Gemara Clarity

Menachos 88b

מנחות פ״ח ע״ב

Menachot 88b

Learn Menachos 88b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Menachos 88b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

The anointed measuring vessels, and how the lamps of the מנורה were built and cleaned

Overview

First the גמרא explains why the רביעית and חצי לוג measuring vessels had to be anointed as holy כלי שרת. The uses the משנה lists for them did not seem to need a holy vessel. רבי חייא answers that the רביעית measured oil for the חביתי כהן גדול. רבי's son רבי שמעון answers that the חצי לוג measured oil for each lamp of the מנורה, and רבי praises them both. Next, רבי teaches that a lamp that went out is cleaned and relit. רבי ירמיה proves that it gets the full original amount of oil, and another teaching backs him up. Then רב ששת says the lamps were one piece with the מנורה but could be tipped for cleaning. The גמרא connects this to a מחלוקת among תנאים about whether the lamps came from the same ככר of gold as the מנורה, and to how they read the פסוק. The amud ends as the גמרא explains why 'all these vessels' is needed, even though the Torah already says the tools are gold.

Opening lines

חוּץ הוּא,

it is [done] outside,

וְאִי נָזִיר –

and if [it was for] a nazirite —

לֶחֶם נָזִיר בִּשְׁחִיטַת אַיִל

the bread of a nazirite, through the slaughter of the ram

הוּא דְּקָדֵישׁ.

is it consecrated.

The steps (28)

  1. ChallengeFinishing the question on the quarter-log measure
  2. ResolutionThe quarter-log measured oil for the חביתי כהן גדול
  3. Conclusionרבי praises רבי חייא with a פסוק
  4. StatementQuoting the משנה on the half-log measure
  5. ChallengeWhy was the half-log measure anointed?
  6. ResolutionThe half-log measured oil for each lamp of the מנורה
  7. Conclusionרבי praises his son as the lamp of Israel
  8. StatementA lamp that went out gets cleaned, refilled and relit
  9. QuestionHow much new oil goes into the relit lamp?
  10. ResponseIt must be the full original amount
  11. ConclusionPraise for רבי ירמיה with a פסוק
  12. ProofAn Amoraic teaching supports רבי ירמיה: refill with the original amount
  13. Statementרב ששת: the lamps of the מנורה were movable
  14. ProofWhy רב ששת says the lamps were movable
  15. ChallengeChallenge: the כהן took the lamps off the מנורה to clean them
  16. Resolutionרב ששת follows a different תנא
  17. ChallengeThe wording implies the lamp could be moved
  18. ResolutionCorrect the wording: the lamp could not move
  19. QuestionWho are these חכמים?
  20. ResponseIt is רבי אלעזר: a gold cover on each lamp
  21. ConclusionThe question is a dispute between תנאים
  22. QuestionWhat is the source of the disagreement?
  23. ResponseThey read the פסוק about the ככר differently
  24. Challengeרבי נחמיה seems to contradict himself
  25. ResolutionTwo תנאים report רבי נחמיה differently
  26. Statementרבי יהושע בן קרחה: only the מנורה came from the ככר
  27. ChallengeThe Torah already says the tools are gold
  28. ResolutionIt is needed for the mouths of the lamps