Daf 23 — Menachos 23 Summary

Menachos 23 – Good Morning Raboisai Minchas Chotei – A Flour Offering Without Oil The daf opens with Minchas Chotei ( מִנְחַת חֹוטֵא ) — a korban brought by someone who sinned but cannot afford an animal. Key feature: • It is brought without oil and without frankincense • As the Torah states explicitly: “ לֹא יָשִׂים עָלֶיה ָ שֶמֶן וְלֹא יִׂתֵּן עָלֶיה ָ לְבֹנָה ” Question: • If no oil is allowed, how can it be prepared in a kli that already absorbed oil from previous Menachos? Residual Oil in the Vessel The Gemara explains: • The vessel used for a Minchas Chotei may contain absorbed oil • This is permitted because: o The oil is not being added o It is only בלוע (absorbed) However: • Actively adding oil — even a small amount — invalidates the Minchah This preserves the Torah’s requirement of a dry Minchah ( מִנְחָה חֲרֵבָה ). “Dry” vs “Moist” Minchos – Not Always What You Think The Gemara discusses a case of: • A “dry” Minchah mixing with a “moist” Minchah Important clarification: • “Dry” does not always mean no oil • Sometimes it means relatively less oil Example: • Minchas sheep vs Minchas cow o Sheep Minchah has more oil per issaron o Cow Minchah has less oil per issaron Thus: One Minchah can be called “ חרֵבָה ” only relative to another Oil Absorption and פסול If two Menachos mix: • Oil transfers between them • One ends up with too much oil • The other with too little Result: Both become פסול , since each now deviates from its required shiur This does not prove anything about Minchas Chotei, since that case involves relative oil , not total absence of oil. Squeezing Oil from the Kemitzah A key question: • If oil is squeezed out of a קומץ and placed separately • Then the flour is placed back onto the oil Are they still considered one unit? This parallels another famous machlokes: • Meat + bone combining to form a כזית for liability • Can two elements combine after partial separation? The issue: Does physical separation break halachic unity? The Gemara leaves the conceptual comparison in place and moves on. Two Menachos Touching Before Kemitzah Case: • Two Menachos are touching at one point • Kemitzah has not yet been taken Rule: • If each can still have its own independent קומץ , it is valid • One takes a קומץ from each separately But if they are too mixed : • You cannot ensure each has its own Kemitzah • Both become invalid Kemitzah Falling Into Another Minchah Case 1: • A valid Kemitzah falls into another Minchah before its Kemitzah • The Kemitzah may not be burned • But if it was burned — it works בדיעבד • The second Minchah must be brought again Case 2: • A Kemitzah falls back into its own שיריים • This violates “ לא תקטירו ” • But again: if burned, it is valid בדיעבד Majority vs Minority – Rav Chisda vs Rav Chanina Core machlokes: • Rav Chisda : We follow the majority ( מבטל ) • Rav Chanina : We focus on the minority ( בטל ) Key principle: • We ask: Can one entity ever change into the other? Examples: • Shechutah meat can never become Neveilah • Neveilah can lose tumah when it decomposes This determines whether the mixture is: • מין במינו (not batel) • Or מין בשאינו מינו (batel) Application to Menachos This framework explains why: • One Minchah does not cancel another • Even when parts mix, Kemitzah may still be taken • Because Minchos are treated like kodshim , where: o Similar items do not nullify each other The Mishnah’s ruling fits this logic precisely. Takeaway – Menachos 23 • Minchas Chotei must remain completely oil - free • Absorbed oil is permitted; added oil is not • “Dry” vs “moist” is sometimes relative, not absolute • Oil transfer between Menachos can invalidate both • Separation affects halachic unity • Kemitzah errors may still work בדיעבד • Majority/minority rules depend on potential for change • Kodshim do not cancel each other like regular mixtures לעילוי נשמת אמי מורתי רות בת הרב מנחם מנדל