From where did they bring the wine [for the libations]? Keruhim and Attulim are best for wine. Second to them are Bet Rimmah and Bet Lavan on the mountain and Kefar Signa in the valley. [Wine of the] whole land was valid but they used to bring it only from these places. One may not bring it from a fertizlized field nor from an irrigated field nor from [vines planted in a field] sown with seeds; but if one did bring it [from these] it was valid. One may not bring wine from sun-sweetened grapes, but if one did bring it, it was valid. One may not bring old wine, the words of Rabbi. But the sages validate it. One may not bring sweet wine or smoked wine or boiled wine, and if one did bring it, it was invalid. One may not bring wine from grapes [raised and] hung [on reeds], but only from the vines growing close to the ground and from cultivated vineyards.
Bartenura on Mishnah Menachot
קרותים והטולים – they are the names of places (in Judea; in the actual Talmud text of Talmud Menahot 86b, they are called קרוחים ועטולין and some have a reading of חטולין for the second location).
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English Explanation of Mishnah Menachot
Introduction
Having already discussed grain and oil, our mishnah turns its attention to the next element of the minhah, the wine.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Menachot
אליוסטן – sweet wine on account of the sun, for the grapes were suspended in the sun to sweeten them. Sun in the Greek language is יוסטן/Yostan [but in the Mishnah itself, it is called אליסטון ; in the Talmud (ibid.), it is called הליסטיון].
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English Explanation of Mishnah Menachot
From where did they bring the wine? Keruhim and Attulim rank are alpha their wine. Second to them are Bet Rimmah and Bet Lavan on the mountain and Kefar Signa in the valley. [Wine of the] whole land was valid but they used to bring it only from these places. The best wine was from two places in the region of Judah, one called Keruhim and the other Attulim. The second best wine came from three other places, Bet Rimmah and Bet Lavan in the mountains of Judah and Kefar Signa which was in the valley of the Judah region. As was the case with the grain and the oil, wine brought from other regions is valid, even though they used to bring from those places.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Menachot
יין ישן – that twelve months have passed upon it, its redness/reddish color passes, and in Sceripture it states (Proverbs 23:31): “Do not ogle that red wine [as it lends its color to the cup],” so we see, at the time that it is reddish, it is choice [wine].
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English Explanation of Mishnah Menachot
One may not bring it from a manured field or from an irrigated field or from vines planted in a field sown with seeds; but if one did bring it [from these] it was valid. These are the exact same rules we saw in mishnah two with regard to the grain and in mishnah three with regard to the oil.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Menachot
לא מתוק – when it is sweet on account of itself, for if it were on account of the sun, the first clause [of the Mishnah] would teach that if he brought אליוסטן /Elyostan, it would be kosher/fit (whereas it is only the de facto position where it is kosher according to the earlier passage in the Mishnah). Another explanation: wine that did not pass over it forty days, but the first [explanation] is essential.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Menachot
One may not bring wine from sun-dried grapes, but if one did bring it, it was valid. This wine was inferior, but still valid for libations.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Menachot
מן הדליות (from branches of the vine trained to an espalier) – from the grape-vines that are suspended on top of beams of the loom and reeds that are high off the ground.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Menachot
One may not bring old wine, the words of Rabbi. But the sages permit it. Although old wine is better, it does lose some of its redness, according to Rabbi [Judah Ha-Nasi] and therefore it should not be used for libations.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Menachot
אלא מן הרגליות (grapes growing in a row on isolated vines) – from grape-vines that lie on the ground between the feet of people that are not trained to an espalier.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Menachot
One may not bring sweet wine or smoked wine or cooked wine, and if one did bring it, it was invalid. These types of wine are all invalid for libations, for they are not pure, regular wine.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Menachot
העבודים – that are tended to twice a year. That they did around the grape-vines to turn over the ground soil that are in their roots and make indentations/holes there to water them, and this is their being tended to.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Menachot
One may not bring wine from grapes suspended [on reeds], but only from the vines growing close to the ground and from well-cultivated vineyards. The grapes used to produce libation wine must be grown on vines close to the ground, and not on reeds used to suspend them in the air, as many vines are grown today. The vines must be well-cultivated and tended to, so as to produce the best grapes possible.
