Menachos Daf 74 מנחוס דַף 74

A Baraisa on the previous Daf darshened והיתה לכהן כמנחה – and it shall be for the Kohen like the minchah, שתהא עבודתה כשרה בו – that its avodah (of a Kohen’s own מנחת חוטא) is fit to be performed by him. The Gemara asks that this was derived elsewhere: מנין לכהן שבא ומקריב קרבנותיו בכל עת ובכל שעה שירצה – From where do we derive that a Kohen may come and offer his own korbanos at any time and any moment he wishes (even not during his משמר)? The passuk says: ובא בכל אות נפשו...ושרת – and [the Kohen] shall come whenever his soul desires…and minister. The Gemara answers that this passuk only refers to a korban which is not for a חטא, so the above passuk allows a Kohen to even bring his own מנחת חוטא. The Gemara persists that this is also derived elsewhere: וכפר הכהן על הנפש השוגגת בחטאה בשגגה – and the Kohen shall atone for the erring soul, when he sins in error, מלמד שהכהן מתכפר על ידי עצמו – this teaches that a Kohen can gain atonement by himself (i.e., perform the avodah)!? It answers that this passuk would only teach he can bring his own חטאת for a שוגג, while the above passuk teaches he can even bring a מנחת חוטא for מזיד – a deliberate sin.

In the Mishnah on Daf 72b and a Baraisa above, the Rabbonon say the מנחת חוטא of a Kohen is completely burned without any kemitzah, interpreting "והיתה לכהן כמנחה" – it shall be for the Kohen like the minchah to compare his מנחת חוטא with his מנחת נדבה. Rebbe Shimon says his מנחת חוטא does require kemitzah, but the kometz and the שירים are each burned on the מזבח. He holds a Kohen’s מנחת חוטא is compared with a מנחת חוטא of a Yisroel, which requires kemitzah, but darshens "לכהן כמנחה" that it is only like a Yisroel’s minchah regarding “a Kohen” (i.e., the avodah of kemitzah), but not לאשים – regarding the fires of the מזבח (i.e., its שירים are burned, not eaten). In another Baraisa, Rebbe Elazar bar Rebbe Shimon agrees with his father that the kometz is burned, but says: והשירים מתפזרין על בית הדשן – the remnants are scattered over “the place of the ashes.” Rebbe Yochanan wondered if anything is offered where ashes are placed at the base of the מזבח, and Rebbe Abba suggested: דלמא לאיבוד – perhaps the שירים are scattered there for disposal. Although some laughed at the suggestion that a minchah is originally offered for disposal, a Baraisa supports it.

The next Mishnah states that the minchah of כהנים, of the כהן משיח, and a מנחת נסכים are all burned completely on the מזבח, and the Kohanim do not receive any of them. ובזה יפה כח מזבח מכח הכהנים – And in this group, the mizbeiach’s rights are stronger than Kohanim’s rights. The Mishnah’s exclusive term teaches that other offerings are not burned, thus disagreeing with Shmuel’s ruling, that המתנדב יין מביאו ומזלפו על גבי אישים – one who donates wine for an independent offering brings it to the Mikdash and [the Kohen] sprinkles it onto the fires of the מזבח. Instead, our Mishnah holds it is poured into the שיתין, like the wine of נסכים accompanying a korban. The Mishnah also excludes oil from being completely burned on the מזבח, which supports another ruling of Shmuel, that if one donates an oil offering, a Kohen performs kemitzah with it, and Kohanim eat the שירים.