The Mishnah on the Barley Offering
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On the first day of the weeklong Passover festival, visitors to the Temple would offer the first of their harvest of barley, following the prescriptions in Leviticus 23:10–14. The Mishnah discusses the legal requirements for the barley offering, considering where the barley had to be sourced and how to fulfill the rules outlined in Leviticus 2:14 for firstfruit grain offerings. Because the crop was forbidden for consumption until after the offering, the Mishnah also considers when the crop could be eaten once the Temple was destroyed and the firstfruits were no longer offered. For a symbolic interpretation of this ritual, see Philo on the Barley Offering.
2. The mitzvah of the omer is that it should be brought from [what grows] nearby. If [the crop] near Jerusalem was not yet ripe, it could be brought from any place. It once happened that the omer was brought from Gagot Zerifin and the two loaves from the plain of En Soker.1 [ . . . ]
4. They reaped it, put it into the baskets, and brought it to the Temple courtyard. Then they would parch it with fire in order to fulfill the mitzvah that it should be parched [with fire]—the words of R. Meir. But the sages say: They beat it with reeds or stems of plants that the grains should not be crushed, and then they put it into a pipe that was perforated so that the fire might take hold of all of it. They spread it out in the Temple courtyard so that the wind might blow over it. Then they put it into a gristmill and took out of it a tenth [of an ephah of flour] which was sifted through thirteen sieves. What was left over was redeemed and might be eaten by anyone. It was liable for ḥallah2 but exempt from tithes. R. Akiva made it liable for both ḥallah and tithes. He [the priest offering the omer] then came to the tenth [of an ephah that had been separated], put in its oil and its frankincense, poured in the oil, mixed it, waved it, brought it near [to the altar], took from it the handful and burnt it, and the remainder was eaten by the priests.3
5. After the omer was offered, they used to go out and find the market of Jerusalem already full of flour and parched grain [of the new produce]. This was without the approval of the rabbis—the words of R. Meir. R. Judah says: It was with the approval of the rabbis. After the omer was offered, the new grain was permitted immediately, but for those who lived far off, it was permitted only after midday.4 After the Temple was destroyed, R. Yoḥanan ben Zakkai decreed that it should be forbidden throughout the day of the waving. R. Judah said: Is it not so forbidden by the law of the Torah, for it is said: [You shall eat no bread, parched grain, or fresh ears] until this very day, [until you have brought the offering of your God]? (Leviticus 23:14).5 Why was it permitted for those who lived far away from midday? Because they know that the court would not be negligent with it.6
Notes
[Gagot Zerifin has been identified as a location near Lod, about 22 miles (36 km) from Jerusalem. En Soker is near Shechem, close to modern-day Nablus, about 30 miles (48 km) from Jerusalem. The “two loaves” are an offering from the wheat crop made seven weeks after the barley offering, on the Festival of Shavuot (Leviticus 23:15–17).—Ed.]
[An offering from the first of the bread dough (Numbers 15:17–21).—Ed.]
[The standard procedure for grain offerings involved burning a handful of the flour mixed with oil on the altar with frankincense (Leviticus 2:1–3). The ritual of waving is particular to the omer offering (Leviticus 23:11).—Ed.]
[Since those who lived far away could not know for certain when the omer was offered.—Ed.]
[R. Judah interprets the phrase “until this very day” as referring to the time after the destruction of the Temple. While the Temple stands, the grain is permitted after the offering. After the destruction of the Temple, it is prohibited for the entire day.—Ed.]
[Those who lived far away could be confident that the offering would have been made by midday.—Ed.]
Credits
m. Menaḥot 10:2, 4–5, adapted from Mishnah Yomit, trans. Joshua Kulp, www.sefaria.org. Originally from https://learn.conservativeyeshiva.org. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) License.
Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 2: Emerging Judaism.
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On the first day of the weeklong Passover festival, visitors to the Temple would offer the first of their harvest of barley, following the prescriptions in Leviticus 23:10–14. The Mishnah discusses the legal requirements for the barley offering, considering where the barley had to be sourced and how to fulfill the rules outlined in Leviticus 2:14 for firstfruit grain offerings. Because the crop was forbidden for consumption until after the offering, the Mishnah also considers when the crop could be eaten once the Temple was destroyed and the firstfruits were no longer offered. For a symbolic interpretation of this ritual, see Philo on the Barley Offering.
Related Guide
Visiting the Second Temple in Jerusalem
You may also like
Philo on the Barley Offering
On the Special Laws 2.162–164, 170–175
A Pilgrimage for a Rite of Purification
Acts 21:17–26
Tobit Brings Firstfruits to Jerusalem
Tobit 1:6–7
Philo on Offering Firstfruits
On the Special Laws 2.215–222
The Mishnah on Offering Firstfruits
m. Bikkurim 3:1-8