Menachot 28b (כח:) — the Talmud in English

The Sages taught: All the vessels

exact page location that

Moses made were fit for him, and fit

also

for future generations.

But

the trumpets

that Moses made

were fit for him

alone

but unfit

were

for future generations!

And we raised a difficulty with it:

For what reason

are the trumpets unfit for future generations?

If you say

it is because

the verse says

in the passage concerning the trumpets,

“Make for yourself

two trumpets,” and we derive from this:

“For yourself, but not for future generations!”

If that is so,

the verse stated in the passage of Ekev,

“And make for yourself a wooden Ark,”

should

likewise

be expounded

“for yourself, but not for future generations,”

yet this Ark would accompany them to war for future generations [according to Rashi, Deuteronomy 10:1]!?

Rather,

the word “for yourself” is expounded

according to the one who says

that in the first chapter of Yoma, regarding the statement in the passage of the inauguration offering, “And he said to Aaron: Take for yourself a calf of the herd,”

“for yourself—from your own,”

meaning that the inauguration offering had to belong to Aaron.

According to the one who says

that the second interpretation in tractate Yoma expounded the verse as meaning that the Holy One, blessed be He, says,

as it were,

if the community could fulfill its obligation through the offering of an individual,

“I prefer yours to theirs,”

meaning that, as it were, the Holy One, blessed be He, would have preferred the inauguration offering to come from Aaron, although in practice the offering would come from the community.

And just as the verse stated in the passage of the inauguration offering is expounded according to both interpretations,

this “for yourself”

stated in the passage of the trumpets

is also required

for those interpretations. From where, then, do you derive that the trumpets Moses made are disqualified for future generations?

The Gemara answers:

There

in the passage concerning the trumpets,

the verse says “for yourself”—“for yourself” twice:

“Make for yourself

two trumpets,” and

“And they shall be for you

for assembling the congregation.” From the fact that “for yourself” is stated twice, we derive that Moses’ trumpets are disqualified for future generations.

Rav Pappa, son of Rav Ḥanin, taught before Rav Yosef: The menorah was made from a single piece

of metal

and from gold. If he made it of silver, it is fit.

If it was made of bedetz

tin,

or of lead,

lead,

or of gisteron,

various metals,

Rabbi disqualifies it, whereas Rabbi Yosei bar Rabbi Yehuda deems it fit.

If it was made of wood, bone, or glass, everyone agrees that it is unfit!

Even Rabbi Yosei bar Rabbi Yehuda disqualifies it.

Rav Yosef said to Rav Pappa:

What is your reasoning

—that according to Rabbi it is fit only when made of gold or silver, whereas according to Rabbi Yosei bar Rabbi Yehuda it is fit even when made of tin, lead, or gisteron?

He said to him,

Rav Pappa said to Rav Yosef:

Both you,

Rabbi,

and you,

Rabbi Yosei bar Rabbi Yehuda,

expound

the verses according to the principles of

generalization and specification,

as both of you expound the verses by means of a generalization, specification, and generalization, as will be explained below: “And you shall make a menorah” is a generalization; “pure gold” is a specification; “the menorah shall be made of hammered work” is a generalization.

However, you,

Rabbi Yosei bar Rabbi Yehuda,

hold: Just as the specification

is gold,

explicitly

a material

of metal, so too, all

the items derived through the generalization, specification, and generalization must be

of metal.

Therefore, all types of metal are fit.

And you,

Rabbi,

hold: Just as the specification

is gold,

explicitly

a

significant substance, so too, all

metal derived through the generalization, specification, and generalization must be

a significant substance,

such as silver; but lead and tin, which are not significant metals, are unfit.

He said to him,

Rav Yosef said to Rav Pappa:

Erase

from your version of the Mishna the statement that Rabbi Yosei bar Rabbi Yehuda disqualifies one made of wood, and that Rabbi disqualifies one made of lead and tin,

in favor of my

version, in which I teach that Rabbi Yosei bar Rabbi Yehuda deems one made of wood fit, and Rabbi likewise deems one made of lead and tin fit.

As it was taught in a beraita: With regard to sacred vessels that one made of wood, Rabbi disqualifies them, whereas Rabbi Yosei bar Rabbi Yehuda deems them fit!

The Gemara explains:

With regard to what do

Rabbi and Rabbi Yosei bar Rabbi Yehuda

differ? Rabbi expounds

the verses by means of

generalizations and specifications [

namely, a generalization, specification, and generalization].

And Rabbi Yosei bar Rabbi Yehuda expounds

the verses by means of

inclusions and exclusions.

That is to say:

Rabbi expounds by means of a generalization and specification,

as it is stated in the passage concerning the menorah:

“And you shall make a menorah” is a generalization,

which implies that it may be made from anything;

“pure gold” is a specification. “The menorah shall be made of hammered work” again generalizes,

as “shall be made” implies that it may be made from any material.

And the method of derivation through

a generalization, specification, and generalization

is:

You may infer only something similar to the specification. Just as the specification

is pure gold,

explicitly

a material

of metal, so too,

everything derived from the generalization must be similar to the specification,

of metal!

Therefore Rabbi disqualifies one made of wood.

And Rabbi Yosei bar Rabbi Yehuda expounds through inclusions and exclusions:

“And you shall make a menorah” includes; “pure gold” excludes; “the menorah shall be made of hammered work” again includes!

And since it is

an inclusion, exclusion, and inclusion—

it includes everything,

and excludes only one thing.

The Gemara explains:

And what does it include? It includes every material,

even wood.

And what

does it exclude? It

excludes

a vessel

of earthenware,

which is inferior to all vessels and is not fit even for an earthly king.

Rav Pappa said to Rav Yosef:

On the contrary, erase

your version in favor of mine,

for one could say that the dispute between the tanna’im in the beraita concerning wood applies specifically to the other sacred vessels; but with regard to the menorah, where gold is explicitly mentioned, everyone agrees that wood is not included. 9 .

Rav Yosef said to him:

It cannot enter your mind

that Rabbi Yosei bar Rabbi Yehuda disqualifies a wooden menorah.

As it was taught

explicitly with regard to the menorah:

If he has no gold

for the menorah,

he brings one made of silver, copper, iron, tin, or lead.

Rabbi Yosei bar Rabbi Yehuda deems one made even of wood fit!

And it was taught in another beraita: A person may not make

a house

in

the pattern

of

the Sanctuary

such that it is identical to the Sanctuary in all its length, width, and height 12 .

And likewise, he may not make

a portico,

a structure with only three walls and an open fourth side,

corresponding to [

in its dimensions]

the Hall 13 .

And likewise, he may not make

a courtyard corresponding to [

in the dimensions of] the

Temple Courtyard.

And he may not make

a table corresponding to

the form of the

table

that was in the Temple. And likewise, he may not make

a menorah corresponding to

the form of a

menorah!

But he may make

a menorah

of five, six, or eight

branches, since these do not resemble the menorah of the Temple, which had seven branches. When it does not resemble the Temple menorah, the Torah did not prohibit it. But a menorah

of seven

branches, like the menorah in the Temple,

he may not make, even from other types of metal,

as well, because a metal menorah is fit to be kindled in the Temple.

Rabbi Yosei bar Rabbi Yehuda says: One may not make even a wooden menorah,

for it would be

like the one made by the Hasmonean kings

in the Temple, after they prevailed over the Greeks and purified the Temple, when they were poor and could not make it of gold.

They said to him,

to Rabbi Yosei bar Rabbi Yehuda:

From that

do you wish to bring a

proof

to permit a wooden menorah?

They were iron spits [

without cups, knobs, and flowers]

and they covered them with tin,

and this was the menorah! You cannot bring proof from this to permit a wooden menorah.

And after

they became wealthier, they made them of silver.

They again became wealthier,

even

and made them of gold!

In any event, we have learned from this beraita that Rabbi Yosei bar Rabbi Yehuda deems a wooden menorah fit, in accordance with Rav Yosef and not in accordance with Rav Pappa.

Shmuel said in the name of an elder,

an old sage:

The height of the menorah

was

eighteen handbreadths. 17 .

And this is the division of the height of the menorah:

A.

The feet

below formed the base of the menorah,

and

upon them was a

flower,

like a design engraved by goldsmiths; the combined height of the two was

three handbreadths.

B. Above them, on the central shaft, called the body of the menorah, there were

two handbreadths

of

smooth

surface, without any design, making five handbreadths.

C.

And one handbreadth, in which

on one side of the menorah there was a

cup,

on its second side a

knob,

and on its third side a

flower. [

This was one of the cups, knobs, and flowers that were on the body of the menorah], making six handbreadths.

D.

And two handbreadths of smooth

surface above them, making eight handbreadths.

E.

And one handbreadth

in which there was a

knob, from which the two branches

that were longer

emerged. One extended in this direction

to one side,

and one in that direction

to the other side.

And the two branches extended

and

rose

until

opposite the height

of the

menorah [

which is the height of the central shaft, called the body of the menorah].

F.

And one handbreadth of smooth

surface above it, making ten handbreadths.

G.

And one handbreadth with a knob, from which the two branches

of medium length

emerged, one in this direction and one in that direction, and extended and rose

until

opposite the height of the menorah.

H.

And one handbreadth of smooth

surface above it, making twelve handbreadths.

I.

And one handbreadth with a knob, from which the two branches

of shorter length

emerged, one in this direction and one in that direction, and extended and rose opposite the height of the menorah.

J.

And two handbreadths of smooth surface above it,

making fifteen handbreadths.

K.

There remained there three handbreadths in which

there were

three cups, a knob, and a flower.

This made eighteen handbreadths. [It follows that on the body of the central shaft there were four cups, two knobs, and two flowers, in addition to the flower at the base of the menorah and the three knobs from which the six branches emerged. The Gemara will explain below the source for this].

And we explain:

And the cups

of the menorah

what were they like? Like Alexandrian cups,

which were made in Alexandria and were long and narrow.

What were the knobs like? Like Cretan apples,

like the apples of the place called Crete. [Some versions read: the apples of Berytus].

What were the flowers like? Like the flowers of columns.

Just as designs are painted on columns, so the goldsmiths engraved them on the menorah.

And the Gemara concludes:

And there were found

on the menorah

twenty-two cups, eleven knobs, and nine flowers!

The cups are indispensable to one another.

If one cup is missing, it renders all of them indispensable, as though no cups had been made at all. And likewise,

the knobs are indispensable to one another, and the flowers are indispensable to one another.

And likewise,

the cups, knobs, and flowers are indispensable to one

another.

If one of them is missing, it renders all of them indispensable. 18 .

The Gemara raises a difficulty:

Granted, the twenty-two cups

we find a source for them, as it is written in the verse:

“And on the menorah were four cups

shaped like almonds.” It is clear that there were four cups on the body of the menorah.

And it is written in another verse:

“Three cups shaped like almonds on one branch, with a knob and a flower,”

and this applies to the six branches that emerge from the menorah.