Menachot 22: Who Brings Wood to the Altar?, Sacrificing Mixtures

Our daf begins with a discussion about wood.  Is the person sacrificing his/her offering required to bring his/her own wood to the altar? And because the wood will be placed on the altar, must it be sanctified or checked in some way?  Should that be the responsibility of the king, or of others?

We are introduced to a new Mishna:

• if a handful of meal-offering was mixed with 
• a handful of another meal-offering
• the meal-offering of the high priest
• the meal-offering of libations that come with burnt/peace offerings,
• which all are burned entirely on the altar
• they are fit for sacrifice
• Rabbi Yehuda says that if the handful was mixed with that of the high priest or of libations, it is unfit
• this is because it is too thick (one log of oil mixed with a tenth an ephah of flour)
• the meal offering of the high priest and of libations, the mixture is too loose (three log of oil mixed with a tenth of an ephah of flour)
• These mixtures absorb from each other based on increasing or decreasing oil in the meal offerings and thus they are all invalid

The Gemara discusses another similar but very different case discussed in Masechet Zevachim.  If water or wine were added to the blood to be sacrificed, would the sacrifice become unfit?  Considerations included the thickness or looseness of the blood-like mixture.  The rabbis also considered the appearance of the mixture in these cases.  Further the Gemara notes the importance of ascending to the altar in a state of holiness, perfectly prepared according to halacha.