Menachot 99: The Tables, The Shewbread; Learning Greek Wisdom

Before describing the Mishna introduced in today's daf, I want to mention conversations shared involving Reish Lakish and then other rabbis.  Reish Lakish teaches that we must not allow ourselves to forget the Torah that we have learned, for as it is said in Deuteronomy 4:9, we will have transgressed the prohibition against observing Torah for ourselves and guarding our souls diligently.  Rabbi Yochanan and others say that the soul is formed in forty days (following conception) just as the Torah was given in forty days.  This is the first time that I have noted mention of the formation of the soul, particularly while in utero.  There is much written about how we do not count an infant as existent until after it has survived a month following birth.

Our new Mishna teaches us that at the entrance of the Sactuary, the table of marble holds the shewbread  as they cool and keep for the week. At the end of the week, they are moved to the table of gold until the frankincense is burned.  This one gold table demonstrates that the shewbread have a higher level of sanctity.  To ensure that the shewbread is on the table at all times, four priests carry in the shewbread and two bowls of frankincense.  Four other priests enter first, taking and arranging these items.  The priests stand facing particular directions as part of this ritual.  

Shewbread must always be on the table.  All of the elements of this ritual happened on the tables.  Loaves were given to all of the priests on Shabbat just as the priestly watch was replaced each week on Shabbat.  If Yom Kippur was on Shabbat, the loaves were distributed at night following the conclusion of the fast.  If Yom Kippur occurred on a Friday, the goat sin offering of Yom Kippur was eaten by the priests on Friday night, for it could only be eaten on the day it was sacrificed or the following night before midnight.

Finally, because it is not allowed to cook meat on Yom Kippur or Shabbat, the priests who had come from Babylonia would eat the meat raw.  They were said to be more "broad minded" regarding their food (they were not picky and would eat their food raw).

One of the conversations in the Gemara regards Ben Dama, son of Rabbi Yishmael's sister.  Ben Dama asked his uncle about learning Greek wisdom after he had completely learned Torah.  Rabbi Yishmael told him to continue studying Torah day and night; if he could find an hour that was neither day nor night, he could study Greek wisdom at that time.  Others argued this point, believing that there are limits on how much time one should devote to Torah study or to learning Mishnayot.