Sefer HaChinuch ספר החינוך

To not offer leaven or honey: To not offer leaven or honey on top of the altar, as it is stated (Leviticus 2:11), “for any leaven and any honey you shall not burn from it as a fire to the Lord.” And the prevention is repeated at the beginning of the verse, as it is stated, “Any meal-offering that you offer to the Lord, you shall not make chamets.” And honey is a general name for the well-known honey, as well as for the honey of dates — which is the undifferentiated honey of the Torah — and also for the sap that exudes from [other] sweet fruits. And included in “you shall not burn,” is also not to put from it into the filling of the incense. And [it is] as the incense-makers say, “Honey is good for incense, but the Torah forbade it.”

The roots of this commandment are very hidden to find even a small hint from them. However, since I already made known at the opening of my words that my intention with these reasons that I write is to accustom the youth and give them explanations at the beginning of their coming to hear the words of the Book, since the words of Torah have explanations and benefits — and they shall accept them according to their custom and according to the weakness of their intellect — and let not the commandments be like “words of a sealed book” at first, lest they rebel against them from this in their youth, leave them forever and go (to emptiness) in emptiness. Hence I will write everything that first comes into my thoughts. And once he knows my intention, let not the [critic criticize] me in any thing.

And I will say that the matter of all of the sacrifices is to arouse the thoughts of the one that offers [them]; and according to that act, he shall take its similarities into his soul — all as we have already written (Sefer HaChinukh 95, 116). Hence in distancing chamets, which is made with great delay, he will take the similarity from his sacrifice to acquire the trait of alacrity, of lightness and of speed in [doing] the act of God, blessed be He. And as they, may their memory be blessed, said (Mishnah Avot 5:20), “Be[...] light like the eagle, swift like the deer, and mighty like the lion to do, etc.” And we are obligated in the matter with the meal-offering of individuals more than with the communal meal-offering; since discouragement and laziness are found more with the individual — as the many will warn one another. And therefore the Torah did not concern itself about this with a communal meal-offering that comes from time to time, such as two breads of [Shavuot]. But with the bread of display — even though it is also called a communal meal-offering — since it is a constant meal-offering on each and every Shabbat, the Torah concerned itself about it and also commanded us about it that it should be matsah.

And regarding the distancing of honey, we shall say to the tender children in order to discipline them that the cause is to make a similarity that a person should minimize running after foods that are sweet to the palate, like the custom of the gluttons and drunkards that are always drawn after everything sweet. And he should place into his heart [to seek] only foods that are beneficial for the body, necessary for his sustenance and [that] protect the health of his limbs. And for this [reason], it is fit for any intelligent person to not plan his food and his drink towards the intention of the pleasure of the sensation of his throat. And if only people were wise, they would understand this. As the whole matter of sensation is a disgrace for them, all the more so is it not fitting for them to intend it and to enjoy it — only that which is required by nature perforce. And there are from the wise men that wrote, “The sense of touch, which is a disgrace for us.”

And I have further heard a reason about the prohibition of leaven and honey, because leaven raises itself and honey likewise brings up much foam. And therefore they were distanced [from us] to hint that “an abomination to the Lord is every haughty person.” And I saw further in the commentary of Ramban, may his memory be blessed, who wrote (Ramban on Leviticus 2:11) and this is his language: “And since the sacrifices are for the will of the glorious God, they should not come from things that have a strong hand to change the nature [of things]; and so [too], they should not come from things that are completely sweet like honey, but rather from [things that are] mixtures — as they, may their memory be blessed, said (Bereishit Rabbah 12:15) about the creation of the world, ‘He combined the trait of mercy with the trait of judgement and created it.’” Until here [are his words].

The laws of the commandment: That which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Menachot 52b) that all meal-offerings that are offered on top of the altar come [as] matsah, as we said. And so [too, that] the remainders of the meal-offerings that the priests eat are not eaten chamets — even though [the priests] are permitted to eat them with any food or with honey — as it is stated (Leviticus 6:10), “You shall not bake their portion chamets,” and [included] in its understanding is [that] even their portion they shall not render chamets. And if he renders its remainders chamets, he is lashed. And we administer lashes for each and every doing within it. How is this? [If] he kneaded it chamets or set it up chamets or cut it up chamets or broke it up chamets or baked it chamets, he is lashed — as it is stated, “you shall not make chamets,” “you shall not bake chamets,” to make liable for a single action in making it chamets; [he is] liable for lashes. And we do not dampen wheat kernels of meal-offerings lest they become chamets (Rashi on Pesachim 36a). And nonetheless they, may their memory be blessed, said (Menachot 55a) that baked meal-offerings were kneaded in lukewarm water, and they would guard them that they not become chamets, as priests are alacritous. And leaven and honey are forbidden (forbid) with the smallest amount, as it is stated, “you shall not burn from it” — meaning to say, even the smallest amount. And he is not liable unless he burns them with the offering or for the sake of the offering (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Things Forbidden on the Altar 5:1). And it is one whether he burns them by themselves or their mixture — he is lashed (Menachot 58a). But if he burned them on their own for the sake of [fire]wood, he is exempted; as it is stated (Leviticus 2:12), “upon the altar they shall not be brought up as a pleasing smell” — for a pleasing smell you shall not bring up, but you may bring up for the sake of wood (Zevachim 76b). And the rest of its details are elucidated in Tractate Menachot.

Rambam, may his memory be blessed, (in Sefer HaMitzvot, Negative Commandments 98 and in Mishneh Torah, Laws of Things Forbidden on the Altar 5:1) calculated the prohibition of leaven and honey as one negative commandment — meaning to say, if he offered both of them, leaven and honey, together, he is only lashed once. [But] if he offered each one on its own, he is lashed one [set of] lashes for each one. And he gave a reason for his words: That this is a general negative commandment; and with a general negative commandment like this, we administer one [set of] lashes for two things. And the teacher, our Rabbi Moshe bar Nachman (Ramban), may his memory be blessed, (in his glosses on the Sefer HaMitzvot above) disagreed with him, to calculate leaven and honey as two negative commandments. And he said that he does not see a general negative commandment here; as behold with chamets, it specifies its negative commandment explicitly, as it is written, “you shall not bake chamets.” And if so, [with regards to] the negative commandment of honey — even though there is leaven with it (after it), we should say that the honey is learned by itself. And [so] a negative commandment is found for each one. And the rest of their proofs are in their book.

And [it] is practiced at the time of the [Temple] by male priests, as the service is theirs.