The commandment of the daily meal-offering of the high priest: That we were commanded that the high priest offer a daily meal-offering twice — in the morning and in the afternoon — as it is stated (Leviticus 6:13), “This is the sacrifice of Aharon and his sons that they shall bring to the Lord, etc.” And it is what is called the grilled ones of the high priest, and it is also called the meal-offering of the anointed priest (so is it [written] in the Sefer HaMitzvot, Positive Commandments 40).
It is from the roots of the commandment [that it is] because the high priest is the agent between Israel and their Father in Heaven — meaning to say, that he is the one that carries prayer to Him for their sake; and through his prayers and the act of his sacrifices, they are atoned. And hence it is fitting that there be a private daily sacrifice for a man like this, like the daily sacrifices of the community. And [just like those] were two a day, he too is obligated to bring his meal-offering twice a day. And all of this is based on the reason that we said about the sacrifice: In order that all of his thoughts be aroused and he place his mind and intention towards God, blessed be He. And on account of this, he will be effective for himself and for them. And there is no doubt that the arousal of a man when he brings his own private sacrifice is not the same as when he brings a sacrifice that he shares. And this is something well-known and tested with every man — that he is more aroused by what is private only to him. There is no need to speak at length [about this].
From the laws of the commandment is that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Menachot 50b), “How is the making of the grilled ones of the high priest? He brings a whole issaron of flour, and divides it” with the half issaron measure in the Temple. As even though the meal-offering of the issaron was offered in halves — meaning to say, half of it in the morning and half of it in the evening — it is not sanctified in halves; meaning he brings it all together. And he brings with it three log of oil and mixes the fine flour with the oil and scalds it in boiling water. And he kneads six loaves from each half issaron — it comes out that there were twelve loaves — and they were made one by one. And how does he make [it]? He divides the three log with the reviit measure in the Temple — one reviit for each loaf. He bakes it a little and afterwards roasts it on the griddle with its oil, but he does not cook it much. And afterwards he divides each loaf into two, so that he offer half [of it] in the morning and half in the evening. And he takes the halves, doubles each one up into two and crumbles it, until you find each crumbling doubled up into two. And he offers the halves with half a handful of frankincense in the morning, and the remaining half [of the offering] with the [other] half handful of frankincense in the evening. And it is completely for the fire.
And it is practiced at the time of the [Temple] by the high priest. And the meal-offering of the morning and of the evening is one positive commandment — there is no one that disagrees about this. As even Ramban, may his memory be blessed (at the end of Sefer HaMitzvot, s.v. veatah im tavin) — who counted the two daily [communal] offerings as two commandments — concedes this.
מִצְוַת קָרְבַּן מִנְחָה שֶׁל כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל בְּכָל יוֹם – שֶׁנִּצְטַוִּינוּ שֶׁיַּקְרִיב הַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל מִנְחָה בְּכָל יוֹם פַּעֲמַיִם בַּבֹּקֶר וּבֵין הָעַרְבַּיִם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא ו יג) זֶה קָרְבַּן אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו אֲשֶׁר יַקְרִיבוּ לַיְיָ וְגוֹ', וְהִיא הַנִּקְרֵאת חֲבִתֵּי כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל, וְנִקְרֵאת גַּם כֵּן מִנְחַת כֹּהֵן מָשִׁיחַ (כ"ה בסהמ"צ להרמב"ם עשה מ).
The commandment of the daily meal-offering of the high priest: That we were commanded that the high priest offer a daily meal-offering twice — in the morning and in the afternoon — as it is stated (Leviticus 6:13), “This is the sacrifice of Aharon and his sons that they shall bring to the Lord, etc.” And it is what is called the grilled ones of the high priest, and it is also called the meal-offering of the anointed priest (so is it [written] in the Sefer HaMitzvot, Positive Commandments 40).
מִשָּׁרְשֵׁי הַמִּצְוָה. לְפִי שֶׁהַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל הוּא הַשָּׁלִיחַ בֵּין יִשְׂרָאֵל לַאֲבִיהֶם שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם. כְּלוֹמַר, כִּי הוּא הַנּוֹשֵׂא תְּפִלָּה אֵלָיו בַּעֲדָם, וְעַל יְדֵי תְּפִלּוֹתָיו וּמַעֲשֵׂה קָרְבְּנוֹתָיו הֵם מִתְכַּפְּרִין, וְלָכֵן רָאוּי לְאִישׁ כָּזֶה לִהְיוֹת לוֹ קָרְבָּן מְיֻחָד תְּמִידִי כְּמוֹ תְּמִידֵי הַצִּבּוּר, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁהַתְּמִידִין שְׁנַיִם לַיּוֹם נִתְחַיֵּב הוּא גַּם כֵּן לְהַקְרִיב מִנְחָתוֹ פַּעֲמַיִם בַּיּוֹם. וְכָל זֶה נִסְמַךְ אֶל הַטַּעַם שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ בַּקָּרְבָּן כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּתְעוֹרְרוּ כָּל מַחְשְׁבוֹתָיו וְיָשִׂים דַּעְתּוֹ וְכַוָּנָתוֹ אֵצֶל הַשֵּׁם בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וּלְמַעַן זֹאת יוֹעִיל לוֹ וְלָהֶם, וְאֵין סָפֵק שֶׁאֵין דּוֹמָה הִתְעוֹרְרוּת הָאָדָם כְּשֶׁמַּקְרִיב קָרְבָּנוֹ הַמְיֻחָד לוֹ לִכְשֶׁהוּא מַקְרִיב קָרְבָּן שֶׁהוּא מְשַׁתֵּף עִמּוֹ, וְזֶה דָּבָר יָדוּעַ וּמְנֻסֶּה בְּכָל אָדָם, כִּי לְמָה שֶׁמְּיַחֵד לוֹ לְבַדּוֹ מִתְעוֹרֵר יוֹתֵר, אֵין לְהַאֲרִיךְ בָּזֶה.
It is from the roots of the commandment [that it is] because the high priest is the agent between Israel and their Father in Heaven — meaning to say, that he is the one that carries prayer to Him for their sake; and through his prayers and the act of his sacrifices, they are atoned. And hence it is fitting that there be a private daily sacrifice for a man like this, like the daily sacrifices of the community. And [just like those] were two a day, he too is obligated to bring his meal-offering twice a day. And all of this is based on the reason that we said about the sacrifice: In order that all of his thoughts be aroused and he place his mind and intention towards God, blessed be He. And on account of this, he will be effective for himself and for them. And there is no doubt that the arousal of a man when he brings his own private sacrifice is not the same as when he brings a sacrifice that he shares. And this is something well-known and tested with every man — that he is more aroused by what is private only to him. There is no need to speak at length [about this].
מִדִּינֵי הַמִּצְוָה. מָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ. כֵּיצַד (מנחות נ ב) עֲשִׂיַּת חֲבִתֵּי כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל? מֵבִיא עִשָּׂרוֹן שָׁלֵם שֶׁל קֶמַח וְחוֹצֵהוּ בַּחֲצִי עִשָּׂרוֹן שֶׁבַּמִּקְדָּשׁ, שֶׁאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁמִּנְחַת הָעִשָּׂרוֹן קְרֵבָה לַחֲצָאִין, כְּלוֹמַר חֶצְיָהּ בַּבֹּקֶר וְחֶצְיָהּ בְּעֶרֶב, אֵינָהּ מִתְקַדֶּשֶׁת לַחֲצָאִין, כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁכֻּלָּהּ מְבִיאָהּ בְּיַחַד. וּמֵבִיא עִמָּהּ שְׁלֹשָׁה לֻגִּין שֶׁמֶן, וּבוֹלֵל הַסֹּלֶת בַּשֶּׁמֶן וְחוֹלֵט אוֹתָהּ בְּרוֹתְחִין וְלָשׁ מִכָּל חֲצִי עִשָּׂרוֹן שֵׁשׁ חַלּוֹת, נִמְצָא שֶׁהֵם שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה חַלּוֹת, וְאַחַת אַחַת הָיוּ נַעֲשׂוֹת. וְכֵיצַד עוֹשֶׂה? מְחַלֵּק הַשְּׁלֹשָׁה לֻגִּין בִּרְבִיעִית שֶׁבַּמִּקְדָּשׁ, רְבִיעִית לְכָל חַלָּה, וְאוֹפֶה הַחַלָּה מְעַט וְאַחַר כָּךְ קוֹלֶה אוֹתָהּ עַל הַמַּחֲבַת עִם הַשֶּׁמֶן שֶׁלָּהּ, וְאֵינוֹ מְבַשְּׁלָהּ הַרְבֵּה, וְאַחַר כָּךְ חוֹלֵק כָּל חַלָּה לִשְׁתַּיִם כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּקְרִיב הַחֵצִי בַּבֹּקֶר וְהַחֵצִי בָּעֶרֶב, וְלוֹקֵחַ הַחֲצָאִין וְכוֹפֵל כָּל אֶחָד מֵהֶם לִשְׁנַיִם וּפוֹתֵת עַד שֶׁתִּמָּצֵא כָּל פְּתִיתָה כְּפוּלָה לִשְׁנַיִם. וּמַקְרִיב הַחֲצָאִין עִם חֲצִי קֹמֶץ לְבוֹנָה בַּבֹּקֶר, וְהַחֵצִי הַנִּשְׁאָר עִם חֲצִי קֹמֶץ לְבוֹנָה בָּעֶרֶב. וְהוּא כָּלִיל לָאִשִּׁים.
From the laws of the commandment is that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Menachot 50b), “How is the making of the grilled ones of the high priest? He brings a whole issaron of flour, and divides it” with the half issaron measure in the Temple. As even though the meal-offering of the issaron was offered in halves — meaning to say, half of it in the morning and half of it in the evening — it is not sanctified in halves; meaning he brings it all together. And he brings with it three log of oil and mixes the fine flour with the oil and scalds it in boiling water. And he kneads six loaves from each half issaron — it comes out that there were twelve loaves — and they were made one by one. And how does he make [it]? He divides the three log with the reviit measure in the Temple — one reviit for each loaf. He bakes it a little and afterwards roasts it on the griddle with its oil, but he does not cook it much. And afterwards he divides each loaf into two, so that he offer half [of it] in the morning and half in the evening. And he takes the halves, doubles each one up into two and crumbles it, until you find each crumbling doubled up into two. And he offers the halves with half a handful of frankincense in the morning, and the remaining half [of the offering] with the [other] half handful of frankincense in the evening. And it is completely for the fire.
וְנוֹהֶגֶת בִּזְמַן הַבַּיִת בְּכֹהֵן גָּדוֹל. וּמִנְחַת הַבֹּקֶר וְהָעֶרֶב מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה אַחַת, אֵין חוֹלֵק בָּזֶה, כִּי גַּם הָרַמְבַּ"ן זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה (בסוף סהמ"צ בד"ה ואתה אם תבין) שֶׁמָּנָה שְׁנֵי תְּמִידִין שְׁתֵּי מִצְוֹת מוֹדֶה בָּזֶה.
And it is practiced at the time of the [Temple] by the high priest. And the meal-offering of the morning and of the evening is one positive commandment — there is no one that disagrees about this. As even Ramban, may his memory be blessed (at the end of Sefer HaMitzvot, s.v. veatah im tavin) — who counted the two daily [communal] offerings as two commandments — concedes this.