Daf Ditty Pesachim 47: Lechem HaPanim

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Rabba raised another objection to him: The shewbread in the Temple

may be eaten on the ninth, tenth, or eleventh days from when it is baked, no less and no more.
How so? In its usual manner it is eaten on the ninth day after it was baked, as it is baked on
Shabbat eve and it is eaten on the next Shabbat, on the ninth day from when it was baked. If a
Festival occurs on Shabbat eve, the shewbread is not baked on the Festival day but rather on
Thursday, the eve of the Festival. Consequently, it is eaten on Shabbat of the next week, on the
tenth day from when it was baked. If the two Festival days of Rosh HaShana preceded Shabbat,
the shewbread is baked on Wednesday, Rosh HaShana eve, and it is eaten on the next Shabbat,
on the eleventh day from when it was baked, because baking the shewbread does not override
Shabbat or a Festival. Rabba asks: If you say that whatever one needs for Shabbat may be done

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on a Festival, why doesn’t the baking of this bread override the Festival? Since the shewbread
is eaten on Shabbat, it should be considered food that one is permitted to prepare during the
Festival.

Rav Ḥisda said to him: They permitted one to override the rabbinic decree in the Temple only
with regard to baking on a Festival for the proximate Shabbat, i.e., Shabbat that immediately
follows the Festival.

However, they did not permit one to override the rabbinic decree to prepare for a distant
Shabbat, namely Shabbat of the next week.

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The Gemara asks: And according to Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel, who said in the name of
Rabbi Shimon, son of the deputy High Priest, that the baking of the shewbread overrides a
Festival but does not override the fast day of Yom Kippur, what can be said? Apparently, the
issue is the subject of a tannaitic dispute between Rabbi Shimon, son of the deputy High Priest,
who contends that it is permissible to prepare the shewbread during a Festival, and the Rabbis,
who prohibit it.

The Gemara explains that they do not dispute the basic principle. Rather, this is the point over
which they disagree: One Sage, i.e., the Rabbis, holds that they permitted one to override the
rabbinic decree only to prepare for the proximate Shabbat, but they did not permit one to
override the rabbinic decree to prepare for a distant Shabbat. Therefore, the baking of the

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shewbread does not override the Festival. And one Sage, Rabbi Shimon, holds that they also
permitted one to override the rabbinic decree in order to prepare for a distant Shabbat.

Rav Mari raised an objection: The two loaves of bread that are brought as a communal offering
on Shavuot are eaten by the priests no sooner than the second day and no later than the third
day from when they are baked. How so? They are generally baked on the eve of the Festival
and eaten on the Festival, the second day from their baking.

If the Festival occurs after Shabbat, they are baked on Friday and they are eaten on the third
day from the baking, because the baking of the two loaves does not override Shabbat or the
Festival. Rav Mari asks: If you say that whatever one needs for Shabbat may be done on a
Festival, now that it is permitted to engage in the necessary preparations for Shabbat on a
Festival, is it necessary to mention that it is permitted to bake for the Festival itself on the
Festival?

As such, why doesn’t the baking of the two loaves override the Festival?

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The Gemara answers: It is different there, in the case of the two loaves, as the verse says:

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 ‫ וַּביּוֹם‬,‫ֹקֶדשׁ‬-‫ ִמְק ָרא‬,‫טז וַּביּוֹם ָה ִראשׁוֹן‬ 16 And in the first day there shall be to you a holy
-‫ ָכּל‬:‫ֹקֶדשׁ ִיְהֶיה ָלֶכם‬-‫ ִמְק ָרא‬,‫ַהְשִּׁביִﬠי‬ convocation, and in the seventh day a holy convocation;
‫שׁר ֵיָאֵכל‬
ֶ ‫ ֲא‬g‫ַא‬--‫שׂה ָבֶהם‬ֶ ‫ֵיָﬠ‬-‫ ל ֹא‬,‫ְמָלאָכה‬ no manner of work shall be done in them, save that
.‫ הוּא ְלַבדּוֹ ֵיָﬠֶשׂה ָלֶכם‬,‫ֶנֶפשׁ‬-‫ְלָכל‬ which every man must eat, that only may be done by
you.
Ex 12:16

“No kind of labor shall be done on them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be
done for you” This indicates that it is permitted to cook and bake only “for you,” i.e., for human
consumption, and not for the One above, namely for the Temple service.

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Rav Avrohom Adler writes:1

1.The lechem hapanim is eaten on the ninth day, the tenth day, or on the eleventh day. The lechem
hapanim, (which is the showbread that consisted of twelve loaves that were placed on the Shulchan
in the Bais HaMikdash and remained there from one Shabbos to the next) can be eaten on the ninth
day if it was baked on Friday and then it would be eaten on Shabbos of the following week, which
is nine days after it was baked. If Yom Tov occurs on Friday, then the lechem hapanim was baked
on Thursday and eaten the following Shabbos which is ten days from when it was baked. If the
two days of Rosh Hashanah fall on Thursday and Friday, then the lechem hapanim was baked on
Wednesday, and eaten eleven days later on the following Shabbos. This is because the baking of
the lechem hapanim would not supersede the prohibition of baking on Shabbos or Yom Tov.

2. There is a dispute whether the lechem hapanim can be baked on Yom Kippur. The Tanna
Kamma maintains that the lechem hapanim cannot be baked on Yom Tov, whereas Rabban
Shimon ben Gamliel said in the name of Rabbi Shimon the son of the deputy (of the Kohen Gadol,
who would replace the Kohen Gadol when the Kohen Gadol could not perform the services) that
one can bake the lechem hapanim on Yom Tov, but one is prohibited from baking the lechem
hapanim on Yom Kippur. The reason for this ruling is that if Yom Kippur occurs on Friday, one
cannot bake the lechem hapanim on Friday, and the baking must take place on Thursday. This is
because Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel maintains that one can perform melacha on Yom Tov for
that Yom Tov and for Shabbos, as Shabbos is also referred to as Yom Tov. The Chachamim did
not prohibit baking on Yom Tov for Shabbos if the baking is performed for the Bais HaMikdash
service. This was permitted even if the baking on Yom Tov would only be for the following
Shabbos. Regarding Yom Kippur, however, there is no permit to bake on Yom Kippur because of
ochel nefesh (literally food for the soul, and explained to mean food that one will eat on Yom Tov)
and one cannot bake the lechem hapanim on Yom Kippur even though it was required for the Bais
HaMikdash.

1
http://dafnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Pesachim_47.pdf

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3. There is a dispute whether the Chachamim permitted a rabbinical injunction for something that
occurs in the future. We learned that Rav Chisda maintains that biblically, the needs of Shabbos
can be prepared on Yom Tov. Rav Chisda maintains that although the Chachamim permitted a
rabbinic injunction for immediate needs, they did not permit a rabbinic injunction for something
that will occur in the future. Thus, the baking of the lechem hapanim was not permitted on Yom
Tov, because although rabbinic prohibitions were suspended with regard to the service in the Bais
HaMikdash, this was only said regarding something that had to be performed that day. The lechem
hapanim, however, was not going to be eaten until the following Shabbos, so one was not permitted
to bake the lechem hapanim on Yom Tov. According to Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel who
maintains that one can bake the lechem hapanim on Yom Tov, we must say that Rabban Shimon
ben Gamliel maintains that a rabbinic injunction was permitted even for something that would
occur in the future, i.e., the eating of the lechem hapanim on the following Shabbos.

4. The shtei halechem that are offered on Shavuos cannot be eaten less than two days after they
are baked and not more than three days after they are baked. The shtei halechem (Two loaves of
bread that were offered as a communal offering on the festival of Shavuos. These loaves were
waved together with two communal shelamim offerings and they were then eaten by the Kohanim
after the blood service of the shelamim offerings was finished) are eaten not less than two days
after being baked and they are not eaten more than three days after being baked. If they are baked
in the normal time, which is on the eve of Shavuos, they would be eaten on the Yom Tov of
Shavuos, which is the second day. If Yom Tov occurs after Shabbos, which is Sunday, they are
baked on Friday, and when they are eaten on Yom Tov, that is the third day. The shtei halechem
are not baked on Shabbos or on Shavuos because baking the shtei halechem does not supersede
the prohibition of Shabbos or Yom Tov.

5. There is a dispute how to interpret the words for you in the verse that states however, that which
is eaten by any person, that alone may be performed for you. Rav Chisda maintains that the needs
of Shabbos can be prepared on Yom Tov, yet one cannot bake the shtei halechem on Shavuos,
because it is said: however, that which is eaten by any person, that alone may be performed for
you. The words for you mean that you can prepare food on Yom Tov for yourself, but not for the
purpose of a sacrificial offering. Thus, although the shtei halechem were eaten by the kohanim,
their main purpose was for an offering. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel, however, who maintains that
one can bake the shtei halechem on Shavuos, interprets the verse like Abba Shaul, who says that
when it said for you, this means that you can prepare for yourself and not for gentiles. This excludes
preparing for gentiles but does not exclude preparing food for the service in the Bais HaMikdash,
so it would be permitted to bake the shtei halechem on Yom Tov.

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"YOM TOV SHENI SHEL GALUYOS" IN YERUSHALAYIM
Rav Mordechai Kornfeld writes:2

The Gemara cites the Mishnah in Menachos (100b) which states that when the two days of Rosh
Hashanah fall immediately prior to Shabbos (that is, on Thursday and Friday), the Lechem ha'Panim
is eaten in the Beis ha'Mikdash on the eleventh day after it is baked. That is, there are eleven days
from the time it is baked (on Wednesday, the day before Rosh Hashanah) until the time it is eaten
(Shabbos of the following week).

RASHI (DH Shenei Yamim Shel Rosh Hashanah) asks why the Mishnah specifically mentions two
days of Rosh Hashanah, and not two days of any Yom Tov (that is, "Yom Tov Sheni Shel Galuyos")?
Rashi answers that "in the times of the Lechem ha'Panim there was no second day of Yom Tov."
Rashi's question and answer are difficult to understand. The Gemara is discussing the Lechem
ha'Panim in the Beis ha'Mikdash, where there never were two days of Yom Tov, other than Rosh
Hashanah. Even today, when two days of Yom Tov are observed outside of Eretz Yisrael, only one
day of Yom Tov is observed in Yerushalayim. What does Rashi mean when he says that "in the times
of the Lechem ha'Panim there was no second day of Yom Tov"? (TZELACH)

CHASAM SOFER (in Chidushim here, and in Teshuvos YD 252) writes that in his youth he
brazenly suggested an answer to the TZELACH, who nodded his head in affirmation. He answered
that it was possible for a situation to arise in which there indeed were two days of Yom Tov even in
Yerushalayim. The Gemara in Berachos (63a) relates that during the time that the leading Torah
Sages lived outside of Eretz Yisrael, they would accept the testimony of witnesses who saw the new
moon, and they would establish the new month based on that testimony. Since it took time for the
messengers of Beis Din to bring news of the new month to Yerushalayim, the people of Yerushalayim
would have to observe two days of Yom Tov out of doubt (just as cities outside of Eretz Yisrael kept
two days of Yom Tov when the Beis Din in Yerushalayim established the new month)!

Why, then, does Rashi say that there was no second day of Yom Tov in Yerushalayim in the times
of the Lechem ha'Panim?

The Chasam Sofer suggests that perhaps the verse, "v'Alisa El ha'Makom" (Devarim 17:8), teaches
that as long as the Beis ha'Mikdash stands, the beginning of the new month must be established by
the Sages in Eretz Yisrael, regardless of whether their counterparts in Chutz la'Aretz are greater.
Accordingly, Rashi is correct that in the Beis ha'Mikdash, there was never a second day of Yom Tov.
(The wording of Rashi, "Yamim Tovim Shel Galuyos," is difficult according to this explanation, as
Rav Yosef Shaul Natanson points out.)

RAV YOSEF SHAUL NATANSON notes (in his comments on the famous Teshuvah of
the CHACHAM TZVI (#167), who reaches the opposite conclusion; his comments can be found at
the end of most printings of the Chacham Tzvi) that we see from the words of Rashi that two days of
Yom Tov were always observed by the people of Yerushalayim!

2
https://www.dafyomi.co.il/pesachim/insites/ps-dt-047.htm

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TOSFOS (14a, DH Shtei) explains that since people from many different locations would gather in
Yerushalayim during the Yom Tov, the city would observe the most stringent customs that were
common among the people. Accordingly, it can be argued that the people of the city observed two
days of Yom Tov in Yerushalayim. They followed the more stringent custom of the people of Chutz
la'Aretz, as people from Chutz la'Aretz were constantly present during the festival.

Rashi, therefore, explains that during the times of the Lechem ha'Panim, there was not yet any
rabbinical enactment to observe two days of Yom Tov outside of Eretz Yisrael (Beitzah 5b). Rather,
two days were observed outside of Eretz Yisrael only when there was a doubt when the new month
was established. Since there was not yet a "Minhag" per se to observe two days of Yom Tov in Chutz
la'Aretz, Yerushalayim observed only one day.

Perhaps when Rashi says that two days of Yom Tov were not observed "in the times" of the Lechem
ha'Panim, he does not mean that in the historical era of the Beis ha'Mikdash there were not two days
of Yom Tov, for that is obvious. Rather, Rashi means to say that when the Gemara discusses the
duration of time from when the Lechem ha'Panim was baked until it was eaten, it is not relevant to
discuss two days of any Yom Tov other than Rosh Hashanah, for the very grounds on which the
question is based: such a thing does not exist in Yerushalayim. (Rashi's words are to be read as
follows: "When we discuss the duration of time of the Lechem ha'Panim, there is no [pertinence to]
two days of Yom Tov.")

Why does Rashi find it necessary to point this out, if it is obvious? Rashi wants to explain
why other Mishnayos do not discuss "Yom Tov Sheni Shel Galuyos" but refer instead to two days
of Rosh Hashanah. For example, the Mishnah in Shabbos (137a) teaches that it is possible for Milah
to be delayed until twelve days after a birth -- when the birth occurred during Bein ha'Shemashos of
Friday night, and the following week "two days of Rosh Hashanah" immediately follow Shabbos.
Does this law apply to when two days of any other Yom Tov intervene as well, or may the baby be
circumcised on the second day of Yom Tov?

This is actually the subject of a debate among the Rishonim. Most rule that there is no difference
between Rosh Hashanah and any other Yom Tov.

TASHBETZ (3:284, cited by TESHUVOS CHASAM SOFER, YD 250) understands that this is the
opinion of Rashi as well. Rashi here implies that had any other Yom Tov intervened between the
baking and the eating of the Lechem ha'Panim, it also would have been necessary to bake the Lechem
ha'Panim before that Yom Tov.

RAMBAM (Hilchos Milah 1:15), on the other hand, differentiates between Rosh Hashanah and other
Yamim Tovim, based on the wording of the Mishnah in Shabbos.

Rashi here attempts to refute the Rambam's proof from the wording of the Mishnah that discusses
Milah. Rashi emphasizes the specific reason for why this Mishnah (in Menachos) does not mention
Yom Tov Sheni Shel Galuyos. Since this Mishnah needs to mention specifically two days of "Rosh
Hashanah," the other Mishnayos that discuss a delay caused by two days of Yom Tov also mention

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Rosh Hashanah, even though the laws of those Mishnayos apply equally to Yom Tov Sheni Shel
Galuyos.

Preparing Food on Yom Tov for Shabbat

Steinzaltz (OBM) writes:3

One of the topics discussed in our perek is how one can prepare for Shabbat when Yom Tov occurs
on Friday. Rabbah suggests that we rely on a legal fiction called ho’il – since guests might come
to visit on Yom Tov, one can prepare food on Yom Tov (which is permissible when done for that
day) with these theoretical guests in mind. When it turns out that there is food left over
for Shabbat, Shabbat is thus prepared for. Rav Hisda argues that on a Biblical level one can
prepare for Shabbat on the Friday on which Yom Tov occurs; the prohibition is a Rabbinic one,
lest someone prepare for a regular weekday on Yom Tov. The Sages instituted an eruv tavshilin,
which clarifies that the preparations can be done only for Shabbat.

Rabbah challenges Rav Hisda’s ruling from the law regarding the lehem ha-panim – the
showbread of the Temple.

The laws of the Temple showbread appear in Lev 24:1-9 and are discussed at length in the Talmud
in Massekhet Menahot. Twelve loaves were baked every week, which were placed on
the shulhan in the heikhal on Shabbat. They remained there until the following Shabbat, when
they were replaced by freshly baked loaves. The loaves were then distributed among the groups
of kohanim who were working in the Temple.

Mishnah Menachos 9:11

3
https://steinsaltz.org/daf/pesahim47/

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The two loaves were eaten never earlier than on the second day and never later than on the third
day. How so? [Normally] they were baked on the day before the festival and eaten on the festival,
that is, on the second day. If the festival fell on the day after Shabbat, they would be eaten on the
third day. The showbread was eaten never earlier than on the ninth day and never later than on
the eleventh day. How so? [Normally] it was baked on the day before Shabbat and eaten on
Shabbat [of the following week], that is on the ninth day. If a festival fell on the day before Shabbat,
it would be eaten on the tenth day. If the two days of Rosh Hashanah [fell before Shabbat], it would
then be eaten on the eleventh day. [Baking] overrides neither Shabbat nor the festival. Rabban
Shimon ben Gamaliel says in the name of Rabbi Shimon, son of the deputy [high priest]: it
overrides the festival but not the fast day (Yom Kippur).

The Mishna in Menahot (11:9) above, teaches that ordinarily the lehem ha-panim was eaten nine
days after it was baked (baked on Friday and eaten the following Shabbat). When Yom Tov fell on
Friday, it was eaten ten days after it was baked; when Rosh ha-Shanah fell on Thursday and Friday,
it was eaten eleven days after it was baked. Clearly the Mishna believes that the baking cannot be
done on Yom Tov in preparation for Shabbat, seemingly against Rav Hisda’s ruling.
Rav Hisda responds by pointing out that, in this case, the preparation is not for the immediately
upcoming Shabbat, as the bread was not eaten for more than a week!

Preparation for a week later would be permitted on Yom Tov. When Shabbat immediately
follows Yom Tov, however, food preparation for Shabbat would be permitted.

Eating on Yom Kippur

Rabbi Jay Kelman writes:4

The Yomim Tovim celebrate monumental events in Jewish history. The focus of these days is on
bringing Jews together as a people and as friends. Shabbat, on the other hand, is first and foremost

4
https://www.torahinmotion.org/discussions-and-blogs/pesachim-47-eating-yom-kippur

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focused on recognizing G-d as the Creator of the universe. This differing focus may help explain
why cooking is allowed on Yom Tov but not on Shabbat. There is no better way to bring people
together than through food. With Yom Tov's focus on community building, eating together is
paramount; and in order to have the best of foods, cooking is permitted. While we are commanded
to eat on Shabbat, here the focus is heavenly, and we must prepare all food beforehand.

While cooking is allowed on Yom Tov, such may only be done if the food is needed for Yom Tov
itself. One may not use the day off from work to cook for guests coming over the following week.
And while on a Biblical level, one may, the Gemara notes, cook from Yom Tov for Shabbat, the
rabbis forbade such unless one makes an eiruv tavshilin, where one begins the cooking process for
Shabbat before Yom Tov begins. By doing so, the rabbis were hoping to emphasize the prohibition
of cooking for a weekday on Yom Tov.

As part of the Temple service, each Shabbat twelve loaves of bread, the lechem hapanim, were
distributed - six (according to some seven) to the mishmar, the group of kohanim who were starting
their weekly cycle of Temple service, and six (according to some five) to the outgoing mishmar of
kohanim. This bread would normally be cooked on the Friday before, i.e., eight days before it was
to be distributed - and the freshness of the bread is among the miracles that occurred in the Temple.
However, if Friday was a Yom Tov, the bread would be cooked on Thursday; and if Rosh Hashana
fell on Thursday and Friday, then the food would be cooked on Wednesday, ten days prior to
distribution. The fact that the baking would have to be done prior to Yom Tov would seem to
indicate that biblically one may not cook on Yom Tov, even for Shabbat.

What interests me more than the answer to this question5 is a problem noted by Rashi and Tosafot.
If Rosh Hashana falls--as it does this year--on a Thursday and Friday, how can the Talmud say
the lechem hapanim would be eaten ten days later on the following Shabbat? That day is Yom
Kippur!

I would like to focus on the second answer to this problem proposed by Rashi. We all know that a
Jewish day starts in the evening prior. What is less well known is that this is not universally true.
In the Beit Hamikdash, the day starts in the morning and ends the next morning. The night marks,
not the beginning, but the end of the day. Hence, when a sacrifice is brought, it can be generally
be eaten until the end of that day, i.e., the following morning. So, when Rosh Hashana falls on a
Thursday, the lechem hapanim is baked on the Wednesday and is eaten ten days later - on Saturday
night - after Yom Kippur has ended, but before daybreak.

It is this dual system that makes the seder night so special. A careful but rather obvious reading of
the biblical text (see Vayikra 23:4) reveals that the holiday of Pesach is observed on the 14th of
Nissan. It is celebrated by bringing the pascal lamb as a sacrifice, to be eaten later that night -
towards the end of the Temple day. It is chag hamatzot that begins in the evening, on the 15th of

5
The Gemara (as understood by Rabbeinu Chananel) explains that, while normally one can cook on Yom Tov for Shabbat, this is
only for the upcoming Shabbat, but not for the following week.

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Nissan. The seder night thus marks the overlap of chag hapesach and chag hamatzot. It is when
we are to eat both the pascal lamb and the matzah--together, no less.

Rav Shimshon Raphael Hirsch beautifully explains that the Temple as the resting place of the
divine presence is associated with light. The day begins (and ends) at daybreak. But for the rest of
the world, where it is much more difficult to feel the presence of G-d, the day begins (and ends) in
darkness. It is the light of Torah that guides us, helping to illuminate the darkness that surrounds
us.

The embarrassment of God needing bread philosophically leads to the multiple symbolic
interpretations discussed below …

Rabbi Elliot Goldberg wrties:6

The principle of muktzeh, which we explored extensively in Tractate Shabbat, is that certain items
may not be touched on Shabbat for various reasons (often because their normal use is for a kind
of labor that violates Shabbat’s work prohibitions). Today’s daf reminds us that the rules of
muktzeh apply not only to Shabbat, but to festivals as well. (Festivals days which are sacred, like
Shabbat, include the first and last days of Passover, first and last days of Sukkot, Shavuot, Rosh
Hashanah and Yom Kippur.)

How did we get to this discussion? The Gemara is engaged in a conversation about violations of
biblical law on festivals. Specifically, which violations incur the punishment of flogging. The
question is raised whether muktzeh is one such violation. To prove that muktzeh is forbidden on
festivals and also establish that touching set-aside items violates a negative biblical commandment
(the punishment for which is flogging), takes some work. Let’s see how they do it.

First, the rabbis prove that muktzeh is forbidden on festivals:

6
Myjewishlearning.com

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Is the prohibition against utilizing set-aside material prohibited by Torah law, such that a
person is flogged for violating this prohibition? Yes, as it is written: And it shall come to pass
on the sixth day that they shall prepare that which they bring in. (Exodus 16:5)

As the verse indicates, one should prepare items that will be used on the sacred day in advance.
The implication, according to this creative reading, is that anything that has not been prepared in
advance is considered to be muktzeh and one may not use it.

However, you may have noticed, this verse is not written as a negative commandment. As such, it
does not successfully establish muktzeh as a negative commandment. To do so, the Gemara looks
elsewhere:

The warning indicating that it is a negative commandment is from here: You shall not
perform any labor. (Exodus 20:10)

The Gemara understands the prohibition on using objects that were not set aside for use as being
included in the general prohibition on labor. Since this verse is formulated as a negative
commandment, the laws of muktzeh are also a negative commandment. And voilà, the punishment
for violating muktzeh on festivals is flogging. Case closed.

But wait, you might be asking, not only are these readings a fairly creative twist on the literal
meaning of the respective verses, but I looked at both of these verses in their original context and
they are clearly talking about Shabbat and not festivals! So how do we know that the laws of
muktzeh also apply to festivals?

Great question! The answer lies in the fact that, from the rabbis’ perspective, the rules of festivals
are nearly the same as the rules of Shabbat except when it comes to the preparation of food (which
is permitted on festivals, as per Exodus 12:16). As such, once the rules of muktzeh are established
for Shabbat, they automatically apply to festivals as well.

If all of this seems like a great deal of exegetical work to prove that the Torah thinks muktzeh is
forbidden on festivals and incurs a punishment of flogging — none of which is actually conveyed
directly or plainly in the Torah — that’s because it is. One of the remarkable, beautiful and
puzzling things about the rabbinic method is the seemingly endless energy for connecting religious
practice to biblical sources. While, at times, the connections may seem precarious to a modern
reader, the rabbis' erudition, creativity and stamina to justify each and every piece is nonetheless
impressive.

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Shulchan Lechem HaPanim (Table of the Showbread)

The Shulchan Lechem HaPanim is one of the keilim (vessels) found in the northeastern corner of the Kodesh (Holy) in
the Heichal (Sanctuary) of the Beit HaMikdash (Temple).

Structure: The Shulchan’s base is a four-legged table made of acacia wood covered in gold and surrounded by a gold molding.
Attached to the table are four gold poles, two for each set of six loaves of bread. Attached to the four gold poles are twenty-eight
gold half-reeds that compose the “shelves” on which ten out of the twelve loaves sit (two loaves sit on the table itself).

Function: The Shulchan is the kli (vessel) on which sit the twelve loaves of Lechem HaPanim (Showbread). These loaves, with a
unique shape and thickness, are baked on Friday and placed on the Shulchan on Shabbat (the Sabbath). While these loaves are

19
regularly called “bread”, they are in fact unleavened bread. The set of twelve loaves sits on the Shulchan for a week- from Shabbat
to Shabbat- until they are switched out for the new bread. Before Shabbat, the Kohanim (priests) disassemble the poles of the
Shulchan so that only the base table remains in position. The Kohanim replace the bread by pushing the old bread off of the
Shulchan with the new bread, thereby ensuring that there is never a moment during which there is no bread on the Shulchan. This
bread is then divided up amongst the Kohanim who are working in the Mikdash (Temple) on that Shabbat. Although the bread
stayed on the table for a full week, the Talmud (Chagiga 26b) explains that the bread was taken off of the Shulchan in the same
state as it was placed on the Shulchan. Commentators disagree as to precisely what this means, with some saying that the bread
stayed warm all week-long and others saying that the bread stayed soft all week long. In either case, the bread miraculously
remained fresh for a full week.

The Lechem HaPanim not getting stale was presented by the Kohanim as an indication of God’s
Love for Israel.

Rabbi Yaakov Bieler writes:7

In the first of his 2017 Divrei Tora on Parashat Emor, R. David Silverberg notes the verses in the Parashat HaShavua devoted
to the topic of the Lechem HaPanim (the “Showbread” arranged weekly on the Shulchan in the Mishkan/Mikdash) and a
Talmudic discussion concerning a miraculous aspect of this Tabernacle/Temple ritual:

Lev 24:5-9

‫ ְשֵׁתּים‬,‫ ְוָאִפיָת ֹאָתהּ‬--‫ה ְוָלַקְחָתּ ֹסֶלת‬ 5 And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes
,‫ ִיְהֶיה‬,‫ ֶﬠְשֹׂר ִנים‬,‫ֶﬠְשֵׂרה ַחלּוֹת; ְשֵׁני‬ thereof: two tenth parts of an ephah shall be in one cake.
.‫ַהַחָלּה ָהֶאָחת‬

‫ ֵשׁשׁ‬,‫ו ְוַשְׂמָתּ אוָֹתם ְשַׁתּ ִים ַמֲﬠָרכוֹת‬ 6 And thou shalt set them in two rows, six in a row, upon
.‫ ִלְפֵני ְיהָוה‬,‫ ַﬠל ַהֻשְּׁלָחן ַהָטֹּהר‬,‫ַהַמֲּﬠָרֶכת‬ the pure table before the LORD.

‫ ְלֹבָנה ַזָכּה; ְוָה ְיָתה‬,‫ַהַמֲּﬠֶרֶכת‬-‫ ז ְוָנַתָתּ ַﬠל‬7 And thou shalt put pure frankincense with each row, that
.‫ ִאֶשּׁה ַליהָוה‬,‫ ַלֶלֶּחם ְלַאְזָכָּרה‬it may be to the bread for a memorial-part, even an offering
made by fire unto the LORD.

‫ ַיַﬠ ְרֶכנּוּ‬,‫ ח ְבּיוֹם ַהַשָּׁבּת ְבּיוֹם ַהַשָּׁבּת‬8 Every sabbath day he shall set it in order before the
,‫ ִיְשָׂרֵאל‬-‫ ֵמֵאת ְבֵּני‬:‫ָתִּמיד‬--‫ ִלְפֵני ְיהָוה‬LORD continually; it is from the children of Israel, an
.‫ ְבּ ִרית עוָֹלם‬everlasting covenant.

7
https://yaakovbieler.wordpress.com/2019/05/13/lechem-hapanim-representing-religious-enthusiasm/

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 ‫ ַוֲאָכֻלהוּ‬,‫ט ְוָה ְיָתה ְלַאֲהֹרן וְּלָבָניו‬ 9 And it shall be for Aaron and his sons; and they shall eat
,‫ ִכּי ֹקֶדשׁ ָקָדִשׁים הוּא לוֹ‬:‫ְבָּמקוֹם ָקֹדשׁ‬ it in a holy place; for it is most holy unto him of the
{‫ }ס‬.‫עוָֹלם‬-‫ָחק‬--‫ֵמִאֵשּׁי ְיהָוה‬ offerings of the LORD made by fire, a perpetual due.'

5 And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof: two tenth parts of an Eifa shall be in one cake. 6 And thou shalt set
them in two rows, six in a row, upon the pure Table before the LORD. 7 And thou shalt put pure frankincense with each row, that
it may be to the bread for a memorial-part, even an Offering made by fire unto the LORD. 8 Every Sabbath day he shall set it in
order before the LORD continually; it is from the children of Israel, an everlasting Covenant. 9 And it shall be for Aharon and his
sons; and they shall eat it in a Holy Place; for it is most Holy unto him of the Offerings of the LORD made by fire, a perpetual due.

Chagiga 26b

…They (the Kohanim) used to lift it and show thereon to the Festival pilgrims the Showbread, and to say to them: Behold the love
in which you are held by the Omnipresent; it is taken away (at the end of the week) as (fresh as) it is set down. For R. Yehoshua
b.Levi said: A great Miracle was Performed in regard to the Showbread: As (fresh as) It was when set down, so was it taken away.
For it is said: (I Shmuel 21:7) “So the priest gave him Holy Bread; for there was no bread there but the Showbread, that was taken
from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.”

(R. Silverberg addresses the technical problem of how the pilgrims, who wouldn’t be eating the bread, could possibly know that
the bread had remained fresh throughout the week of its having been placed upon the Shulchan, aside from simply believing the
claim of the Kohanim. He cites RITVA on Yoma 21a:

We have learnt: Ten miracles were wrought in the Temple: 1) no woman miscarried from the scent of the holy flesh; 2) the holy
flesh never became putrid; 3) no fly was seen in the slaughter house; 4) no ritual impurity ever befell the High Priest on the Day
of Atonement; 5) no rain ever quenched the fire of the wood-pile on the Altar; 6) neither did the wind overcome the column of
smoke that arose therefrom; 7) nor was there ever found any disqualifying defect in the Omer Sacrifice or in the Two Loaves, or in
the Showbread; 8) though the people stood closely pressed together, they still found wide spaces between them to prostrate
themselves; 9) never did serpent or scorpion injure anyone in Jerusalem; 10) nor did any man ever say to his fellow: The place is
too narrow for me to stay overnight in Jerusalem.

RITVA

…It seems that at the time of the placement and the removal [of the Lechem HaPanim] it was so hot to the point that steam would
rise from it, like bread first being taken out of an oven… it would be impossible for them [the pilgrims] to see this miracle from
afar other than by means of what we have pointed out.)

21
What might the significance of such an association be?

R. Silverberg concludes:

A number of writers have suggested that the lasting freshness of the Lechem HaPanim symbolized the long-lasting impact of the
visit to the Beit HaMikdash and of the experience of standing in God’s Presence. When the people came for the Regalim and were
able to experience the special joy and exhilaration of the site of the Shechina, they might become disheartened by the knowledge
that they would soon return home to their regular routine. They could easily feel distressed over the fact that they received the
inspiration of the Beit HaMikdash only three times a year and spent the rest of the year engaged primarily in the pursuit of a
livelihood through their engagement in mundane work. The Kohanim in the Mikdash therefore sought to encourage the people by
assuring them, “Siluko KeSiduro” (it is taken away [as fresh] as when it was set down)– we are all capable, to one degree or
another, of maintaining the “freshness” and enthusiasm of an inspirational experience. The emotional effects of the visit to the Beit
HaMikdash would likely not retain their intensity throughout the coming months, but they would not entirely disappear, either. By
making a commitment to inject the Kedusha represented by the Temple into their daily routine, the people had the opportunity to
preserve at least some of the excitement and elevation they experienced during their festival celebration in the Mikdash, and thereby
raise their lives to a higher level of religious devotion.

Discussion.

It is interesting to me that a miracle that benefits only the Kohanim, since they are the ones that are consuming the Lechem HaPanim,
is presented to the Jewish people, who have come to Yerushalayim to fulfill the Mitzva of Aliya LeRegel, as an indication to them of
God’s Love and Concern for them!

Perhaps it could be said that merely to be in the presence of a miracle is considered a great honor. Many miracles that take place
happen to someone else, and they certainly should be thankful that they have been delivered from the situation in which they
originally found themselves. But others who are witness to the great happening, while they may not be directly benefiting from the
miracle, nevertheless find their faith strengthened as a result, and for this they too should be thankful. Consequently, miracles have
significance both for whom they benefit as well as bystanders who are privy of their having taken place.

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 Purpose of the Shulchan and Lechem HaPanim8

"‫שְׁלָחן‬
ֻ ‫ ְלָפַני‬E‫"ַתֲּﬠֹר‬

Parashat Terumah contains the command to build the Tabernacle and its vessels. After opening with the Ark of the Covenant, the
Torah follows with the Table (Shulchan) and Showbread (Lechem HaPanim):

‫ )כה( ְוָﬠִשׂיָת לּוֹ ִמְסֶגּ ֶרת‬.‫ )כד( ְוִצִפּיָת ֹאתוֹ ָזָהב ָטהוֹר ְוָﬠִשׂיָת לּוֹ ֵזר ָזָהב ָסִביב‬.‫שְׁלָחן ֲﬠֵצי ִשִׁטּים ַאָמַּת ִים ׇא ְרכּוֹ ְוַאָמּה ׇרְחבּוֹ ְוַאָמּה ָוֵחִצי ֹקָמתוֹ‬
ֻ ‫)כג( ְוָﬠִשׂיָת‬
...‫ֹטַפח ָסִביב ְוָﬠִשׂיָת ֵזר ָזָהב ְלִמְסַגּ ְרתּוֹ ָסִביב‬

ֻ ‫ )ל( ְוָנַתָתּ ַﬠל ַה‬.‫ ָבֵּהן ָזָהב ָטהוֹר ַתֲּﬠֶשׂה ֹאָתם‬E‫)כט( ְוָﬠִשׂיָת ְקָּﬠֹרָתיו ְוַכֹפָּתיו וְּקשׂוָֹתיו וְּמַנִקּ ֹיָּתיו ֲאֶשׁר יַֻסּ‬
.‫שְּׁלָחן ֶלֶחם ָפּ ִנים ְלָפַני ָתִּמיד‬

Though these verses describe the appearance of the Shulchan in great detail, they provide scant information about why there was a
need for either it or the bread which was placed on it. As Hashem has no need for food, why put a table and bread in His
sanctuary? This difficulty was noted by Rambam in Moreh Nevukhim, and he leaves it as an unexplained mystery:

‫ עד היום לא מצאתי למה לייחס‬.‫ אבל איני יודע טעם לשולחן והיות הלחם עליו תמיד‬.‫הצורך במזבח הקטורת ובמזבח העולה וכלי הקיבול שלהם ברור‬
.‫אותו‬

The Shulchan

In investigating the purpose of the Shulchan, it may be helpful to take a closer look at both its place within the Mishkan and the
details of its construction:

• Relationship to other vessels – The laws of the Table are sandwiched between those of the Aron and Menorah,
suggesting that they serve as a threesome. On the other hand, the Table's location within the Outer Sanctum (‫ )קודש‬of
the Mishkan connects it instead to the Menorah and Incense Altar.

• Secondary utensils – Hashem instructs that the Table should have: "‫"ְקָּﬠֹרָתיו ְוַכֹפָּתיו וְּקשׂוָֹתיו וְּמַנִקּ ֹיָּתיו‬. What are the identities
and functions of each of these? Do they form part of the structure of the Table, or are they accompanying utensils used
to set the Table or bake the Showbread? Any which way, what light do they shed on the role of the Table?

8
https://alhatorah.org/Purpose_of_the_Shulchan_and_Lechem_HaPanim/1/en#fn1

23
 • Materials and decorations – The Table was constructed from gold plated acacia wood surrounded by a "‫"ֵזר ָזָהב‬
(decorative gold molding) and "‫( "ִמְסֶגֶּרת‬frame). Do the molding and frame contribute to the Table's function or are they
merely artistic flourishes?

The Lechem HaPanim

The laws regarding the Showbread are discussed in Lev 24:5-9:
‫ )ו( ְוַשְׂמָתּ אוָֹתם ְשַׁתּ ִים ַמֲﬠָרכוֹת ֵשׁשׁ‬.‫)ה( ְוָלַקְחָתּ ֹסֶלת ְוָאִפיָת ֹאָתהּ ְשֵׁתּים ֶﬠְשֵׂרה ַחלּוֹת ְשֵׁני ֶﬠְשֹׂר ִנים ִיְהֶיה ַהַחָלּה ָהֶאָחת‬
‫ )ח( ְבּיוֹם ַהַשָּׁבּת‬.‫ )ז( ְוָנַתָתּ ַﬠל ַהַמֲּﬠֶרֶכת ְלֹבָנה ַזָכּה ְוָה ְיָתה ַלֶלֶּחם ְלַאְזָכָּרה ִאֶשּׁה ַלי"י‬.‫ַהַמֲּﬠָרֶכת ַﬠל ַהֻשְּׁלָחן ַהָטֹּהר ִלְפֵני י"י‬
‫ )ט( ְוָה ְיָתה ְלַאֲהֹרן וְּלָבָניו ַוֲאָכֻלהוּ ְבָּמקוֹם ָקֹדשׁ ִכּי ֹקֶדשׁ‬.‫ְבּיוֹם ַהַשָּׁבּת ַיַﬠ ְרֶכנּוּ ִלְפֵני י"י ָתִּמיד ֵמֵאת ְבֵּני ִיְשָׂרֵאל ְבּ ִרית עוָֹלם‬
.‫ׇקָדִשׁים הוּא לוֹ ֵמִאֵשּׁי י"י ׇחק עוָֹלם‬

These verses raise a host of questions, the answers to which might shed further light on the
vessel and its service as a whole:

• "‫ – "ֶלֶחם ָפּ ִנים‬Vayikra 24 refers to the loaves as "‫"ַחלּוֹת‬, while Shemot 25 calls them
"‫"ֶלֶחם ָפּ ִנים‬. What is the meaning of each term and what does it teach about the nature
of this bread?
• "‫שְּׁלָחן‬
ֻ ‫שׁשׁ ַהַמֲּﬠ ָרֶכת ַﬠל ַה‬
ֵ ‫ – "ְשַׁתּ ִים ַמֲﬠ ָרכוֹת‬Is there any significance to the fact that there
are specifically twelve loaves or that they are arranged in two sections?
• "‫ – "ְבּ ִרית עוָֹלם‬None of the other rites that take place in the Tabernacle are described
as a "‫"ְבּ ִרית עוָֹלם‬.3 What does the term mean and why is it used only by the Lechem
HaPanim?
• "‫ – " ְוָה ְיָתה ַלֶלֶּחם ְלַאְזָכּ ָרה‬The ‫( ְלֹבָנה‬frankincense) is designated to be a memorial
("‫)"ַאְזָכָּרה‬. But what is it supposed to commemorate?
• "‫שָּׁבּת ַיַﬠ ְרֶכנּוּ‬
ַ ‫ – "ְבּיוֹם ַה‬Why are the loaves arranged on Shabbat specifically?
• "‫ – " ְוָה ְיָתה ְלַאֲהֹרן וְּלָבָניו‬Why is the bread eaten by the priests rather than being
sacrificed to Hashem? Moreover, what is meant by the explanation " ‫ִכּי ֹקֶדשׁ ׇקָדִשׁים‬
‫?"הוּא‬
• In attempting to explain the purpose of the Table and Showbread, commentators focus on
different aspects of Hashem's command. The Midrash Aggadah views the Shulchan itself
as the focus and suggests that it was meant to represent the dining hall of Hashem's earthly
palace. As such, the Table is merely on equal footing with the other vessels of the
Tabernacle, each representing a different room in Hashem's abode.
• Abarbanel, in contrast, emphasizes the importance of the loaves of the Lechem HaPanim,
the most basic form of sustenance. They served as a reminder that Hashem provides for
all of the nation's physical needs. The Shulchan is grouped with the other vessels of the
Outer Sanctum which all symbolize Hashem's various blessings.

24
 • Finally, R"H Yechieli highlights the eating of the Lechem HaPanim, seeing in it a covenant
sealing meal which continually renewed the covenant between Hashem and
Israel. According to him, the Table stands second to only the Ark of the Covenant in its
prominence.

Dining Hall of Hashem's Earthly Palace

The Tabernacle was built to resemble a human palace, and thus the Shulchan represents the
dining hall of Hashem's abode.

Does Hashem need a dining room? The Midrash Aggadah asserts that Hashem had no need for the entire Mishkan and that, in
fact, the request to build a house stemmed, not from Him, but from the people. Since the nation knew how to relate to Hashem
only via human models of relationship, they desired to honor Him in the way that subjects glorify a king, by building him a palace,
replete with all the rooms needed by humans. For elaboration, see Purpose of the Mishkan.

Relationship to other vessels in the Mishkan – R"Y Bekhor Shor and Abarbanel suggest that each area of the Mishkan and its
accompanying vessels corresponded to a different room in a royal palace. The Bronze Altar represented the kitchen, outside and
far from the king's actual throne. The Outer Sanctum (‫)ֹקֶדשׁ‬, with the Shulchan, Menorah, and Incense Altar, was like a living room,
9
providing food, light, and aromatic fragrances. Finally, the Inner Sanctum (‫ )ֹקֶדשׁ ַהֳקָּדִשׁים‬with the Ark symbolize the king's private
abode and throne, to which access is much more limited.

10 .
Secondary vessels – "‫ – "ְקָּﬠֹרָתיו ְוַכֹפָּתיו וְּקשׂוָֹתיו וְּמַנִקּ ֹיָּתיו‬Most of these sources maintain that these were all food related vessels

• R"Y Bekhor Shor suggest that the various vessels were used during the process of making the Lechem HaPanim. The
11 5
‫ קערות‬were used to mix the dough, while the ‫ קשות‬held the water for kneading it. The ‫ קשות‬held the frankinsence and
the ‫ מנקיות‬were used to clean the Table.

• According to Cassuto, in contrast, the Table was set with fancy vessels much like any king's table would be adorned with
golden ware. The ‫ קערות‬and ‫ כפות‬were plates or bowls of varying size, while the ‫ קשות‬and ‫ מנקיות‬were vessels to hold
libations.

Priestly eating of the loaves – Abarbanel and Cassuto explains that the loaves were eaten by the priests to highlight how Hashem
had no need for them and their role was purely symbolic. One might wonder why there was a need to place any bread on the Table
at all, or alternatively, why it was not simply burned like other sacrifices. This position might answer that to resemble a palace, it

9
Seforno point to the Shunamite woman who similarly sets up a room for Elisha with a bed, table, chair, and lamp.
10
Abarbanel does not offer his own opinion, but brings the explanation of Rashi, that the "‫ "קשות‬and "‫ "מנקיות‬were part of the
Table's structure, serving as racks to hold the bread.
11
Abarbanel does not offer his own opinion, but brings the explanation of Rashi, that the "‫ "קשות‬and "‫ "מנקיות‬were part of the
Table's structure, serving as racks to hold the bread.

25
was not enough to place empty vessels in the Tabernacle, but rather each needed to be utilized. Thus, the Menorah was lit, the
incense burned, and the bread was eaten.

"‫ – "ְבּיוֹם ַהַשָּׁבּת ַיַﬠ ְרֶכנּוּ‬This position could explain that the Table would be set specifically on Shabbat because festive days are those
in which servants normally prepare a feast and set the table. In addition, since Shabbat testifies to Hashem's role as creator and
king, it is an appropriate day to honor Him in His palace.

Why is the bread called "‫?"ֶלֶחם ַהָפּ ִנים‬

• Abarbanel follows Ibn Ezra in suggesting that the loaves were called "‫ "ֶלֶחם ַהָפּ ִנים‬because they were placed "‫"ִלְפֵני י"י‬. This
position might explain that the text wants to highlight, not the bread itself, but the aspect of serving and honoring a king.

• Rashbam explains that the phrase means "bread that is worthy of dignitaries". As evidence he points to the similar term
in Shemuel 1:1:5, "‫"וְּלַחָנּה ִיֵתּן ָמָנה ַאַחת ַאָפּ ִים‬, "and to Channah he gave a special or important portion." According to this
understanding, too, the name highlights how the bread was meant to honor Hashem.

12
• Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan) translates "‫ "ֶלֶחם ָפּ ִנים‬as "‫"( "ַלֲחָמא ַגָווָאה‬interior bread"). This suggests that the bread is
a sacrifice offered within the Mishkan, paralleling the "bread" offered on the external altar ("‫)"ֶאת ָק ְרָבּ ִני ַלְחִמי ְלִאַשּׁי‬.

Focal point – According to this approach, it would seem that the Table, rather than the bread, is the focal point of the command.

Symbol of Material Blessings

The Table and Showbread symbolize that Hashem is the source of sustenance for all of mankind.

SOURCES: Rashi, Abarbanel, Seforno, Keli Yekar, Netziv

Relationship to other vessels in the Mishkan – According to Abarbanel, the Ark symbolizes the Torah, while the three vessels
of the Outer Sanctum represent the rewards promised to those who follow its laws. The Table stands for physical blessings, the
11
Menorah for wisdom and intellectual gifts, and the Incense Altar for spiritual rewards.

"‫ – " ְוָﬠִשׂיָת לּוֹ ֵזר ָזָהב‬These sources assert that the "‫ "ֵזר‬represents the crown of kingship. Rashi connects this to the wealth and
grandeur symbolized by the Table as a whole. Seforno goes further and points to the double mention of the "‫"ֵזר‬as representing the
dual responsibilities of a king, to provide for the nation's livelihood and to protect them from enemies. If so, the Table's decorations
further reminded the people how their King, Hashem, constantly looks out for their sustenance and physical well-being.

12
The Targum's rendering corresponds to a vocalization of ‫( ְפּ ִנים‬rather than ‫)ָפּ ִנים‬.

26
Secondary vessels – "‫ – "ְקָּﬠֹרָתיו ְוַכֹפָּתיו וְּקשׂוָֹתיו וְּמַנִקּ ֹיָּתיו‬Most of these sources view these vessels (with the exception of the ‫)כפות‬
as part of the structure of the Table itself. The ‫ קערות‬were molds for the bread, while the ‫ קשות‬and ‫ מנקיות‬were horizontal and
vertical rods that served as racks to hold the loaves and prevent mold. As such, the Table was not cluttered with separate utensils,
thereby shining the focus on the Showbread itself, the symbol of sustenance.

Priestly eating of the loaves – This position might suggest that the priests, representatives of the nation, ate from the bread to
actively show how the nation continually receives Hashem's blessings.

Why are loaves called "‫ ?"ֶלֶחם ַהָפּ ִנים‬According to Rashi, following Bavli Menachot, the bread was so called after its form; it had
many "faces" or sides. If so, perhaps the shape was chosen to further express the symbolism of abundance and blessing.

"‫ – "ִלְפֵני י"י ָתִּמיד‬Abarbanel asserts that the fact that bread is "always" supposed to be on the table represents the continuous nature
of Hashem's providence and blessings to those who abide by His commandments.

Choice of twelve – Abarbanel similarly suggests that the twelve breads might represent the twelve months of the year, showing
how Hashem provides for all the whole year long. Alternatively, they stand for the twelve tribes of Israel who will be the recipients
of Hashem's blessings.

Lechem HaPanim and the manna – Abarbanel draws a connection between the Showbread and the manna, suggesting that the
two groupings of six breads represent the six days of the week in which the nation was provided for by Hashem's miracles in both
the morning and evening. The bread is arranged by the priest specifically on Shabbat, the day the manna did not fall. Abarbanel
could posit that through both the manna and Lechem HaPanim, the nation learned to recognize Hashem as Provider.

Focal point – According to this position, it is the Showbread itself, the staff of life, rather than its supporting Table, which is the
focal point of the vessel.

Sign of Covenant

The Lechem HaPanim constitutes a covenant sealing meal which renews the eternal covenant between the nation and Hashem.

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SOURCES: R. Hovav Yechieli

"‫ – "ְבּ ִרית עוָֹלם‬This phrase, found by the arrangement of the Lechem HaPanim, but not by any of the other vessels, supports the
idea that the Bread represents the continuous renewal of the covenant sealed at Sinai.

13
R. Hovav Yechieli, "‫"תערך לפני שלחן – השולחן ולחם הפנים‬, Megadim 44 (5766): 33-49.

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Covenant sealing meals – In Tanakh, covenants are often sealed with an accompanying meal. See, for example, the story of
Yaakov and Lavan in Bereshit 31:44-54, Yitzchak and Avimelekh in Bereshit 26:28-31, and the Children of Israel at Mount Sinai
in Shemot 24:3-11. As such, R. Yechieli suggests that here, too, the eating of the Showbread symbolized the sealing of the
covenant. For further discussion on breaking bread and covenants, see Treaties and Yitro's Sacrifices and Eating Bread Before
God.

Relationship to other vessels in the Mishkan – R. Yechieli connects the Shulchan with the Ark of the Covenant. The latter stored
the document containing the stipulations of the Covenant ("‫)"לוֹּחת ַהְבּ ִרית‬, while the Table represented the agreement of the two sides
to abide by it. He suggests that several similarities in the form of the two vessels reinforce the connection between the two:

• Materials – Both vessels are rectangular and made of acacia wood covered with gold (see Shemot 25:10,23).

• Design – Each vessel is surrounded by a "‫"ֵזר ָזָהב‬, a decorative molding of gold (see Shemot 25:11,24-25).

• Rings and Poles – Though several of the vessels had rings attached so that that they could be carried on poles, only these
two have four rings of gold.

R. Yechieli does not address why the Menorah, normally associated with the Aron and Shulchan does not similarly play a role in
commemorating the Covenant. He might suggest, as does Rashbam, that the Menorah played only a practical role, throwing light
on the Table.

Secondary vessels – "‫ – "ְקָּﬠֹרָתיו ְוַכֹפָּתיו וְּקשׂוָֹתיו וְּמַנִקּ ֹיָּתיו‬According to R. Yechieli, these vessels were all eating utensils. The ‫קערות‬
were bowls, while the ‫ כפות‬were much smaller and perhaps resembled a spoon which was used for eating. Both the ‫ מנקיות‬and ‫קשות‬
held liquids, as the phrase "‫ ָבֵּהן‬œ‫ "ֲאֶשׁר יַֻסּ‬suggests. In fact, R. Yechieli claims that the libation of the Daily Offering (‫ )קרבן תמיד‬was
placed in these utensils. As such, the utensils lay on the table, filled with food/liquid, the best way to represent a meal.

Priestly eating of the bread – The priests, as representatives of the nation, ate of the loaves on a weekly basis to continuously
renew the covenant.

"‫ – "ָנַתָתּ ַﬠל ַהַמֲּﬠ ֶרֶכת ְלֹבָנה ַזָכּה‬According to this approach, the frankincense is sacrificed as a burnt offering for Hashem as a sign that
Hashem, too, is partaking of the covenantal meal.

Two layers of six – R. Yechieli sees in the choice of twelve breads a symbol of the twelve tribes. Moreover, he points out that the
division into two groups of six might be common to other covenantal ceremonies as well, such as that atop the mountains of Eival
and Gerizim, in which the twelve tribes were similarly divided into two groups to renew the Covenant of Sinai.

Why is it called "‫ ?"ֶלֶחם ַהָפּ ִנים‬This approach might build on the literal meaning of "‫ "ָפּ ִנים‬as face and suggest that the "‫"ֶלֶחם ַהָפּ ִנים‬
represented the face-to-face nature of the covenant.

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"‫"ְבּיוֹם ַהַשָּׁבּת ַיַﬠ ְרֶכנּוּ‬

• According to R. Yechieli, it was specifically on Shabbat that the bread was replenished because Shabbat is also called a
"‫ "ְבּ ִרית עוָֹלם‬and itself commemorates the nation's covenantal relationship with Hashem.

• Alternatively, one might suggest that the Shulchan and Lechem HaPanim actually commemorate not just the Covenant
of Sinai but the Covenant of the Shabbat itself.

Focal point – This position might view the act of eating, rather than simply the presence of the Table or Bread, as the key aspect
of the vessel.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TABLE AND ITS LOAVES

Rav Michael Hattin writes:14

We note that the section describing the Table appears in the text immediately after the
account of the Aron or Ark of the Covenant that is presented in Chapter 25 verses 10-22 and
constitutes the Mishkan's most precious object. In ranking, then, the Table is second only to this
gilded chest that contains the fabled Tablets of the Decalogue and it textually precedes the account
of its more illustrious and well-known counterpart, the Menora, that is spelled out in Chapter 25
verses 31-40. Like these other two vessels that in our Parasha bracket it on either side, the Table
is a golden affair, adorned and ornate. Like them as well, it is also functional. It is constructed to
hold the "loaves of the show bread," although the exact nature of these loaves is not described in
our Parasha. It is, in fact, in Sefer Vayikra Parashat Emor (Leviticus 24) that the characteristics of
this unique bread are detailed, appropriately enough alongside a description of the pure oil that is
needed to kindle the Menora:

God spoke to Moshe saying: Command the people of Israel and collect from them pure
beaten olive oil for the lamp, to kindle lights continuously. Beyond the dividing curtain
that shields the Ark, in the Tent of Meeting shall Aharon set up the light so that it burns

14
https://www.etzion.org.il/en/table-show-bread

29
 from evening to morning before God continuously, it is an eternal statue for all of your
generations. Upon the pure Menora shall he set up the lights, before God continuously.

You shall take fine flour and bake it into twelve loaves, and each loaf shall contain two
tenths (of an efah). You shall place them in two stacks of six loaves upon the holy Table
before God. You shall place pure frankincense alongside the stacks that shall serve as a
memorial portion for the loaves, to be burned as a fire offering to God. On every Shabbat
he shall arrange the loaves before God continuously, it shall be an eternal covenant from
the people of Israel. The bread shall be for Aharon and for his sons and they shall consume
it in a sanctified area, for it is holy of holies from among God's fire offerings, a statue
forever (Vayikra 24:1-9).

It thus emerges that the purpose of the Table is to hold twelve loaves of bread, baked from the
finest flour and arranged in two sets of six loaves each. These twelve loaves, "an eternal covenant
from the people of Israel" presumably represent the twelve tribes, and they are to remain on the
Table from one Shabbat to the next. That is to say that the Table is never to be bereft of bread, for
when the old loaves are removed to be consumed by the kohanim, fresh loaves are immediately
arranged on the Table to take their place. Also, there is an additional element to the rites, for upon
the Table is also placed a container of fragrant frankincense that is ultimately burned upon the altar
as a "memorial for the bread."

OTHER TRADITIONS

In addition to the Biblical text, the Rabbis have preserved a number of remarkable
traditions concerning the loaves and the Table, and some of these are recounted in Talmud
Bavli Tractate Menachot 94a-100b. The Mishna (96a) for instance, preserves a fascinating
disagreement between Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Meir concerning the placement of the loaves upon
the Table:

…the Table was 10 handbreadths long and 5 wide. The loaves were each 10 handbreadths
long and 5 wide. They would place the length of loaves across the width of the Table and
bend up 2 ½ handbreadths on either end so that the length of the loaves would exactly fill
the width of the Table. This is the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda. Rabbi Meir, however, says
that the Table was 12 handbreadths long and 6 wide. The loaves were each 10
handbreadths long and 5 wide. They would place the length of the loaves across the width
of the Table and bend up 2 handbreadths on either side, and then leave a space of 2
handbreadths between he stacks so that the air might enter in between…

The disagreement of Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Meir involves larger issues such as the number of
handbreadths that constitute the cubit measurement used to construct the holy vessels (5

30
handbreadths versus 6 handbreadths), and they also argue concerning the exact dimensions of the
bent-up ends of the loaves (2 ½ handbreadths versus 2 handbreadths).

They do, however, agree on one fundamental point: the preparation and placement of the loaves
upon the Table highlight the fact that this vessel is not simply a neutral object that holds bread as
a shelving unit might hold goods but rather it is nothing but a holder of the loaves that are expressly
fashioned for it. In other words, the overall effect of the loaves placed upon the Table is one of a
stand that is COMPLETELY filled with bread, there being no room on the Table for anything else.

Every part of its surface area is covered with the loaves and these then extend in great stacks 6
loaves high! The loaves are baked in such a way so as to exactly fill the Table to capacity! How
are we to understand the significance of this fact?

THE SPECIAL PLACE OF BREAD

In our culture as in most others, bread occupies a special and central place in the human
diet. It is often referred to as the "staff of life" (see Vayikra 26:26; Tehillim 105:16; et al) and in
a generic sense is sometimes even used in the Tanakh in place of the word "food" (see for
instance Bereishit 3:19; 28:20; 47:12; et al). While bread can be prepared from different grains,
and various human societies favor this grain or that, all breads are regarded as the staples that
constitute the foundation of the food pyramid.

The Table is of course housed in the Mishkan and placed specifically on its northern flank (Shemot
40:22). Spatially, it is opposite the Menora that is located to the south (Shemot 40:24), so that
both of these vessels stand just beyond the dividing curtain that shields the Ark of the
Covenant. The Mishkan is a building that constitutes the place of encounter with God; it provides
the Israelites not only with a location in space to experience His presence, but also with potent
symbols of God's ongoing care and concern.

The Table of the Show Bread, then, is about inculcating a fundamental trust in God as the Provider
and the Sustainer of physical existence. Our survival as material beings is first and foremost a
function of our ability to secure basic sustenance; without a regular supply of nutritious food, we
quickly wither and perish. But while many of us labor mightily under the assumption that we can
guarantee our primary needs by dint of our power and skill, the Table indicates to us otherwise:
we are able to endure and to prosper only because of God's ongoing intervention in providing for
us.

The twelve loaves of the Show Bread represent the twelve tribes of Israel, each of them sustained
from on High by God's beneficence. By placing this Table within the confines of the Mishkan and

31
piling it high with loaves of bread, loaves that remain on its surface at all times, we assert that God
is the Guarantor of our physical survival, and the constant Sustainer of our physical lives.

As such, the Table's perfect analog in this equation is of course the Menora that stands just
opposite to the south. As we have seen in past years, the Menora is the affirmation that God
supplies and inspires our intellectual and spiritual needs and accomplishments as well, for the
knowledge and wisdom that are symbolically associated with its pure and precious light are hereby
presented as deriving from God. The binary message afforded by both of these vessels is thus
singularly significant. The human being who can acknowledge the precious gift of physical life as
well as the invaluable boon of intellectual potential is well on the way to leading a life of not only
enhanced meaning, but also of more responsible and God-like behavior.

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