What is the definition of "Mateh Lechem"?
Rashi, Targum Onkelos and Targum Yonasan: It means The staff of bread 1 (your food supply).
Like "Mateh Uzcha" in Tehilim, 110:2 (Rashi there).
Why will ten women bake their bread in one oven?
Rashi: Due to a lack of firewood.
Rashbam and Targum Yonasan: Because one woman will not be able to fill her oven with the meager amount of bread that she is baking. 1
Perhaps they bake together due to lack of firewood (like Rashi), or in order to save wood (even if they do not lack), or because bread bakes better when the oven is full. See Beitzah 17a (PF).
What are the implications of "Veheishivu Lachm'chem ba'Mishkal"?
Rashi and Targum Yonasan: Due to the fact that the wheat will be rotten, the baked bread will break-up into pieces in the oven, and the women will have to weigh the pieces to divide them equally among themselves.
Rashbam: They will weigh it before it is baked, and again after it is baked, before returning it to its owner. 1
Panim Yafos: When bread is baked properly, it weighs less than the dough. 2 The curse is that the bread will weigh the same as the dough since it will not be baked properly.
?Va?achaltem ve?Lo Sisba?u?. Why will they eat and not be satiated?
Rashi and Rashbam #1: Because the bread will be cursed in the stomach. 1
Rashbam #2: Due to the meager weighed quantities that they will eat. 2
Rashi: Once again, making a total of seven punishments for the seven sins listed at the beginning of the current Parshah.
Refer to 26:26:3:2*.
Why did the Torah write "Sheva al Chatoseichem" and then list eight punishments?
Rashi: Because "Venitatem be'Yad Oyev" in Pasuk 25 is not counted, since it is synonymous with "Cherev" in the same Pasuk.
What us the significance of 'ten women'?
Rashbam: It means simply 'many women'.
Moshav Zekenim: It was normal to bake an Omer (four hundred and thirty-two egg-volumes) at a time of satiation. The curse is that ten women together will bake an Omer. 1
The Moshav Zekenim does not give a source that they bake this amount. Perhaps "Lachm'chem" is repeated to allude to the amount they used to eat daily - an Omer of Manna (PF).
