Gemara Clarity

Menachos 59b

מנחות נ״ט ע״ב

Menachot 59b

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

Open Menachos 59b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Oil and frankincense on the מנחת חוטא: what disqualifies it, ground לבונה, and the rule of דחויין

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a debate: should מנחת כהנים or שתי הלחם be included with the עומר in needing oil and frankincense? The word נפש shows that the rule covers a private person's offering, so מנחת כהנים is the one included. Then a new משנה teaches that putting oil or לבונה on a מנחת חוטא is two separate prohibitions. Oil ruins the offering, but לבונה can be picked off. A ברייתא learns this from the פסוק and explains it: oil soaks in and cannot be removed, while לבונה can be gathered off. רבה בר רב הונא asks about ground לבונה, and a ברייתא shows that the מנחה is not fit until the לבונה is removed. The גמרא then asks why bad intent still counts on such a מנחה. אביי, רבא and רב אשי each answer, and רב אדא favors רב אשי: a problem you can fix yourself does not make an offering דחוי. The amud ends with רבי יוחנן's rules about how much oil or לבונה disqualifies the מנחה, and that explanation continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

שְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם הֲוָה לֵיהּ לְרַבּוֹיֵי,

He should have included the two loaves,

שֶׁכֵּן: צִיבּוּר, חוֹבָה,

since they are both: communal, obligatory,

טַמְיָא, דַּאֲכַל,

brought in impurity, and eaten,

פִּיגּוּלָא, בְּשַׁבְּתָא,

subject to piggul, brought on Shabbat,

The steps (30)

  1. Challengeשתי הלחם share more features with the עומר
  2. ResolutionThe word 'נפש' points to an individual's offering
  3. StatementSeparate punishment for oil and frankincense, and which one ruins the offering
  4. StatementLimits of the prohibition: the leftovers, and a vessel resting on a vessel
  5. StatementA ברייתא: the verse teaches that oil disqualifies
  6. QuestionMaybe frankincense also disqualifies?
  7. Response'For it is a sin offering': frankincense does not disqualify
  8. QuestionThen maybe oil also does not disqualify?
  9. ResponseThe word 'it' limits the rule: oil still disqualifies
  10. QuestionWhy make oil the disqualifier and not frankincense?
  11. ResponseOil cannot be removed, frankincense can
  12. QuestionWhat about ground-up frankincense?
  13. ProofProof from 'he should gather it'
  14. RejectionThe משנה may be giving two reasons
  15. ProofAnother try: the ברייתא says לבונה can be gathered
  16. RejectionAgain: one reason plus an extra one
  17. QuestionSo what is the final answer?
  18. ResponseA ברייתא about intent before and after gathering the לבונה
  19. ChallengeChallenge: if it is unfit, why does intent matter at all?
  20. Resolutionאביי: The תורה still calls it a sin offering
  21. Resolutionרבא: The ברייתא follows חנן המצרי
  22. ProofSource showing חנן המצרי rejects the rule of דחויין
  23. Resolutionרב אשי: What you can fix yourself is not rejected
  24. Proofרב אדא: רב אשי's answer makes the most sense
  25. Proofרבי יהודה's משנה about the יום כיפור goats
  26. ProofEven רבי יהודה agrees a fixable problem does not reject an offering
  27. StatementAny amount of oil on a כזית of מנחה disqualifies it
  28. ProofThe פסוק's words teach both amounts for oil
  29. StatementA כזית of לבונה on any amount of מנחה disqualifies it
  30. Proof"לא יתן" teaches that לבונה needs a real amount