TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Chapter 2

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1When a person presents an offering of meal to Hashem, his offering shall be of choice flour; he shall pour oil upon it, lay frankincense on it,

v'-NE-fesh kee tak-REEV kor-BAN min-KHAH la-do-NAI SO-let yih-YEH kor-ba-NO v'-ya-TZAK a-LE-ha SHE-men v'-na-TAN a-LE-ha l'-vo-NAH

אוְנֶפֶשׁ כִּי־תַקְרִיב קָרְבַּן מִנְחָה לַיהֹוָה סֹלֶת יִהְיֶה קָרְבָּנוֹ וְיָצַק עָלֶיהָ שֶׁמֶן וְנָתַן עָלֶיהָ לְבֹנָה׃

 2:1   When a person presents an offering of meal to Hashem

In this verse, the Bible uses the word nefesh (נפש), ‘soul,’ to describe the person bringing this offering. The Talmud (Menachot 104b) explains that the word “soul” is specifically chosen for the voluntary meal-offering, as opposed to any of the other sacrifices, because the meal-offering is comprised of flour, oil and frankincense. These ingredients are much less expensive than the animals brought for the other offerings, and therefore, this offering is often brought specifically by poor people. When a poor person chooses to give from his meager means to Hashem, He considers it as if the person has offered his very soul. What matters to the Lord is not our material wealth, how much we have or even how much we give. It is the sincerity behind our actions that matters most.

2and present it to Aharon's sons, the Kohanim. The Kohen shall scoop out of it a handful of its choice flour and oil, as well as all of its frankincense; and this token portion he shall turn into smoke on the mizbayach, as an offering by fire, of pleasing odor to Hashem.

בוֶהֱבִיאָהּ אֶל־בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֲנִים וְקָמַץ מִשָּׁם מְלֹא קֻמְצוֹ מִסָּלְתָּהּ וּמִשַּׁמְנָהּ עַל כָּל־לְבֹנָתָהּ וְהִקְטִיר הַכֹּהֵן אֶת־אַזְכָּרָתָהּ הַמִּזְבֵּחָה אִשֵּׁה רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ לַיהֹוָה׃

3And the remainder of the meal offering shall be for Aharon and his sons, a most holy portion from Hashem's offerings by fire.

גוְהַנּוֹתֶרֶת מִן־הַמִּנְחָה לְאַהֲרֹן וּלְבָנָיו קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים מֵאִשֵּׁי יְהֹוָה׃

4When you present an offering of meal baked in the oven, [it shall be of] choice flour: unleavened cakes with oil mixed in, or unleavened wafers spread with oil.

דוְכִי תַקְרִב קָרְבַּן מִנְחָה מַאֲפֵה תַנּוּר סֹלֶת חַלּוֹת מַצֹּת בְּלוּלֹת בַּשֶּׁמֶן וּרְקִיקֵי מַצּוֹת מְשֻׁחִים בַּשָּׁמֶן׃

5If your offering is a meal offering on a griddle, it shall be of choice flour with oil mixed in, unleavened.

הוְאִם־מִנְחָה עַל־הַמַּחֲבַת קָרְבָּנֶךָ סֹלֶת בְּלוּלָה בַשֶּׁמֶן מַצָּה תִהְיֶה׃

6Break it into bits and pour oil on it; it is a meal offering.

ופָּתוֹת אֹתָהּ פִּתִּים וְיָצַקְתָּ עָלֶיהָ שָׁמֶן מִנְחָה הִוא׃

7If your offering is a meal offering in a pan, it shall be made of choice flour in oil.

זוְאִם־מִנְחַת מַרְחֶשֶׁת קָרְבָּנֶךָ סֹלֶת בַּשֶּׁמֶן תֵּעָשֶׂה׃

8When you present to Hashem a meal offering that is made in any of these ways, it shall be brought to the Kohen who shall take it up to the mizbayach.

חוְהֵבֵאתָ אֶת־הַמִּנְחָה אֲשֶׁר יֵעָשֶׂה מֵאֵלֶּה לַיהֹוָה וְהִקְרִיבָהּ אֶל־הַכֹּהֵן וְהִגִּישָׁהּ אֶל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ׃

9The Kohen shall remove the token portion from the meal offering and turn it into smoke on the mizbayach as an offering by fire, of pleasing odor to Hashem.

טוְהֵרִים הַכֹּהֵן מִן־הַמִּנְחָה אֶת־אַזְכָּרָתָהּ וְהִקְטִיר הַמִּזְבֵּחָה אִשֵּׁה רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ לַיהֹוָה׃

10And the remainder of the meal offering shall be for Aharon and his sons, a most holy portion from Hashem's offerings by fire.

יוְהַנּוֹתֶרֶת מִן־הַמִּנְחָה לְאַהֲרֹן וּלְבָנָיו קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים מֵאִשֵּׁי יְהֹוָה׃

11No meal offering that you offer to Hashem shall be made with leaven, for no leaven or honey may be turned into smoke as an offering by fire to Hashem.

יאכָּל־הַמִּנְחָה אֲשֶׁר תַּקְרִיבוּ לַיהֹוָה לֹא תֵעָשֶׂה חָמֵץ כִּי כָל־שְׂאֹר וְכָל־דְּבַשׁ לֹא־תַקְטִירוּ מִמֶּנּוּ אִשֶּׁה לַיהֹוָה׃

12You may bring them to Hashem as an offering of choice products; but they shall not be offered up on the mizbayach for a pleasing odor.

יבקָרְבַּן רֵאשִׁית תַּקְרִיבוּ אֹתָם לַיהֹוָה וְאֶל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ לֹא־יַעֲלוּ לְרֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ׃

13You shall season your every offering of meal with salt; you shall not omit from your meal offering the salt of your covenant with Hashem; with all your offerings you must offer salt.

יגוְכָל־קָרְבַּן מִנְחָתְךָ בַּמֶּלַח תִּמְלָח וְלֹא תַשְׁבִּית מֶלַח בְּרִית אֱלֹהֶיךָ מֵעַל מִנְחָתֶךָ עַל כָּל־קָרְבָּנְךָ תַּקְרִיב מֶלַח׃

14If you bring a meal offering of first fruits to Hashem, you shall bring new ears parched with fire, grits of the fresh grain, as your meal offering of first fruits.

ידוְאִם־תַּקְרִיב מִנְחַת בִּכּוּרִים לַיהֹוָה אָבִיב קָלוּי בָּאֵשׁ גֶּרֶשׂ כַּרְמֶל תַּקְרִיב אֵת מִנְחַת בִּכּוּרֶיךָ׃

15You shall add oil to it and lay frankincense on it; it is a meal offering.

טווְנָתַתָּ עָלֶיהָ שֶׁמֶן וְשַׂמְתָּ עָלֶיהָ לְבֹנָה מִנְחָה הִוא׃

16And the Kohen shall turn a token portion of it into smoke: some of the grits and oil, with all of the frankincense, as an offering by fire to Hashem.

טזוְהִקְטִיר הַכֹּהֵן אֶת־אַזְכָּרָתָהּ מִגִּרְשָׂהּ וּמִשַּׁמְנָהּ עַל כָּל־לְבֹנָתָהּ אִשֶּׁה לַיהֹוָה׃