Menachos Daf 85 מנחוס דַף 85

The next Mishnah states that we do not bring grain from a fertilized field, an irrigated field, or a field with trees, all of whose produce is inferior (Rashi says the Mishnah refers to the עומר and שתי הלחם, while Tosafos says the Mishnah refers to all menachos). The Mishnah describes how to produce superior grain: נרה שנה ראשונה – He plows the first year without planting, ובשנה שניה זורעה קודם לפסח שבעים יום – and in the second year he plants it seventy days before Pesach, והוא עושה סולת מרובה – and it produces abundant fine flour. The Gemara discusses if it is plowed again in the second year (in the summer, besides for the plowing just prior to planting), and eventually brings a Baraisa which states: נר חציה וזורע חציה – he (plows the entire field and) leaves half of it fallow and plants the other half, and the next year does the reverse. This indicates that there is no earlier pre-season plowing the second year.

The Mishnah teaches that the גזבר inserts his hand into the flour to see if it was sufficiently sifted, and if dust comes up in his hand, it is invalid until it is sifted again. In a Baraisa, Rebbe Nassan says the גזבר smears his hand with oil and inserts it into the flour until he brings up all of its dust.

The Mishnah taught that if the flour became wormy, it is invalid. A Baraisa teaches that if the majority of fine flour or wheat kernels became wormy, it is invalid. Rava asked: if someone was makdish wormy grain for a minchah, מהו שילקה עליהן משום בעל מום – does he incur malkus for them because of the prohibition against being makdish a בעל מום? Do we say that since it is invalid, it is like a בעל מום, or does this prohibition only apply to an animal? A similar question was asked regarding a Mishnah which teaches that any wood in which a worm was found is invalid to be used on the מזבח. [Shmul says this is only true regarding moist wood, but dry wood can be scraped off, and is valid.] Rava asked: if someone was makdish wormy wood, does he incur malkus as if he was makdish a בעל מום? Since it is invalid, is it like a בעל מום, or does the prohibition only apply to an animal? The Gemara concludes about each of these questions: תיקו – let it stand unresolved.

The next Mishnah compares sources for oil for menachos. A Baraisa teaches: "וטובל בשמן רגלו" – he dips his foot in oil, referring to אשר’s portion, שמושך שמן כמעין – where oil flows like a spring. The people of לודקיא once needed oil, and sent an agent to purchase a million manehs’ worth of oil. He was eventually sent to a farmer in גוש חלב, whom he found digging under his olive trees. He asked if he had a million manehs’ worth of oil to sell, and the farmer told him to wait until he finished his work. After finishing, he shouldered his tools home, clearing stones as he went. The agent wondered if the Jews had made a mockery of him, sending him to this apparently poor farmer. At home, the farmer’s maidservant brought him a golden bowl filled with oil, in which he dipped his hands and feet, fulfilling the above passuk. He then measured out the enormous quantity of oil for the agent, and offered him even more. Since the agent had no more money, the farmer followed him back to collect the payment, and when the townspeople came out to praise him, he told them to praise the farmer. This incident fulfills the passuk: יש מתעשר ואין כל – there is one who appears wealthy and has nothing, מתרושש והון רב – and one who appears poor and [has] great wealth.