Menachot 77

Chapter eight of Tractate Menachot begins with a description of the todah, the thanksgiving offering. Typically, the todah would be brought to the Temple in Jerusalem by a person desiring to thank God for delivering them from harm such as an illness, accident or captivity. Like others, this offering comprised animal and grain components. In Leviticus 7:12–13 we learn that the accompanying loaves were in fact quite extensive: 

One who offers it for a thanksgiving shall offer, together with the sacrifice of thanksgiving, unleavened cakes with oil mixed in, unleavened wafers spread with oil, cakes of choice flour with oil mixed in, well soaked. This offering, with cakes of leavened bread added, shall be offered along with their thanksgiving sacrifice…

The todah offering was in fact made up of four different kinds of bread – one leavened and three unleavened – with ten loaves of each for a total of 40 loaves. Most were ultimately eaten by the person bringing the offering and others, and as a mishnah on today’s daf discusses, were given as terumah (tithes) to the priests for personal consumption: 

One takes one loaf from each set of ten as terumah, to be given to a priest, as it is stated: “And he shall present from it one of each offering as a terumah unto the Lord” (Leviticus 7:14). “One” indicates that one should not take a sliced loaf, “of each offering” indicates that all the offerings should be equal (i.e., that one should not take a loaf from one type of offering for another type), and “to the priest that sprinkles the blood of the peace offerings against the altar it shall be given,” means the rest of the loaves are eaten by the owner.

Thus, the priests get their ten percent of the different sorts of loaves. The Gemara on today’s daf brings a beraita to further explain the rules: 

The sages taught: The phrase “And he shall present from it” indicates that the loaves must all be as one, i.e., terumah may be taken from the loaves only when they are joined together in one place. “One” indicates that one should not take a sliced loaf. “Of each offering” indicates that all the offerings should be equal, i.e., that one should not take a loaf from one type of offering for another type. 

Three halakhot are derived from this explanation: First, the loaves must all be bundled together. Second, the loaves must be whole and not sliced. Third, the amount sacrificed from each loaf must be equal. 

The daf continues by discussing the issue of terumah, exploring the amount of each type of grain offering given to the priests after the portion is burned on the altar and prior to the donor receiving the rest of the offering to consume together with their family and friends.

Today, we don’t offer thanksgiving sacrifices, but the desire to thank God for emerging from a traumatic time still exists. What takes the place of the todah offering in our own day?

The blessing of Birkat Hagomel is one such public expression of thanksgiving. Its origin is found in Berakhot 54. By the late medieval period, the practice was widespread, with Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi noting in his 18th-century law code Shulchan Aruch HaRav (1:9) that some people recite the verses from Leviticus describing the todah offering as part of Birkat Hagomel. Ben Ish Hai, writing in 19th century Baghdad, rules that the blessing should be said while standing and during the day, noting that this practice is “in place of the thanksgiving offering,” making the connection explicit.

Typically, a person recites Birkat Hagomel in front of the Torah after coming through the same type of trauma for which, in the time of the Temple, they might have offered a thanksgiving sacrifice: crossing an ocean or desert, recovering from a serious illness or childbirth, delivery from a life-threatening accident, or being released from prison. They recite: “Blessed are You, O God, ruling spirit of the universe, who rewards the undeserving with goodness, and who has rewarded me with goodness.” The congregation then responds: “Amen. May the One who rewarded you with all goodness continue to reward you with only goodness, Selah!”

Read all of Menachot 77 on Sefaria.

This piece originally appeared in a My Jewish Learning Daf Yomi email newsletter sent on March 29, 2026. If you are interested in receiving the newsletter, sign up here.