Commento su Menahot 9:3

רביעית מים למצורע – as it is written (Leviticus 14:5): “[The priest shall order] one of the birds slaughtered over fresh water in an earthen vessel,” into water that the blood of the bird shall be seen in them, and the Sages estimated one-quarter of a LOG.

For what purpose did the quarter-log serve? [To measure] a quarter-log of water for the one with skin disease and a quarter-log of oil for the Nazirite. The quarter-log was used to measure the water used in the purification of the person with skin disease (the metzora, see Leviticus 14:5) and the quarter-log of oil used in preparing the cakes and wafers for the nazirite (see above mishnah 7:2).

רביעית שמן לנזיר – for the bread of the Nazirite [when he completes his period of Naziriteship]. But the one-quarter [of a LOG] he diodes not sanctify to be in a service vessel because of the one-quarter [of a LOG] of water of the leper, for this is outside [the Temple courtyard]. But not because of the bread of the Nazirite, for there bread of a Nazirite is not holy other than with the slaughter of the sacrifice. But, because in he would measure for the baked cakes of the High Priest a quarter [of a LOG] of oil for each and every Hallah [loaf], which are twelve Hallah loaves and their libations are three LOG of oil (see also Tractate Menahot, Chapter 7, Mishnah 2).

For what purpose did the half-log serve? [To measure] a half-log of water for the sotah and a half-log of oil for the todah. The half-log was used to measure the water for the Sotah, which she will later drink (see Numbers 5:17). It was also the measure used to prepare the cakes that accompany the todah offering (see above mishnah 7:1).

חצי לוג מים לסוטה – as it is written (Numbers 5:17): “The priest shall take sacral water in an earthen vessel,” half a LOT of mater he would fill from the basin (i.e., the laver for the priests in the Temple court).

With the log one measured [the oil] for all the menahot. Even a minhah of sixty tenths required sixty logs [of oil]. Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov says: even a minhah of sixty tenths required only one log [of oil], for it is written, “For a minhah, and for a log of oil” (Leviticus 14:21). The log was used to measure the oil for all of the menahot, which used a log of oil to accompany each tenth of grain. According to the first opinion, if a minhah has sixty-tenths of grain, it will require sixty logs of oil, one log for each tenth. Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov says that even if a minhah contains sixty-tenths of grain, it only requires one log of oil. He derives this midrashically from a verse concerning the minhah of a person with skin disease.

חצי לוג שמן לתודה – It is a traditional interpretation of a written law, and similarly, a quarter [of a LOG] of the Nazirite. And the one-half LOG is also not because of the one-half LOG of water of the Sotah (i.e., suspected adulterous woman) and one-half of a LOG of oil of the thanksgiving offering is holy to be in the service utensils, but rather because that in it he separates one-half LOG of oil for each and every candle of the Menorah.

Six [logs] were required for a bull, four for a ram, and three for a lamb; Six logs are ½ of a hin, which we learned in yesterday’s mishnah are the amount of oil for a bull, four are a 1/3 of a hin and three are ¼ of a hin, as we leaned in yesterday’s mishnah.

אין לה אלא לוגה – one LOG for every sixty Issarons. But the Halakah is not according to Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov (see also Tractate Menahot, Chapter 12, Mishnah 4).

Three logs and a half for the menorah, a half-log for each lamp. The menorah required a total of 3.5 logs, half of a log for each lamp. (I might suggest that if you enjoyed this mishnah, you could make a song out of it for Pesah. Who knows a quarter-log? I know a quarter-log!).

ששה לוגים לפר – that is one-half of a Hin, as it is written (Numbers 15:9): “[three-tenths of a measure of choice flour] with half of a hin of oil mixed in.” And four Issaron for the ram, that is one-third of a Hin. And three Issaron for the lamb, that is one-quarter of a Hin, for the Hin is twelve LOG.

מחצי לוג לכל נר – that he must put in it its measure that it would continue burning from evening until morning, and the Sages estimated one and one-half LOG oil for the lengthy nights of the season of Tevet. And similarly, he would place in each candle on each night. But if it went out, that wick and the oil became disqualified from lighting with them further, but rather, he removes them and puts in another LOG of oil and a new wick and he kindles it.