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Menahot 75

Today’s daf asks a surprising question: when do you say Shehecheyanu over a meal offering? – meaning an offering that wold be offered every day? Would it be when a person brings it for the first time? One opinion suggests it’s said when a kohen/priest performs this service for the first time—or even the firstContinue reading “Menahot 75”

Menachot 74

Today we get a new Mishna that asks: Who has the greater power? The Altar of the Priest? MISHNA: The meal offering of priests, the meal offering of the anointed priest, i.e., the High Priest, and the meal offering brought with libations that accompany burnt offerings and peace offerings are burned in their entirety onContinue reading “Menachot 74”

Menachot 73

Today’s gem is the assumed intention of the non-Jew who wants to bring a sacrifice. Peace offerings volunteered by gentiles are sacrificed as burnt offerings, which are burned completely upon the altar. With regard to the source for this halakha, if you wish, cite a verse; and if you wish, propose a logical argument. IfContinue reading “Menachot 73”

Menachot 72

In her book, Daring Greatly, Brene Brown teaches, “Perfection is the enemy of done. Good enough is really effin’ good.” That’s the gem for our daf today. While discussing bringing the omer offering (a daily offering brought between Passover and Shavuot), we learn that there is the perfect – and there’s the good enough. SinceContinue reading “Menachot 72”

Menachot 71

The Shema consists of three paragraphs: Deuteronomy 6:4–9, Deuteronomy 11:13–21, and Numbers 15:37–41. But, if you ask your average Reform Jew, we would only say one line, “”Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one” (Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad). The rest we call the “v’ahavta” prayer. Today’s daf makes meContinue reading “Menachot 71”

Menachot 70

Do you eat rice on Passover? Growing up, I was not allowed, but the rabbis on the daf seem to make it clear that rice does not count as Chametz (items with leaven)! While discussing which grains require separating challah (not the loaf, challah actually refers to a percentage of dough/bread taken from your dough/breadContinue reading “Menachot 70”

Menachot 69

When my son was a teething toddler, he had a spot of hot pink in his poop. I freaked out thinking he must have some weird disease. I called to my husband who came in, took one look, and said – it’s part of the play matt, he must have bitten some off. In andContinue reading “Menachot 69”

Menachot 67

Today’s gem is just to be hopeful. To never give up hope, to expect the best to happen. It reminds me of how Miriam has her timbrel ready to go when the Jews escaped Egypt. The Gemara questions the claim that the purpose of waiting until the sacrifice of the omer is only in orderContinue reading “Menachot 67”

Menachot 66

We are told to count 7 weeks of 7 days, to count 50 days from Passover to the holiday of Shavuot. Much of our day today deals with the apparent contradiction of why we need to count both days and weeks, and how to make that 7×7=50 (You count 7×7 then the next day isContinue reading “Menachot 66”

Menachot 65

Mordekhai, along with his niece Esther, are the heroes of the Purim story. They lived in Persia (today’s Iran) and saved the diaspora Jewish community there. Mordekhai is also the star of the end of yesterday, the the beginning of today’s, daf. The passages are long and I will paste below, but here is theContinue reading “Menachot 65”