Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Sforno · Torah

Sforno on Leviticus 6:7/ספורנו על ויקרא ו׳:ז׳

אוְהִזְכִּיר תּוֹרָה בַּמִּנְחָה, וְאָמַר שֶׁיַּגִּישׁוּ כֻלָּהּ לִפְנֵי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, כִּי לָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ בִּלְבַד הֵבִיא הַמַּקְרִיב אֶת כָּל קָרְבָּנוֹ, וְכֹהֲנִים מִשֻּׁלְחָן גָּבוֹהַּ קָא זָכוּ. וְשֶׁחֵלֶק מוּעָט מִכֻּלָּהּ הוּא הַנִּבְחָר לְרֵיחַ נִיחוֹחַ, וְשֶׁחֵלֶק הַכֹּהֲנִים גַּם הוּא מְכַפֵּר, וְנִשְׁמָר מֵחִמּוּץ כְּמוֹ חֵלֶק גָּבוֹהַּ. וְשֶׁמִּנְחַת הַכֹּהֵן כָּלָה לְגָבוֹהַּ, לֹא חֵלֶק מוּעָט מִמֶּנָּה בִּלְבַד כְּמוֹ שֶׁהוּא בְּמִנְחַת הֶהָמוֹן.
1לפני המזבח, now the Torah explains the “Torah” of the gift-offering, מנחה, explaining that all of it is to be brought לפני המזבח “in front of the altar” as opposed to the Olah which was brought on the מוקד of the altar. All sacrifices are brought directly and exclusively to G’d. The parts allocated to the priests are not allocated by the owners of the sacrifice, but are to be viewed as G’d inviting the priests to be guests at His table, in Talmudic parlance as משלחן גבוה קא זכו, “they are benefiting from a table in the celestial regions.” The gift offering by a priest ends up on the altar completely as opposed to that of ordinary Israelites’ gift offering of which only a fistful gets to the altar, the balance being eaten by the priests.