## Menachot Daf 20a

###### Menachot 20a:1
[Menachot 20a:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/20a:1)

בְּרִית אֲמוּרָה בְּמֶלַח, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוּדָה. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר: נֶאֱמַר כָּאן ״בְּרִית מֶלַח עוֹלָם הִוא״, וְנֶאֱמַר לְהַלָּן ״בְּרִית כְּהֻנַּת עוֹלָם״ – כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְקׇרְבָּנוֹת בְּלֹא כְּהוּנָּה, כָּךְ אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְקׇרְבָּנוֹת בְּלֹא מֶלַח.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**a covenant stated with regard to salt,** ensuring that the offerings should always be salted; this is **the statement of Rabbi Yehuda. Rabbi Shimon says: It is stated here: “It is an everlasting covenant of salt”** (Numbers 18:19), **and it is stated there,** with regard to the reward given to Pinehas: **“The covenant of an everlasting priesthood”** (Numbers 25:13). This teaches that **just as it is impossible for the offerings** to be sacrificed **without** the involvement of the **priesthood, so too, it is impossible for the offerings** to be sacrificed **without salt.** The *baraita* demonstrates that the rite of salting is an indispensable requirement, despite the fact that the rite is not repeated in the verses.


###### Menachot 20a:2
[Menachot 20a:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/20a:2)

אָמַר רַב יוֹסֵף: רַב כְּתַנָּא דִּידַן סְבִירָא לֵיהּ, דְּאָמַר: לֹא מָלַח – כָּשֵׁר. אֲמַר לֵיהּ אַבָּיֵי: אִי הָכִי, לֹא יָצַק נָמֵי – לֹא יָצַק כְּלָל? אֶלָּא: לֹא יָצַק כֹּהֵן אֶלָּא זָר, הָכָא נָמֵי: לֹא מָלַח כֹּהֵן אֶלָּא זָר.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rav Yosef said: Rav,** who holds that the only sacrificial rites that are indispensable are the ones repeated in the verses, **holds in accordance with the *tanna* of our** mishna, **who says:** If one **did not** add **salt,** the meal offering is still **fit.** According to this *tanna*, adding salt is not indispensable. **Abaye said to him: If that is so** and you understand the mishna to be referring to a case where no salt is added at all, then you should **also** understand the mishna’s statement: If one **did not pour** the oil, as referring to a case where he **did not pour** oil **at all.** This cannot be, as the rite of pouring oil is repeated in the verses and is clearly indispensable. **Rather,** the mishna must be referring to a case where **a priest did not pour** oil onto the meal offering, **but a non-priest** did pour the oil. **Here too,** the *tanna* of the mishna means only that **a priest did not** add **salt, but a non-priest** did add salt. If no salt is added, even this *tanna* holds that the meal offering is unfit.


###### Menachot 20a:3
[Menachot 20a:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/20a:3)

אֲמַר לֵיהּ: וְכִי תַּעֲלֶה עַל דַּעְתְּךָ שֶׁזָּר קָרֵב לְגַבֵּי מִזְבֵּחַ?

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Rav Yosef **said to** Abaye: **But could it enter your mind that a non-priest would approach** the **altar** to salt the handful of the meal offering? A non-priest may not enter the area near the altar. Since it is not conceivable that this would take place, it must be that when ruling that the meal offering is fit, the *tanna* of the mishna is referring to a case where the salt was never added.


###### Menachot 20a:4
[Menachot 20a:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/20a:4)

וְאִי בָּעֵית אֵימָא, כֵּיוָן דִּכְתִיבָא בֵּיהּ ״בְּרִית״, כְּמַאן דִּתְנָא בֵּיהּ קְרָא דָּמְיָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And if you wish, say** instead that Rav holds that **since** with regard to the application of salt, the term **“covenant” is written about it, it is considered as though it were repeated in** another **verse,** as the term “covenant” teaches that it is an indispensable rite.


###### Menachot 20a:5
[Menachot 20a:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/20a:5)

וְלָא תְּנָא בֵּיהּ קְרָא? וְהָכְתִיב: ״וְכׇל קׇרְבַּן מִנְחָתְךָ בַּמֶּלַח תִּמְלָח״! הָהוּא מִיבְּעֵי לֵיהּ לְכִדְתַנְיָא: אִילּוּ נֶאֱמַר ״קׇרְבָּן בַּמֶּלַח״, שׁוֹמֵעַ אֲנִי אֲפִילּוּ עֵצִים וָדָם שֶׁנִּקְרְאוּ קׇרְבָּן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
With regard to the question that was raised to challenge the statement of Rav, the Gemara asks: **And** is it correct that the application of salt **is not repeated in the verse? But isn’t it written: “And every meal offering of yours you shall season with salt”** (Leviticus 2:13)? The Gemara answers: **That** verse does not function as a repetition, since it is **necessary for that which is taught** in a *baraita*: **Had** the verse **stated** only: And every **offering** you shall season **with salt, I** would **derive** that this applies to even the **wood and** the **blood, which are** also **termed: An offering.**


###### Menachot 20a:6
[Menachot 20a:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/20a:6)

תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״מִנְחָה״, מָה מִנְחָה מְיוּחֶדֶת שֶׁאֲחֵרִים בָּאִין חוֹבָה לָהּ, אַף כֹּל שֶׁאֲחֵרִים בָּאִין חוֹבָה לָהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
To counter this, **the verse states:** “And every **meal offering** of yours,” to teach that **just as** the **meal offering is unique** in **that other** items **come as a requirement for it,** as the wood is required for the burning of the handful of the meal offering, **so too any** item that is unique in **that other** items **come as a requirement for it** requires the application of salt. By contrast, the wood and the blood do not require salting, as the wood itself requires no wood, and the blood is presented on the altar and does not require wood.


###### Menachot 20a:7
[Menachot 20a:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/20a:7)

אִי מָה מִנְחָה מְיוּחֶדֶת שֶׁמַּתֶּרֶת, אַף כֹּל שֶׁמַּתִּיר, אָבִיא דָּם שֶׁמַּתִּיר – תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר ״מֵעַל מִנְחָתֶךָ״, וְלֹא מֵעַל דָּמֶךָ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The *baraita* continues: **If** that logic is employed, one could say: **Just as** the handful of the **meal offering** that is burned **is unique** in **that it permits** the remainder of the meal offering to be eaten by the priests, and it requires salting, **so too, any** item that is unique in **that it permits** other items requires the application of salt. Accordingly, **I will include blood** in the obligation to be salted, **as** its presentation **permits** the offering to be sacrificed and eaten. To counter this, the continuation of **the verse states:** “Neither shall you suffer the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking **from your meal offering,”** demonstrating that it cannot be lacking from the meal offering, **but not from your blood.**


###### Menachot 20a:8
[Menachot 20a:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/20a:8)

יָכוֹל תְּהֵא מִנְחָה כּוּלָּהּ טְעוּנָה מֶלַח? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״קׇרְבַּן״, קׇרְבָּן טָעוּן מֶלַח, וְאֵין מִנְחָה כּוּלָּהּ טְעוּנָה מֶלַח.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The *baraita* continues: One **might** have thought that **the entire meal offering requires salting,** including the remainder of the offering that is eaten by the priests. To counter this, **the verse states:** “And every meal **offering [*korban*]** of yours you shall season with salt” (Leviticus 2:13), teaching that the handful, which is burned as **an offering [*korban*]** on the altar, **requires salting, but the entire meal offering [*minḥa*] does not require salting.**


###### Menachot 20a:9
[Menachot 20a:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/20a:9)

וְאֵין לִי אֶלָּא קוֹמֶץ מִנְחָה, מִנַּיִן לְרַבּוֹת אֶת הַלְּבוֹנָה? מְרַבֶּה אֲנִי אֶת הַלְּבוֹנָה, שֶׁכֵּן בָּאָה עִמָּהּ בִּכְלִי אֶחָד.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And I have** derived **only** that **the handful of a meal offering** requires salting. **From where** is it derived **to include the frankincense,** which is also burned on the altar, in the requirement to be salted? **I include the frankincense due to** the fact **that it comes along with** the handful **in one vessel** and is therefore included in the expression “offering.”


###### Menachot 20a:10
[Menachot 20a:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/20a:10)

מִנַּיִן לְרַבּוֹת אֶת הַלְּבוֹנָה הַבָּאָה בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָהּ, וּלְבוֹנָה הַבָּאָה בְּבָזִיכִין, וְהַקְּטֹרֶת,

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**From where** is it derived **to include** in the requirement to be salted **the frankincense that comes by itself** as a separate offering? One may accept the obligation to bring an offering of frankincense to be burned on the altar. From where is it derived that this frankincense requires salting? Moreover, from where is it derived to include in the requirement to be salted the **frankincense that comes in bowls** together with the shewbread, **and the incense?**


###### Menachot 20a:11
[Menachot 20a:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/20a:11)

מִנְחַת כֹּהֲנִים, וּמִנְחַת כֹּהֵן מָשִׁיחַ, וּמִנְחַת נְסָכִים, אֵימוּרֵי חַטָּאת, וְאֵימוּרֵי אָשָׁם, וְאֵימוּרֵי קׇדְשֵׁי קָדָשִׁים, וְאֵימוּרֵי קָדָשִׁים קַלִּים, וְאֵבְרֵי עוֹלָה, וְעוֹלַת הָעוֹף – מִנַּיִן?

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Moreover, from where is it derived in the requirement of salting in the case of the meal offerings from which a handful is not removed, i.e., **the meal offering of priests, and the meal offering of the anointed priest** that is brought every day by the High Priest, **and the meal offering** that accompanies the **libations** brought with burnt offerings and peace offerings? From where is it derived in the requirement of salting with regard to **the sacrificial portions of the sin offering** consumed on the altar, **and the sacrificial portions of the guilt offering, and the sacrificial portions of the offerings of the most sacred order, and the sacrificial portions of the offerings of lesser sanctity, and the limbs of the burnt offering, and the bird burnt offering? From where** is it derived that all these require salting?


###### Menachot 20a:12
[Menachot 20a:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/20a:12)

תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״עַל כׇּל קׇרְבָּנְךָ תַּקְרִיב מֶלַח״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The *baraita* continues: Therefore, **the verse states: “You shall sacrifice salt with all your offerings”** (Leviticus 2:13), demonstrating that everything burned on the altar requires salting. From this *baraita*, it is apparent that the mitzva to apply salt is necessary in order to teach about the circumstances where salt is added, and therefore it cannot be used as an instance where the mitzva is repeated in order to teach that the rite is indispensable.


###### Menachot 20a:13
[Menachot 20a:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/20a:13)

אָמַר מָר: אֵין לִי אֶלָּא קוֹמֶץ (מִנְחָה), מִנַּיִן לְרַבּוֹת אֶת הַלְּבוֹנָה? מְרַבֶּה אֲנִי אֶת הַלְּבוֹנָה, שֶׁכֵּן בָּאָה עִמָּהּ בִּכְלִי אֶחָד. וְהָא אָמְרַתְּ: מָה מִנְחָה מְיוּחֶדֶת שֶׁאֲחֵרִים בָּאִין חוֹבָה לָהּ?

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ The Gemara discusses the *baraita* cited above: **The Master said: I have** derived **only** that **the handful of a meal offering** requires salting. **From where** is it derived **to include the frankincense,** which is also burned on the altar, in the requirement to be salted? **I include the frankincense, due to** the fact **that it comes along with** the handful **in one vessel** and therefore is included in the expression “offering.” The Gemara asks: Why is this verse needed? **But didn’t you state** earlier that **just as a meal offering is unique** in **that other** items **come as a requirement for it,** as the wood is required for the burning of the handful of the meal offering, so too, anything that is unique in that other items come as a requirement requires the application of salt? Therefore, it is already known that the frankincense and all the other items require salting, since wood is required for their burning.


###### Menachot 20a:14
[Menachot 20a:14](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/20a:14)

הָכִי קָאָמַר: אֵימָא ״קׇרְבַּן״ – כָּלַל, וּ״מִנְחָה״ – פָּרַט, כְּלָל וּפְרָט – אֵין בַּכְּלָל אֶלָּא מַה שֶּׁבַּפְּרָט, מִנְחָה – אִין, מִידֵּי אַחֲרִינָא – לָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara answers: When the *tanna* says: I have derived only that the handful of the meal offering requires salting, **this** is what **he is saying:** One might understand the verse “And every meal offering of yours you shall season with salt” (Leviticus 2:13) differently and **say** the following exposition: The term **“offering”** that appears here is **a generalization,** while **“meal offering”** is **a detail.** According to the hermeneutical principles, in the case of **a generalization and a detail, there is nothing in the generalization other than what is in the detail.** Therefore, in the case of **a meal offering, yes,** it requires salting, but **anything else** does **not** require salting. From where, then, is the *halakha* of salting in all other cases derived?


###### Menachot 20a:15
[Menachot 20a:15](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/20a:15)

הֲדַר אָמַר: ״עַל כׇּל קׇרְבָּנְךָ״, חָזַר וְכָלַל, כְּלָל וּפְרָט וּכְלָל – אִי אַתָּה דָן אֶלָּא כְּעֵין הַפְּרָט, מָה הַפְּרָט מְפוֹרָשׁ שֶׁאֲחֵרִים בָּאִין חוֹבָה לָהּ, אַף כֹּל שֶׁאֲחֵרִים בָּאִין חוֹבָה לָהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Therefore, the verse **then states:** “You shall sacrifice salt **with all your offerings”** (Leviticus 2:13), and **it then generalized** again, so that the verse includes **a generalization, and a detail, and a generalization,** in which case according to the hermeneutical principles **you may deduce** that the verse is referring **only** to items **similar to the detail. Just as the specified detail,** i.e., the meal offering, is unique in **that other** items **come as a requirement for it, so too, anything** that is unique in **that other** items **come as a requirement for it** requires the application of salt. That is why the latter part of the verse is needed.


###### Menachot 20a:16
[Menachot 20a:16](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/20a:16)

אֲחֵרִים דְּבָאִין חוֹבָה לָהּ, מַאי נִיהוּ – עֵצִים, אַף כֹּל עֵצִים.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara elaborates: **What are** the **other** items **that come as a requirement for** the meal offering? This is referring to the **wood,** as the wood is required for the burning of the handful of the meal offering. **So too,** the expression: **Anything** that is unique in that other items come as a requirement for it, is referring to anything that requires **wood** so that it may be burned on the altar.


###### Menachot 20a:17
[Menachot 20a:17](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/20a:17)

אֵימָא (אֲחֵרִים דְּבָאִין חוֹבָה לָהּ נִיהוּ) – לְבוֹנָה, וְאַיְיתִי דָּם, דְּאִיכָּא נְסָכִים! נְסָכִים בַּהֲדֵי אֵימוּרִין הוּא דְּאָתוּ, מַאי טַעְמָא? אֲכִילָה וּשְׁתִיָּה. אַדְּרַבָּה – כַּפָּרָה וְשִׂמְחָה!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: Why not **say** that the **other** items **that come as a requirement for** the meal offering **is** referring to the **frankincense,** which accompanies the meal offering, **and** therefore by means of the hermeneutical principle applying to a generalization, and a detail, and a generalization, **include blood, which is** accompanied by **libations?** The Gemara answers: The **libations** are not considered to accompany the sprinkling of the blood; rather, **they accompany the sacrificial portions** that are burned on the altar. **What is the reason?** It is because the burning of the sacrificial parts and the pouring of the libations are the **eating and drinking** of the altar. The Gemara counters: **On the contrary,** the libations are considered to accompany the blood, since the **atonement** that is effected by the presentation of the blood is followed by the **joy** that is displayed in the libation of wine.


###### Menachot 20a:18
[Menachot 20a:18](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/20a:18)

אֶלָּא, לְבוֹנָה בָּאָה עִמָּהּ בִּכְלִי אֶחָד, אֲבָל עֵצִים, כִּי הֵיכִי דְּמִתַּכְשְׁרָא בְּהוּ מִנְחָה, הָכִי (מִתַּכְשְׁרָא) [מִתַּכְשְׁרִי] בְּהוּ כּוּלְּהוּ קׇרְבָּנוֹת.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rather,** one must say that since the **frankincense comes** together **with** the meal offering **in one vessel,** while the blood is not brought together with the libations in one vessel, the blood is not comparable to the meal offering. **But** when it is explained that the expression: The other items that come as a requirement for the meal offering, is referring to the **wood,** this means that **just as** the **meal offering is rendered fit by** means of the wood, **so too, all offerings are rendered fit by** means of the wood.


###### Menachot 20a:19
[Menachot 20a:19](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/20a:19)

וְאֵימָא: מָה הַפְּרָט מְפוֹרָשׁ, שֶׁאֲחֵרִים בָּאִין חוֹבָה לָהּ וּמַתֶּרֶת – אַף כֹּל שֶׁאֲחֵרִים בָּאִין חוֹבָה לָהּ וּמַתֶּרֶת, וּמַאי נִיהוּ? לְבוֹנָה הַבָּאָה בְּבָזִיכִין, דְּשָׁרְיָא לֶחֶם, אֲבָל מִידֵּי אַחֲרִינָא – לָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **But** why not **say: Just as** the item mentioned in **the detail,** i.e., the handful of the meal offering, is clearly **defined as** an item **for which other** items **come as a requirement, and** in addition it **renders** other items **permitted, so too, anything** that is unique in **that other** items **come as a requirement for it and renders** other items **permitted** requires the application of salt. **And what is** included due to this derivation? **Frankincense that comes in** the **bowls** that are placed upon the shewbread, **as it renders** the bread **permitted** to be eaten. **But** every **other item** should **not** be included.


###### Menachot 20a:20
[Menachot 20a:20](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/20a:20)

מִדְּאִיצְטְרִיךְ ״מֵעַל מִנְחָתֶךָ״ וְלֹא מֵעַל דָּמֶךָ, מִכְּלָל דְּהָנָךְ כּוּלְּהוּ אָתוּ בְּחַד צַד.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara answers: It is apparent that all other items require only the factor of having other items come as a requirement for them to be considered similar to the meal offering. This is clear **from** the fact **that** in the case of blood, which is similar to the meal offering only in that it renders the offering permitted, it **was necessary** to teach that salt is not placed on blood, by means of the phrase: “Neither shall you suffer the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking **from your meal offering,”** from which it is derived: **But not from your blood.** Had it been necessary for all items to have both aspects in common with the meal offering, there would be no need for a derivation to exclude blood. **By inference, these** other items **derived** from a meal offering are similar to it **in one respect.**


###### Menachot 20a:21
[Menachot 20a:21](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/20a:21)

אָמַר מָר: ״מֵעַל מִנְחָתֶךָ״ וְלֹא מֵעַל דָּמֶךָ, וְאֵימָא: ״מֵעַל מִנְחָתֶךָ״ וְלֹא מֵעַל אֵיבָרֶיךָ?

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ The Gemara continues its discussion of the *baraita*: **The Master said** above: The verse states: “Neither shall you suffer the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking **from your meal offering,”** demonstrating that salt cannot be lacking from the meal offering, **but not from your blood.** The Gemara asks: **But** since the verse does not allude to blood explicitly, why not **say** that the verse teaches that salt cannot be lacking **from your meal offering, but not from your limbs** of the burnt offering that are sacrificed on the altar?


###### Menachot 20a:22
[Menachot 20a:22](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/20a:22)

מִסְתַּבְּרָא, אֵבָרִים הֲוָה לֵיהּ לְרַבּוֹיֵי, שֶׁכֵּן (א״ש בנטמ״א סִימָן)

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara answers: **It stands to reason** that the **limbs** of a burnt offering **should be included** in the requirement to have salt applied, **since** they share many characteristics with a meal offering that blood does not. The Gemara presents **a mnemonic** for the characteristics that they share: ***Alef*, *shin*, *beit*, *nun*; *tet*, *mem*, *alef*.** These are a reference to others [*aḥerim*], fire [*ishim*], external [*baḥutz*], *notar*; ritual impurity [*tuma*], and misuse of consecrated property [*me’ila*].


###### Menachot 20a:23
[Menachot 20a:23](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/20a:23)

אֲחֵרִים בָּאִין חוֹבָה לָהּ כְּמוֹתָהּ, אִישִּׁים כְּמוֹתָהּ, בַּחוּץ כְּמוֹתָהּ, נוֹתָר כְּמוֹתָהּ,

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
In the case of the limbs of a burnt offering, **other** items **come as a requirement for it, as** is the *halakha* with regard to a meal offering. The burnt offering requires wood in order to be burned on the altar, which is not the case with regard to the blood. The limbs of the burnt offering are burned in the **fire** of the altar, **as** is the *halakha* with regard to a meal offering, whereas the blood is presented on the corners of the altar. The burnt offering is sacrificed **on the external** altar, **as** is the *halakha* with regard to a meal offering, as opposed to the blood, which is presented inside the Sanctuary in the cases of the bull and goat of Yom Kippur. It is prohibited to partake of its **leftover [*notar*]** parts, **as** is the *halakha* with regard to a meal offering, which is not relevant to blood.


###### Menachot 20a:24
[Menachot 20a:24](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/20a:24)

טוּמְאָה כְּמוֹתָהּ, מְעִילָה כְּמוֹתָהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
It is prohibited to partake of a burnt offering while in a state of **ritual impurity, as** is the *halakha* with regard to a meal offering, which is not relevant to blood. It is subject to the *halakhot* of **misuse** of consecrated property, **as** is the *halakha* with regard to a meal offering, which is not so with regard to the blood.