Menachot 75

In a beraita on today’s daf, we learn the following:

When one stands to sacrifice a meal offering in Jerusalem, one recites: “Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, Who has given us life, sustained us, and brought us to this time.” When one takes the meal offerings in order to eat them, one would first recite the blessing “Who brings forth bread from the earth.”

At first glance, this teaching appears to be straightforward. When sacrificing a meal offering, one says the Shehechiyanu, the blessing for momentous occasions. When one eats a meal offering, one says Hamotzi, the blessing for eating bread. If you think about it for a while, however, you might come to realize that there are some things to sort out here. 

Two people are involved with most sacrifices: the one who brings the offering (who could be anybody) and the one who performs the sacrifice (who is a priest). Hamotzi is said by the priest. This is clear, because only priests can eat of the offering. But who says the first blessing? The beraita does not specify. It doesn’t entirely make sense for the ordinary person bringing the offering to say Shehechiyanu, since that person doesn’t actually perform the ritual. But it also doesn’t entirely make sense for the priest to say Shehechiyanu, since priests make these offerings all the time.

In his commentary on Menachot, Rashi suggests that the beraita is talking about a priest who has yet to perform this particular type of meal offering in his lifetime or is making an offering of something new  that year — like the grain from the new crop that is sacrificed as part of the omer. This solves the problems mentioned above. But in Berakhot 37, where this beraita also appears, Rashi suggests that it is the person who brings the offering who says the Shehechiyanu in a situation when they have not done so for a long time.

Surprised that Rashi presents contradictory interpretations? So were the Tosafot, who noted this in their commentary. However, instead of choosing one of them, they add another option to the mix. The Tosafot remind us that in the Temple there was a cycle of 24 week-long shifts, to which families of priests were assigned. Over the course of a year, each shift served twice. Given that the Shehechiyanu was recited to mark fixed, recurring events (like holidays), it would make sense that the first priest to offer the first meal offering of a shift would recite the Shehechiyanu to make the start of the shift and celebrate the priest’s happiness as they returned to serve in the Temple after an absence of half a year.

The printed edition of the Talmud includes a second commentary attributed to Rashi, referred to as the Ktav Yad Rashi (a manuscript of Rashi). This commentary, which appears in chapters seven through ten, is included in the printed editions of the Talmud. A note at the start of the commentary on page 72b explains that 16th-century commentator Rabbi Bezalel Ashkenazi believes that what follows is actually Rashi’s commentary and the standard commentary is erroneously attributed to Rashi. 

Ktav Yad Rashi adds two additional possibilities: Perhaps Shehechiyanu is recited by a priest who has not yet offered a meal offering in the current year, or perhaps it is recited by a person who is bringing an offering for the first time ever. Either person can recite the blessing, should the situation call for it.

Ready for more possibilities? An alternate version of this beraita is found in the Tosefta, a law code also produced by the tannaitic (early) rabbis that is parallel to the Mishnah. Many beraitot in the Talmud come straight from the Tosefta. But Tosefta Berkhot 5:23 has a novel tradition not quoted in the Talmud which says:

When a person sacrifices meal offerings in Jerusalem, he says, “Blessed are You … who has brought us to this time.” When one sacrifices them, one says, “Blessed are You … who has commanded us to sacrifice meal offerings.” When one eats them, one says, “Blessed are You … who brings forth bread from the earth.”

This text describes three blessings, instead of two, and also does not identify who says them. Rabbi Saul Lieberman, the preeminent expert on the Tosefta, explained that the person who brings the sacrifice recites the Shehechiyanu. But the priest says the other two blessings, one for performing the sacrifice and then Hamotzi when eating his portion.

So who says what blessing during the course of a mincha? While the commentators are not in total agreement about the details, all see the possibility for a Shehechiyanu moment when the sacrifice is brought. And all are certain that the priest should say Hamotzi before he digs in.

Read all of Menachot 75 on Sefaria.

This piece originally appeared in a My Jewish Learning Daf Yomi email newsletter sent on March 27, 2026. If you are interested in receiving the newsletter, sign up here.