Menachot 110a — the Talmud in English

As it is stated: “

On that day there shall be five cities in the land of Egypt speaking the language of Canaan ![](pamud.bmp "

exact page-column location")

and swearing by the Lord of Hosts, [“

the city of destruction shall be said to one”].”

Those went

those royal sons

to Alexandria of Egypt and built an altar, and offered upon it in the name of Heaven, as it is stated: “

On that day there shall be an altar to the Lord

within the land of Egypt...” And

this beraita is according to the method of Rabbi Meir, for this verse does not refer to the House of Onias, since it was a house of idolatry, but to this altar.

It is written in the continuation of the verse: “On that day there shall be five cities...”

“The city of destruction shall be said to one”:

And we interpret:

What is

“the city of destruction shall be said to one”?

As Rav Yosef translated

that verse: “

The city of Beth-Shemesh, which is destined to be destroyed, it has been said that it is one of them” [the city of Beth-Shemesh, which is destined to be destroyed, is one of the five cities], that is, “the city of destruction” is interpreted in two senses: the city of the sun [for “heres” means sun, as explained below], and “the city of destruction” according to its plain meaning—that it will be destroyed.

The Gemara explains:

And from where is it established that “

the city of destruction”

is an expression of the sun

? [From where is it established that “heres” is an expression of sun?]

For it is written [Job 9]: “

Who says to the sun, and it does not shine.”

It is written in Isaiah 43: “And now, so said the Lord, your Creator, Jacob, and your Former, Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you... Do not fear, for I am with you; from the east I shall bring your offspring, and from the west I shall gather you. I shall say to the north [to the northern wind], Give [the exiles that are in the north], and to the south [to the southern wind], Do not withhold yourself [but

bring My sons from afar, and My daughters from the end of the earth]:” “

Bring My sons from afar,”

said

explained

Rav Huna:

These are the exiles of Babylonia, whose minds are settled—

like sons,

for in Babylonia they are not subject to the harsh yoke of the kingdom. “

And My daughters from the end of the earth”:

These are the exiles of the other lands, whose minds are not settled—

like daughters,

for in the other lands the kingdom weighs its yoke heavily upon the Jews.

Rabbi Abba bar Rav Yitzḥak said in the name of Rav Ḥisda, and some say, Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav:

From Tyre to Kartigini,

between Tyre and Kartigini,

the gentiles recognize

the Jews

as

they were in their former honor, and therefore they do not weigh their yoke heavily upon them,

and

they also recognize

their Father in Heaven [they believe in Him], and they do not believe in idolatry.

And

if it is from Tyre westward, and from Kartigini eastward:

they do not recognize the Jews, nor their Father in Heaven.

Rav Shimi bar Ḥiyya raised an objection to Rav:

But it is written [Malachi 1]: “

From the rising of the sun to its setting, My name is great among the nations, and in every place incense is offered and a pure offering to My name”!?

He said to him

Rav said to Rav Shimi: Is it so that

you are Shimi—that is, are you the Shimi who is a great sage, and you raise this difficulty to me, although it is not a difficulty!?

But this is the intention of the verse: for they call Him ‘God of gods’ [the gentiles call the Всевышний “God of the idols”], that is: they believe in idolatry, but they also believe in the Lord, who is above their idols. It is written: “

He said to him.

Rav said to Rav Shimi: “Are you really

Shimi?”

Are you the Shimi who is a great scholar, that you raise this question to me, when it is not a difficulty at all?

In every place incense is offered to My name”:

And we raise a difficulty:

“In every place”

they offer incense to the Lord—

does it enter your mind!?

Said

explained

Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said in the name of Rabbi Yonatan:

These are Torah scholars who engage in Torah in every place,

and

I ascribe it to them as though they offer incense and present offerings to My name. “

And a pure offering”:

This is one who studies Torah in purity,

such that

he marries a woman

to purify his thoughts

and afterward studies Torah.

who

marries a woman

It is written [Psalms 134]: “A Song of Ascents. Behold, bless the Lord, all servants of the Lord,

who stand in the house of the Lord

at night.” What is “

at night”?

Rabbi Yoḥanan said:

These are Torah scholars who engage in Torah at night,

for

the verse ascribes it to them as though they are engaged in the Temple service, as the verse says, “in the house of the Lord.”

It is written [II Chronicles 2]: “And Solomon sent to Hiram king of Tyre, saying: As you did with David my father, and you sent him cedars to build him a house in which to dwell. Behold, I am building a house for the name of the Lord my God, to sanctify it for Him, to burn incense before Him... and burnt offerings morning and evening, on Sabbaths and on New Moons and on the appointed times of the Lord our God

forever—this is upon Israel”:

Rav Giddel said in the name of Rav:

This is a built altar, and Michael, the great minister, stands and offers a sacrifice upon it.

These are Torah scholars who engage in Torah study at night,

and

And Rabbi Yoḥanan said:

These are Torah scholars who engage in the laws of the Temple service,

for

the verse ascribes it to them as though the Temple were built in their days.

Reish Lakish said:

What is written [Leviticus 7]: “

This is the Torah of the burnt offering, of the meal offering, of the sin offering, and of the guilt offering”? To tell you:

Anyone who engages in Torah is as though he offered a burnt offering, a meal offering, a sin offering, and a guilt offering.

These are Torah scholars who engage in the laws of the Temple service,

and

Rava

objected:

This “

for the burnt offering, for the meal offering”—if it were as you explain, would it have said “for the burnt offering, for the meal offering”!? Surely “This is the Torah—

a burnt offering and a meal offering”

it should have said, for then it would mean that the Torah itself is a burnt offering and a meal offering!?

Rather, said

explained Rava: Anyone who engages in Torah does not need either a burnt offering, a meal offering, a sin offering, or a guilt offering.

Rava

wondered

and said:

Rabbi Yitzḥak said:

What is written, “

This is the law of the sin offering,”

and

what is written, “

This is the law of the guilt offering”?

To tell you:

Anyone who engages in the law of the sin offering is as though he offered a sin offering, and anyone who engages in the law of the guilt offering is as though he offered a guilt offering.

Mishna:

It is stated concerning the burnt offering of an animal, “ a fire offering, a pleasing fragrance,” and concerning the burnt offering of a bird, “

a fire offering, a pleasing fragrance,”

and concerning the meal offering, “a fire offering, a pleasing fragrance,”

in order

to tell you:

Whether one offers much [he brings an animal sacrifice, which is a large sacrifice]

or whether one offers little [he brings a bird sacrifice or a meal offering, which is a small sacrifice], they are all acceptable,

provided that he directs his heart to Heaven.

Gemara:

Rabbi Zeira said: What is the verse—

from where do we learn additionally that whether one offers much or whether one offers little in sacrifices, his reward is equal? As it is stated: “

Sweet is the sleep of the laborer [the service of sacrifices]

whether he eats little or whether he eats much [his reward].”

in order to teach you:

Rav Adda bar Ahava said: From here: “

—a large animal sacrifice—

It was taught: Rabbi Shimon ben Azai said:

Come and see what is written in the passage of sacrifices, in which there is mentioned neither “

God”

nor “

Elohim”

but only the Lord, in order

not to give an opening of the mouth to an adversary to dispute

and say: There are many authorities; one commanded that this sacrifice be offered to him, and another commanded that another sacrifice be offered to him. Therefore “a pleasing fragrance to the Lord” is stated in all of them, for all are from the One whose name is the Lord.

Rabbi Shimon ben Azai added further and expounded:

And it is stated concerning the large ox, “

a fire offering, a pleasing fragrance,”

and concerning the small bird, “

a fire offering, a pleasing fragrance,”

and concerning the meal offering, “ a fire offering, a pleasing fragrance,” in order to tell you: whether one offers much or whether one offers little, provided that he directs his heart to Heaven.

Come and see what is written in the passage dealing with sacrifices: the names “El” and “Elohim” are not stated in it, but only the Name of the Lord,

? Therefore

the text says [Psalms 50]: “

If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for Mine is the world and its fullness”;

and it is stated [in preceding verses]: “

For Mine is every animal of the forest, the beasts upon a thousand mountains; I know every bird of the mountains, and the moving creature of the field is with Me.” [And it is stated in a later verse adjacent to “If I were hungry”:]

“Would I eat [would I eat]

the flesh of mighty ones, and would I drink the blood of goats [would I]

?”

I did not say to you “

Sacrifice,”

so that you would say, ‘I shall do His will [I shall give Him pleasure through sacrifices]

and He will do my will”;

for

it is not for My will [for My pleasure]

that you sacrifice, but for your own will you sacrifice, for your own need, to fulfill My mitzvot, so that you will have atonement through it,

as it is stated: “

For your acceptance shall you sacrifice it.”

Another matter: “

For your acceptance shall you sacrifice it,”

in order to teach:

For your acceptance sacrifice; with your knowledge sacrifice—

as Shmuel asked Rav Huna:

From where is it established concerning one who is occupied with sacred matters [occupied with a knife to cut something else, and he slaughtered a consecrated animal with it ]

that it is disqualified, as it is stated [Leviticus 1]: “

And he shall slaughter the young of the herd,”

that the slaughtering shall be for the sake of the young of the herd, and not one who is occupied [with something else].

Sacrifice”

so that you could say, ‘I will do His will

[and thereby enjoy the sacrifices]

and He will do my will.”

For

you do not sacrifice for My will

[for My benefit];

rather, you sacrifice for your own benefit,

for your own needs, to fulfill My commandments so that you will gain atonement through them,

as it is stated: “

He said to him:

This is in our possession, that is, I already knew this verse, and from here we learn that it is a mitzva to have intent; but I asked:

from where is it established that it is indispensable, for concerning sacred matters we require “the verse repeated it to make it indispensable”?

in order to teach:

He said to him: “

For your acceptance shall you sacrifice it,”

with your knowledge sacrifice, for the verse repeated it to make it indispensable.

one who was using a knife to cut something else

We shall return to you, chapter “I take upon myself a tenth,” and the tractate of Menaḥot is completed

has rendered the sacrifice unfit, as it is stated [Leviticus 1]: “

And he shall slaughter the cattle,”

meaning that the slaughter must be performed for the sake of the cattle,

and not by one who is merely occupied with something else?

He said to him: We already know this, meaning: I already knew this verse, and from it we learn that one must have the proper intention. But I asked: From where is it derived that this requirement invalidates the sacrifice? For with regard to sacred offerings, we require that “the verse repeat the matter in order to make it indispensable.” He said to him: “ You shall sacrifice it for your acceptance”; sacrifice knowingly. The verse has repeated the requirement in order to make it indispensable. We have completed for you the chapter “I undertake to bring a tenth,” and the tractate Menahot is concluded.

You shall sacrifice it for your acceptance,”

sacrifice knowingly; the verse has therefore repeated the matter in order to make it indispensable.

We have completed Chapter “I Take Upon Myself a Tenth,” and the tractate of Menachot is concluded