Menachot 18 – Proper Procedure for the Flour Offering

Yosef the Babylonian asked Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua, “Teacher, if one slaughters a sacrifice with the intent to leave over some of its blood until the next day, what is the law?” Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua replied that it was valid. This repeated in the morning, but in the afternoon he added “but Rabbi Eliezer makes it invalid.” At this Yosef's face lit up and he explained that finally after years of searching he found the source for what his teacher taught him. Rabbi Elazar cried with joy and applied to Yosef “How I love your Torah, all day it is my conversation.”

The proper flour offering is prepared as follows: some oil is put in the vessel, then flour and more oil is added and everything is mixed, then more oil is poured on top, some types are baked into 10 breads and are broken into pieces by folding them over many times, some types are waved, and the handful is salted before burning it on the Altar. If he omitted any of these steps, the offering is still valid, provided that the right amounts were used. The last oil pouring is essential.

Art: Felice Giani - The Sacrifice Of David