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Menachos 1:3-4

Menachos 1:3

If the kohein added too much or too little oil or frankincense to the handful, it is invalid. If he takes the handful intending to eat the rest of the offering or an olive-sized portion of it outside the Temple courtyard, to burn the handful or an olive-sized portion of it outside, or to burn the frankincense outside, it is invalid but one does not incur kareis (spiritual excision). If one takes the handful intending to eat the remainder or an olive-sized portion of it the next day, to burn the handful or an olive-sized portion of it the next day, or to burn the frankincense the next day, it is piggul (detestable) and one does incur kareis. The general rule is that if one removes the handful, puts it in a vessel, carries it to the altar, or burns it intending to eat an olive-sized portion of that which is normally eaten or to burn an olive-sized portion of that which is normally burned outside the proper place, the offering is invalid but one does not incur kareis; after the proper time, it is piggul and one incurs kareis. This assumes that that which renders the sacrifice permissible (called the matir, in this case the fistful) is offered according to halacha. The matir is offered according to halacha as follows: if the kohein took the handful in silence (i.e., without improper intention) and put it in a vessel, carried it or burned it intending after the proper time, or if he took the handful intending after the proper time and put it in a vessel, carried it or burned it in silence, or if he took the handful, put it in a vessel, carried it and burned it intending after the proper time, this is considered offering the matir according to halacha.

Menachos 1:4

Offering the matir not according to halacha is if the kohein took the handful intending outside the proper place and put it in a vessel, carried it or burned intending after the proper time, or if he took the handful intending after the proper time and received, carried or burned it intending outside the proper place, or if he took the handful, received, carried and burned intending outside the proper time. If he took the handful of a sinner’s flour offering or the flour offering of jealousy (i.e., the sotah) under the wrong name and received, carried or burned them intending after the proper time, or if he took the handful from them intending after the proper time and received, carried or burned under the wrong name, or if he took the handful, received, carried and burned under the wrong name, it is considered offering the matir not according to halacha. If he intended to eat an olive-sized portion outside the proper place and an olive-sized portion the next day, or an olive-sized portion the next day and an olive-sized portion outside the proper place, or half an olive-sized portion outside the proper place and half an olive-sized portion the next day, or half an olive-sized portion the next day and half an olive-sized portion outside the proper place, the offering is unfit but one does not incur kareis. Rabbi Yehuda said that the general rule is that when improper intentions regarding time precede improper intentions regarding place, the offering is piggul and one incurs kareis; if the improper intentions regarding place precede improper intentions regarding time, it is invalid but does not incur kareis. The Sages, however, say that in either case the offering is invalid but one does not incur kareis. If the kohein intended to eat half an olive-sized portion improperly and to burn half an olive-sized portion improperly, the offering remains valid because eating and burning do not combine.

Author: Rabbi Jack Abramowitz