Playback speed

Menachos 4:3-4

Menachos 4:3

The bull, rams, lambs and goat brought on Shavuos do not preclude the two loaves, nor do the loaves preclude them. Rabbi Akiva says that the loaves preclude the lambs but the lambs do not preclude the loaves. Shimon ben Nanas disagrees, saying that the lambs preclude the loaves but the loaves do not preclude the lambs; the Jews offered the lambs without the loaves during the 40 years in the wilderness so there’s precedent to bring the lambs without the loaves. Rabbi Shimon said that the halacha follows ben Nanas but not for the reason he said because sacrifices mentioned in the Numbers were offered in the wilderness but sacrifices mentioned in Leviticus weren't offered in the wilderness. Rather, these sacrifices were only brought after the Jews entered Israel. The actual reason we can offer the lambs without the loaves according to Rabbi Shimon is because the lambs render themselves fit without the loaves (i.e., by burning their fats) while the loaves have nothing to render them fit except for the lambs.

Menachos 4:4

Daily offerings do not preclude musaf offerings, nor do musaf offerings preclude daily offerings, nor do musaf offerings preclude one another. If they didn’t offer the daily lamb of the morning, they should still offer the daily lamb of the afternoon. Rabbi Shimon said that this applies when neglecting the morning sacrifice was unavoidable or an error but if they intentionally didn’t offer the lamb in the morning, then they may not offer the lamb of the afternoon. Similarly, if they didn’t burn the incense in the morning, they should still burn the incense of the afternoon. Rabbi Shimon said that all the incense was offered in the afternoon (including that which was neglected in the morning). The reason underlying the difference in halacha between sacrifices and incense is that the golden altar was dedicated by the incense of the afternoon, while the altar for burnt offerings was dedicated by the daily offering of the morning. The Table was dedicated by the showbread on Shabbos and the Menorah was dedicated by lighting its seven lamps in the evening.

Author: Rabbi Jack Abramowitz