Menachot 50 – The Pancakes of the High Priest

Every day the High Priest was to bring a special flour offering, for which he would take an issaron – five pound bag of flour – from his home, bake it on a griddle with oil, divide it into pieces, then bring half of the amount in the morning, and the remaining half in the afternoon.

He should not bring the flour in two halves, but rather verbally consecrate and bring the full issaron to the Temple in the morning, and then divide it. If a High Priest offered half an issaron in the morning and then died, and they appointed another one in his place that very day, the new High Priest should not bring half an issaron from his house, nor can he use the second half of the flour of the first priest. Rather, he brings a full issaron, divides it in half, then brings half of it in the afternoon, and the second half is destroyed. We thus find that two halves are offered and two halves are destroyed.

Art: Jan Van Bijlert - A women Holding Pancakes