In the Parsha
One Point | March 28, 2024
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In the Parsha

One Point | June 27, 2025

Every day, the כהן גדול would bring a special קרבן מנחה. Unlike other קרבנות מנחה which would only have one קומץ (fistful) burned on the מזבח, this one was burned entirely on the מזבח, as the פסוק says: כָּלִיל תָּקְטָּר.

Similarly, on the day that any כהן began to do עבודה in the בית המקדש, he would bring a special קרבן מנחה, which would be burned entirely on the מזבח, as the פסוק says: כָּלִיל תִהְיֶ'.

Question

Since both the daily קרבן מנחה of the כהן גדול and the inauguration קרבן מנחה of any כהן were burned entirely on the מזבח, why does the תורה use different words to teach us this same rule?

Answer

Although they are both burned entirely on the מזבח, there is a difference between the two. The כהן גדול first does take קמיצה from his own קרבן מנחה, and then he burns the קמיצה and the rest of it on the מזבח. This is why the פסוק uses the words כָּלִיל תָּקְטָּר, it should be completely burned, even though there is a time when a fistful is separated from the rest of the dough.

However, the קרבן מנחה that a regular כהן brings does not have קמיצה at all. Rather, all of it is placed together on the מזבח to be burned. This is why the פסוק uses the words כָּלִיל תִּהְיֶ', meaning that all of it will be a קרבן מנחה, not only when it is burned on the מזבח, but there won’t even be a fistful separated from it beforehand.

Further Discussion

Since it is all being burned on the מזבח, why would the מנחה of the כהן גדול require קמיצה at all? (See אות ו in the שיחה)

Every day, the כהן גדול would bring a special קרבן מנחה. Unlike other קרבנות מנחה which would only have one קומץ (fistful) burned on the מזבח, this one was burned entirely on the מזבח, as the פסוק says: כָּלִיל תָּקְטָּר.

Similarly, on the day that any כהן began to do עבודה in the בית המקדש, he would bring a special קרבן מנחה, which would be burned entirely on the מזבח, as the פסוק says: כָּלִיל תִהְיֶ'.

Question

Since both the daily קרבן מנחה of the כהן גדול and the inauguration קרבן מנחה of any כהן were burned entirely on the מזבח, why does the תורה use different words to teach us this same rule?

Answer

Although they are both burned entirely on the מזבח, there is a difference between the two. The כהן גדול first does take קמיצה from his own קרבן מנחה, and then he burns the קמיצה and the rest of it on the מזבח. This is why the פסוק uses the words כָּלִיל תָּקְטָּר, it should be completely burned, even though there is a time when a fistful is separated from the rest of the dough.

However, the קרבן מנחה that a regular כהן brings does not have קמיצה at all. Rather, all of it is placed together on the מזבח to be burned. This is why the פסוק uses the words כָּלִיל תִּהְיֶ', meaning that all of it will be a קרבן מנחה, not only when it is burned on the מזבח, but there won’t even be a fistful separated from it beforehand.

Further Discussion

Since it is all being burned on the מזבח, why would the מנחה of the כהן גדול require קמיצה at all? (See אות ו in the שיחה)

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