Menachot 14 – Ruining Half the Offering

Two special flour offering discussed below are Shavuot offering and Bread of Vision. Shavuot offering consisted of two loaves of wheat accompanies by two lambs. The loaves and the lambs were waved, and later eaten by the kohanim. The Bread of Vision consisted of twelve breads, arranged in two stacks of six breads each, with a spoonful of frankincense of top of each arrangement.

If one slaughtered the two lambs of Shavuot with the intention to eat one of the loaves the next day, or if he burned the two spoonfuls of frankincense with the intention to eat one of the Bread of Vision arrangements the next day – then Rabbi Yose says that only the loaves that he intended to eat at the wrong time become rejected and bring about being cutoff from the people, but the Sages says that the complete offerings become rejected.

If you wanted, Rabbi Yose offers logic as proof, and if you want – a verse. Logic: rejection is no better than contamination, and one limb of an offering can becomes contaminated without the second. Verse: “and the soul that eats of it bears his sin,” - of IT, but not of the second half.

Art: Albert Anker - Girl with a loaf of bread