יחזקאל, פרק מ״ו, פסוק ה׳

Animal sacrifices are traditionally accompanied by grain offerings of fine flour and oil, yet the specific requirements for these supplementary offerings vary based on the animal being presented. A clear distinction is drawn between the grain offering required for a ram and the offering required for lambs. For the ram, the requirement is an absolute, fixed measure of one complete ephah [רד״ק, מלבי״ם]. The requirement for the lambs, however, is framed as a personal gift or contribution [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The primary approach among commentators views this distinction for the lambs as a flexible guideline based on the individual's financial capacity and personal generosity. In this view, a person simply offers what they can comfortably afford [רד״ק, מצודת דוד]. Conversely, another perspective argues that the amount is not variable or dependent on the giver's goodwill. Instead, it represents a precise, fixed measure of one-sixth of an ephah per lamb. According to this interpretation, the offering is characterized as a hand-delivered gift because it reflects the established contribution physically given by the people to the prince [מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

On a practical legal level, this specific framing teaches a fundamental principle regarding the laws of sacrifices. It establishes that the various grain offerings are independent of one another. If one specific grain offering is missing or deficient, it does not disqualify the sacrifice or prevent the individual from bringing the remaining required offerings [רש״י].