Traité Menachot

Traduction française en préparation — version anglaise (Steinsaltz) : The one that held a tenth of an ephah when leveled was the vessel with which one would measure the flour for the High Priest’s griddle-cake offering, and then that flour would be divided into two equal parts.

Traduction française en préparation — version anglaise (Steinsaltz) : And the Rabbis disagree with Rabbi Meir and say: There was only one measuring vessel that held a tenth of an ephah there in the Temple, as it is stated: “And one tenth-part for every lamb” (Numbers 29:4). But if so, what is the meaning when the verse states: “A tenth, a tenth, for every lamb” (Numbers 28:29)? Rabbi Meir derived from the repetition of “a tenth” that there were two measuring vessels that held a tenth of an ephah. How do the Rabbis expound that? They hold it serves to include another measuring vessel for dry substances, one that holds one-half of a tenth of an ephah.

Traduction française en préparation — version anglaise (Steinsaltz) : Having cited the baraita, the Gemara discusses each opinion: And as for Rabbi Meir, from where does he derive that there was a measuring vessel that held one-half of a tenth of an ephah? He derives it from the superfluous “and” in the phrase “and one tenth-part for every lamb.” The Gemara asks: And as for the Rabbis, why don’t they expound this from the term “and”? They do not derive anything from “and.” They hold that the addition of the word is not significant enough to be expounded.

Traduction française en préparation — version anglaise (Steinsaltz) : The Gemara asks: And as for Rabbi Meir, this verse: “And one tenth-part for every lamb,” from which the Rabbis derive that there was only one measuring vessel of a tenth of an ephah, what does he do with it? The Gemara answers: That verse teaches that one should not measure the flour by using a measuring vessel of a size that holds the entire volume of flour required, i.e., neither with a vessel that holds three-tenths of an ephah for the meal offering accompanying the sacrifice of a bull, nor with a vessel that holds two-tenths of an ephah for the meal offering accompanying the sacrifice of a ram. Rather, one measures the flour for them by using the tenth-ephah measuring vessel multiple times.

Traduction française en préparation — version anglaise (Steinsaltz) : The Gemara asks: And as for the Rabbis, from where do they derive that halakha? The Gemara explains: They derive it from its dot. In the Torah text, a dot appears above the term “a tenth.” This is as it is taught in a baraita: Rabbi Yosei says: Why is the letter vav in the middle of the term “a tenth [issaron]” dotted the first time that the term “a tenth” appears in the verse concerning the first festival day of the Festival of Sukkot? The verse there states: “And a tenth, a tenth, for every lamb of the fourteen lambs” (Numbers 29:15). This serves to teach that one should not measure flour using a vessel of a size that holds the entire volume required, i.e., neither with a vessel that holds three-tenths of an ephah for the meal offering of a bull, nor with a vessel that holds two-tenths of an ephah for the meal offering of a ram. And as for Rabbi Meir, what does he derive from the dot? He does not derive anything from its dot. He holds that the dot is not significant enough to be expounded.

Traduction française en préparation — version anglaise (Steinsaltz) : § The mishna teaches: What purpose did the one-half of a tenth of an ephah measuring vessel serve? It was the vessel with which one would measure the flour for the High Priest’s griddle-cake offering. A tenth of an ephah was required each day; he sacrificed half in the morning and the other half in the afternoon. From the mishna it appears that each half-tenth is measured separately.

Traduction française en préparation — version anglaise (Steinsaltz) : The mishna indicates that the half-tenth vessel was used for measuring. And the Gemara raises a contradiction to this from a mishna (50b): The twelve loaves of matza, baked from a tenth of an ephah of flour, of the griddle-cake offering of the High Priest did not come from the house of the High Priest in halves. Rather, the High Priest brings from his house a complete tenth of an ephah of flour (see Leviticus 6:13) and divides it in half, and he sacrifices half in the morning and half in the afternoon. It is apparent from this mishna that the tenth of an ephah is first measured in its entirety and only then divided.

Traduction française en préparation — version anglaise (Steinsaltz) : To resolve the contradiction Rav Sheshet said: What is the meaning of: Used for measuring, that the mishna here teaches? It means only that the High Priest would divide the tenth of an ephah into two equal portions using the half-tenth measure, but the quantity would initially be measured in its entirety, as the mishna on 50b states.

Traduction française en préparation — version anglaise (Steinsaltz) : § In light of Rabbi Meir’s opinion that there were two vessels for measuring a tenth of an ephah, one that held its measure when leveled and one when it was heaped, Rami bar Ḥama raised a dilemma before Rav Ḥisda: With regard to the one-half of a tenth of an ephah measuring vessel, according to the opinion of Rabbi Meir, was it one that held its measure when heaped or was it one that held its measure when leveled?

Traduction française en préparation — version anglaise (Steinsaltz) : Before citing Rav Ḥisda’s response, the Gemara provides a mnemonic that alludes to the three dilemmas it will immediately present: Half; griddle-cake offering; Table. This alludes to one-half of a tenth of an ephah; the High Priest’s griddle-cake offering; and the shewbread Table.

Traduction française en préparation — version anglaise (Steinsaltz) : Rav Ḥisda said to Rami bar Ḥama: But why do you ask specifically with regard to the opinion of Rabbi Meir? The dilemma can be raised according to the opinion of the Rabbis. Rami bar Ḥama answered: According to the opinion of the Rabbis, it would be with regard to the measuring vessel of a tenth of an ephah itself that one raises the dilemma, asking whether it was one that held its measure when heaped or was one that held its measure when leveled. The dilemma I raised concerned the half-tenth vessel, which is pertinent specifically according to the opinion of Rabbi Meir, as he holds that there were both heaped and leveled measuring vessels of a tenth of an ephah.

Traduction française en préparation — version anglaise (Steinsaltz) : In answer to Rami bar Ḥama’s dilemma, Rav Ḥisda said to him: From the opinion of Rabbi Meir concerning the vessel of a tenth of an ephah we can extrapolate what Rabbi Meir holds concerning the vessel of one-half of a tenth of an ephah; and from that opinion of Rabbi Meir we can extrapolate what the Rabbis hold concerning both vessels.