Commentaire sur Menachot 1:2
אַחַת מִנְחַת חוֹטֵא וְאַחַת כָּל הַמְּנָחוֹת שֶׁקְּמָצָן זָר, אוֹנֵן, טְבוּל יוֹם, מְחֻסַּר בְּגָדִים, מְחֻסַּר כִּפּוּרִים, שֶׁלֹּא רְחוּץ יָדַיִם וְרַגְלַיִם, עָרֵל, טָמֵא, יוֹשֵׁב, עוֹמֵד עַל גַּבֵּי כֵלִים, עַל גַּבֵּי בְהֵמָה, עַל גַּבֵּי רַגְלֵי חֲבֵרוֹ, פָּסָל. קָמַץ בִּשְׂמֹאל, פָּסָל. בֶּן בְּתֵירָא אוֹמֵר, יַחֲזִיר וְיַחֲזֹר וְיִקְמֹץ בְּיָמִין. קָמַץ וְעָלָה בְיָדוֹ צְרוֹר אוֹ גַרְגִּיר מֶלַח אוֹ קֹרֶט שֶׁל לְבוֹנָה, פָּסַל, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאָמְרוּ, הַקֹּמֶץ הַיָּתֵר וְהֶחָסֵר, פָּסוּל. אֵיזֶה הוּא הַיָּתֵר, שֶׁקְּמָצוֹ מְבֹרָץ. וְחָסֵר, שֶׁקְּמָצוֹ בְרָאשֵׁי אֶצְבְּעוֹתָיו. כֵּיצַד הוּא עוֹשֶׂה, פּוֹשֵׁט אֶת אֶצְבְּעוֹתָיו עַל פַּס יָדוֹ:
L'offrande de céréales d'un pécheur et les offrandes de céréales dont des poignées ont été prises par un zar [non-prêtre], par une personne en deuil [pour un parent qui n'a pas encore été enterré], par un tevul yom [une personne qui a s'est immergé ce jour-là pour se purifier, mais qui doit attendre la nuit pour être pleinement pur], par une personne dépourvue de vêtements [sacerdotaux], par un mechusar kippourim [une personne qui est tenue d'apporter une offrande d'expiation avant de participer à une offrande], par une personne aux mains et pieds non lavés, par un homme non circoncis, par une personne impure, par une personne assise ou debout sur des bateaux, un animal ou les jambes de son ami - ces [offrandes] sont invalides. S'il a pris la poignée avec sa [main] gauche, cela [l'offrande] est invalide. Ben Betera dit: il devrait le rendre et reprendre la poignée avec sa droite. S'il a pris la poignée et qu'une pierre ou un morceau de sel ou un reste d'encens est venu avec dans sa main, il est invalide, car ils ont dit: celui qui prend trop ou pas assez [comme] la poignée, c'est invalide. Qu'est-ce que c'est trop? S'il en prenait une poignée. Et trop peu? S'il en prenait la poignée du bout des doigts. Comment devrait-il le faire? Étendez ses doigts sur sa paume [et amenez la farine avec ses trois doigts du milieu dans sa paume].
Bartenura on Mishnah Menachot
זר ואונן וטבול יום כו' – all of them are explained in the Second Chapter of [Tractate] Zevakhim [Mishnah 1], and we prove them from Scriptural verses that their Divine Service is invalid.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Menachot
Introduction
This mishnah continues to teach cases in which the minhah is invalid.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Menachot
ערל – a Kohen whose brother died on account of ritual circumcision.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Menachot
As for both a sinner’s minhah and any other minhah if [one of the following] removed the handful: a non-priest; or [a priest] that was an onen; or one who immersed himself during the day; or was not wearing the priestly vestments, or whose atonement was lacking; or who had not washed his hands and feet; or that was uncircumcised; or unclean; or was sitting, or standing upon vessels or upon a beast or upon another's feet, it is invalid. This section contains a list of cases in which a priest who removes the handful from the minhah renders it invalid. The same list appears in Zevahim 2:1, so I am basically replicating my commentary here: Non-priest: only priests can perform these activities. An onen: Someone who had one of their close relatives die is considered an onen on the day of the death. A tebul yom: This is the word for an impure person who has immersed in a mikveh but before the end of the day (before the sun sets after he was made pure). See Leviticus 22:7. One lacking [priestly] vestments: A regular priest must wear four garments and the high priest must wear eight garments (see Yoma 7:5). Without the proper attire, the minhah is invalid. One lacking sacrificial atonement: In certain cases, when one’s period of impurity is over he must bring a sacrifice. If the priest has not brought the required sacrifice, he cannot take part in the sacrificial worship. One who had not washed his hands and feet: See Exodus 30:19. An uncircumcised [priest]: See Ezekiel 44:9. An unclean [priest]: one must be ritually pure to offer sacrifices. One who was sitting, one who was standing on utensils or on an animal or on another’s feet, are disqualified: the sacrificial procedure must be performed while standing on the floor of the Temple’s courtyard, not sitting or standing on something else.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Menachot
יושב – that we require to stand to minister/serve [before God].
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English Explanation of Mishnah Menachot
If [a priest] removed the handful with his left hand it is invalid. Ben Batera says: he may put [the handful] back and take it out again with the right hand. The handful should be removed with the right hand. According to the first opinion, if he removes it with his left hand the minhah is invalid, whereas Ben Batera holds that he may put the handful back into the remainder and take it out again with his right hand.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Menachot
על גבי כלים כו' – that we require that there will not be anything that divides/cuts off between him and the floor.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Menachot
If on taking the handful there came into his hand a small stone or a grain of salt or a drop of frankincense it is invalid, for they have said: if the handful was too much or too little it is invalid. If when taking the handful the priest removes the correct amount, but then finds that something else was in the handful, a stone, salt or frankincense, it is invalid, because as we shall see, it turns out that he didn’t take enough.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Menachot
בן בתירא אומר יחזיר – the handful of the meal-offering which the priest takes to be put on the altar into the meal-offering.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Menachot
What is meant by “too much? If he took an overflowing handful. The mishnah now explains the meaning of the statement, “if the handful was too much or too little it is invalid.” If he took a heaping handful and it was overflowing, then it is too much and the fistful is invalid.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Menachot
ויחזיר ויקמוץ בימין – and same law applies to all of these invalidates that are considered in our Mishnah, Ben Beteyra holds that if someone transgressed one of them and took a fistful, he should return the handful of the meal-offering to its place and a kosher/fit Kohen should take a handful of the meal-offering to be put on the altar into the meal offering. But the Halakha is not according to Ben Beteyra.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Menachot
And ‘too little’? If he took the handful with the tips of his fingers only. If he took it just with his fingertips, without using his palm, then it is similarly invalid, because it is not enough.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Menachot
עלה בידו צרור – it was found that the handful of meal-offering which the Kohen takes to put on the altar was missing the place of the stone or a grain of salt or a particle of frankincense, for prior to taking a fistful of meal-offering he singles out all of the frankincense to one side and takes a handful of meal-offering and afterwards collects it and places with the handful of meal-offering and burns everything. But if he happens upon a grain of salt or a particle of frankincense, the handful of meal-offering is missing according to the place of the particle [of frankincense].
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English Explanation of Mishnah Menachot
How should he do it? He should stretch out his fingers on to the palm of his hand. The proper way of taking out the fistful is for the priest to use his whole hand, with outstretched fingertips. This way he uses his palm and fingers.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Menachot
מבורץ – full and overflowing.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Menachot
שקמצו בראשי אצבעותיו – he did not stretch them over the entire palm of his hand.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Menachot
פושט את אצבעותיו על פס ידו – the sides of his fingers enter into the flour and he brings in the flour into his hand and smooths it with his small finger so that the flour will not go outside of the fistful and he he smooths it with his thumb that the flour would not leave outside of his finger. And this he had to do with meal-offerings prepared in a pan (i.e., fried in a flat pan) or [a meal-offering] prepared in a deep pan (i.e., fried in a container full of oil) that their creations are baked and after they their baking, he crumbles it and takes a fistful. But it is impossible to crumble it so much into thin pieces, for they would not go forth from the fistful, therefore, he smooths them with his thumb from above and with the small finger (i.e., pinky) from below. And these were of the most difficult [acts] of Divine service that were in the Temple. That in this great difficulty one is able to compare that he would not be missing or have too much. And Maimonides wrote, that the words of the one of said that this is a difficult [act] of Divine Service were set aside, and he explains and he takes a fistful of the meal-offering as people would take fistfuls that is mentioned in the Gemara [i.e., Tractate Menahot 11a], that he fills his palm from it in the manner that people fill their hands from what they take in their hands. But I say, that that the explanation is not as how people take a fistful [of meal-offering] but rather, causes the sides of his fingers to enter into the flour that he brings in the flour with the sides of his fingers into his hand, but he doesn’t take the flour but rather fills three of his fingers until the palm of his hand and not further, in order that it will be cutting through from end to end and burst forth and come out, he smooths it from below with his small finger (i.e., pinky) and from above with a thumb. And that the words of the one who said that this is a difficult act from the difficult acts of Divine Service that is in the Temple are not set aside and the method of the Gemara is like m words. And such all of my teachers have explained it.
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