The Eddie B. Sit edition, an audio series of the Talmud Bavli, Masechet Menachot, Daf Kof Zayin. Today's daf is being studied l'iluy nishmat Avraham ben Esther and ve'Rabbi Moshe ben Luna. May their souls find rest in the Garden of Eden. Amen. We begin today's daf on Kof Vav, Amud Bet. We are starting from the mishna: Harei alai etzim. A person makes a neder: It is on me to bring etzim, wood. He wants to bring a korban of wood. What's the minimum he could bring? Lo yifhot mishnei gezirim. He cannot bring less than two pieces of wood, two big pieces, as explained by Rashi.
Then, the mishna continues with levona. If he says, Harei alai levona, he wants to bring frankincense. That's the whole korban; he wants to bring levona. Lo yifhot mi'kometz. He cannot bring less than a kometz worth. A kometz is like a handful. That's the minimum you can bring. There are five different cases regarding the law of kemitza. The one who says Harei alai levona cannot bring less than a kometz. If someone donates a mincha to the Beit Hamikdash, he must bring a kometz of levona with it. If someone takes a kometz of levona and brings it outside the azara, he is chayav, because you're not allowed to bring any korban outside the azara. All offerings must remain inside the azara, and if you bring it outside, it is termed chutz, incurring the most severe punishment of chayav karet.
The mishna continues: Shenei bezichin te'unin shenei kematzim. The two spoons on the shulchan also had levona in them, and you need to take a kemitza of levona from the spoons as well. Now, regarding the donation of gold to the Beit Hamikdash, Harei alai zahav. The minimum he must bring is one dinar of zahav. For silver, Kesef, he cannot bring less than a dinar of kesef. If he says he wants to donate copper, Nechoshet, the minimum he must bring is the value of a ma'ah kesef of copper. If he states, Perashti ve'eini yode'a mah perashti, he donated money to the Beit Hamikdash but does not remember how much, he must bring until he can say for certain that he did not have that much in mind. This means he must give a considerable amount until he can convince himself he is not wealthy enough to have intended such a sum.
The Gemara begins with Tanu rabbanan. The verse states, Ve'nefesh ki takriv korban mincha l'Hashem. This teaches us that one can bring etzim as a korban. When someone says he wants to bring wood to the Beit Hamikdash, he is indeed bringing wood as his korban. How much does he need to bring? Shenei gezirim. Furthermore, the verse B'goralot hipallnu al korban ha'etzim confirms that etzim itself can be a korban. Rabbi states that etzim are considered a korban and require melach to be placed upon them, as is customary with every korban. Additionally, they require hagasha, which is to be brought to the corner of the mizbe'ach, specifically to the southwestern corner, just like any other korban.
According to Rabbi, etzim must undergo kemitza. This means that the wood must be chopped into fine pieces, and a kemitza must be taken from the wood itself. Amar Rava states that according to Rabbi, etzim tzrichim etzim. The wood needs wood, meaning that when you bring a korban, it must be placed on other wood, similar to how an animal is placed on the wood of the mizbe'ach. Even though it is already wood, it cannot simply be placed on the mizbe'ach and burned; it must be burned on additional wood.
For the donation of levona, one cannot give less than a kometz. How do we know this? The verse states, Vehirim mimenu bekumtzo misoles hamencha umishmana ve'es kol halevona. The Torah discusses when a person brings a mincha, and it specifies that a kometz must be taken. The term makish levona leharama demencha indicates that we can derive the minimum amount for levona from the mincha. Just as the mincha requires a kometz, so too does levona.
The Gemara continues with harei alai lamizbeach. If a person states, "I want to bring something for the mizbeach," this indicates the item must belong entirely to the mizbeach, with no part for anyone else. What should he bring? Yavi levona, for there is no item that is completely consumed by the mizbeach except for levona. The Gemara will pose questions, but it asserts that when someone states they want to bring something for the mizbeach, the only item that fits this description is levona.
If someone declares Perashti ve'eini yode'a mah perashti, meaning he knows he wanted to bring something for the mizbeach but forgot what it was, he must bring every item that is offered to the mizbeach that leaves no leftovers for the kohanim. This means that when he explicitly states harei alai lamizbeach, he is aware of what he is saying. However, if he claims he forgot, he must bring all forms of korbanot that are entirely consumed by the mizbeach.
The Gemara questions, "When someone says harei alai lamizbeach, are you telling me the only item that is entirely consumed by the mizbeach is levona? Is that so?" It continues to challenge this notion by asking about the korban olah, which also goes on the mizbeach. The Gemara responds that the skin of the olah is given to the kohanim, so it does not fulfill the requirement of being completely consumed by the mizbeach.
The Gemara then asks about the olah of a bird. The skin is not given to the kohanim, but the innards and feathers are not burned on the mizbeach, so it too does not qualify as something fully consumed by the mizbeach. The Gemara raises the question of nesachim, the wine offerings, which are indeed placed on the mizbeach. However, the wine flows into pipes on the side of the mizbeach, not directly on it, thus failing to meet the criteria of being fully consumed there.
The Gemara continues with harei alai yayin. A person says he wants to bring wine to the Beit Hamikdash. He cannot bring less than three log, as the smallest amount of wine that accompanies a korban is three log. Therefore, when he states harei alai yayin, the minimum must be three log. For oil, Shemen, he cannot bring less than a log, since the minimum amount of oil required in a private mincha offering is a log. The Gemara will clarify the differing opinions on whether one can donate oil alone.
The Gemara discusses the case of someone who states Perashti, meaning he knows he donated oil but is unsure how much. He must bring according to the busiest day of the Beit Hamikdash, which is identified as the first day of Sukkot that falls on Shabbat, when the most offerings are made. This person must bring enough oil to match the offerings brought on that day.
The Gemara continues to explore the minimum amounts required for wine and oil donations. It states that the minimum amount of wine is three log and that one can bring more, but not less than three. The Gemara explains that oil must also be three log according to the opinion of Rabbi, who holds that the oil donation must mirror the wine donation.
In conclusion, the Gemara emphasizes the importance of understanding the minimum amounts required for various donations to the Beit Hamikdash, ensuring that each offering aligns with halachic standards. The discussion reflects on the significance of intention and clarity in fulfilling one's vows, as well as the intricate laws governing offerings and donations in Jewish practice.