ונפש כי תקריב, “an individual brings the socalled “gift offering,” “מנחה,” a meal offering, as a voluntary offering. This applies even to the High Priest. This type of offering is never presented by a group of people.

מנחה, another word for “gift.”

והביאה, both the letters ו and ה have the vowel segol under them.

אל בני אהרן, “to the priests;” they brought into the foyer, עזרה of the Sanctuary. [This expression is not used with the Tabernacle except possibly with the Tabernacle in Shiloh,where Channah is reported as having offered a silent prayer. Ed.] Seeing that the person offering that meal offering brings fine flour to the Temple, and this flour had not previously undergone the procedures necessary for an offering on the altar, he does not need to bring it to the altar as it is clear that her intention is to do this for the sake of heaven. However, the kind of meal offerings that are brought already baked, regardless of in which type of pans, require to be brought to the altar, in order to make plain to all that she had only baked these cakes for the sake of their being consumed on the altar not for secular consumption. He must not be viewed by onlookers as someone who first prepared a meal for himself, and then invited others to share it with him, or to send portions of these cakes to his friends while retaining the lion’s share for himself. This would not be viewed as honouring heaven. (B’chor shor)

וקמץ משם, “and he (the priest) shall take from that flour a handful; according to Rashi on the words מלא קומצו, which appears to contradict the restrictive expression: וקמץ, the Torah here speaks of the קומץ that we are familiar with from the Hebrew tongue as meaning something hollow. This is based on Samuel II 17,9: נחבא באחת הפחתים, “hidden in one of the holes, etc. which is rendered by the Targum as קומציא [I have failed to find the word גומא quoted by our author in the text of Rashi. The super commentary on Rashi by Mizrachi also appears to have had this difficulty Ed]. According to the Talmud (Menachot 11) describes the priest as making a partial fist of the three middle fingers of his hand and wipes of any excess on either side with the remaining two fingers trapping the fine flour inside the curve of the three middle fingers. It is described as one of the most difficult parts of the priests’ duties.

מלא קומצו, “his fistful;” [we already explained that this was not a full fist. Ed.]

חלות מצות בלולות בשמן, “unleavened cakes soaked in oil;”

on the other hand, the רקיקי מצות, “unleavened wafers,” mentioned in the same verse were not soaked in oil. The pan in which they had been baked had only been lightly oiled.

והבאת, “you will bring (offer);” the letter ו at the beginning of the word is a hint at the offering of the omer, the first ripe offering of the barley harvest, (though it is a communal and mandatory offering) Compare also Leviticus 23, 10: והבאתם את העומר, “you are to bring the omer.”

והקריבה, “one has to bring it, etc.;” here the emphasis is on the pronoun ה at the end of the word, i.e. “it, but not the libations.” Also the gift offerings of the priest as well as the High Priest and the showbreads, do not require libations, as well as the first ripe wheat offering (communal) do not require libations to accompany it.

והרים, “the priest will lift off, etc.” just as this procedure mentioned in chapter 6,8 consists of a fistful of the priest’s three middle fingers, קומץ, so this is also what it means here, though the Torah does not mentions a quantity.

אשה ריח ניחוח, “an offering made by fire, of pleasant fragrance, for the Lord.” We find the same expression, i.e. ריח ניחוח in connection with the burnt offerings of animals (Leviticus 1,9), and with burnt offerings of birds (Leviticus 1,9), and here it is to teach us that the acceptability and its welcome in the eyes of the Lord does not depend on the monetary value but on the attitude of the donor who presents it.

תקריבו אום לה, “you are to present it to Hashem.” This procedure is performed in the courtyard of the Temple, but the offering does not reach the altar.

במלח, “with salt.” Not with salt water.

תמלח. In accordance with the details spelled out in Menachot folio 21.

ושמת עליה לבונה, מנחה היא, “and lay frankincense thereon, it is a giftoffering, מנחה. This includes the minchah on the eighth day to include frankincense. (Sifra)

מגרשה, “of the groats thereof,” the letter ג has the vowel chirik.