Commentary for Leviticus 2:12

קרבן ראשית תקריבו אתם YE MAY OFFER THEM AS AN OFFERING OF THE FIRST FRUITS — But what is it that you have to offer of leaven and of honey? The offering of the first fruits, viz., the “two loaves’’ of the Feast of Weeks” that were brought of leavened dough, — as it is said, (Leviticus 23:16, 17) “[and ye shall offer a new meal-offering unto the Lord . . . two loaves] they shall be baken leavened”. — and the first ripe fruits were brought of species that contain sweet juices (דבש), such as the firstlings of figs and dates (Menachot 58a).

קרבן ראשית, the two breads made from the new wheat harvest and presented in the Temple on the Shavuot festival are called מנחה חדשה, a new “first” offering, details are found in Deuteronomy 26,2. The first fruit mentioned in that verse are also included.

קרבן ראשית תקריבו אותם, “You shall offer them as a first-fruit offering.” Rashi explains that for the presenting of the two loaves on the festival of Shavuot of the first wheat harvest, leavened loaves were in order, though on the altar no leavened products were to be presented. It was also in order to bring to the Temple honey as part of the first ripe dates of the season. The Torah writes a special dispensation for this in Leviticus The common denominator of these two offerings is that both are described as בכורים, “first fruit offerings.”