Alle Mehlopfer erfordern ein Gefäß [für Vorbereitungen] innerhalb [des Tempelhofs], aber kein Gefäß [für Vorbereitungen] außerhalb. Wie? Die Shtei Halechem waren sieben Handbreiten lang, vier Handbreiten breit und ihre Seiten waren vier Fingerbreiten hoch. Lechem Hapanim war zehn Handbreiten lang, fünf Handbreiten breit und seine Seiten waren sieben Finger. Rabbi Yehuda sagte, also sollte man sich nicht irren, ZaDad Yehaz [ein Akronym aus den Buchstaben, die den numerischen Wert der Messungen darstellen]. Ben Zoma sagt "und du sollst Lechem Hapanim immer auf den Tisch legen " (Shemot 25:30) - es muss Seiten haben.
Bartenura on Mishnah Menachot
יש בהן מעשה כלי בפנים – in their work which is performed with them inside [the Temple courtyard] requires a [consecrated] utensil.. To exclude on top of a board. But their work (i.e., preparation) is done outside [the Temple courtyard], as for example the kneading and rolling of the shewbread, which does not require a [consecrated] utensil.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Menachot
Introduction
Most of this mishnah deals with how the two loaves for Shavuot and how the showbread were made.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Menachot
וקרנותיה – on which he fastens/pastes dough for each board, like horns. And the length of each horn/projection extends four fingers.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Menachot
All menahot require a vessel [for works that are performed] within, but do not require a vessel [for those works that are performed] outside. This section provides a general rule regarding which works in preparation of a minhah are performed with a ministering (holy) vessel and which are not. Any work performed within the Temple, such as kneading, arranging and baking, needs to be done in a ministering vessel. However, any work performed outside of the Temple does not need to be done in a ministering vessel.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Menachot
רבי יהודה אומר שלא תטעה – whether the two loaves to the shewbread, whether in the measurement of the length and the width, or whether in the measurement of the horns/projections. The two loaves, its length is seven [handbreadths] and its width is four [handbreadths] and its horns/projections are four finger lengths. And your sign/pneumonic is זד"ד/seven, four, four. The shewbread, its length is ten [handbreadths] and its width is five [handbreadths] and its horns/projections is seven fingers length. And your symbol/pneumonic is יה"ז/ten, five and seven. And the methodology of Rabbi Yehuda is to give signs/pneumonic like דצ"ך עד"ש באח"ב (i.e., the abbreviations for the Ten Plagues found in the Passover Haggadah).
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English Explanation of Mishnah Menachot
How so? The two loaves were seven handbreadths long and four wide and their horns were four fingerbreadths. Usually the words “how so” mean that this section is an explanation of that which comes before it. However, in this case section two does not explain section one. Either the words shouldn’t be here, and they are missing in some manuscripts, or they simply mean that this section explains how one makes the two loaves and the showbread. The “horns” of the two loaves and showbread can be explained in two ways. Some explain that they would take a piece of dough and stick it on the ends of the bread to make it look like horns. Others explain that this “seven fingerbreadths” actually refers to the height of the loaves.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Menachot
שיהא לו פנים – walls [that it would have corners/angles] and these are the horns.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Menachot
The [cakes of the] showbread were ten handbreadths long and five wide and their horns were seven fingerbreadths. The showbread cakes were slightly larger than the two loaves for Shavuot.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Menachot
Rabbi Judah says: lest you err [remember but the words] “zadad yahaz.” Rabbi Judah provides a mnemonic device to remember the size of each type of loaf. For the two loaves the mnemonic is “zayin” (7), “daled” (4), “daled” (4). For the showbread the mnemonic is “yod” (10), “heh” (5) and “zayin” (7).
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English Explanation of Mishnah Menachot
Ben Zoma says: “And you shall set upon the table showbread (lehem before me continually:” panim signifies that it should have faces. Rabbi Shimon makes a midrash on why it is called “lehem panim.” “Panim” can mean face, so Rabbi Shimon interprets the word to mean that the cakes each have a face, meaning a side. This seems to mean that the cakes were not flat.
