Komentarz do Menachot 8:8

כל קרבנות. מן החדש ומן הישן – it is speaking of meal-offerings.

Introduction Our mishnah deals with where they would bring flour from for the minhah offerings.

שאינן באים אלא מן החדש – regarding the Omer, it is written (Leviticus 23:16): “an offering of new grain,” and in regard to the two loaves of bread, it is written (Exodus 34:22): “of the first fruits of the wheat harvest.”

All the sacrifices communal or individual may be offered from [produce grown] in the Land [of Israel] or outside the Land, from new [produce] or from the old, except for the omer and the two loaves, which must be offered only from new produce and from [produce grown] in the land. All sacrifices can come from animals raised either in or outside of Israel and similarly all menahot can come from grain grown anywhere. It can also come from new produce or aged produce. There are two exceptions: the omer barley offering brought on the second day of Pesah and the two loaves brought on Shavuot. With regard to the omer it is stated in Leviticus 23:10, “When you come into the land…you shall bring the omer, the first of your harvest.” With regard to the two loaves it states there in verses 16-17, “And you shall offer a new minhah to the Lord, from your dwelling places you shall bring it.” Both of these verses teach that the omer and the two loaves must come from the new harvest and from grain grown in the land of Israel.

ומן הארץ – in regard to the Omer, it is written (Leviticus 23:10): “When you enter the Land [that I am giving you and you reap its harvest,” and with the two loaves [of bread] it is written (Leviticus 23:17): “You shall bring from your settlements two loaves of bread [as an elevation offering].”

All [offerings] must be offered from the choicest produce. All offerings must come from choice produce. The mishnah explains where the best grain is grown.

מכמס וזוניחה – these are names of places (see Ezra 2:27 and Joshua 15:35, 56).

And which is the choicest? That from Michmas and Zanoha are “alpha” for the quality of their fine flour; second to them is Hafaraim in the valley. The best grain is grown in two places. Michmas, which is in the territory of Benjamin (I Samuel 13:2) and Zanoha, which is in Judah (see Joshua 15:34). These places are “alpha” the first letter in the Greek alphabet, which means that they are numero uno when it comes to grain. Next best is grain that comes from Hafaraim which is in the territory of Issachar (see Joshua 19:19).

אלפא לסלת – their choice flour is first and chosen to all the choice/fine flour. Like this Aleph, it is the first of all the letters.

The [produce of the] whole land was valid, but they used to bring it from these places. There is a preference to bring grain from these regions, and it was the custom to indeed do so. But if they brought grain from other regions within the land of Israel, it was still valid.

אלפא – this is Aleph in the Greek language.

שנייה להן – its choice flour is close to being praiseworthy like the choice flour of Michmas and Zonicha.

חפרים בבקעה – these are two Chafarayim -one in the mountains and one in the valley, and the one that is in the valley that its choice flour is praiseworthy.

כל הארצות – of the Land of Israel they were kosher/fit, but from here (i.e., the places mentioned in the Mishnah) they would bring them.

אין מביאין – the Omer nor the two loaves [of bread].

Introduction This mishnah discusses what kinds of fields are used to grow the grain to make flour for menahot.

לא מבית הזבלים – from a field that needs to be manured, for perhaps it was not manured all of its need and it was found that its fruits were lean/weak. Alternatively, since the manure deteriorates and causes the loss of taste of the fruit.

One may not bring [grain for menahot] from the produce of a manured field or from an irrigated field or from a field stocked with trees. The grain used for the minhah must come from a field that is irrigated by rainwater. It cannot come from a field that requires manure to fertilize it or from a field that is artificially irrigated. It also cannot come from a field that also grows trees because the trees weaken the quality of the field.

ולא מבית השלחים – a land that is thirsty for water that its fruits are lean/week.

But if one did bring it [from these] it was valid. While the grain should not be brought from such a field, if it is, the minhah is still valid.

ולא מבית האילן – from grain that is among the trees, that the trees that grow there suck the ground and weaken the seeds.

How was it prepared? In the first year it was plowed and in the second year it was sown seventy days before Pesah, thus it would produce fine flour in abundance. This section describes how the special field set aside to grow grain for the minhah was prepared. The reason that it was sown before Pesah is that this is the time of the year for sowing fields in Israel.

נרה – ploughs. It is the language of (Jeremiah 4:3): “Break up the untilled ground,[and do not sow among thorns].”

How was it tested? The temple-treasurer used to thrust his hand into it; if some dust came up in [his hand] it was invalid, until it was sifted [more]. This is how the flour was tested to see if it had been sifted well enough to be used for the minhah.

ובשניה זורעה – In the Gemara (Tractate Menahot 84b) it reaches the definite conclusion that in the first year, he breaks up all of it and seeds half of it and leaves half of it as newly broken land, and similarly in the second year he ploughs all of it and seeds the half hat he didn’t seed in the previous year, and the half that he seeded in the previous year, he leaves it as broken land, and similarly in every year he seeds that which was broken in the previous year.

If it had become magotty it is invalid. Maggoty (or wormy) flour is obviously not fit to be used in the preparation of the sacred minhah (and it’s a bit gross as well, although I suppose it was hard to avoid in the ancient world).

כיצד בודק – the choice flour if it is winnowed/sifted all that it needs to be or not.

עלה בידו אבק – thin flour and it is inferior.

עד שיניפנה – with a winnow to remove the thin dust that remains in it.

ואם התליעה – the choice flour or the wheat.

פסולה – and its majority had become maggoty/wormy. And we derive it further on at the end of the chapter (see Mishnah 7) from what is written (Numbers 28:19-20): “see that are without blemish. The grain offering with them,” (Numbers 28:31): “You shall present them – see that they are without blemish with their libations,” that the meal-offerings and the libations will be pure.

תקועה – a city whose name is Tekoa, as it is written (II Samuel 14:2): “So Joab sent to Tekoa [and bought a clever woman from there].”

Introduction This mishnah discusses from where and from what they brought the olive oil used in the minhah offering.

אלפא לשמן – its oil is first-rate and choice of the oils. As this Aleph is the first of the letters.

Tekoa is “alpha” first its oil. Tekoa, which is in the Negev and is mentioned in II Samuel 14:2 has the best oil.

אנפיקנון – oil that is made from olives that did not bring one-third of their ripening and it is very bitter.

Abba Saul says: Second to it is Regev, on the other side of the Jordan. Second to it is Regev, which lies on the other side of the Jordan.

שנשרו במים – that the water ruins the oil.

The [oil of the] whole land was valid, but they used to bring it only from these places. As with the grain, any oil from olives grown in the land of Israel is valid, but these two places were customary and preferable. Note that Regev is considered to be part of the land of Israel, even though it lies on the other side of the Jordan.

One may not bring it from a manured field or from an irrigated field or from olive-trees planted in a field sown with seeds, but if one did bring it [from these] it was valid. These are basically the same rules as we saw in yesterday’s mishnah with regard to the grain. Olive-trees which grown in grain fields are weaker and hence their olives will not be as good.

One may not bring anpakinon, and if one did bring it, it is invalid. Anpakinon is a Greek word for olive oil from olives that were not fully ripened. Since this olive oil is of far inferior quality, it cannot be used.

One may not bring it from olive-berries which had been soaked in water or preserved or stewed; and if one did bring it, it is invalid. Olive-berries are the small unripe olives. Sometimes they would soak these in water, or preserve them or stew them in order to get oil out of them. Such oil cannot be used for the minhah offering because it too is vastly inferior.

שלשה זיתים – three times during the year they harvest/prepare the olives. And in them there are three oils, and each time there are three kinds of oil.

There are three [periods of gathering in the] olives and each crop gives three kinds of oil. There are three different ways of picking the olives off of the trees, and each way provides three different qualities of oil. The mishnah now lists each way and the quality of oil that is produced in each way.

הזית הראשון – the first time that they harvest/prepare [the olives].

The first crop of olives is when the olives are picked from the top of the tree; they are pounded and put into the basket. Rabbi Judah says: around the basket. This gives the first oil. They are then pressed with the beam Rabbi Judah says: with stones. This gives the second oil. They are then ground and pressed again. This gives the third oil. The first [oil] is fit for the candlestick and the others for menahot. The first picking is done from the olives on the tops of the trees. First they are picked, then crushed and put into baskets. The oil flows from the baskets into a vessel underneath. Rabbi Judah says that the crushed olives are placed around the basket and that the oil will then enter the basket through the holes in the basket. This is the first oil, which I believe we call the extra virgin oil. The second oil comes from what is pressed out of the baskets. The first opinion holds that this pressing is done with a wooden beam, whereas Rabbi Judah (who must have had his own olive press!) says it is done with stones. This is the virgin olive oil, second best. After the first pressing, they would again grind the olives and press them again. This would be the regular olive oil. The first type of oil is good enough to be used for lighting the menorah. The second and third types could be used for menahot.

מגרגרו בראש הזית – he harvests the berries that are at the top of the olive/tree, for they ripen first because the sun shines upon them and ripens them.

The second crop is when the olives at roof-level are picked from the tree; they are pounded and put into the basket. Rabbi Judah says: around the basket. This gives the first oil. They are then pressed with the beam Rabbi Judah says: with stones. This gives the second oil. They are then ground and pressed again. This gives the third oil. The first [oil] is fit for the candlestick and the others for menahot. The second crop was done with the olives was done with the olives that were at the height of the rooftops. The processing of these olives is the same as that with the first crop.

לתוך הסל – he refines them and [the oil] comes up and there is a utensil underneath the basked to receive the oil.

The third crop is when the last olives of the tree are packed inside the house until they become overripe; they are then taken up and dried on the roof they are pounded and put into the basket. Rabbi Judah says: around the basket. This gives the first oil. They are then pressed with the beam Rabbi Judah says: with stones. This gives the second oil. They are then ground and pressed again. This gives the third oil. The first [oil] is fit for the candlestick and the others for menahot. The third crop was done with the olives on the lowest part of the tree. These olives will not ripen on their own on the tree and therefore they are packed inside the house until they become overripe and the oil begins to seep out. Henceforth, their processing is the same as the olives that ripen on the tree.

רבי יהודה אומר סביבות דופני הסל – he places the olives and the oil flows through the walls and falls into the rim of the basket and from there he refines it and goes up and it is found to be refined . For the refuse that remains is attached on to the walls of the basket. But he soul dot place them on the rim at the bottom of the basket, because they get combined with the oil and the sediment/lees and it is found that the oil is turbid. But the oil that flows from itself without any assistance rendered in loading up is called the first oil of the first olive.

טען בקורה – the olives that are in the basket.

רבי יהודה אומר באבנים – but not with a beam, for the beam is heaven and it removes the sediment/lees.

חזר וטחן – with a millstone, those olives that are under the beam and the beam presses them.

הראשון למנורה – that we require pure olive oil (see Leviticus 24:2).

והשאר כשר למנחות – for it is not written with them that it is pure [olive oil].

הזית השני – the second time when he harvests that which is found that are ripened now.

מגרגרו בראש הגג – he harvests the berries that are near the roof, for their olives were near their rooves, and those ripen second.

הראשון – that went out prior to the pressing [of the beam] are fit/appropriate for the Menorah.

הזית השלישי – when he harvests the third time, they don’t ripen sufficiently all the way, for they are branches that are under the roof where the sun does not reach them.

עוטנו (packs in an a vat preparatory to crushing) – the language of vat or pit where olives ar e packed until they form a viscid mass, and it is the indentation/hole where they place the olives in order that they can grow moldy/decay there, and the language is Biblical (Job 21:24): “His pails are full of milk; [the marrow of his bones is juicy].”

שילקה – that it will grow moldy/decay.

ומנגבו בראש הגג – because it is collected/piled up and gathered in one place for four or five days, it (i.e., the oil) flows on its own, there is a thin secretion and it is not pleasant, therefore it is necessary to dry them off.

The first oil of the first crop, there is none better than it.
The second oil of the first crop and the first oil of the second crop are equal.
The third oil of the first crop, the second oil of the second crop and the first oil of the third crop are equal.
The third oil of the second crop and the second oil of the third crop are equal.
As to the third oil of the third crop, there is none worse than it.
It would have been logical by the following argument that menahot should also require the purest olive oil: if the candlestick, whose [oil] is not for eating, requires pure olive oil, how much more should menahot, whose oil is for eating, require pure olive oil! But the text states, “Pure olive oil of beaten olives for lighting” (Exodus 27:20), but not “pure olive oil of beaten olives for menahot.”
Today’s mishnah is a continuation of yesterday’s. It explains the relative quality of the various pressings we learned about yesterday.
Basically, the first crop yields better oil than the next two, and the first pressings of each crop are better than the others. If two types of oil are equal, then the person can use whichever he wishes, but if better oil is available, that is what he should use.
Section six: The mishnah concludes by noting that it would have been logical for the menahot to require the highest quality of oil and not just the oil used for lighting the menorah. This is logical because the oil used in menahot is “eaten” by the altar, whereas the menorah is not conceived of as “eating” the oil, just burning it. This is an interesting, but not altogether unusual, personification of the altar.
The reason that the halakhah requires the best olive oil for lighting the menorah and not for menahot is that the Torah specifies that the lighting oil must be “pure olive oil” whereas no such specification is made with regard to the oil used for menahot.

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).

Introduction Having already discussed grain and oil, our mishnah turns its attention to the next element of the minhah, the wine.

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].

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.

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].

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

בחצבים גדולים (large stone pitchers/earthenware jugs) – that these large utensils damage the flavor of the wine.

Introduction This mishnah continues to deal with the quality of the wine used in the libations.

כדי שיהא ריחו נודף – when the wine jug/vessel is full, the smell/odor goes outside and does not spread.

They did not put [the wine] in large casks but in small barrels. Larger caskets would distort the taste of the wine, and therefore they were not used.

קמחין – like small, thin, white berries that ascend over the face of the wine that are similar to flour.

And one did not fill the barrels to the brim so that its scent might spread. If the jug is filled all the way to the brim, the scent escapes and dissipates. Therefore, so that the scent would spread directly from the barrel, they would not fill it to the brim.

ומאמצעה – he places a bung in the middle of the (earthen) wine jug .

One may not take the wine at the mouth of the barrel because of the scum, nor that at the bottom because of the lees; but one should take it only from the third or the middle of the barrel. The wine at the top of the jug had frothy scum and the wine at the bottom of the jug had the sediments. The best wine was that found in the middle of the jug, or at least between the top third and the bottom third.

קנה – the cubit of measurement was regularly in the hand of the treasurer.

How was it tested? The temple-treasurer used to sit nearby with his stick in his hand; when the froth burst forth he would knock with his stick. This is how the temple-treasurer would make sure that the wine they were taking from the jug was not from the top or the bottom of the jug. While they were drawing out the wine, he would sit near by with his stick. When froth started to come out from the jug, he would strike it with his stick, as a sign that they should not take any more wine from that jug.

זרק את הגיד והקיש בקנה – that is to say, when he tossed the wine, the froth of the sediment when the sediment begins to leave, the treasurer struck with a reed that was in his hand and pushed up away that he should not enter with a utensil that has wine in it. But my Rabbis/teachers explained that he struck with the reed that was in his hand to hint to the one pulling the wine from the (earthen) wine jug, that he should close the jug with a bung, and he would not say to him, ‘close it,” because the speech was difficult (i.e., injurious/bad) for the wine. And this is what it explains in the Gemara (Tractate Menahot 87a).

Rabbi Yose bar Judah says: wine on which there is a scum is invalid, for it is written, “They shall be for you without blemish, and their minhah,” and “They shall be for you without blemish, and their libations” (Numbers 28:19-20, 31). Rabbi Yose bar Judah gives the scriptural basis for why wine with scum cannot be used for sacrificial purposes. This is derived by the juxtaposition of the word “without blemish” which in its simple sense refers to the animals, with the beginnings of the next lines which refer to menahot and libations. Through this midrash the rabbis learn that just as the animals must be without blemish, so too the menahot cannot be wormy (see mishnah two) and the wine cannot be smoky (mishnah six) or frothy (our mishnah).

רבי יוסי בר' יהודה אומר יין שעלו בו קמחין פסול – But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yosi b’Rabbi Yehuda. And all of those that we have stated in our Mishnah that are invalid, whether with choice flour, whether with oil or whether with wine, if he transgressed and sanctified them, we flog him with the floggings of rebelliousness according to the Rabbis, for it is like the law of someone who sanctifies [an animal] with a blemish to the altar, for he is flogged according to the Torah, as it is written regarding something with a blemish (Leviticus 22:20): “You shall not offer any that has a defect, [for it will not be accepted in your favor],” and they (i.e., the Rabbis) stated in the Sifra, that the words, לא תקריבו/you shall not offer, means nothing other than do not sanctify. And just as they would bring the choice flour and the wine and the oil from known choice places, as it is taught in our Mishnah, so they would bring the sacrifices from known places, rams from Moab, lambs from Hebron, calves from Sharon, and pigeons, that is turtle-doves and young pigeons from the Mount of the King.