Menachot 82

On yesterday’s daf, we learned that when one commits to bringing a thanksgiving offering (todah), the default obligation is to purchase it with non-sacred money and not second-tithe money. The mishnah on today’s daf explains how we derive this rule:

From where is it derived with regard to one who says: “It is incumbent upon me to bring a thanksgiving offering,” that he may bring it only from non-sacred money? The verse states: “And you shall sacrifice the paschal offering to the Lord your God, of the flock and the herd.” (Deuteronomy 16:2) Doesn’t the paschal offering come only from lambs and goats? If so, why does the verse state: “the flock and the herd”? It is to juxtapose all offerings that come from the flock and from the herd to the paschal offering, teaching that just as the paschal offering is a matter of obligation and comes only from non-sacred money, so too any matter of obligation comes only from non-sacred money.

The ruling with regard to a todah is derived through rabbinic interpretation of biblical language regarding the Passover lamb. The mishnah points out a difficulty with the biblical text: In Exodus, it’s made clear that the paschal offering can only be brought from flock animals (sheep or goats). But the verse in Deuteronomy states that one shall sacrifice an animal from “the flock and the herd” — implying that even larger animals, such as bulls, could be offered. But we know the paschal offering must be a sheep or goat. So why does the verse mention the herd? The mishnah answers that the herd is stated in the verse so that we know to apply a ruling from the paschal offering to other cases: Just as the paschal offering, which is obligatory, can only be bought with non-sacred money, so too any obligatory sacrifice brought from the flock orthe herd can only be bought with non-sacred money. 

But isn’t the thanksgiving offering voluntary? The mishnah clarifies we’re referring to a case where one has vowed to bring a todah. Once the pledge is made, the offering becomes obligatory. 

Having explained that this ruling with regard to the todah is derived from the paschal offering, the Gemara asks an important background question: How do we know the paschal offering must be brought from non-sacred funds?

And concerning the paschal offering itself, from where do we derive? As it is taught in a beraita: Rabbi Eliezer says: “paschal offering” is stated in the Torah with regard to the offering sacrificed in Egypt (Exodus 12:3), and “paschal offering” is stated with regard to the yearly obligation throughout the generations (Exodus 12:25). Therefore, just as the paschal offering stated with regard to Egypt was brought only from non-sacred property, so too the paschal offering stated with regard to the obligation throughout the generations may be brought only from non-sacred property.

The paschal lambs offered in Egypt could only have been brought from non-sacred money, as there was no second tithe in Egypt. And because of the verbal link between that first paschal offering and the one made as a memorial in subsequent generations, Rabbi Eliezer derives that all paschal offerings should likewise be brought only from non-sacred money.

The beraita continues with a challenge from Rabbi Akiva:

Rabbi Akiva said to him: But does one derive the possible from the impossible? 

Rabbi Akiva thinks that Rabbi Eliezer’s derivation method is flawed. If the paschal lamb offered in Egypt was offered from non-sacred money because it couldn’t possiblyhave been offered from second-tithe money, how do we know that serves as a paradigm for future offerings that couldbe purchased with second-tithe money? Rabbi Eliezer replies:

Even though it was impossible, it is a great proof, and we shall derive this halakhah from it.

Rabbi Eliezer dismisses Rabbi Akiva’s objection rather offhandedly. Even though it’s true that the circumstances of the first paschal offering, sacrificed by slaves on Egyptian soil, are not those of future generations, nonetheless the sacrifice in Egypt serves as a paradigm for all generations.

Read all of Menachot 82 on Sefaria.

This piece originally appeared in a My Jewish Learning Daf Yomi email newsletter sent on April 3, 2026. If you are interested in receiving the newsletter, sign up here.