QUESTION: Abaye asked Rava how Kemitzah is performed. Rava answered that it is performed in the same way in which ordinary people use their hands to take handfuls. Abaye questioned Rava's description from a Beraisa which calls the second finger (next to the Zeres, the smallest finger) the "Kemitzah" finger. RASHI explains that the second finger is called the "Kemitzah" because the Kemitzah is done from that finger. The Beraisa implies that the act of Kemitzah is not performed with all of the fingers.

The Gemara answers that when Rava said that all of the fingers are used for taking the Kemitzah, he meant that all of the fingers are used at some point in the process. Although it is true that only the three middle fingers are used to scoop up the flour, the two outer fingers (the Zeres and the thumb) are used to level off the Kemitzah by wiping away any excess flour that protrudes from the sides of the three middle fingers.

The Gemara continues to describe exactly how the act of Kemitzah is performed and how the excess flour is wiped away. The Gemara concludes that this was the most difficult Avodah to perform in the Beis ha'Mikdash (see Insights to Zevachim 64:2). Rashi says that the difficulty is the procedure of leveling off the sides, because it must be done in such a way that leaves no flour missing and no any excess flour.

The difficulty involved in this act seems to be that the leveling off must be done with the fingers of the same hand with which the Kometz is taken. Why, though, may it not be done by the fingers of the other hand, or by another Kohen? After all, leveling off the flour seems to be no more than a technical procedure done to ensure that the Kometz contains exactly the right amount. Why must it be done by the same Kohen with the same hand which is holding the flour of the Kemitzah?

ANSWER: The BRISKER RAV cites TOSFOS in Kesuvos (5b, DH Zeh) who explains that the leveling procedure may not be done with the fingers of the left hand, because every Avodah in the Beis ha'Mikdash must be done with the right hand. Tosfos implies that the leveling procedure is not merely a technical act to ensure that the Kometz is the right size, but it is actually part of the Avodah of Kemitzah itself.

This is also implied by Rava in the Gemara here, who discusses how the Avodah of Kemitzah is done when he says that all of the fingers are used, and the Gemara concludes that Rava refers to the process of leveling off the Kemitzah. Rava implies that all of the fingers take part in this act because it is part of the Avodah (see Rashi, DH u'Meshani).

This explains why the Kohen cannot use his left hand to level off the Kometz. Why, though, must he do it himself with the other fingers of his right hand? Why may it not be done by the right hand of another Kohen?

The CHAZON ISH answers that since the leveling of the Kemitzah is part of the Kemitzah, it must be done by the same Kohen who took the Kemitzah in the first place. This is because a single Avodah cannot be divided among two Kohanim.

(b) The RAMBAM has an entirely different understanding of the Gemara. The Rambam (Hilchos Ma'aseh ha'Korbanos 13:3) rules that Kemitzah is performed with all of the fingers, and he makes no mention of wiping off any excess flour. Moreover, the Rambam does not write that Kemitzah is one of the most difficult Avodos in the Beis ha'Mikdash.

In PERUSH HA'MISHNAYOS, the Rambam explains his ruling. He writes, "The proper way to perform the Kemitzah is that which we have learned in the Gemara: 'a complete handful, in the manner that people take handfuls in their hands,' and the words of the one who says that it is one of the most difficult Avodos are refuted."

The Rambam learns that Rava's statement, "in the manner that people take handfuls in their hands," is to be understood in its straightforward sense: the Kemitzah is performed with all of the fingers. Consequently, it is not a difficult Avodah. Although the Gemara explains that Rava's statement refers to using all of the fingers only for the leveling off procedure, the Rambam learns that this is not the Gemara's conclusion. The Gemara, after it describes the Kemitzah process and says that it is one of the most difficult Avodos, cites Rav Papa who says that the Kemitzah is taken in the manner in which people normally take handfuls in their hands. Unlike Rashi's explanation (DH Heichi Avid), the Rambam interprets this statement as a ruling of a later authority who disputes the Beraisa cited earlier, and thus the Halachah is in accordance with Rav Papa's view that Kemitzah is performed with all of the fingers. (See also KESEF MISHNEH.)

The KEREN ORAH has difficulty with the Rambam's position. Even if Kemitzah is performed with all of the fingers, it still should be considered a difficult Avodah, because the excess flour still needs to be wiped away. It should be even more difficult when Kemitzah is done with all of the fingers, because now the two end fingers are not free for this purpose.

However, according to the above-mentioned way of explaining the Gemara's answer, this does not present a difficulty with the Rambam's explanation. The reason why the Beraisa maintains that the leveling procedure must be done by the Kohen's own right hand is that all of the fingers must take part in the Kemitzah process. Since the Beraisa considers the leveling procedure part of the Avodah of the Kemitzah, this means that the middle fingers do the actual Kemitzah itself, and the end fingers are used to wipe away the excess flour. This is the Gemara's intention in its answer, "l'Hashvos."

The Rambam maintains that this is not the Gemara's conclusion. The Halachah follows Rav Papa who says that the Kemitzah is performed the way people normally take handfuls in their hands; the Kohen uses all of the fingers to do the Kemitzah itself. According to Rav Papa, the leveling procedure is not part of the Kemitzah process at all, and therefore it may be done with the Kohen's left hand, or by another Kohen. It is merely a practical requirement to wipe away the excess flour, and it is not part of the Avodah. Since it does not need to be done by the Kohen himself, it is not one of the difficult Avodos in the Beis ha'Mikdash. (MINCHAS AVRAHAM) (Mordechai Zvi Dicker)

QUESTION: The Mishnah (11a) states that if the amount of Levonah (frankincense or oliban) that is supposed to accompany the Minchah offering is lacking, then the Minchah is Pasul. The Gemara infers from the fact that the Mishnah says only that it is Pasul when the Levonah is "lacking" that when there is excess Levonah, the Minchah is valid. The Beraisa, however, clearly states that too much Levonah does disqualify the Minchah. Rami bar Chama answers that the Beraisa refers to a case in which an entire additional Kometz of Levonah was added. Only when two Komtzin of Levonah are brought do they disqualify the Minchah. When, however, there is less than a full Kometz of extra Levonah, the excess Levonah does not disqualify the Minchah.

The Gemara gives the same qualification for the Pesul of having too much oil. Excess oil disqualifies the Minchah only when there are two Lugin of oil brought with the Minchah. The addition of less than a Log of oil does not disqualify the Minchah.

The CHAFETZ CHAYIM in ZEVACH TODAH explains the reasoning behind this Halachah. As long as a second, complete Shi'ur of Levonah or oil is not added, the extra Levonah or oil is considered part of the Shi'ur of Levonah or oil that is required. "One and a half" still conforms with the required Shi'ur of one Kometz (or one Log). Only when another whole Kometz (or Log) is added is it Pasul because of the excess Levonah or oil which is comprised of a Shi'ur in itself and cannot be considered part of the first Shi'ur.

If the laws of excess Levonah and excess oil are identical, then why does the Mishnah (11a) express the two laws differently? With regard to oil, the Mishnah says, "Ribah Shamnah," to teach that excess oil disqualifies the Minchah. The Mishnah, however, mentions only that makes no mention that a lack of Levonah disqualifies the Minchah, but not that an excess of Levonah disqualifies it. (KEREN ORAH)

ANSWER: The KEREN ORAH answers that there is a difference between offering a Minchah with excess oil and offering a Minchah with excess Levonah. This difference exists in a case in which a drop of oil or Levonah of Chulin (non-sanctified) is added. Oil of Chulin cannot be considered part of the Log of sanctified oil, and therefore it invalidates the entire Shi'ur of oil with even a minute amount (see Rashi, DH v'Lukmah). However, a drop of Levonah of Chulin does not invalidate the Kometz of sanctified Levonah unless there is an entire extra Kometz of Levonah added.

What is the logic behind this difference? The logic is based on the difference between the relationship of the oil to the Minchah offering and the relationship of the Levonah to the Minchah offering.

The oil is part and parcel of the Minchah offering. The Levonah, however, is a separate offering that merely is brought together with the Minchah because the Torah teaches that a Minchah offering is not valid unless a Levonah offering is brought together with it. Oil, in contrast, is one of the ingredients of the Minchah offering itself.

This difference is expressed by the RASH MI'SHANTZ in his commentary to Toras Kohanim (9:3). The Toras Kohanim states that with regard to oil, the larger the Minchah offering is, the more oil must be brought. In contrast, with regard to the Levonah, the Halachah is that one Kometz of Levonah is always brought, regardless of the size of the Minchah. The Rash explains that the reason for this difference is that oil is an intrinsic part of the Minchah ("mi'Gufa d'Minchah"), and, therefore, the amount of oil depends on the amount of flour. Levonah is not an intrinsic part of the Minchah. The Minchah requires the same Levonah offering (of one Kometz) regardless of the size of the Minchah.

This understanding of the relationship of the oil to the Minchah, and of the Levonah to the Minchah, explains why adding one drop of oil of Chulin to the Log that is brought with the Minchah disqualifies the Minchah, while adding one drop of Levonah of Chulin does not disqualify the Minchah. Excess oil which is not Kadosh cannot be considered a spare part of the original Log. Therefore, it disqualifies the Minchah because the proportion of its ingredients is imprecise. Excess Levonah, even of Chulin, does not alter the ingredients of the Minchah, because the original Kometz of Levonah is not part of the ingredients of the Minchah. Excess Levonah will disqualify the Minchah only when, instead of bringing one Levonah offering (i.e. a Kometz of Levonah), one brings two Levonah offerings. Less than that amount does not disqualify the Minchah, because it is viewed as though one Levonah offering was brought together with some spare Levonah mixed with it. This does not disqualify the Minchah, since still only one Levonah offering is being brought with the Minchah.

This answers the question of the Keren Orah. With regard to oil, the Mishnah mentions both the Pesul of excess oil and the Pesul of insufficient oil. This is because an incorrect amount of oil can disqualify the Minchah even when the amount missing, or extra, is one drop (if the oil is Chulin), since the oil is part of the ingredients of the Minchah. In contrast, with regard to Levonah, the Mishnah mentions only the Pesul of insufficient Levonah, because only when the Minchah lacks a valid Levonah offering is it invalid. When extra Levonah is brought, even Levonah of Chulin, the Minchah is not disqualified as long as the amount of Levonah constitutes a single Levonah offering (that is, any amount under two full Komtzim). Since not every case of excess Levonah disqualifies the Minchah, the Mishnah does not mention that adding Levonah is a Pesul as it says with regard to oil. (MINCHAS AVRAHAM) (Mordechai Zvi Dicker)