Vayikra 2:1 begins with the words: “V’nefesh ki takriv korban mincha l’Hashem”, “When a soul brings a mincha offering to God”

Rashi asks why specifically in reference to the mincha, voluntary offering made primarily of flour, the term “nefesh”, “soul”, is used instead of the word “person”. Rashi answers with a quote from the Talmud in Menachot 104b: Since a poor person is the one who brings the mincha offering, God said: “I consider him as though he had offered his own soul”.

Ba’al HaTurim explains that the poor person expends his soul in order to scrape together the coins necessary to purchase the ingredients for the mincha offering.
Vayikra Raba 3:5 recounts the story of a woman who brought a handful of flour to offer to God. The Kohen yelled at her and said: “This flour is not good for a meal or for the alter”. In a dream God appeared to the Kohen and said: “Do not scorn her, it is as if she offered up her soul”.

Although the cost of the mincha offering is less than that of a bird, let alone an animal, God does not value this offering any less than the other offerings. If all that a person can afford to sacrifice is flour, then God will fully accept the flour.

Today, we don’t have the Beit HaMikdash and therefore we can’t offer the mincha offering. Menachot 110a states that whoever engages in the study of Torah is considered as if he offered up a “mincha offering.”

At the end of the Shmoneh Esrei we say the words “Yehi Ratzon” May it be your will, Hashem our God and God of our forefathers that the Beit HaMikdash be rebuilt, speedily in our days. Grant us our share in your Torah and may we serve you with reverence as in the days of old and in former years. Then the mincha of Yehuda and Yerushalayim will be pleasing to Hashem as in the days of old.

Vayikra 2:1 begins with the words: “V’nefesh ki takriv korban mincha l’Hashem”, “When a soul brings a mincha offering to God”

Rashi asks why specifically in reference to the mincha, voluntary offering made primarily of flour, the term “nefesh”, “soul”, is used instead of the word “person”. Rashi answers with a quote from the Talmud in Menachot 104b: Since a poor person is the one who brings the mincha offering, God said: “I consider him as though he had offered his own soul”.

Ba’al HaTurim explains that the poor person expends his soul in order to scrape together the coins necessary to purchase the ingredients for the mincha offering.
Vayikra Raba 3:5 recounts the story of a woman who brought a handful of flour to offer to God. The Kohen yelled at her and said: “This flour is not good for a meal or for the alter”. In a dream God appeared to the Kohen and said: “Do not scorn her, it is as if she offered up her soul”.

Although the cost of the mincha offering is less than that of a bird, let alone an animal, God does not value this offering any less than the other offerings. If all that a person can afford to sacrifice is flour, then God will fully accept the flour.

Today, we don’t have the Beit HaMikdash and therefore we can’t offer the mincha offering. Menachot 110a states that whoever engages in the study of Torah is considered as if he offered up a “mincha offering.”

At the end of the Shmoneh Esrei we say the words “Yehi Ratzon” May it be your will, Hashem our God and God of our forefathers that the Beit HaMikdash be rebuilt, speedily in our days. Grant us our share in your Torah and may we serve you with reverence as in the days of old and in former years. Then the mincha of Yehuda and Yerushalayim will be pleasing to Hashem as in the days of old.