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An insightful and thought provoking look at the weekly Torah portion and how it is connected to the Showbread and its symbolism. It may be quite difficult to believe but bread, being such a fundamental concept in Judaism, is represented either categorically or by association in every portion of the Torah. Click on the year below to see a list of shiurim - תשפ"ד/תשפ"ה 2024 2023 תשפ"ג/תשפ"ד 2022 תשפ"ב/תשפ"ג 2021 תשפ"א/תשפ"ב 2020 תש"פ/תשפ"א To subscribe to receive this weekly Parshat Hashavua and updates from our institute to your email, please send an email with the subject Subscribe to machonlechemhapanim@gmail ...

Be'Shevach ve'hodaya to HKB"H we are pleased to announce the publication of the second edition of Sefer Meir Panim, the fruit of 10 years of research into the subjects of the Shulchan and the Lechem Hapanim. This is the definitive textbook on the subject. To view more details and to purchase, please visit our store.

Unique Beit Hamikdash Shiur Series for the Three Weeks Join us for a special series of shiurim that bring the Beit Hamikdash and the Avoda to life and punctuate how lacking our lives are without them. Includes groundbreaking new findings that are being publicized for the first time by Eliezer Meir Saidel, Director of Machon Lechem Hapanim, Israel. Lechem Hapanim and the Power of a Smile , Sunday 20 Tammuz (12 July), 11am - 12:15pm EDT A riveting shiur linking the Hasmonean dynasty to human physiology and modern economics, in an attempt to find the hidden connection between the Lechem Hapanim and wealth. You may find a recordin ...

Rabbi Yosef Ben Porat (Shlita), head of Yeshiva “Ashrei Ha’Ish”, in his shiur (lecture) “Why do we not eat chametz (leaven) on Passover?” (2019) explains that matzo symbolizes truth while chametz (leaven) symbolizes falsehood. Matzo bread includes elements that are totally visible to the naked eye. There is nothing hidden in matzo – it is a compound made from flour and water only, baked immediately after being kneaded. Its final form is flat, reflecting the volume of the original ingredients and its taste is that of the original ingredients, flour and water only. It is therefore a bread of truth. Cham ...

The story of the Garmu family, who were in charge of preparing the Showbread during the period of the 2nd Temple is known to all. But who were the Garmu family really? And what is their true story? Source of the name Garmu The first time the Garmu’s are mentioned is in the Talmud, Tractate Yoma (38a) where their name appears as follows – גרמו. There is uncertainty exactly how the word גרמו is pronounced. Unlike the family who prepared the Incense Offering, the אבטינס Avtinas family, whose pronunciation is straightforward, how does one pronounce גרמו ? Is it Garmu, or Garmo, or Gramu, or Gramo? Since the original Talmudic te ...

Regarding the debate between Rebi Hanina and Rebi Yohanan (Talmud, Tractate Menahot 94b) as to what the shape of the Showbread looked like (a rectangular folded shape – Teiva Perutza/Open-box, or a rounded folded shape – Sfina Rokedet/Dancing-ship), the commentator Chazon Ish (Menahot 42, pg. 80) writes “And it appears that according to the letter of the law of the Showbread, it is possible to make it in any shape that you like and the (above) debate only addresses how it was customarily made”. The shape of the Showbread has ramifications for the structure of the Shulchan (Table) and its components, the pans, the ...

The commentator Rashi on the verse detailing the components of the Showbread Table “And you shall make its pans, bowls, “kesot” and “menakiyot” …….. ועשית קערותיו וכפותיו וקשותיו ומנקיותיו” (Exodus 25:29) says – “Its ‘kesot’ – these are a kind of half hollow pipes split along their length, made of gold and were arranged that 3 would sit on the top of each loaf, so that each loaf would rest on these pipes, which separated between the breads so that the air may flow between them and they will not become moldy”. Rashi continues, “Its ‘Menakiyot&r ...

In a previous article “Dancing Ship V or U?”we spoke about the shape of the Showbread according to the opinion of Rebi Yohanan and Rashi’s interpretation of how that looked, how it should more resemble a U shape than the V shape depicted in the Vilna Shas edition of the Talmud. However, even Rashi’s drawing in the shape of a U is not sufficient to precisely define how the Sfina Rokedet (dancing-ship) shape looked. To precisely define its structure it is necessary to combine the most ancient and authentic sources regarding this shape with modern technology, CAD engineering software to plot the exact dimensions of ...

In a Mishna (Menahot 96a) it states – “The Showbread is ten [tefachim/handbreadths] long and 5 [tefachim/handbreadths] wide and its “kranot” are 7 eztbaot (finger widths)”. Rashi (ibid.) in reference to the Two Loaves offering says – “Its ‘kranot’: that he would stick dough on each corner זוית of the bread, like horns קרניים and the length of each horn קרן is 4 finger widths”. And later on he continues regarding the Showbread – “That it should have ‘panim’: flanks/sides. [another version] corners זויות and they are the ‘kranot’&rdqu ...

In the Talmud (Tractate Menahot 94b) there is a famous debate between Rebi Hanina and Rebi Yohanan about the shape of the Showbread – “R. Hanina says like a ‘Teiva Perutza’ (open box) R. Yohanan says like a ‘Sfina Rokedet (dancing ship)”. The commentator Rashi (ibid.) interprets the Sfina Rokedet (dancing ship) shape as follows – “קווי"ש (an abbreviation of a word in ancient French) ..and it does not have a base, but is wide at the top and at the bottom narrows down to a finger כזה (such): and its two heads are sharp and rise upwards and do not touch the water and it is thus called &ls ...

Maimonides (Hilchot Temidin Umusafin 5:9) describes the shape of the Showbread as follows – “Each each loaf is מרובעת square as it says “Lechem Panim” (Exodus 25:30) that it should have many “panim” [sides]. The length of each loaf is 10 tefachim/handbreadths and its width 5 tefachim/handbreadths and its “ruma” (height) is 7 eztbaot/finger widths. The Shulchan (Table) is 12 tefachim/handbreadths long and 6 tefachim/handbreadths wide. You place the length of the bread across the width of the Table. It turns out that loaf is sticking out 2 tefachim/handbreadths one one side and 2 tefachim/handb ...