Menachos 59a

מנחות נ״ט ע״א

Menachot 59a

Learn Menachos 59a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Which מנחות need oil and frankincense, and the ברייתא's word-by-word sources from the פסוק of the עומר

Overview

This amud opens a משנה that sorts the מנחות (meal offerings) into four groups based on two ingredients, oil (שמן) and frankincense (לבונה). Most מנחות need both. The מנחת נסכים needs only oil, the לחם הפנים needs only frankincense, and the שתי הלחם, the מנחת חוטא and the מנחת קנאות need neither. The גמרא begins with רב פפא's rule that wherever the משנה says 'ten,' all ten loaves must be of one kind, against רבי שמעון. A ברייתא then reads the פסוק about the עומר word by word. 'עליה' keeps oil off the לחם הפנים and frankincense off the מנחת נסכים, even though a קל וחומר would have suggested otherwise. 'מנחה' adds the מנחת שמיני to frankincense, and 'היא' leaves out the שתי הלחם. The גמרא then asks why each word points to that offering and not to the מנחת כהנים. It answers by comparing features with the עומר, and when the comparison is a tie, the word 'נפש' decides. The amud ends with an אדרבה challenge about the שתי הלחם that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (28)

1. StatementFour groups of meal offerings
2. StatementOfferings that need both oil and frankincense
3. StatementThe libation offering needs oil only
4. StatementThe shewbread needs frankincense only
5. StatementThree מנחות that need neither oil nor frankincense
6. Statementרב פפא: ten loaves must all be of one kind
7. StatementSource: oil goes on the מנחה, not on the לחם הפנים
8. ChallengeWhy a פסוק is needed: a קל וחומר would add oil
9. ResolutionThe word 'עליה' overrides the קל וחומר
10. StatementNo frankincense on the libations offering
11. ChallengeA קל וחומר that would require frankincense
12. ResolutionThe word 'on it' blocks the קל וחומר
13. StatementIncluding the eighth-day offering, excluding the two loaves
14. ChallengeWhy exclude the showbread and not the priests' offering?
15. ResolutionThe priests' meal offering is more like the עומר: six similarities
16. ChallengeOn the contrary: the showbread shares three features with the עומר
17. ChallengeMore ways the לחם הפנים is like the מנחת העומר
18. ResolutionThe word נפש decides it
19. ChallengeWhy exclude the מנחת נסכים from frankincense and not the מנחת כהנים?
20. ResolutionThe מנחת כהנים is a tenth mixed with a log, like the עומר
21. ResolutionFinishing the list: brought near the altar and brought for its own sake
22. ChallengeOn the contrary: the libations offering also has four points in common
23. ResolutionThe word 'נפש' decides the question
24. ChallengeWhy should 'מנחה' include the eighth-day offering and not exclude it?
25. ResolutionExcluding would be pointless, since a one-time offering is not learned from permanent ones
26. ChallengeWhy should 'היא' exclude the two loaves and not the priests' offering?
27. ResolutionThe priests' offering is more like the עומר in six ways
28. ChallengeOn the contrary: opening a counter-argument