Menachos 51a

מנחות נ״א ע״א

Menachot 51a

Learn Menachos 51a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Why the חביתין (the כהן גדול's daily griddle-cake offering) may be prepared on שבת, and how much oil it needs

Overview

This amud asks why the חביתין, the כהן גדול's daily griddle-cake offering, may be prepared on שבת. One answer is that they are like the מנחה of the תמידין. רבא gives another reason: they need a holy vessel, so baking them a day early would make them פסול through לינה. A ברייתא then asks how much oil the חביתין need. It tries comparing them to the מנחת נסכים (three לוגין) and to the מנחת נדבה (one לוג), and each comparison is equally strong. רבי ישמעאל בנו של רבי יוחנן בן ברוקה settles it from the word תמיד: three לוגין per עשרון. רבי שמעון reaches the same amount by comparing the חביתין to the sheep's מנחה, since both use one עשרון of flour. The גמרא then asks why the ברייתא seems to contradict itself. אביי, רב הונא בריה דרב יהושע and רבה each explain who is speaking in it, and רבה's explanation continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (23)

1. ResponseThe griddle-cakes are like the daily offerings' meal offering
2. Responseרבא: it needs a vessel, so baking a day early would disqualify it
3. ProofA ברייתא supports רבא
4. QuestionExtra oil is added, but how much?
5. ResponseA גזרה שוה with the מנחת נסכים sets three לוגין
6. ChallengeA rival comparison: learn the oil from the voluntary meal offering
7. ResponseThe חביתין share four features with the מנחת נסכים
8. ChallengeThe חביתין also share four features with the מנחת נדבה
9. ChallengeWe cannot learn the יגי״ל offering from one that lacks יגי״ל
10. StatementThe word תמיד links the חביתין to the daily offerings' מנחה
11. StatementExtra oil here and by the sheep's מנחה: three לוגין
12. ChallengeMaybe compare to the bulls' and rams' מנחה: only two לוגין
13. ResolutionCompare by Amount of Flour: One Tenth to One Tenth
14. ChallengeThe ברייתא Seems to Contradict Itself
15. Resolutionאביי: Two Different תנאים in One ברייתא
16. Resolutionרב הונא: The Whole ברייתא Is One תנא
17. ResolutionThe word 'with the oil' comes to add extra oil
18. RejectionMaybe 'with the oil' only teaches that oil is needed
19. ResolutionThe comparison fails, so a פסוק is needed
20. Resolutionרבה: the whole ברייתא is רבי שמעון
21. ResolutionWhy 'with the oil' must mean extra oil
22. ResolutionThe derivation fails, so the bulls-and-rams comparison is tried
23. ResolutionStarting a new derivation