Sometimes, biblical texts appear to blatantly contradict one another. For example, Numbers 28:11 describes the sacrifices that were offered on Rosh Chodesh, the first of the (lunar) month: “On your new moons you shall present a burnt offering to God: two young bulls of the herd, one ram and seven yearling lambs, without blemish.” A beraita on today’s daf cites Ezekiel 46:6, which offers a different list of animals:
“And on the day of the new moon, a young bull without blemish. And six lambs and a ram; they shall be without blemish” (Ezekiel 46:6) Why does the verse state “a bull” (when Numbers 28:11 requires two bulls)? One might think, from the Torah’s language, that it is not acceptable to bring fewer than two bulls under any circumstances. From where is it derived that if one did not find two bulls, one brings one? The verse from Ezekiel states “a young bull” in the singular.
The same is true, says the beraita, concerning the discrepancy about the number of lambs. Numbers says seven are required; Ezekiel six. The verse from Ezekiel tells us that if we don’t have seven lambs, six are acceptable. The beraita then points us to the next verse, Ezekiel 46:7, which says, “And for the lambs as his means suffice,” to teach that one should bring as many lambs as one can afford, even if only one.
But once this (Ezekiel 46:7) is written, why do I need the previous verse to state “six lambs,” indicating that if one does not have seven lambs he should bring six? It teaches that although the minimal obligation is satisfied with even one lamb, nevertheless, to the degree that it is possible to seek more lambs, we seek them.
It is traditionally understood that Ezekiel was a priest who was trained to serve in the Temple. Ezekiel 46 is full of examples of sacrifices presumably made in Ezekiel’s day that do not conform to the Torah’s prescriptions. This has troubled commentators for a long time. The late 12th, early 13th century biblical commentator, Rabbi David Kimchi, also known as the Radak, explains that Temple rituals — including the number of animals offered — evolved over time. Modern biblical scholars posit that while both Number 28 and Ezekiel 46 come from priestly sources, they were written by different groups who had different traditions about the composition of particular sacrifices.
Not surprisingly, neither of these approaches were taken by the talmudic rabbis. The fidelity of the rabbis to the biblical text as a source for Temple practice is clear. And, the notion that the Bible is the amalgamation of sources each representing different points of view is not part of their world view. Instead, they resolve the tension between the two sources in the way that they know best, using one verse as commentary on the other. In this case, that means that Numbers describes the ideal scenario and Ezekiel lets us know what accommodations are allowed in less than ideal circumstances.
As the discussion about the differences between the two sources comes to a close, the Talmud shares the following comment on the Book of Ezekiel as a whole:
Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: That man is remembered for good, and Hanina ben Hizkiyya is his name. As were it not for him, the book of Ezekiel would have been suppressed and not included in the biblical canon, because various details of its contents appear to contradict statements of the Torah. What did Hanina ben Hizkiyya do? He brought up to his upper story 300 jugs of oil and he sat in the upper story and homiletically interpreted all of those verses in the book of Ezekiel that seemed to contradict verses in the Torah.
Turns out, according to the Talmud, the Book of Ezekiel was almost omitted from the Hebrew Bible, because it did not match what was written in the Torah. (The Talmud actually includes a number of passages that relay information about the canonization of the Bible.) In this case, it only made it into the canon when Hanina ben Hizkiyya secluded himself in his attic for days and nights (thus the need for lamp oil) to create the midrashic interpretations necessary to harmonize it with the Torah. As a result, not only do we remember Ezekiel, but we remember Hanina ben Hizkiyya as well.
Read all of Menachot 45 on Sefaria.
This piece originally appeared in a My Jewish Learning Daf Yomi email newsletter sent on February 25, 2026. If you are interested in receiving the newsletter, sign up here.
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