Minchas Chavitin

A few points on the minchas chavitin.

1. The Kohan Gadol brings a minchas chavitin every day half is offered in the morning and half in the evening.  It was an עשירית האפה of flour baked into 12 loaves.  The Rambam and Raavad disagree if 12 loaves were made and then split into two, half offered in the morning and half in the evening (Rambam) or if 6 were offered in the morning and 6 in the evening (Raavad.)   The Gemorah in Menachos 51b has a derasha from ומחיצתה בערב that if the Kohan Gadol dies in the middle of the day that the new Kohan Gadol doesn’t bring in the evening the completion of the first one’s korban, rather he has to bring his own for the afternoon (and offers half of it, so half of his חביתין and half of the first one’s go to waste.)  The Mikdash Dovid asks why do we need a verse that the second one can’t offer the first one’s korban, one can’t use someone else’s korban for his obligation?  He proves from here that חביתין isn’t a personal obligation on the Kohan Gadol, its an obligation of the day that חביתין must be offered by the Kohan Gadol.

2. The Mishna brings a machlokes between Rebbe Shimon and Rebbe Yehuda if no one else was appointed that day who brings the second half of the korban, if it’s the heirs or the community.  The Rebbe (Likutay Sichos volume 22) explains the debate hinges on if we view the chavitin as a korban tzibbur because the Kohan Gadol prays for the tzibbur (see Chinuch’s reason for the mitzvah,) or we view it as the obligation of the Kohan Gadol.  [See Ritvah and Tosfos Rosh Yoma 50b.]

3. The Rambam Temiddim 3:18 says the chavitin were to be offered every day together with the tammid.  The Briskor Rav points out that we see from the Rambam that he’s not just telling us the timing of the offering (for by other things done after the tammid, he doesn’t mention there is a connection to the tammid,) rather the chavitin are part of the completion of the tammid.  He supports this from the Torat Kohanim that requires a derasha to prove that it can be offered even after the tammid.  Why do we need a derasha?  Because its part of the tammid I would’ve thought that it can’t be offered after the tammid.  See also Rashi Yoma (34a) ד"ה שום מנחה