There were two tables within the Antechamber at the entrance to the Temple building, one of marble and one of gold. They would place the lechem hapanim upon the one of marble when it was brought in, and upon the one of gold when it was taken out, because we ascend in holiness but do not descend. There was one of gold within upon which the lechem hapanim stood constantly. Four Kohanim enter, two with the two arrangements in their hands, and two with the two spoons in their hands. Four [others] precede them, two to take away the two arrangements, and two to take away the two spoons. Those who are bringing in stand to the north facing south, [while] those who are taking out stand to the south facing north. These withdraw and these place down, with the handbreadth of this one filling the handbreadth of this one; as it is stated (Ex. 25:30): before me constantly. R’ Yose says: Even if these take away and these place down, this too is constantly. They went out and placed [them] upon the golden table which was in the Antechamber. They burned the spoonfuls [on the Altar], and the loaves were divided among the Kohanim. If Yom Kippur falls on the Sabbath, the loaves are distributed at evening. [If] it falls on Friday, the he-goat of Yom Kippur is eaten at evening. The Babylonians eat it raw, because they are not fastidious.

[If] one arranged the bread on the Sabbath and the spoonfuls [of frankincense] after the Sabbath, and burnt the spoonfuls on the Sabbath, it is invalid; and one is not liable on their account for piggul, nossar, or tamei. [If] he arranged the loaves and the spoonfuls [of frankincense] on the Sabbath, and burnt the spoonfuls after the Sabbath, it is invalid; and one is not liable on their account for piggul, nossar, or tamei. [If] he arranged the loaves and the spoonfuls [of frankincense] after the Sabbath and burnt the spoonfuls on the Sabbath, it is invalid. What should he do? He should leave it there until the next Sabbath, for even if it is on the shulchan many days it is of no consequence.

The shtei halechem are eaten no earlier than two [days] and no later than three [days]. How so? [If] they are baked on the eve of the Festival and eaten on the Festival, that is two. [If] the Festival falls on Sunday, they are eaten on the third. The lechem hapanim are eaten no earlier than nine [days] and no later than eleven [days]. How so? [If] they are baked on Friday and eaten on the Sabbath, that is nine [days]. [If] a Festival falls on Friday, it is eaten on the tenth [day]. [If] the two days of Rosh Hashanah, it is eaten on the eleventh [day]. It does not override either the Sabbath or the Festival. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says in the name of R’ Shimon the son of the administrator: It overrides the Festival but it does not override the day of the fast.

Minchah-offerings and libation offerings which became contaminated with tumah — before they were sanctified in a vessel they can be redeemed; once they were sanctified in a vessel, they cannot be redeemed. Birds, wood, frankincense, and sacred vessels cannot be redeemed, for it only says an animal.

[If] one says, ‘‘I take upon myself [to bring a minchah-offering] in a machavas,’’ and he brought [it] in a marcheshes; [or he said,] ‘‘in a marcheshes,’’ and he brought [it] in a machavas — what he has brought he has brought, but he has not fulfilled his obligation. [If he said,] ‘‘This is to be brought in a machavas,’’ and he brought [it] in a marcheshes; [or he said,] ‘‘in a marcheshes,’’ and he brought [it] in a machavas — it is invalid. ‘‘I take upon myself to bring two essronim in one vessel,’’ and he brought [them] in two vessels; [or he said,] ‘‘in two vessels,’’ and brought [them] in one vessel — what he has brought he has brought, but he has not fulfilled his obligation. [If he said,] ‘‘These are to be brought in one vessel,’’ and he brought [them] in two vessels; [or he said,] ‘‘in two vessels,’’ and he brought [them] in one vessel — they are invalid. [If he said,] ‘‘I take upon myself to bring two essronim in one vessel,’’ and he brought [them] in two vessels; [and] they said to him, ‘‘You vowed [to bring them] in one vessel’’ — [if] he brought them in one vessel, they are valid; in two vessels, they are invalid. [If he said,] ‘‘I take upon myself to bring two essronim in two vessels,’’ and he brought [them] in one vessel; [and] they said to him, ‘‘You vowed [to bring them] in two vessels’’ — [if] he brought them in two vessels, they are valid. [If] he placed them in one vessel, [it is] like two minchah-offerings which were mixed together.

[If he said,] ‘‘I take upon myself [to bring] a minchah-offering from barley,’’ he must bring one from wheat. [If he said,] ‘‘coarse flour,’’ he must bring fine flour; ‘‘without oil and frankincense,’’ he must bring it with oil and frankincense; ‘‘half an issaron,’’ he must bring an issaron; ‘‘an issaron and a half,’’ he must bring two. R’ Shimon exempts [him] because he did not donate in the manner of those who donate.

A person may donate a minchah-offering of sixty issaron and bring [it] in one vessel. If he said, ‘‘I take upon myself [to bring] sixty-one [issaron],’’ he brings sixty in one vessel and one in another. For similarly the congregation brings sixty-one on the first day of Succos which falls on the Sabbath; it is sufficient for the individual that he be one less than the congregation. Said R’ Shimon: But aren’t these for the bulls and these for the lambs — and they may not be mixed with one another! Rather, until sixty they can be mixed. They said to him: ‘‘Sixty can be mixed and sixty-one cannot be mixed?’’ He said to them: All measurements of the Sages are thus; in forty seah one can immerse, [but] in forty seah less one kortov he cannot immerse. One cannot donate a log, two [lugin], or five; but he can donate three, four, or six, and from six and up.

One can donate wine, but one cannot donate oil; [these are] the words of R’ Akiva. R’ Tarfon says: One can donate oil. Said R’ Tarfon: Just as we find concerning wine that it comes as an obligation or as a donation, so too, oil comes as an obligation or as a donation. R’ Akiva said to him: No. If this is said of wine, it is because it is brought as an obligation on its own. Can you say [the same] of oil which is not brought as an obligation on its own? Two [people] cannot donate one issaron, but they can donate an olah-offering and a shelamim-offering, and with a bird, even a single bird.

[If one said,] ‘‘I take upon myself [to bring] an issaron’’ — he brings one; [if he said,] ‘‘essronim’’ — he brings two. [If he said,] ‘‘I specified, but I do not know what I specified’’ — he must bring sixty issaron. [If he said,] ‘‘I take upon myself [to bring] a minchahoffering’’ — he may bring whichever he wishes. R’ Yehudah says: He must bring the minchah of fine flour, for that is the principal minchah-offering.

[If he said, ‘‘I take upon myself to bring] a minchah-offering,’’ [or] ‘‘a kind of minchahoffering’’ — he brings one. [If he said,] ‘‘minchahofferings,’’ [or] ‘‘a kind of minchah-offerings’’ — he brings two. [If he said,] ‘‘I specified, but I do not know what I specified’’ — he must bring all five of them. [If he said,] ‘‘I specified a minchah-offering of issarons but I do not know what I specified’’ — he must bring a minchah-offering of sixty issaron. Rebbi says: He must bring [all] minchah-offerings from one to sixty issaron.

[If he said,] ‘‘I take upon myself [to bring pieces of] wood’’ — he may not bring less than two logs. ‘‘Frankincense’’ — he may not bring less than a kometz. There are five kematzin: [If] one said, ‘‘I take upon myself [to bring] frankincense’’ — he may not bring less than a kometz. One who donates a minchah-offering must bring with it a kometz of frankincense; one who offers up a kometz outside [the Temple Courtyard] is liable; and the two spoonfuls require two kematzin.