Menachot 64 – Barley Offering on Passover

The barley (omer) offering was brought from new barley on the second day of Passover, which in Israel is the first intermediate day of the holiday, when work is allowed. The offering consisted of an one-tenth of an ephah measure (about 50 pounds), and thus amounted to 5 pounds. Actually, a complete ephah was harvested, ground, and sieved thirteen times, to produce the required one-tenth.

The special question would come up on Shabbat. The barley could still be harvested, since the Torah required this offering, even on Shabbat, but the question was whether they should minimize the Shabbat violation. Rabbi Ishmael says that on Shabbat they would harvest enough barley only for an ephah, but on weekday – much more, to produce the best final quality of flour. However, the Sages say that they used the same amount on Shabbat and on weekdays.

In the same vein, Rabbi Chanina the Deputy Kohen allowed only one person to do the reaping on Shabbat, and three on a weekday, but the Sages required three people, each with their own sickle and basket, both on Shabbat and on a weekday.

Art: Vincent Van Gogh - Harvest La Crau with Montmajour