Menachos Chapter 7, Mishnah 2. In the previous mishnah we began discussing the loaves of the todah - the four types of bread that accompany the thanksgiving offering. There are two additional offerings whose accompanying loaves form a subset of those four types: with one offering three of the four are brought, and with another only two. We will now examine these two offerings and how their measurements are calculated.
The Miluim Offering:
The miluim offerings were brought during the seven days of the inauguration of the Mishkan in the desert, when Aharon and his sons were installed into the priesthood. These were special offerings, a one-time event in history, and three types of bread were brought with them - the very same three types of matzah bread that accompany the todah offering.
The Nazir's Offering:
A separate topic is that of the nazir - a man or woman who accepts nezirus upon themselves: to refrain from grape products, from becoming tamei through contact with a corpse, and from cutting their hair. At the end of the period they bring offerings and become tahor, and included in the offering are two of the types of bread brought with the todah - the challos of matzah and the rekikin. These two types are identical to ma'afeh tanur, the two kinds of voluntary meal offering that are baked in an oven.
Our mishnah deals with the components of these loaves and the measures of flour used for them.
"HaMiluim hayu bahen k'matzah shebatodah":
With the miluim, the three types of matzah bread that accompany the todah offering were brought - challos, rekikin and revuchah:
Challos - flour kneaded with oil and then baked.
Rekikin - flour mixed with oil and baked, and after the baking it is smeared with oil.
Revuchah - the dough is first scalded in hot water, then baked and fried.
Just as these three types of matzah bread are brought with the loaves of the todah, so too they are brought with the miluim.
"Yesh bo shtei yados b'matzah shebatodah":
With the offering of the nazir who completes his period of nezirus, only two of the types of bread that accompany the todah are brought:
"Challos" - the baked loaves, something like a Sephardic matzah.
"Rekikin" - something like an Ashkenazic matzah.
"V'ein bo revuchah" - the scalded loaf offering does not come together with the offering of the nazir.
Working out the measurements:
For the three loaves that accompany the miluim (the inauguration offering) the calculation is identical to that of the three matzah loaves of the todah: one eifah, which in the wilderness measures is ten esronim, is divided into thirty loaves - ten of each type. According to the Jerusalem measures, which were somewhat larger, instead of eighteen kabin to an eifah there are fifteen kabin to an eifah; and fifteen kabin for thirty loaves comes out to half a kav per loaf, as was explained earlier.
With the offerings of the nazir the calculation is a bit more involved, since we are dealing with two thirds of the recipe, that is, two thirds of the total amount of flour. In terms of Jerusalem kabin: two thirds of fifteen is ten. And this is the language of the Mishnah: "Asarah kabin Yerushalmiyos" - ten Jerusalem kabin, which are six and two thirds esronim, and with them the recipe for the two types of bread that come with the nazir is prepared.
An explanation of the calculation: for preparing the loaves of the todah one dedicates a single eifah, which is ten esronim, for the three types of matzah bread. One who prepares two out of the three takes two thirds of the ten esronim - six and two thirds esronim, that is, three and a third esronim for each of the two types. The Mishnah refers to three and a third as "three and more," and since here the quantity is doubled - six and two thirds - the leftover third is likewise doubled, meaning "and more" twice over. Hence the expression "aduyin", something like "odim" in the plural: six esronim and twice more two thirds of an isaron, for preparing the recipe of the nazir.
"Umikulan hayah notel echad me'eser terumah":
From every type of bread - whether among the four breads of the todah, the three matzos of the miluim, or the two breads of the nazir - one is taken as terumah, and the kohen is the one who eats it. As the verse states: "And he shall bring near from it one of each offering as a terumah to Hashem" - one of each type as terumah to Hashem, as a gift to the Creator. And just as terumah is the portion that is lifted off and given to the kohen, so too this portion is lifted off and given to the kohen to eat.
The Mishnah expounds the wording of the verse:
"Echad" - "that he should not take a broken piece," meaning one whole loaf of each type and not a broken loaf. Even if one of the loaves broke after the animal was slaughtered, the broken piece is not given to the kohen; rather, he must receive a whole, complete loaf.
"Mikol korban" - "that his whole offering be equal," that all the types are equal in their standing, "and that he should not take from one offering in place of another" - one does not take from one type in place of another.
It cannot be that the kohen says: "I am fond of rekikin, and I am willing to forgo the challos; give me two rekikin instead of one of each type, and all ten challos will remain yours." Rather, one of each of the four types, equally, and one type is not exchanged for another such that the kohen would receive one extra of this type and one less of another.
And finally it says: "LaKohen hazorek es dam hashelamim lo yihyeh" - the kohen who throws the blood is the one who receives that loaf of each type, and from here we learn that the kohanim take one of each type for their own eating. This eating somewhat resembles terumah: the kohanim eat it in Jerusalem, they and their families and all the members of their household, but not non-kohanim.
The remaining loaves - the other nine of each type - go to the owner, the person who brought the offering, whether a nazir completing his nezirus or someone bringing a todah offering, and he and his family eat them. This eating follows the rules of kodashim kalim: within the walls of Jerusalem and in a state of taharah, but it is permitted to anyone, kohen and non-kohen alike, to whomever the owner invites to his table - provided that the loaves are eaten within the time limit set for them.