Menachot 99a — the Talmud in English

A. In the Mishna below, on 99b, it is explained that two kohanim would arrange the bread of the Presence—one arrangement for each kohen—and two kohanim on the other side of the table would remove the bread from the table, and their actions would be simultaneous: these would pull, and those would arrange.

B. Since they would arrange and remove simultaneously, they necessarily had to walk one beside the other; and it follows that the width of the place where they walked occupied two and a half cubits, which is the space needed for two people walking side by side.

Granted, according to the one who says: north and south

the tables were placed—

it is well:

there was room in the northern half of the Sanctuary—which was ten cubits in width, from north to south—for the length of five tables from north to south; as was explained.

But according to the one who says: east and west

they were placed, the difficulty is: after all, there was no room in the width of the northern part of the Sanctuary—which was the place where the tables stood, in fulfillment of “and the table you shall place on the northern side,” and its entire width was only ten cubits—for the entire width of the tables and the passageways between them, because

granted: the table

[the five tables adjacent to the northern wall]

how far extended

was it

from the northern wall

to the north

two and a half cubits,

the space needed for two people to walk—

And

add further to the width of the Sanctuary

its own cubit,

the cubit of width of the northern tables themselves—

and

add further

two and a half cubits between them

[between the northern row and Moses’ table, which was in the middle], the space needed for two people to walk—

and

add further

its own cubit

[the cubit of width of Moses’ table]—

and

add further

two and a half cubits between them

[between Moses’ table and the southern row]—

and

add further

its own cubit

of the width of the southern tables— Behold, you have a width of ten and a half cubits, which you are supposed to fit within a width of only ten cubits; and behold,

it is found that the table consumes

[occupied the width of all the tables]

half a cubit in the south

[an additional half-cubit from the southern half of the Sanctuary], whereas the Torah said: “and the table you shall place on the northern side”!?

And we answer:

Do you think that Moses’ table sat alongside them

[and do you think that Moses’ table was aligned with the tables on its sides], so that you need to add a passageway between his table and those beside it, as well as its own width!?

No,

that was not the case; rather:

they raised it and placed it

Moses’ table,

and lowered them

the additional tables

a little

[Moses’ table was higher on the western side because the Temple was sloped], and the others were somewhat lower than it; and the additional tables, in relation to Moses’ table, were

like a student sitting

somewhat lower

before his teacher

who was sitting higher than he—

That is to say, all of Moses’ table extended toward the west from the additional tables, and it stood opposite the passageway between the northern and southern tables. It follows that it was necessary to provide only one passageway of two and a half cubits between the northern and southern tables; and altogether, the width occupied by the tables together with the passageways was only seven cubits.

The Sages taught:

Ten tables,

in addition to Moses’ table,

Solomon made, but they did not arrange

the bread of the Presence

except on Moses’ table—

As it is stated

[I Kings 7]: “And Solomon made all the vessels

and the table upon which was the bread of the Presence—

gold,”

and it implies that the bread of the Presence was only on one particular table.

Ten menorahs,

in addition to Moses’

Solomon made, but they would light only on Moses’—

As it is stated

[II Chronicles 13]: “And they burn burnt offerings to the Lord morning by morning and evening by evening, and incense of spices, and an arrangement of bread on the pure table,

and the golden menorah and its lamps, to burn in the evening

in the evening”; thus, there was one particular golden menorah on which to light.

Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua says: They would arrange on all of them

sometimes on this one and sometimes on that one,

as it is stated

[II Chronicles 4]: “And Solomon made all the vessels

and the tables, and upon them the bread of the Presence”;

thus, they would arrange it on several tables.

And they would light on all of them, as it is stated

[in the adjacent verse]: “

and the menorahs and their lamps, to burn them according to the ordinance before the inner sanctuary—

pure gold.”

Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Judah, says: They would arrange only on Moses’ table; rather, how do I realize “

and the tables, and upon them the bread of the Presence,”

these are the three tables that were in the Sanctuary?

That is to say, that same bread of the Presence was arranged on three tables. How so?

Two—

others, which were not included among the ten tables—

which were in the Hall

[before the Sanctuary],

inside, by the entrance of the House

[near the entrance of the Sanctuary]:

A table

one

was

of silver,

[that is, of marble that was white like silver],

and

a table

one

was

of gold, on which they placed the bread during its arranging and removal. How so?

On

On

the table

of silver

he would

place

the

bread of the Presence upon its entrance,

as the kohanim entered the Sanctuary to arrange the bread on the table in the Sanctuary, they would place the bread there so that it could rest.

And on

the table

of gold

he would place the bread

upon its exit,

as it exited from the Sanctuary when he removed the bread from the table; and the bread would remain there until the bowls were burned.

For one ascends in holiness and does not descend,

and therefore, upon entering, they would place it on the marble table, and then ascend in holiness and place it on the table in the Sanctuary, which was of gold; whereas upon exiting, he would place it on a golden table, so as not to lower it from the golden table in the Sanctuary.

And further,

one of gold

was

inside,

in the Sanctuary, and that was Moses’ table,

upon which the bread of the Presence was always.

And concerning these three tables the verse says: “and the tables, and upon them the bread of the Presence.”

And from where do we know that one does not lower

in holiness?

He said—

Rabbi explained—

Rabbi:

because of

as the verse says

[Exodus 40:18]: “

And Moses raised up the Tabernacle, and placed its sockets, and set up its boards, and placed its bars, and raised up its pillars.”

And from where do we know that one ascends

in holiness?

He said—

Rabbi explained—

Rabbi Aha bar Yaakov:

Because

as the verse says concerning Korah’s dispute, when two hundred and fifty men offered incense in firepans, and a fire went forth from the Lord and consumed them, and the Holy One, blessed is He, said to Moses [Numbers 17:2]:

“Say to Eleazar son of Aaron the kohen, and let him raise up the firepans from among the burning, and scatter the fire farther away [remove the fire from the firepans], for they have become holy [the firepans are forbidden for benefit, since they made them service vessels].

The firepans of these sinners against their souls, and make them beaten plates as a covering for the altar, for they brought them before the Lord

and they became holy, and they shall be a sign for the children of Israel”—

It follows that

Thus,

at first

the firepans were

accessories of the altar, and now the body of the altar,

in order to raise their holiness.

It is written [Deuteronomy 10]: “Carve for yourself two tablets of stone like the first ones, and ascend to Me to the mountain, and make for yourself a wooden Ark. And I shall write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets,

which you broke, and you shall place them in the Ark”;

Rav Yosef taught:

This teaches that the tablets and

also

the fragments of the tablets were placed in the Ark,

as is implied by the wording of the verse, “which you broke, and you shall place them in the Ark.”

From here: concerning a Torah scholar who forgot his learning because of circumstances beyond his control, one does not treat him with disgrace.

A mnemonic for the following statements of Reish Lakish: A.

He nullified;

B.

He decayed;

C.

and forgot.

and he forgot.