed into a meal offering whose handful was never taken
18. StatementA handful mixed back into leftovers
19. StatementCarcass meat is cancelled in slaughtered meat
20. StatementSlaughtered meat is not cancelled in carcass meat
21. Statementרבי חנינא gives the opposite rule
22. QuestionWhose opinion do they follow?
23. ChallengeIt cannot follow the רבנן
24. ChallengeStarting to test רבי יהודה