Rashi on TanakhLeviticus 2

When a person brings. “A person” [literally, “a soul”] is not mentioned regarding all the voluntary offerings except the meal-offering. Who is accustomed to bring a meal-offering? A poor person. Said God: I consider him as though he had offered his [own] soul.

His offering shall be of fine flour. Whoever says: I am obligated [to bring] a meal-offering without specifying [which one] must bring a fine-flour meal-offering, which is the first of the meal-offerings [mentioned], [special in that] its fistful is taken while it is [still] fine flour, as is explained in this section. Since five types of meal-offerings are mentioned here, and all of them are baked before the fistful is taken except for this one, therefore it is called a fine-flour meal-offering.

Fine flour. Fine flour comes only from wheat, as it is said, “fine wheat flour” and no meal-offering [uses] less than a tenth [of an ephah], as it is said, “a tenth [of an ephah] fine flour . . . per meal-offering” — a tenth for each meal-offering.

He shall pour oil upon it, on all of it,

and place frankincense upon it, on part of it. He places a fistful of frankincense on it on one side. Why do you say so? For there is no inclusion after inclusion in the Torah but to exclude. Another interpretation: Oil [is poured] on all of it, because it [= the oil] is mixed with it and its fistful is taken with it, as it is said, “[he takes from there its fistful] from its flour and from its oil,” and the frankincense [is placed] on part of it, since it is not mixed with it and its fistful is not taken with it, as it is said, with all its frankincense, for after he takes the fistful he gathers frankincense — all of it — from over it and burns it.

He shall pour, and he shall place, he shall bring [to the sons of Aharon], this teaches that pouring and mixing are valid when done by a non-kohein.

The kohanim, and he takes [his] fistful — from the taking of the fistful onward is a mitzvoh [which must be fulfilled] by the כְּהוּנָה .

He takes [his] fistful from there — from the place the feet of a non-kohein stand — to teach you that the taking of the fistful is valid throughout the courtyard, even in the eleven amohs of the place where Israelites may step.

his full fistful. Perhaps it must be full to overflowing — spilling out at every side? The verse says in another place, “he shall separate from it“ — only that which is within the fistful should be valid. If [it is written] “in his fistful,” perhaps it [may be offered] less than full? The verse says: “full.” How is this [done]? He covers the palm of his hand [with] three fingers, and this is the meaning of a “fistful” in the Hebrew language.

With all its frankincense, the fistful should be full, aside from the frankincense.

Its frankincense and he shall burn — the frankincense must also be burned.

His fistful from its flour and its oil — thus if he took the fistful, and a grain of salt came into his hand or a particle of frankincense [came into his hand] it is not valid.

Its memorial portion, the fistful which goes up to [the altar] to the Most High is the memorial of the meal-offering, because with it its owners are remembered for good and [having caused] satisfaction.

To Aharon and his sons. The kohein Godol takes a portion first, without [having to participate in a] distribution, [while] an ordinary kohein [shares in the] distribution.

Holy of holies, it is for them which is

of the fire-offerings of Adonoy. They have no part of it until after the fire-offering [= the fistful] was made.

And when you bring, etc. For he said: I am obligated to bring a meal-offering baked in an oven. The verse teaches us that he should bring either matzoh-loaves or matzoh wafers, the loaves mixed [with oil] and the wafers smeared [with oil]. Our Rabbis disagree on their smearing; some say he smears them again and again until all the oil in the לוֹג is used up, because all the meal offerings require a לוֹג of oil, and some say he smears [the oil in the shape] like [that of the Greek letter] “chi” [÷], and the remainder is eaten by the kohanim separately. Why does the verse say: ‘‘in oil . . . in oil’’ twice? To permit oil of the second or third [pressing] issuing from the olives. Oil of the first [pressing] is required only for the Menoroh, for [the word] ‘‘pure’’ is said [in connection] with it. We learned in [Maseches] Menochos: All the meal-offerings which are baked before their fistful is taken, and their fistful is taken by breaking [the loaves or wafers into pieces] — all of them come [in groups] of ten loaves, and those of which it is said ‘‘wafers’’ come [in groups] of ten wafers.

And if a pan-baked meal-offering, for he said: I am obligated [to bring] a pan-baked meal-offering. [The pan] was a vessel [used] in the Temple, in which they would bake this meal-offering in oil on the fire; the vessel was not deep but flat, and the resulting meal-offering made in it was hard, since it was flat, the fire burnt the oil. And all of them require three applications of oil: pouring, mixing and placing of oil in the vessel before they are prepared.

Fine flour mixed with oil, [this] teaches that he mixes them while they are still flour.

Break it into pieces, to include all the meal-offerings which are baked before their fistful is taken [to be included] in [the law of] “breaking into pieces.”

Pour oil on it; it is a meal-offering — to include all the meal-offerings [in the requirement] of “pouring.” Perhaps even a meal-offering baked in an oven [requires pouring]? The verse says: “on it.” Should I exclude the loaves and not exclude the wafers? The verse says: “It.”

Pan. This is a vessel which was in the Temple, [which was] deep, and because it was deep, its oil was gathered [at its bottom], and the fire did not burn it. Therefore, the resulting meal-offering within it appeared as though it was creeping everything soft because of the liquid contained in it appears as though [it is] creeping and moving.

That will be made in any of these, in any of these types.

[And] he — the owners — shall bring it, to the kohein.

And he [the kohein] will present it to the altar. He presents it to the southwest corner of the altar.

Its memorial portion, that is the fistful.

And all honey. Any sweet [juice] of a fruit is called “honey.”

You shall bring them as a first [fruit-]offering. What must you bring from sourdough and from honey? A first [fruit]-offering — two [loaves of] bread of Shavuos which come from sourdough, as it is said, “unleavened shall they be baked” [along with] first-fruits from the honey, such as the first-fruits of figs and dates.

Salt, covenant. For a covenant was made for salt from the Six Days of Creation, when the lower waters were promised to be brought onto the altar in the form of salt and the water-offering on Sukkos.

On every offering, on the burnt-offering of [domestic] animal and bird and on the fat-portions of all sacrifices in general.

When you bring. Behold, אִם functions as meaning “when,” for this is not voluntary, since the verse deals with the omer meal-offering, which is obligatory. Similarly, “and when there will be a jubilee year, etc.”

Meal-offering of first grains. The verse deals with an omer meal-offering, which comes fresh, at the time of the ripening of the crops, and it comes from barley: אָבִיב [“fresh, ripe”] it is stated here and “it is stated elsewhere” “the barley was green.”

Roasted over fire, [It is parched,] since they dry it over fire in a roaster’s [perforated iron] tube, for were it not so, it could not be ground in a mill, for it is moist.

Ground kernels, broken when yet moist.

גֶרֶשׂ means “crushing” and “grinding.” He grinds it in a mill of grist-grinders, similar to [the meaning of goras in the verse] “he broke [my teeth] with gravel,” and similarly, “my soul is crushed.”

Kernels, while the husk is full, when the grain is moist and full in its stalks. That is why the fresh ears [of corn] are called karmel, and similarly, “fresh ears [of corn] in his sack.”