Study Zevachim folio 91B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
גמ׳ אמר שמואל: לדברי רבי טרפון, המתנדב שמן – קומצו ושיריו נאכלין. מאי טעמא? אמר קרא: ״קרבן מנחה״ – מלמד שמתנדבין שמן; וכי מנחה – מה מנחה קומצה ושיריה נאכלין, אף שמן קומצו ושיריו נאכלין.
Talmud: Shmuel says: According to the statement of R' Tarfon that oil may be sacrificed as a gift offering, in the case of one who contributes oil, a priest removes a handful of the oil and sacrifices it on the altar, and its remainder is eaten by the priests. What is the reason for the ruling of Shmuel? The verse states: “And when one brings a meal offering [korban minḥa]” (Leviticus 2:1). The superfluous word korban teaches that one may contribute oil, and its status is like that of a meal offering: Just as with regard to a meal offering the priest removes a handful and its remainder is eaten, so too with regard to oil, the priest removes a handful and its remainder is eaten.
אמר רבי זירא: אף אנן נמי תנינא, אמר רבי שמעון: אם ראית שמן שמתחלק בעזרה – אי אתה צריך לשאול מהו; אלא מותר רקיקי מנחות ישראל ולוג שמן של מצורע, שאין מתנדבין. מכלל דמאן דאמר מתנדבין – מתחלק.
R' Zeira said that we learn this halakha in the Mishnah as well: R' Shimon said: If you saw oil that is being distributed in the Temple courtyard, you do not need to ask what it is; rather, it is left over from the oil of the wafers of the meal offerings of Israelites, or it is left over from the log of oil of a metzora, as one does not contribute oil as a gift offering. R' Zeira learns by inference from the Mishnah that according to the one who says that one may contribute oil, it is distributed to the priests for consumption and it is not sacrificed entirely.
אמר ליה אביי, אימא סיפא: אם ראית שמן שניתן על גבי אישים – אי אתה צריך לשאול מהו; אלא מותר רקיקי מנחת כהנים ומנחת כהן משיח, שאין מתנדבין שמן. מכלל דלמאן דאמר מתנדב – כולן לאישים. לאביי קשיא רישא, לרבי זירא קשיא סיפא!
Abaye said to R' Zeira: Say the last clause of the Mishnah: If you saw oil that is placed on the flames of the altar, you do not need to ask what it is; rather, it is left over from the oil of the wafers of the meal offering of priests or it is left over from the meal offering of the anointed priest, as one does not contribute oil as a gift offering. Abaye learns by inference from the Mishnah that according to the one who says that one may contribute oil, it is burned in its entirety in the flames on the altar. This contradicts Shmuel’s statement that according to R' Tarfon only a handful of the oil is burned on the altar. The Talmud comments: For Abaye the inference from the first clause of the Mishnah is difficult, while for R' Zeira the inference from the last clause is difficult.