Menachot 84a — the Talmud in English

e. Now Rambam—his wording was cited in section d—ruled concerning the Two Loaves that they are valid from the old crop, unlike the anonymous Mishna; and see the objection of Raavad and the commentators on Rambam. And in “Zevach Todah” he wrote a novel matter in explaining his position: namely, that Rambam too holds according to the view of our Mishna, and the proof is that in chapter 6 of Issurei Mizbeach he wrote as is explained in our Mishna—the wording was cited in note 2—but Rambam’s reasoning concerning the Two Loaves specifically is that if he can obtain new produce and he brought from the old crop, it is invalid after the fact, but if he cannot obtain any [new produce] at all, he may even bring from the old crop, so that the mitzva should not be entirely nullified; and he derived this from the Tosefta of Menachot, chapter 9. Page 84a But concerning the Land, in the law of the produce of the Land with regard to the Omer and the Two Loaves, they do not disagree, and both agree that the Omer and the Two Loaves, from the Land— yes, [indeed, they are brought from the produce of the Land], from outside the Land— no. According to whom is this view, the view of this tanna, for it is not like this tanna— and even initially.

And how do I realize “When you enter the Land that I am giving you, and you reap its harvest and bring the Omer, the first of your harvest, to the priest”?—The verse did not come to say that you should bring the Omer from the produce of the Land, but rather to say:

that they did not become obligated in the Omer before they entered the Land,

but they may bring it even from the produce of outside the Land.

that the Omer and the two loaves, from the Land—

f.

The reason of this tanna is:

he holds that new produce before the Omer

outside the Land

is

a prohibition by Torah law, for it is forbidden; and although the verse said concerning the prohibition of new produce: “And bread and parched grain and ripe grain you shall not eat… an eternal statute for your generations in all your settlements,” and it would have implied that only the produce from your settlements in the Land of Israel is forbidden, this is not so, but rather:

“your settlements,” every place where you dwell—even outside the Land—

is implied.

And the verse as well: “When you enter the Land that I am giving you, and you reap its harvest, and bread and parched grain and ripe grain you shall not eat,” did not come to say that only in the Land of Israel will new produce be forbidden, but rather

it is the time of entering.

That is, the verse came to establish a time for the prohibition of new produce everywhere: when you enter the Land.

And since the produce of outside the Land

is by Torah law with regard to the prohibition of new produce,

we also bring the Omer

from it.

The reason for this tanna's view is that

he holds that the new produce

before the Omer

outside the Land

is

a Torah prohibition,

that it is forbidden. Although the verse concerning the prohibition of new produce states [Leviticus 23:14]: “You shall not eat bread, roasted grain, or fresh grain ... an eternal statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places,” which would seem to imply that only produce from “your dwelling places” in the Land of Israel is forbidden, this is not so. Rather:

And

“your dwelling places”

means every place where you dwell—

even outside the Land—

is implied.

And the verse [there, verse 10], “When you enter”

the Land that I give you and reap its harvest, “you shall not eat bread, roasted grain, or fresh grain,” does not mean that the prohibition of new produce applies only in the Land of Israel. Rather,

“when you enter”

the Land ... establishes that

it is the time of entering.

We learned there in tractate Shekalim 4:1: “

Watchmen of the growths”

in the Sabbatical year—[“growths” are produce that grows on its own, and not through agricultural labor forbidden in the Sabbatical year, and it is ownerless], for they guarded it so that there would be from which to reap the Omer—

they take

the watchmen of the growths

their wage

for the guarding

from the chamber contribution.

Rami bar Chama raised an objection to Rav Chisda, concerning what is explained in this Mishna, that they bring the Omer from produce of the Sabbatical year, which is sacred: But is it not written concerning the Sabbatical year, “And the produce of the Sabbath of the Land shall be yours for eating,” which implies: for eating it, and not for burning, and how can they bring the Omer from it and burn the handful on the altar?! He said to him, Rav Chisda to Rami bar Chama: The Merciful One said to you concerning the Omer: “And bread and parched grain and ripe grain you shall not eat until you bring the offering of your God, an eternal statute for your generations,” and this implies: the mitzva of the Omer is never nullified, and you say—[whereas you wish to say]: let the Omer be nullified in the Sabbatical year, because it is forbidden to burn produce of the Sabbatical year on the altar?! He said to him, Rami bar Chama to Rav Chisda: And did I say, “Let it be nullified”!? Do you think that my question was that since it is impossible to burn produce of the Sabbatical year, they should therefore not offer the Omer in the Sabbatical year?! I said only that they should bring the Omer from the previous year—[from the produce of the preceding year], whose produce is not sacred with the sanctity of the Sabbatical year. Rav Chisda answered Rami bar Chama:

I require “

ripe grain”—[a mnemonic for “soft and rubbed,” meaning that the produce should be soft and capable of being rubbed by hand],

and

there is

no ripe grain in the produce of the preceding year, since it has already dried and hardened.

they received

the guards of the volunteer growth

their wages

for guarding it

from the chamber appropriation.

Rami bar Chama returned and raised an objection to Rav Chisda:

And let them bring [let them bring]

from “

ripe grain”

of the preceding year, that is, even in the produce of the preceding year you fulfill “ripe grain” if, at the time it was reaped, it was “ripe grain,” and they should bring in this year from that produce which at the time of its reaping was “ripe grain”?!

Rav Chisda answered Rami bar Chama: Behold,

the verse says: “

You shall offer ripe grain,” and we learn from this: I require ripe grain at the time of the offering, and it is not sufficient that it was ripe grain at the time of reaping.

Rav Ḥisda to Rami bar Ḥama:

The Merciful One has told you

concerning the Omer [Leviticus 23:14]: “You shall not eat bread, roasted grain, or fresh grain until this very day, until you have brought the offering of your God; an eternal statute”

It was stated:

Rabbi Yochanan said: The Omer is not brought in the Sabbatical year from the produce of the preceding year, because

we require “

you shall offer ripe grain.”

Rabbi Elazar says another reason: because the verse said

“the first of your harvest”—[“and you shall bring the Omer, the first of your harvest, to the priest.”] We learn from this:

the first of your harvest, and not the end of your harvest;

and the produce of the preceding year is the end of your harvest.

Rabba raised an objection from that which was taught: It is written:

“And if you bring a meal-offering of first fruits

to the Lord, fresh ears roasted in fire, crushed kernels of ripe grain, you shall bring your meal-offering of first fruits,”

the verse is speaking of the meal-offering of the Omer.

From where [from which species]

does it come?

From barley! And the beraita explains:

You say that it comes from barley,

it comes,

or perhaps it comes only from wheat

it comes?

there is

no

freshly ripened grain in the produce of the previous year, since it has already dried and hardened.

Rami bar Ḥama returned and challenged Rav Ḥisda:

Let them bring [

let them bring it]

from

freshly ripened grain

of the previous year. That is, even with produce from the previous year, the requirement of “freshly ripened grain” can be fulfilled if, when it was reaped, it was “freshly ripened”; let them bring that produce this year, since at the time of reaping it was freshly ripened?!

Rav Ḥisda answered Rami bar Ḥama:

The verse

states:

“You shall offer freshly ripened grain,”

and we learn from this:

I require freshly ripened grain at the time of the offering,

and it is not sufficient that it was freshly ripened at the time of reaping.

It was stated:

Rabbi Yoḥanan said:

The Omer may not be brought during the Sabbatical year from the previous year's produce, because we require:

“You shall offer freshly ripened grain.”

Rabbi Elazar said

a different reason: Because the verse states

“the first of your harvest” [

“And you shall bring the Omer, the first of your harvest, to the priest”], and we learn from this:

“The first of your harvest,” and not the end of your harvest;

the produce of the preceding year is the end of your harvest.

Rabba raised an objection

from what was taught in a beraita: It is written [Leviticus 2:14]:

“And if you bring a meal offering of first fruits

to the Lord, roasted ears of grain, freshly ripened crushed grain, you shall bring your first-fruits meal offering”;

the verse is speaking of the Omer meal offering.

From where [

from which type of grain]

is it brought?

From barley!

And the beraita explains:

You say that it is brought from barley

as stated,

or perhaps it is brought from wheat

instead?

Rabbi Eliezer says: It is stated "

spring"

in Egypt [

Exodus 9:31, concerning the plague of hail: “for the barley was spring” ],

and it is stated "

spring"

for the generations ["

spring-roasted in fire, crushed grain; you shall bring the meal-offering of your first fruits"], and they should be learned from one another:

Just as "

spring"

stated concerning Egypt,

that is,

barley, so "

spring"

stated for the generations comes only from barley.

Rabbi Akiva says

another source that the Omer comes from barley:

Behold,

we find an individual who brings his obligation from wheat ["

the meal-offering of a sinner"],

and

brings

his obligation

also

from barley ["

the meal-offering of a woman suspected of adultery"]—

and

we also find

that the community brings its obligation from wheat ["

the two loaves"]—

And if so:

just as an individual brings his obligation from wheat and brings his obligation

also

from barley, so too the community, which brings its obligation from wheat,

it is logical that it should

bring its obligation

also

from barley.

That is, just as we find with an individual, who brings a wheat meal-offering as well as a barley meal-offering, so too it is logically proper that the community should bring a barley meal-offering in addition to the wheat meal-offering that they bring; and necessarily, the Omer meal-offering is the barley meal-offering that the community brings, for:

If you say

the Omer

comes from wheat, we do not find a community that brings its obligation from barley,

for there is no other meal-offering of the community that comes from barley.

Alternatively:

For the Torah said [Numbers 28:26]: “And on the day of the first fruits [that is, the festival of Shavuot, on which they bring the two loaves called ‘first fruits’], when you bring a new meal-offering to the Lord”; and “first fruits” means that no other meal-offering from the wheat of the new produce was offered before this meal-offering—

And

if you say: The Omer comes from wheat,

it is found that

the two loaves,

which come from wheat, are not

“first fruits,” for a wheat meal-offering from the new produce had already been offered before the two loaves; rather, necessarily, the Omer comes from barley, and indeed no meal-offering from the new wheat produce was offered before the two loaves, and they are therefore “first fruits.”

because a wheat meal-offering from the new grain crop had already been offered before the two loaves. Rather, necessarily, the Omer comes from barley, while no meal-offering from the new wheat crop was in fact offered before the two loaves, and therefore they are "first fruits."

It follows

that the reason for the two loaves

is because of first fruits,

for “first fruits” is required, and the same applies to the Omer, since “first fruits” is also written concerning it [as it is written—Leviticus 2:14—“And if you bring a meal-offering of first fruits to the Lord, spring-roasted in fire, crushed grain; you shall bring your meal-offering of first fruits”]; and this is in accordance with Rabbi Elazar, and it is difficult for Rabbi Yohanan.