Mishnayos Menachos Perek 11 Mishnah 5
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מנחות פרק י"א משנה ה׳
5
As for the Table, its length is ten handbreadths and its width is five handbreadths, as the Torah states that the Table is two cubits long and one cubit wide (see Exodus 25:23), and Rabbi Yehuda holds that the cubit used as the unit of measurement for the construction of the Temple vessels was equal to five handbreadths. With regard to the shewbread, its length is ten handbreadths and its width is five handbreadths. The priest places the length of the two shewbread arrangements across the width of the Table, which leaves five handbreadths of each loaf protruding from the Table. And he folds the protruding two and a half handbreadths upward on this side of the Table, and the protruding two and a half handbreadths upward on that side of the Table. One finds, therefore, that the length of the shewbread covers the width of the Table. Similarly, since the width of each loaf is five handbreadths, the width of the two loaves filled the entire length of the Table. This is the statement of Rabbi Yehuda. Rabbi Meir says: With regard to the Table, its length is twelve handbreadths and its width is six handbreadths, as the measure of a cubit used in the construction of the Temple vessels was equal to six handbreadths. Concerning the shewbread, its length is ten handbreadths and its width is five handbreadths. Rabbi Meir continues: The priest places the length of the shewbread across the width of the Table, which leaves four handbreadths of each loaf protruding from the Table. He folds the protruding two handbreadths upward on this side of the Table, and the protruding two handbreadths upward on that side of the Table. The width of the two arrangements of shewbread occupies only ten of the twelve handbreadths of the length of the Table, and this leaves a space of two handbreadths in the middle, between the two arrangements, so that the wind will blow between them and prevent the loaves from becoming moldy. Abba Shaul says: There, in the space between the two arrangements, the priests would place the two bowls of frankincense that accompany the shewbread. The Sages said to him: But isn’t it already stated: “And you shall place pure frankincense upon [al] each arrangement, that it may be for the bread as a memorial part, an offering made by fire to the Lord” (Leviticus 24:7)? The verse indicates that the frankincense is placed upon the shewbread and not next to it. Abba Shaul said to the Sages in response: Isn’t it already stated: “And next to him [alav] shall be the tribe of Manasseh” (Numbers 2:20)? Just as the preposition “alav” in this verse means that the tribe of Manasseh pitched camp next to the tribe of Ephraim and not upon it, so too, the preposition “al” means that the frankincense was placed next to the arrangements of the shewbread.
הַשֻּׁלְחָן, אָרְכּוֹ עֲשָׂרָה, וְרָחְבּוֹ חֲמִשָּׁה. לֶחֶם הַפָּנִים, אָרְכָּן עֲשָׂרָה וְרָחְבָּן חֲמִשָּׁה. נוֹתֵן אָרְכּוֹ כְּנֶגֶד רָחְבּוֹ שֶׁל שֻׁלְחָן, וְכוֹפֵל טְפָחַיִם וּמֶחֱצָה מִכָּאן וּטְפָחַיִם וּמֶחֱצָה מִכָּאן, נִמְצָא אָרְכּוֹ מְמַלֵּא כָּל רָחְבּוֹ שֶׁל שֻׁלְחָן, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוּדָה. רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר, הַשֻּׁלְחָן אָרְכּוֹ שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר וְרָחְבּוֹ שִׁשָּׁה. לֶחֶם הַפָּנִים אָרְכּוֹ עֲשָׂרָה וְרָחְבּוֹ חֲמִשָּׁה. נוֹתֵן אָרְכּוֹ כְּנֶגֶד רָחְבּוֹ שֶׁל שֻׁלְחָן, וְכוֹפֵל טְפָחַיִם מִכָּאן וּטְפָחַיִם מִכָּאן וּטְפָחַיִם רֶוַח בָּאֶמְצָע, כְּדֵי שֶׁתְּהֵא הָרוּחַ מְנַשֶּׁבֶת בֵּינֵיהֶן. אַבָּא שָׁאוּל אוֹמֵר, שָׁם הָיוּ נוֹתְנִין שְׁנֵי בְזִיכֵי לְבוֹנָה שֶׁל לֶחֶם הַפָּנִים. אָמְרוּ לוֹ, וַהֲלֹא כְבָר נֶאֱמַר (ויקרא כד), וְנָתַתָּ עַל הַמַּעֲרֶכֶת לְבֹנָה זַכָּה. אָמַר לָהֶן, וַהֲלֹא כְבָר נֶאֱמַר (במדבר ב), וְעָלָיו מַטֵּה מְנַשֶּׁה:
ה׳
Bartenura
ארכו עשרה ורחבו חמשה. כדכתיב (שמות כ״ח:ט״ז) אמתים ארכו ואמה רחבו. ר׳ יהודה לטעמיה דאמר של כלים בת חמשה טפחים היא:
נותן ארכו. של לחם הפנים כנגד רחבו של שלחן:
וכופל. הלחם, טפחיים ומחצה למעלה בגובה מכאן ומכאן. והן הן הקרנות. ונמצאו זקופות בשוה לשפת השלחן:
ונמצא ארכו ממלא רחבו של שלחן. ורחבו מחזיק חצי אורך של שלחן, וכשהיה מסדר אחר אצלו נמצא שלחן כולו מלא:
ארכו שנים עשר. ר׳ מאיר לטעמיה דאמר כל אמה בת ששה טפחים, חוץ ממזבח הזהב וקרן מזבח החיצון והסובב והיסוד. והלכה כר׳ מאיר:
לחם הפנים ארכו עשרה. בהא מודה רבי מאיר:
וטפחיים ריוח באמצע. בין שני הסדרים. דרוחב הלחם לא הוי אלא חמשה, שני הסדרים מחזיקין עשרה בשלחן לארכו, פשו להו טפחיים ריוח בין סדר לסדר, שתהא רוח מנשבת בהם שלא יתעפשו:
אבא שאול אומר שם. באותו ריוח שבין סדר לסדר נותנים הבזיכים:
והלא כבר נאמר ונתת על המערכת. ועל, ממש משמע:
ועליו מטה מנשה. והיינו סמוך, הכא נמי על סמוך. והלכה כאבא שאול:
ארכו עשרה ורחבו חמשה – as it is written (Exodus 25:23): “[You shall make a table of acacia wood.] two cubits long, one cubit wide.” Rabbi Yehuda according to his reasoning that he stated of utensils that are five handbreadths [in width] (see also Tractate Kelim, Chapter 17, Mishnah 10).
נותן ארכו (one sets it lengthwise against the breadth of the table) – of the showbread corresponding to the width of the table.
וכופל – the bread, two-and-one-half handbreadths above at its height from here and there, and they are its horns/corners. But they were found equally bent at the rim of the table.
ונמצא ארכו ממלא רחבו של השלחן – and its width holds/contains half of the length of the table, and when he would set up another near it, it is found that the entire table is full.
ארכו שנים עשר – Rabbi Meir, according to his reasoning who stated that each cubit is six handbreadths, except for the Golden Altar and the horn of the outer altar and the gallery around the altar for the priest to walk on and the base of the altar. And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Meir.
לחם הפנים ארכו עשרה – in this Rabbi Meir agrees (see Tractate Menahot, Chapter 11, Mishnah 4).
וטפחיים ריוח באמצע – between the two rows [of bread in the center]. For the width of the bread is not other than five [handbreadths], the two rows [of bread] sustain the ten handbreadths of the table to its length, subtract the two handbreadths of space between each row [of bread], so that the wind blows on them so that they don’t grow moldy.
אבא שאול אומר שם – in that space between each row/pile they place the dishes/vessels.
והלא כבר נאמר ונתת על המערכת – and on, actually by implication.
ועליו מטה מנשה – and that is near to it. Here also on nearby. And the Halakha is according to Abba Shaul.