Talking Talmud

Chapter 13! With the new mishnah, and a focus on oaths regarding grain-offerings. What happens when one takes an oath, but isn't sure what amount he'd specified in his oath. That is, how to cover the oath by a "maximum" of the grain-offering (or all of them, as the case may be). Also, who taught that one might need to bring all of them? The Gemara approaches this question by a process of elimination, almost, establishing first who did not subscribe to this view, before concluding whose view it was. With parallels drawn from the Nazir and the person recovering from tzara'at. Is Rabbi Shimon's view dependent on his allowing sacrifices to be brought conditionally?

Another 2 mishnayot! 1 - Making donations of libations to the Temple must be made in the specific amount of the offerings themselves, rather than being too much or too little for the one given libation. Which gives rise to the question whether libations need to be in fixed amounts or not. And that answer is elusive. 2 - With regard to bringing oil as its own offering - that doesn't really work, according to Rabbi Akiva, but Rabbi Tarfon says it does work. Why would oil be different from wine in this regard? But they are. Also, some restrictions on one who vows to donate grain-offerings, depending on what he has or has not specified. Plus, the significance of the grain-offering.

2 mishnayot! 1 - If one makes a vow to bring a voluntary grain-offering, but the phrasing makes it an invalid vow in some way or other, then the vow is incumbent upon the person who misphrased it. Which seems stringent, rather than looking for an opening to let the oath-taker out of the oath. With a dispute as to how this works between Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai - namely, why the oath is still incumbent upon the person who misspoke. 2 - If one makes a vow to bring a grain-offering of 60-tenths of an ephah of fine flour, he can bring it in one vessel. But if one takes a vow to bring 61-tenths of an ephah, that would entail one vessel of 60-tenths and another of one-tenth. The day that would require 61-tenths is the first day of Sukkot if it falls out on Shabbat. With the clarification that, yes, that degree of precision with the measurements is necessary for compliance with halakhah.

On consecrated items and ritually impure items -- and how they are not treated the same in halakhah with regard to their prohibited use and their respective liabilities. Plus, the specific properties of food in its capacity to be rendered impure. Plus, the timing of the sprinkling of the blood of an animal sacrifice. Also, the wording of a vow to bring a grain-offering will have significant impact on what the obligation becomes. With examples of how a vow can go unfulfilled when the oath and the offering do not match.

Chapter 12! With a new mishnah - redeeming the sanctity of grain offerings and libations, especially when the item has become impure. But what happens if the item is pure? Plus, complex Gemara on the impurity and redemption of these items, with various opinions on when precisely the redemption can be implemented, with a focus on the monetary sanctity.