Talking Talmud

More on the menorah - and also a whole host of instructions for scribes, plus a powerful piece of aggadah: How did Moshe know what the menorah was supposed to look like? Diagrams and designs of fire - displaying the menorah - came in a vision from heaven, to show what it should look like. Was there a Tabernacle of fire too? (No) Plus, other items that need the visual. Also, the story of how Moshe discovered the identity and accomplishment and "reward" of Rabbi Akiva - and God's decisions that run the world in ways that are beyond humans' abilities, even Moshe, to understand.

A new mishnah: In the category of essential "Temple accoutrements" -- with a focus on the Menorah, in the company of tefillin and tzitzit and other. The 7 branches of the Menorah are all essential. Likewise, a block of gold. Also, other, less essential details about the Menorah: 1. Moshe's ritual items were to be used forever except for the trumpets. 2. Materials from which the Menorah can still be kosher (besides gold) - and which are not valid. Plus, a diagram of the Menorah - in words.

Another daf with 2 mishnayot, with more on the fistful from the grain-offering. 1 - What if the minority of the offering weren't brought? Even if the majority of it was offered properly, this minority would invalidate the offering. Other parallel cases are brought as well. 2 - On the 2 goats of Yom Kippur, what if only one of them were brought? Would that function for atonement? (Spoiler alert: No). Likewise, 2 sheep and the 2 loaves of the grain-offering of Shavuot. And the 2 loaves themselves. Among many other listed combinations, where each component part must be present or the mitzvah is not fulfilled. Also, the 7 sprinklings of the blood of the red heifer - with a deeper dive into the intentions and directions of this sprinkling -- with a dispute that is resolved as being due to different opinions.

2 mishnayot! 1 - When is a grain-offering disqualified? And how does that connect to the blood that is collected from the animal sacrifice? With parallels between the fistful taken from the grain and that blood that is collected. Plus, the factor of impurity - if and when some portion of the grain-offering is impure, the offering may or may not have been rendered invalid. 2 - The ingredients of the grain-offering would be gathered in a sacred vessel before taking the fistful, and then transferred to a second sacred vessel. But what if it wasn't put in that sacred vessel? Is the fistful still valid? (hint: it's a machloket). Also, the question of when in the burning of the fistful from the grain does the rest of the offering become permitted for eating by the kohanim? Another machloket: from the time it begins to burn or only after "most" of the fistful is burned. With a deeper dive into that second opinion.

If the fistful that the kohen takes from the grain-offering becomes ritually impure, then the tzitz (the frontpiece) of the kohen gadol's garments will function to bring about the acceptance of the offering. Though the very fact of that working is puzzling. But why wouldn't the tzitz accept blemishes in an animal sacrifice? (among other key questions). Also, the question of intent comes into play - and the question of how the tzitz will incorporate those factors is considered seriously, by means of examples - including between shogeg and intentional, as well as an individual's offering and a communal offering. Plus, the concerns that lead to emending a rabbinic text, and the concerns of emending the text.

Can a fistful of grain function for different parts of the requirements of the grain-offering? Look to the verses in Leviticus. And what happens when one part becomes impure? The Gemara pauses on a "teiku." Also, a question from Rava - delving further into the ritual impurity, with consideration to different levels of impurity, and how it is conveyed to the next item over that comes in contact with the object that is impure (or is not rendered impure as the case may be).

Rava asks: If one takes a fistful of the grain and squeezes out the oil onto wood, does mean the fistful is missing its oil? Would that be invalid for an offering? How is that oil paralleled in animal sacrifice? (Or isn't it parallel?) Also, a new mishnah: Grain-offerings which haven't yet had the fistful taken from either one, and now the grain is mixed together - can they each have the fistful taken, or are they too blended? If the latter, then they're both invalid. The Gemara follows, with a dispute between Rav Hisda and Rabbi Hanina, regarding how meat that came to be in a mixture between impure meat and pure meat - when is the one kind negated or nullified in the other kind?

A new mishnah! A handful of one grain-offering that is mixed with another handful of grain... according to the rabbis' view, the mingling does not invalidate the sacrifice. Burning it on the altar is fine. But Rabbi Yehudah notes that select grain-offerings would not be valid in these circumstances. The Gemara then delves into parsing Rabbi Yehudah's position here, with comparison to the animal sacrifices of Zevahim. Plus, the question of when and whether substances can be nullified in the mixture of something of its same kind or something that much more different from the original. Note - these laws of mixtures are relevant to all areas of Halakhah, not just the sacrificial realm... except that the "no nullification" rule IS specific to the sacrificial realm. Or at least, when it's items of the same substance and also being offered on the altar. But the case is determined to be difficult.

More on salt... including the verses that require it for the grain-offerings, as well as the "melach s'domit" - salt from the Sodom region. As compared to salt that is quarried from a rock. The sacrificial hides were treated with salt too. So what is meant by "for the sacrifice" as compared to "for their eating"? They didn't only eat the holy foods - the regular foods could be eaten alongside. Note also that temple salt itself wasn't considered reserved for the kohanim. Plus, a comparison between the salt and the frankincense.

Rav Huna challenges Rav about whether salt is required for the grain-offering, even though it isn't presented in the Torah with double-language (as other requirements are). Which opens the discussion of the salt in new ways. Also, the Torah verse about salt and the grain-offering makes it clear that salt is essential to the offering. In contrast, in the case of the grain-offering, to the blood on the altar. Plus, a mnemonic to help remember the factors that would nonetheless require salt.