Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Leviticus 6:7/רמב"ן על ויקרא ו׳:ז׳
אוְזֹאת תּוֹרַת הַמִּנְחָה הוֹסִיפָהּ הַפָּרָשָׁה הַזּוֹ כְּפִי פְּשׁוּטָהּ אַרְבַּע מִצְוֹת בַּמִּנְחָה, שֶׁתְּהֵא נֶאֱכֶלֶת מַצּוֹת (ויקרא ו':ט'), וְשֶׁתְּהֵא נֶאֱכֶלֶת בַּחֲצַר אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד (שם), וְשֶׁיֹּאכַל אוֹתָהּ כָּל זָכָר בִּבְנֵי אַהֲרֹן (ויקרא ו':י"א), וְשֶׁיִּקְדַּשׁ כָּל אֲשֶׁר יִגַּע בָּהֶן (שם). וּכְפִי מִדְרָשׁוֹ דְּבָרִים הַרְבֵּה מְחֻדָּשִׁים בָּהּ, שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ מִנְחַת כֹּהֲנִים שֶׁאֵינָהּ נִקְמֶצֶת טְעוּנָה שֶׁמֶן וּלְבוֹנָה, וְשֶׁיַּגִּישׁ אוֹתָהּ לִפְנֵי ה' שֶׁהוּא קֶרֶן מַעֲרָבִית וְאֶל פְּנֵי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ שֶׁהוּא קֶרֶן דְּרוֹמִית, וְנִמְצָא שֶׁטְּעוּנָה הַגָּשָׁה לְקֶרֶן מַעֲרָבִית דְּרוֹמִית (זבחים סג), "וְהֵרִים מִמֶּנּוּ" - מִן הַמְחֻבָּר, שֶׁלֹּא יָבִיא עִשָּׂרוֹן אֶחָד בִּשְׁנֵי כֵּלִים (מנחות כד), וְשֶׁלֹּא יַעֲשֶֹה מִדָּה לַקֹּמֶץ (שם יט), וְאָמַר "לֹא תֵאָפֶה חָמֵץ" לְהַקִּישׁ כָּל הַמְּלָאכוֹת לָאֲפִיָּה, שֶׁאַף לִישָׁתָהּ וַעֲרִיכָתָהּ וְכָל מַעֲשֶׂה וּמַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁבָּהּ עוֹבֵר בְּלָאו וְלוֹקֶה עָלָיו בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ (מנחות נה):
1AND THIS IS THE LAW OF THE MEAL-OFFERING. This section, according to the plain meaning of Scripture, adds [to Chapter 2 above where the law of the meal-offering was discussed] four commandments about the meal-offering: that [the residue be] eaten unleavened, that it be eaten in the Court of the Tent of Meeting,37 that every male among the children of Aaron may eat of it,38 and that whatever touches it becomes holy.39Now according to the Rabbinical interpretation thereof, there are many new teachings added [in this section, among them being the following]: that even of a meal-offering brought by priests the handful is taken out [and burnt on the altar, in the same way as the residue which must be burnt on the altar];40 burnt (further, Verse 16). The question appears: is it necessary that a handful thereof be taken by a priest and be burnt separately on the altar, or that the whole meal-offering should be burnt at the same time as a unit? According to the text in Ramban before us, the answer is clearly in the affirmative. Scholars, however, have pointed to the Talmud (in Menachoth 72 b) where the conclusion is contrary to this text. The suggestion has therefore been made that the text here is faulty, and should be emended to read: “that even a meal-offering of priests requires ‘oil and frankincense’” (mentioned in Verse 8). See my Hebrew commentary, p. 29. that the priest must bring it near before the Eternal41 which means to the western corner [of the altar, since the Tent of Meeting where the ark of the covenant stood, was to the west of the altar, and therefore nearest to it], and in front of the altar41 which means to the southern corner [since the ramp of the altar which is its “front,” was on the south side thereof]. Thus you find that it had to be “presented” [i.e., brought near] to the southwestern corner of the altar. [And this section further teaches:] And he shall take up from it42 a handful — “from it” as one joined mass, meaning that he is not to bring one tenth of an ephah of flour [which is the amount brought for a meal-offering] in two receptacles [but it must be a full tenth of an ephah in one receptacle], nor is he to make a fixed measure that holds as much as his handful [to remove the amount of flour for the altar, but he must do it with his hand]. He also states, It shall not be baked as anything leavened.43 This is to liken all the stages of work [in the preparation of the meal-offering] to baking, thus teaching that one is also liable for kneading and rolling it if it be leavened, and that for each and every such act he transgresses a negative commandment and is liable to whipping on each count.