Comentário sobre Números 28:26

וביום הבכורים AND ON THE DAY OF THE FIRSTLINGS — The Feast of Weeks is called the firstlings of the wheat harvest (Exodus 34:22) because of the two loaves (Leviticus 23:17) which were the first of the wheat meal offerings which were brought from the new grain (Menachot 84b).

בשבועותיכם, on account of the weeks of cutting, harvesting. Compare Jeremiah 5,24 שבועות חקת קציר, “the weeks appointed for the harvest.” The reason for the apparently superfluous letter ב at the beginning of this word here is similar to the use by Scripture of the same letter in constructions such as בנפש יכפר in Leviticus 17,11, or בדם עשהאל in Samuel II 3,27, or בלחם נשכרו in Samuel I 2,5. It is a form of emphasis of the word it introduces.

בהקריבכם…בשבעתיכם, when you offer on your festival of weeks, etc. The plural indicates that this festival is not only meant for bringing the offering from the new wheat harvest, but that at the same time it also symbolises the completion of the count of the seven weeks commencing with the second day of Passover. This represents a major rehabilitation of our souls as explained by the Kabbalists. The Torah is careful to use the possessive suffix to indicate that the seven weeks represent the essential elements which distinguished the seven righteous people who between them form the spiritual foundation of the Jewish people. This is explained in detail in Tikkuney Hazohar chapter 21.

Which are the first of the wheat minchah- offerings. Though the omer allows all varieties of new crop, wheat, barley and other types of grain, this is concerning for food that is eaten. However, for offerings one would not be permitted to bring from the new crop until after the minchah of the two loaves which was brought from the wheat from the present year.

V. 26. וביום הבכורים. Und wenn ihr nun nach zurückgelegtem Feste eurer Gelangung zur Freiheit und Selbständigkeit endlich den Tag erreicht, der die Zeit eröffnet, in welchem es euch vergönnt ist, die "Erstlinge" eurer Jahresfrüchte in das Gesetzesheiligtum vor Gottes Altar als Anerkennung des von Gott, seiner Verheißung getreu, in Folge eures Eintritts in seinen Gesetzesbund euch gewährten Bodensegens zu tragen: בהקריבכם מנחה חדשה לד׳, und ihr diese Zeit, überhaupt die Darbringung Gott huldigender Mincha von der neuen Frucht, mit שתי לחם, mit "zwei gesäuerten Weizenbroten" eröffnet, die ihr vor Gottes Altar zum Ausdruck der "menschenwürdigen Selbständigkeit" bringt welche infolge der Verwirklichung seines Gesetzes Gott "jedem Gliede seines Gesetzesvolkes". gewährleistet; und zwar בשבעתיכם, an eurer Wochenvollendung, nachdem ihr, nicht שבעות חקות קציר (Jirmija 5, 24), nicht die Wochen der Erntereife, sondern eure Wochen, die Wochen eurer Reife, eures geistigen und sittlichen Reifwerdens für Empfängnis und Trägerschaft des göttlichen Gesetzes von erlangter Freiheit und Selbständigkeit gezählt habet (siehe Wajikra 23, 15 — 22); und ihr dann wiederum aus dem Werk schaffenden Erdendienst hinaus in den Dienst Gottes, zu seinem Heiligtum, geladen seid.

וביום הבכורים, “And on the day of offering the first fruits, etc,” The reason why this day is called: “the day of the first fruits,” is that commencing with that date the farmer can present such fruit from the current harvest in the Temple as his gift to G-d, i.e. the priests, His terrestrial representatives. The verse failed to mention the month, and from which day of that month this regulation applies. I have already explained the reason for this omission in my commentary on Leviticus23,21.

Another reason why the Torah wrote בשבעתיכם is to disabuse the fools who thought that the words ממחרת השבת in Leviticus 23,25 refer to the Sabbath of Bereshit, i.e. the ordinary Sabbath, rather than the first day of Passover (compare Menachot 65). By saying "your weeks," the Torah makes it plain that the count started on a day which was subject to the terrestrial court to determine. The terrestrial court has no authority to change the date of the Sabbath, although it may postpone the day on which we observe new moons. We have a Baraitha in Menachot 72 where Rabbbi Yehudah also deduces the same ruling from the words in Deut. 16,9 תספר לך, "count for yourself." This excludes days over which our courts have no authority and which all mankind counts alike.

בשבועותיכם, “on your feast of weeks;” the word is translated by the Targum as בעצרתיכון; since the Targum appeared, or in deference to its author, the name of the festival has been changed to Atzeret. [Presumably, this is on account of the stoppage of counting the omer. Ed.] Previously, this festival had been known as Shavuot.

That is that He commanded to also offer an additional sacrifice on the fiftieth day from the offering of the omer, [the latter being on] the 16th of Nissan. And that is the additional sacrifice of Atzeret (Shavuot) mentioned in the Book of Numbers. And that is His, may He be exalted, saying, "On the day of the first fruits, when you offer" (Numbers 28:26). (See Parashat Pinchas; Mishneh Torah, Daily Offerings and Additional Offerings 8)