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Volumes and Half Volumes

Menachot (9:2) | Yisrael Bankier | 4 days ago

The Mishnah (9:2) taught that there were seven different measuring utensils of different volumes for liquids in the Beit HaMikdash. It is important to note that these utensils were sanctified like the klei sharet such that they would sanctify the liquids that were placed inside them (9:5). The volumes were a hin, half-hin, third-hin, quarter-hin, log, half-log and quarter-log. Each of these volumes were used to measure out the unique volumes of oil and wine necessary from the different korbanot. R' Eliezer bar Tzadok however maintained that a single utensil with markings on the side for the different volumes was used.

R' Shimon however argues that there was no need for the hin measurement. The Bartenura explains that that is because there was no korban that required a hin. The hin was only required once in history, when Moshe Rabeinu prepared the special anointing oil. Nevertheless, R' Shimon agrees with the Chachamim that there is indeed a halacha le'moshe misinai that there were seven different volumes. What volume then replaced the hin if it was not needed?

R' Shimon explains that the additional utensil was necessary for the daily mincha offering brought by the kohen gadol -- minchat chavitin. Initially three log of oil was brought, but since half the korban was brought in the morning and half in the evening, it was necessary to split the volume in two and it is for this purpose that the measure container was required. How do we understand the position of the Chachamim?

The Gemara (88a) explains that an additional dedicated measure of one and half log was not necessary since the half log measure was available and could have been used to measure out the required amount. The Sefat Emet however notes that the Rambam (Maaseh Korbanot 13:3) makes no mention of this measurement. The Rambam only explains that the three log was divided using the reviit (quarter-log) measure for each of the twelve chalot of the minchat chavitin.

The Sefat Emet explains that the Rambam understood that according to the Chachamim, dividing the oil in two using the dedicated kli was not necessary. Their response in the Gemara was only when addressing R' Shimon's opinion that if it indeed needed to be divided in two, there were other keilim that could be used.

The Griz (Stencil) however explains that the use of the measuring containers was not simple a means to discern specific volumes. If that were the case then standard, regular utensils, that were not kadosh could have been used. Rather it is that if there was a specific requirement to measure a volume -- medidah -- then a kli kodesh was required.

The Griz continues by explaining that the debate between the Chachamim and R' Shimon is whether there is requirement for medida in this case. According to the Chachamim, once the three log was measured, there was simply a requirement to divide it in two such that half was offered in the morning and half in the evening. There however was not a requirement of medidah. He compares this to the chalot themselves. According to the Rambam each challah was split in two by hand, approximately, without the use of any kli. Consequently, when the Gemara continues that multiple keilim could be used to achieve this end, it was only really working within the position of the Chachamim that do not require medida. R' Shimon however, understood that medida was required even for this division. That being the case a single, dedicated kli was required to satisfy this requirement.

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