Der Tisch: seine Länge betrug zehn Handbreiten und seine Breite fünf; der Lechem Hapanim hatte eine Länge von zehn Handbreiten und eine Breite von fünf. Er legte seine lange Seite über die Breite des Tisches und [wenn er das Brot vor dem Backen zubereitete] faltete er zweieinhalb Handbreiten auf dieser Seite und zweieinhalb auf dieser Seite zusammen, so dass seine Länge die Breite ausfüllte ganze Breite des Tisches, die Worte von Rabbi Juda. Rabbi Meir sagt: der Tisch: seine Länge betrug zwölf Handbreiten und seine Breite sechs; der Lechem Hapanim hatte eine Länge von zehn Handbreiten und eine Breite von fünf. Er würde seine lange Seite über die Breite des Tisches legen, und er würde zwei Handbreiten auf dieser Seite und zwei auf dieser Seite zusammenfalten; und es gab einen Raum von zwei Handbreiten zwischen [den zwei Sätzen], so dass der Wind zwischen ihnen wehen konnte. Abba Shaul sagt: Dort haben sie die beiden Weihrauchschalen für die Lechem Hapanim gestellt . Sie sagten zu ihm: Hat es nicht schon gesagt worden, „Und du sollst reinen Weihrauch legen auf [ al ] jede Zeile“ (Leviticus 24: 7)? Er antwortete : Aber hat es nicht auch gesagt worden : „Und neben [ al ] er die Stamm Manasse“ (Numeri 2,20)?
Bartenura on Mishnah Menachot
ארכו עשרה ורחבו חמשה – as it is written (Exodus 25:23): “[You shall make a table of acacia wood.] two cubits long, one cubit wide.” Rabbi Yehuda according to his reasoning that he stated of utensils that are five handbreadths [in width] (see also Tractate Kelim, Chapter 17, Mishnah 10).
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English Explanation of Mishnah Menachot
Introduction
This mishnah describes how the showbread was placed on the table.
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נותן ארכו (one sets it lengthwise against the breadth of the table) – of the showbread corresponding to the width of the table.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Menachot
The table was ten handbreadths long and five wide; the showbread was ten handbreadths long and five wide. Each cake was placed lengthwise across the breadth of the table, and two and a half handbreadths were turned up at either side so that its length filled the entire breadth of the table, the words of Rabbi Judah. Exodus 25:23 says that the table was two cubits in length and one cubit in width. According to Rabbi Judah, in the Temple each cubit was five handbreadths, so the table was ten by five handbreadths. Each cake was ten handbreadths long and five wide. When they would make the cakes, they would fold them up two and half handbreadths on either side, so that each cake would be five handbreadths long and five wide. They would then stack them on the table, six on each pile, thereby filling up the table.
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וכופל – the bread, two-and-one-half handbreadths above at its height from here and there, and they are its horns/corners. But they were found equally bent at the rim of the table.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Menachot
Rabbi Meir says: the table was twelve handbreadths long and six wide; the showbread was ten handbreadths long and five wide. Each cake was placed lengthwise across the breadth of the table, and two handbreadths were turned up at either side; and there was a space of two handbreadths between [the two sets] so that the wind could blow between them. According to Rabbi Meir, in the Temple each cubit was six handbreadths. This means that the table was 12 x 6 handbreadths. They would fold up the cakes two handbreadths and in between the piles there was an empty space of two handbreadths (since the table was twelve and the width of each pile only five). This space allowed the wind to blow in between the loaves to cool them off.
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ונמצא ארכו ממלא רחבו של השלחן – and its width holds/contains half of the length of the table, and when he would set up another near it, it is found that the entire table is full.
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Abba Shaul says: there they used to put the two dishes of frankincense for the showbread. They said to him: Has it not already been said, “And you shall put pure frankincense upon [al] each row” (Leviticus 24:7)? He replied, But has it not also been said, “And next unto [al] him shall be the tribe of Manasseh” (Numbers 2:20)? Abba Shaul says that in between the two piles of loaves they would put the two dishes of frankincense (see Leviticus 24:7). The other sages disagree with Abba Shaul because the verse says “on each row” which means that the frankincense should be placed on top of the cakes and not in between them. However, Abba Shaul replies that the Hebrew words “al” can also mean “next to” as it does in Numbers 2:20. Therefore, he can interpret the verse to mean “next to the rows.”
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ארכו שנים עשר – Rabbi Meir, according to his reasoning who stated that each cubit is six handbreadths, except for the Golden Altar and the horn of the outer altar and the gallery around the altar for the priest to walk on and the base of the altar. And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Meir.
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לחם הפנים ארכו עשרה – in this Rabbi Meir agrees (see Tractate Menahot, Chapter 11, Mishnah 4).
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וטפחיים ריוח באמצע – between the two rows [of bread in the center]. For the width of the bread is not other than five [handbreadths], the two rows [of bread] sustain the ten handbreadths of the table to its length, subtract the two handbreadths of space between each row [of bread], so that the wind blows on them so that they don’t grow moldy.
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אבא שאול אומר שם – in that space between each row/pile they place the dishes/vessels.
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והלא כבר נאמר ונתת על המערכת – and on, actually by implication.
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ועליו מטה מנשה – and that is near to it. Here also on nearby. And the Halakha is according to Abba Shaul.
