Komentarz do Kapłańska 23:10

ראשית קצירכם THE FIRST FRUITS OF YOUR HARVEST — This means that it (the Omer) shall be the first thing to be harvested (cf. Sifra, Emor, Section 10 3).

SPEAK UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, AND SAY UNTO THEM: WHEN YE ARE COME INTO THE LAND. Since He establishes a new commandment here in connection with each of the festivals, in addition to their being days of rest and holy convocation, therefore He singled out for each festival a special section, which begins with the charge, Speak unto the children of Israel.²⁴²So also further on in Verse 24 [in connection with the New Year], and Verse 34 [in connection with the Festival of Tabernacles]. The reason why that expression is not found in connection with the Festival of Weeks and the Day of Atonement will be explained in the text. And since the time of the Festival of Weeks is dependent upon the omer,²⁴³Literally: “a measure.” This refers to the meal-offering of the new barley brought on the second day of Passover, which is the sixteenth day of Nisan. From that day on we count the forty-nine “days of the omer,” and on the fiftieth day is the Festival of Weeks. Thus it is clear that the time of this festival is dependent upon the omer. therefore He stated it all in one section. And because the Day of Remembrance [i.e., the New Year] and the Day of Atonement are in one month [Tishri], and both relate to one subject — the [Divine] Judgment concerning man’s sins and the atonement [achieved] by those who do repentance — therefore He did not say concerning the Day of Atonement “speak unto the children of Israel,” since the first statement [about the New Year] was sufficient in this case. He made, however, two separate sections [of the omer and the Festival of Weeks, as also the New Year and the Day of Atonement], because they are different matters.

דבר אל בני ישראל, “speak to the Children of Israel, etc.” Nachmanides writes that the reason why the Torah devotes a separate instruction by G’d for each of these festivals instead of a single introductory heading for all of them, is that each festival contains some legislation which did not apply to the previous one, excepting the Sabbath. The common denominator of all of them is that all are called מקראי קודש, “holy convocations. Since there is no specific date given for the festival of Shavuaot, seeing that the Torah links it to the first day the omer was offered on the 16th day of Nissan and stipulates that the 50th day thereafter must be the festival of Shavuot, it is lumped together in the same paragraph as that legislating the omer offering, an offering which permits the new barley harvest for general consumption from that date on. Also, the fact that both Rosh Hahanah and Yom Hakippurim occur in the same month and represent the beginning and the end of the ten days of penitence, i.e. they cover basically the same subject, at least the words דבר אל בני ישראל, “speak to the Children of Israel,” are not repeated.

The first of the harvest. I.e., Jews may not reap their fields until the omer is reaped first, [before]of all everything else that is being reaped. But Rashi is not saying that ראשית קצירכם means that you should may only bring the omer only from the first of the harvest and not from the end or middle of the harvest.

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עמר — The tenth part of an Epha; this was its name (i. e. עמר has not the meaning of a sheaf here as is the meaning of the word e. g., in Deuteronomy 24:19: ושכחת עמר — but it denotes a certain measure), as we find (Exodus 12:18) “And they did measure it with the Omer”.

AND YE SHALL REAP THE HARVEST THEREOF. This means that you are not to reap any harvest in the Land until you have reaped the omer²⁴³Literally: “a measure.” This refers to the meal-offering of the new barley brought on the second day of Passover, which is the sixteenth day of Nisan. From that day on we count the forty-nine “days of the omer,” and on the fiftieth day is the Festival of Weeks. Thus it is clear that the time of this festival is dependent upon the omer. and have brought it as the first-fruits of your harvest unto the priest. Similarly, from the time the sickle is first put to the standing grain shalt thou begin to number seven weeks,²⁴⁴Deuteronomy 16:9. means “from the time you begin to put the sickle to any standing grain, for it is forbidden to raise the sickle over standing grain until the day that you begin to count [seven weeks].”

Such was its name. I.e., the measure that contains a tenth of an ephoh is called an omer.

ראשית קצירכם, “the first fruit of your harvest;” it would not be good manners to eat of this harvest before your bringing a gift to the Lord acknowledging His share in your successful harvest.

That is that He commanded to offer the grain offering of the omer. And that is the grain offering of barley on the sixteenth day of Nissan. And with it, we offer an unblemished year-old lamb. And that is His, may He be exalted, saying, "you shall bring the omer, etc." (Leviticus 23:10). This grain offering is what is called, "first fruits." And He hinted to it in His, may His name be blessed, saying, "And if you offer an offering of first fruits" (Leviticus 2:14). And the language of the Mekhilta (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 20:22:1) is, "Every, if, in the Torah connotes optionality, except for three which are obligatory. One is, 'And if you offer an offering of first fruits.' You say it is obligatory, but perhaps it is optional. [Hence] we learn to say, 'You shall offer the offering of your first fruits.' It is obligatory, not optional." And the regulations of this commandment have already all been completely explained in the tenth chapter of Menachot. (See Parashat Emor; Mishneh Torah, Daily Offerings and Additional Offerings 17.)