Daily Chumash & Rashi Parshas Vayikra – Sheiyni: The bird Olah and Mincha offering (Monday, 27th Adar)

Q&A on Rashi

📘 Rashi Q&A — Vayikra 1:14–17

1:14 — The Bird Ascent‑Offering

Q1. What does “מִן־הָעוֹף” teach?

A: Not all fowl are valid; birds missing a limb are excluded.

Q2. Why might one have thought blemished birds were allowed?

A: Because the Torah requires male and unblemished only for animal offerings, not explicitly for birds.

Q3. What does “תֹּרִים” mean?

A: Adult turtledoves, not young ones.

Q4. What does “בְּנֵי יוֹנָה” mean?

A: Young pigeons, not older ones.

Q5. What does “מִן־הַתֹּרִים אוֹ מִן־בְּנֵי הַיּוֹנָה” exclude?

A: Birds in the intermediate stage when their feathers begin to yellow.

1:15 — Nipping the Head

Q6. What does “וְהִקְרִיבוֹ” teach?

A: Even one bird may be brought as an offering.

Q7. How is “וּמָלַק” performed?

A: By the priest’s fingernail, cutting at the nape until the simanim are severed.

Q8. What does “וְנִמְצָה דָמוֹ” mean?

A: The blood is pressed out against the Altar wall so it flows down.

Q9. How does Rashi resolve the order “וּמָלַק וְהִקְטִיר וְנִמְצָה”?

A: Either it teaches that the head and body remain separate, or that the verse’s order is inverted: blood is extracted before burning.

1:16 — Removing the Crop

Q10. What is “מֻרְאָתוֹ”?

A: The crop, containing waste (רְעִי).

Q11. What does “בְּנֹצָתָהּ” mean according to one view?

A: With its entrails, i.e., digested food.

Q12. What is the opinion of the Sages regarding “בְּנֹצָתָהּ”?

A: He removes the crop together with the feathers on the skin.

Q13. Why is the crop discarded for birds but not washed like animal innards?

A: Birds eat from stolen property, unlike animals fed by owners.

Q14. Where is the crop discarded?

A: East of the ramp, at the place of the ashes.

Q15. What happened to the ashes placed there?

A: They were miraculously swallowed on the spot.

1:17 — Burning the Bird

Q16. What does “וְשִׁסַּע” mean?

A: Tearing open by hand, not with a tool.

Q17. What does “בִּכְנָפָיו” mean?

A: The bird is burned with its feathers intact.

Q18. Why burn feathers despite their bad odor?

A: So the Altar appears satiated and honored by the offering of a poor person.

Q19. What does “לֹא יַבְדִּיל” teach?

A: The bird is not fully split, only torn open from the back.

Q20. Why is “רֵיחַ נִיחוֹחַ” stated for both animals and birds?

A: To teach that large and small offerings are equally pleasing when done with proper intent.

📘 Rashi Q&A — Vayikra 2:1–6

2:1 — The Grain‑Offering of Fine Flour

Q21. Why does the Torah say “וְנֶפֶשׁ כִּי־תַקְרִיב”?

A: Because a poor person brings a grain‑offering; God regards it as if he offered his very soul.

Q22. What grain‑offering is brought when no type is specified?

A: A grain‑offering of fine flour.

Q23. Why is it called “grain‑offering of fine flour”?

A: Its fistful is taken while still raw flour, unlike other grain‑offerings.

Q24. What does “סֹלֶת” always mean?

A: Wheat flour.

Q25. What is the minimum size of a grain‑offering?

A: One‑tenth of an ephah.

Q26. What does “וְיָצַק עָלֶיהָ שֶׁמֶן” mean?

A: Oil is poured over all of it.

Q27. What does “וְנָתַן עָלֶיהָ לְבֹנָה” mean?

A: Frankincense is placed on part of it.

Q28. Why is oil on all of it but frankincense only on part?

A: Oil is mixed and included in the fistful; frankincense is separate and burned afterward.

Q29. What does “וְיָצַק וְנָתַן וְהֵבִיאָהּ” teach?

A: Pouring and mixing oil may be done by a non‑priest.

2:2 — The Fistful (קֹמֶץ)

Q30. From which stage is the service priest‑exclusive?

A: From taking the fistful onward.

Q31. What does “וְקָמַץ מִשָּׁם” teach?

A: The fistful may be taken anywhere in the Courtyard, even where Israelites stand.

Q32. How is “מְלֹא קֻמְצוֹ” defined?

A: Exactly what fits within the three middle fingers closed into the palm.

Q33. What is excluded from the fistful?

A: Frankincense, salt, or any foreign particle.

Q34. What is “אַזְכָּרָתָהּ”?

A: The memorial portion that brings remembrance and favor.

2:3 — Remainder of the Grain‑Offering

Q35. Who receives the remainder of the grain‑offering?

A: Aaron first, then his sons.

Q36. What does “קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים” teach?

A: It is of superior holiness.

Q37. When may the priests eat it?

A: Only after the memorial portion is burned.

2:4 — Oven‑Baked Grain‑Offering

Q38. What does “וְכִי תַקְרִיב” indicate here?

A: One who vowed a grain‑offering baked in an oven.

Q39. What forms may it take?

A: Loaves mixed with oil or flat cakes smeared with oil.

Q40. How many loaves or cakes are brought?

A: Ten.

Q41. Why is “בַּשֶּׁמֶן” stated twice?

A: To permit second and third‑grade oil; first‑grade oil is only for the Menorah.

2:5–6 — Pan‑Fried Grain‑Offering

Q42. What is a “מַחֲבַת”?

A: A shallow pan used for frying in oil.

Q43. Why are pan‑fried offerings crisp?

A: The pan’s shallowness causes the oil to burn quickly.

Q44. How many oil applications are required for fried offerings?

A: Three: mixing, pouring after mixing, and oil in the vessel.

Q45. What does “פָּתוֹת אֹתָהּ פִּתִּים” teach?

A: All baked grain‑offerings must be broken into pieces.

Q46. What does “וְיָצַקְתָּ עָלֶיהָ שָׁמֶן” include?

A: Oil must be poured after mixing on all such offerings.

Q47. Why does the verse add “הִיא”?

A: To include all types of grain‑offerings, even flat cakes.