מנחות ג׳:ד׳ - ג׳:ה׳

כמדת ר' אליעזר כשרה – on the knowledge of Rabbi Eliezer who stated in the chapter [seven of Tractate Pesahim 77a] “How do they roast [the Passover offering],” the blood even though there is no flesh/meat, that is so [regarding] the handful of meal-offering , even though there is no residue/remnant, it is appropriate/kosher to offer up the handful of meal-offering as incense.

כמדת ר' יהושע – who stated that if there is no flesh, there is no blood, that is so [regarding the meal-offering] that it is also invalidated to offer up the handful of the meal-offering. And this is where there did not remain anything from the residue/remnants that was not defiled. And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yehoshua.

שלא בכלי שרת – for the handful of meal-offering was not sanctified in a sacred vessel. But at the beginning of the meal-offering no one disagrees that it requires a utensil, as we stated in the chapter [eleven of Tractate Menahot, Mishnah 4] “The Two Loaves.”

ורבי שמעון מכשיר – the reason of Rabbi Shimon is explained in the Gemara (Tractate Menahot 26a), because it states in Scripture (Leviticus 6:10): “it is most holy, like the purification offering and the reparation offering,” and since the All-Merciful made an analogy [between] the meal-offering to the sin-offering in his (i.e., the Kohen’s) service with a gift with his actual finger, we learn from it that the taking of a handful of the meal-offering also, if he wanted, he performs it with his hand without a utensil. And as long as he performs the service with his right hand, similar to the sin-offering where it is stated in regard to it, “finger,” as it is written concerning it (Leviticus 4:25): “The priest shall take with his finger some of the blood of the purification (i.e., sin) offering [and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering],” and every place where it states “finger” and “priesthood” is not other than with the right-hand. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Shimon.

הקטיר קומצה פעמים – half of a handful of meal-offering at one time, and half of the handful of the meal-offering at another time. And specifically, that [the Mishnah] used the term “twice,” and not more/further, for no handful of meal-offering can be less than two olives’ bulk and when he disputes the two “occasions” , it is found that the offering up as incense is not less than an olive’s bulk, and therefore it is kosher/appropriate, but if he had divided it into three or four times that he would have made the burning on the altar with less than an olive’s bulk, it would be invalid.

מיעוטו מעכב את רובו – that if it was missing even a little bit, it is invalid, as the All-Merciful states (Leviticus 2:2 and 5:12): “[and present it to Aaron’s sons, the priests. The priest shall scoop out of it] a handful of its choice flour and oil.”

העשרון – a meal-offering that is less than an Issaron (i.e., one-tenth of an Ephah), even a bit, is invalid.

היין – half of a Hin (a Hin is 12 LOGS or 72 eggs’ volume) for a bull, and one-third of a Hin for a ram, and a fourth of a Hin for a lamb. And similarly, the oil, whether for the meal-offering libations which is like the measurement for the wine, whether for a meal-offering of a free-will offering which is one LOG of oil.

הסולת והשמן – of the meal-offering

מעכבים זה את זה – as it is written (Leviticus 2:16): “[And the priest shall turn a token portion of it into smoke:] some of the grits and oil, [with all of the frankincense, as a gift to the LORD].”

הקומץ והלבונה מעכבים זה את זה – as it is written (Leviticus 6:8): “A handful of the choice flour and the oil of the grain-offering shall be taken from it, with all the frankincense that is on the grain offering, [and this token portion shall be turned into smoke on the altar as a pleasing odor to the LORD].”