Menachot 29 – Crowns on the Letters

King Solomon "Made the ten Menorahs of closed gold... finishing gold". Why “finishing?” Because it finished off all “closed” gold that Solomon had. And what is “closed” gold? When this gold was sold, all other stores were closed. But Solomon had more gold!? - Not of “closed” gold quality. Solomon used a thousand talents for each Menorah, firing it in the kiln until it became purified to one talent.

When Moses ascended to Heaven, he found God sitting and attaching crowns to letters of the Torah. Moses said, “Master of the Universe, what stops You from giving the Torah without crowns?” God replied, “There is one man, Rabbi Akiva, who will expound heaps of laws based on each crown.” Moses was transported to the Academy of Rabbi Akiva, but could not understand his exposition, because Moses was used to know laws through revelation, without proofs. He became worried, but when Rabbi Akiva showed the students the Torah derivation rules he used, Moses' mind was at rest. “Give the Torah through him!” - said Moses to God. “No. Thus it came up in my thought,” - said God. “Then show me his reward,” - said Moses. God showed him how Rabbi Akiva was torn with iron combs and his body was sold in butcher shops. “This is the Torah and this is the reward?!” - said Moses. “Quiet! Thus it came up in my thought,” - said God.

Art: Theodule Augustine Ribot - The Torture of Alonso Cano

Menachot 28 – The Menorah

The seven branches of the Menorah are all essential to one another, that is, if one of the branches is missing, the entire Menorah is invalidated. The seven lamps on top of the Menorah are essential to one another.

The two passages written in the mezuzah scroll are essential to one another, and even the proper writing of one letter is essential to the validity of both passages. In describing the mezuzah, that Torah says, “and you will write these words” (ktavtam) which can also be understood as “ktav-tam,” “perfect writing,” meaning that every letter should be perfect.

The Menorah was to be produced from a single block of raw material, and it would be made of gold. If the craftsman made it out of scraps of gold, the Menorah is invalid. In describing the Menorah, the Torah said that it must be “hammered out.” An additional word “being” indicates that this requirement is essential. However, if the Menorah was made of other kinds of metals, then it did not have to made out of one piece, and was nevertheless valid.

Art: Etching of the Lighting of the Menorah, by a Dutch Artist, 1705

Menachot 27 – What is Essential

From here on, for the next few pages, we will be dealing with the question of which parts of the commandments are essential and cannot be omitted. As a general rule, nothing is essential, unless stated otherwise. The Torah can indicate that a requirement is essential by either repeating it, or by using the word “thus,” or the word “a decree” when describing it.

All parts of the flour offering are essential, so that if a smaller part of the flour is missing, the larger part is invalid. The same is true if the wine, oil, and handful of the offering. In addition, the handful and the frankincense are essential for each other.

The two goats of Yom Kuppor are essential to each other, that is, if one is absent, the other one is of no avail. This is also true for the two lambs of Shavuot, the two loaves of Shavuot, the two arrangement of the Bread of Vision, the three components of the Red Cow service, the four breads of a thanksgiving offering, the four parts of the lulav, and the seven sprinkling of the Red Cow.

Art: Paul Gauguin - Landscape with Two Goats

Menachot 26 – When Remainder of Flour Became Impure

The handful from the flour offering is burned, while the remainder is eaten by the kohanim. What happens if the remainder becomes impure before they have a chance to burn the handful? This is actually the same argument as the one about the Passover lamb offering, where the question was, can one throw the blood if the meat became impure. Rabbi Eliezer, who allows the blood of the Passover lamb to be thrown, would allow the handful of flour to be burned. And Rabbi Yehoshua, who does not allow the blood of the Passover offering to be thrown, would not allow the handful of the flour to be burned.

The handful of the flour offering was to be put into a service vessel first. If this was not done, the offering was invalid. Rabbi Shimon, however, rules it valid. What is his reason? According to Rabbi Shimon, since the flour offering had to be put into a vessel before service anyway, that was sufficient.

Art: Paul Cezanne - Still Life Bread And Leg Of Lamb

Menachot 25 – The Tzitz

The tzitz was a golden head-plate worn by the High Priest on his forehead. It had the power to effect acceptance for an offering that became ritually impure.

If the handful from a flour offering became ritually impure, and the kohen nevertheless offered it, the head-plate of the High Priest effects acceptance. However, this is only true for ritual impurity. If the handful was taken out of the Temple Courtyard and then brought back and offered, the head-plate does not effect acceptance, for the rule is that the tzitz effects acceptance for an offering that became disqualified due it its being impure, but not due to its having left the confines of the Courtyard.

How do we know this rule? The Torah stated regarding the head-plate, “So that Aaron shall bear the sin of the sacred offerings.” Now, which specific sin does it mean? About the intention to eat it in the wrong place the Torah already said “it will not be considered,” and about the intention to eat it beyond allowed time, it said, “It will not be accepted.” The only one left for the head-plate to correct is being ritually impure.

Art: Eugene Carriere - Portrait Of A Priest

Menachot 24 – Two Flour Offerings In One Vessel

When Rav Kahana came to Israel, he met the sons of Rabbi Chiya who were pondering the following question: If one put two halves of his flour offering in a vessel so that they do not touch, and then a spiritually impure person touched one of the halves, does this make the other half impure? The rule is that a vessel combines the parts, but is it true even for impurity? Rav Kahana gave an answer from the wording of the rule, which does not state that it joins the halves, but only that it combines. This means that they are not joined for impurity.

If a zav (one with strong impurity) was lying on a sheet, the sheet acquired his strong impurity. If the owner then made this sheet into a curtain, on which no one can lie, then the previous strong impurity leaves, but since the sheet touches itself (every thread in it touches another thread), then it has the lighter impurity of being touched by a zav. However, Rabbi Yose asked, “Which zav touched it?” - Rabbi Yose means that a thread touching another thread means nothing, because this is hidden impurity, which does not count.

Art: Rembrandt Van Rijn - The Holy Family with a Curtain

Menachot 23 – Flour Offerings Mixed Together

If two flour offerings became mixed together, our problem is how to take a handful from each. If one can take off a handful from one, making sure that no flour from the other offering is mixed in, the offerings will still be valid.

If a handful became mixed with another flour offering, from which a handful has not been taken yet, then nothing can be done about it. One cannot burn the mixture because of the flour of the other offering mixed it, since only the handful can be burned. Neither can one take two handfuls. If the kohen went ahead and burned it on the Altar anyway, it counts for the owner of the first offering, but not for the owner of the second offering, into which the handful fell.

The same is true when a handful from an offering fell into the remnants of the other offering: the mixture should not be burned, but if one did burn it on the Altar, this counts for the owner of the handful.

Art: Adriaen Lievensz van der Poel - The Burning Windmill