Midrasch zu Schemot 29:2

"soleth" (fine flour): Just as soleth elsewhere (Shemoth 29:2) is of wheat, so, here.

5) "a tenth of an ephah": one-tenth of three sa'in, which is seven revi'in and an addition. "soleth": Just as soleth stated there (Exodus 29:2) is of wheat, so soleth stated here is of wheat. "for a sin-offering": Its monies must be designated as being for a sin-offering. "he may not place oil upon it": But he may place (oil) upon what remains (of the minchah offering). "he shall not put frankincense upon it": I might think that if he did place frankincense upon it, it becomes unfit; it is, therefore, written: "for it is a sin-offering" (and just as a beast sin-offering is not invalidated by frankincense, this bird sin-offering is, likewise, not invalidated by frankincense. Or, (I might think): "it is a sin-offering" — Even if he placed oil upon it, it is kasher; it is, therefore, (to negate this) written: "it" (with frankincense, is a sin-offering — but not with oil). And why do you see fit to permit it with frankincense and to invalidate it with oil? After Scripture includes, it excludes. Why do I permit it with frankincense? Because it can be picked off — and I invalidate it with oil, because it cannot be picked off.

5) "meal" (soleth): Just as the soleth mentioned elsewhere (Shemoth 29:2) is wheat, so the soleth mentioned here is wheat. "a meal-offering": like all meal-offerings, requiring a fistful. "perpetual": even in a state of tumah, even on the Sabbath.

(Exod. 29:1:) AND THIS IS THE THING WHICH YOU SHALL DO TO THEM…: TAKE A YOUNG BULL OF THE HERD, <acquired> through purchase and not from plunder.⁴⁵Cf. PRK 27:6, which applies the same caution to procuring a lulav. (Ibid., cont.:) AND TWO RAMS <WITHOUT BLEMISH>, a ram on either side and the bull in the middle. Why three < animals >? To correspond to the three glories of the world (i.e., the patriarchs). The bull corresponds to Abraham (in Gen. 18:7): THEN ABRAHAM RAN UNTO THE HERD. (Exod. 29:1): AND TWO RAMS [WITHOUT BLEMISH]. <These> [correspond to] Isaac and Jacob. (Ibid., cont.:) ALSO UNLEAVENED BREAD. By their merit I will bless their bread. R. Hiyya bar Abba said: When the offerings used to be brought, an Arbelian se'ah <of wheat> produced a se'ah of fine flour, a se'ah of regular flour, a se'ah of coarser meal,⁴⁶Lat.: cibarium. a se'ah of coarse bran, <and> a se'ah of variegated flour; but now one brings a se'ah of wheat to grind and only takes away as much as he brought plus a little extra.⁴⁷yPe’ah 7:4 (20a); ySot. 1:8 (17b); 9:14 (24b). Why? Because the shewbread has ceased. See how the offerings which were offered upon the altar were beneficial for them! For whatever was offered from a species blessed that species. R. Hiyya bar Abba said: Even the establishment of an altar was done only for the atonement of Israel. Why was it named an altar (MZBH)? M, because it pardons (mohel) the sins of Israel; Z, because it is a good memorial (zikkaron) for Israel; B, because it is a blessing (berekhah) for Israel; <and> H, because it is life (hayyim) for Israel. The unleavened bread and the shewbread blessed the bread, and the first fruits blessed the fruit of the tree. <There is> a story about R. Johanan ben Eleazar, who dwelt under a fig tree; and the fig tree was full of beautiful figs. A dew came down and the figs absorbed honey. The wind kneaded them with the dust. A certain goat came and dripped milk in the honey. Then he called his students and said to them: Come and see an example⁴⁸Gk.: deigma. resembling the world to come. And why all this? Because the offerings were brought <to the altar>. <There is> a story about a certain scribe, who went up to Jerusalem each and every year. Now the people of Jerusalem knew him to be mighty in the Torah. They said to him: Take fifty gold coins each and every year and dwell with us. He said to them: I have one vine which is for me the most beautiful of them all, and it bears me three crops⁴⁹Gk: diphoros (“bearing fruit twice in the year”). in each year. So it bears six hundred barrels in each year. The first bears three hundred; the second, two hundred; and the third, one hundred. So I sell them at a very dear price, but all this gain is <attributable> to Jerusalem, on account of the libation of wine which they offer. When they abrogated it, all these good things were withheld. So you find that, when Israel was exiled to Babylon, Ezra said to them: Go up to the land of Israel. But they were unwilling. The Holy One said: When you offered the shewbread, you sowed little and brought in much. Now, however, (as in Hag. 1:6) YOU HAVE SOWN MUCH AND BROUGHT IN LITTLE; YOU EAT WITHOUT HAVING ENOUGH.⁵⁰Below, Tanh. (Buber), Lev. 7:7. (Ibid., cont.:) YOU DRINK WITHOUT HAVING ENOUGH, ever since the libation of wine has ceased,⁵¹So Tanh., Exod.8:13. The Buber text writes the verb with an added Y and would be translated: “Ever since he has abrogated libation of wine.” (Ibid., cont.:) YOU HAVE PUT ON CLOTHES, WITHOUT BEING WARM, ever since they abrogated the vestments of priesthood. The prophet has said (in Hab. 3:17): FOR THE FIG TREE SHALL NOT BLOSSOM, ever since they abrogated the first fruits. (Ibid., cont.:) THERE IS NO YIELD ON THE VINES, ever since they abrogated the drink offerings. (Ibid., cont.:) THE WORK OF THE OLIVE HAS FAILED, ever since they abrogated the oil of olives for the light. (Ibid., cont.:) AND FIELDS OF GRAIN PRODUCE NO FOOD. What is the meaning of AND FIELDS OF GRAIN (WShDMWT)? AND FIELDS OF CATTLE (WShDY BHMWT). <Therefore, THE FIELDS PRODUCE NO CATTLE >, ever since they abrogated the < commandments pertaining to> firstlings. (Ibid., cont.:) THE FLOCK HAS BEEN CUT OFF FROM THE FOLD, ever since they have abrogated the daily sacrifices. (Ibid., cont.:) THERE IS NO HERD IN THE STALLS, ever since they abrogated the bulls <which they offered>.⁵²The bracketed words are from Tanh., Exod. 8:13. R. Simeon ben Gamaliel said (in Sot. 9:12): SINCE THE DAY THAT THE TEMPLE WAS DESTROYED THERE HAS BEEN NO DAY IN WHICH THERE WAS NO CURSE. It is so stated (in Ps. 7:12 [11]): AND GOD IS ANGRY EVERY DAY. In the world to come, however, the Holy One will restore the blessings which <the land> had acquired, as stated (in Ezek. 36:8): BUT YOU, O MOUNTAINS OF ISRAEL, SHALL BRING FORTH YOUR BRANCHES AND RAISE UP YOUR FRUIT FOR MY PEOPLE ISRAEL, BECAUSE THEY ARE SOON TO COME.

11) (Vayikra 8:13): "And Moses drew near the sons of Aaron, and he clothed them with kutanoth.": Just as Moses was made an aid to Aaron, so he was made an aid to his sons. Just as he was appointed over the vestments of Aaron, so he was appointed over the vestments of his sons, as it is written (Shemoth 29:2): "and you shall make consecrated garments for Aaron your brother, for honor and for glory," and (Shemoth 29:8): "And his sons shall you draw near and dress them in kutanoth."

This is the thing that thou shalt do unto them (to hallow them … take one young bullock and two rams without blemish, and unleavened bread) (Exod. 29:1). You shall do it for them, but not for any others. For this tribe You shall do it, but not for any other tribe. To minister unto Me (ibid.). He began to teach them how they should purify themselves so that they might eat in holiness; how they should immerse themselves so that they might eat in levitical purity; and how they should sanctify themselves so that they might eat in cleanliness. And He prepared for him the rules for holiness and purity. To hallow them, to minister unto Me (ibid.). R. Mana BeRabbi¹²See above note 6. stated in the name of R. Eliezer: Each time Scripture says unto Me it means “forever and ever.” Take one young bullock (ibid.). This implies that it may not be a stolen one. And two rams without blemish. He arranged them in the form of a mound, with one ram placed on either side and with the bullock in the middle. Why did he use three? Because they corresponded to the three illustrious men of the world, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The bullock symbolized Abraham: And Abraham ran unto the herd (Gen. 18:7); and the two rams symbolized Isaac and Jacob. And unleavened bread. Because of the merit of unleavened bread, I shall bless the bread. R. Huna the son of Abba said:¹³In Buber Tanhuma, Tezaveh 10, and in other sources, this saying is attributed to R. Hiyya the son of Abba. At the time the offerings were (still) brought,¹⁴I.e., now that the Temple no longer exists. an Arbelite measure (of wheat) would produce a measure of fine flour, a measure of regular flour, a measured of crushed bran, a measure of coarse bran, a measure of coarser meal, and a measure of gennim, but now, when a man takes a measure of wheat to be ground, he brings back little more than he originally took. Why? Because the show-bread¹⁵Since the show-bread was not brought to the Temple, it could not be blessed by the priest. has been abolished.

(Bamidbar 28:5) "and a tenth of an ephah": one of ten in an ephah. "flour": of wheat. You say this, but perhaps it may be of barley, spelt, oats or shifon (a kind of spelt). It is, therefore, written (Shemot 29:2) "Of wheat flour shall you make them." Since "flours" are mentioned in the Torah unqualified, and in one instance it is specified that it must be wheat flour, so, all "flours" in the Torah are to be only of wheat. (Bamidbar 28:5) "for the meal-offering mixed with oil of crushing": to exclude (oil that is exuded from) what is cooked. This tells me only of (oil that is kasher for) meal-offerings. Whence do I derive (the same for) the menorah? It is written (in that regard) (Vayikra 24:2) "Command the children of Israel that they take to you clear oil of beaten olives" — to exclude what is cooked.