Sefer HaChinuch ספר החינוך

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.