1) (Vayikra 23:10) ("Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: When you come to the land which I give to you and you reap its harvest, you shall bring an omer (one-tenth of an ephah) of the first of your harvest to the Cohein.") I might think, when they came to trans-Jordan; it is, therefore, written "the land" — the distinctive land. 2) I might think, when they came to Ammon and Moav; it is, therefore, written "which I give to you" — not Ammon and Moav. 3) "and you reap its harvest … the first of your harvest": It must be the first of all that is harvested. I might think, even from parched fields requiring irrigation and from the valleys; it is, therefore, written "the first of your harvest," and not the above. 4) "harvest," and not pulse; "harvest," and not fodder corn. R. Yehudah said: If he began (harvesting) before a third (of its growth), he harvests it and feeds it to beasts, animals, and birds, and he is exempt from leket, shikchah, and peah. R. Shimon says: Even if it had grown a third, he begins to harvest and feeds it to beasts, animals, and birds, and he is exempt from leket, shikchah, and peah, and he must give the tithe. "and you reap its harvest, you shall bring the omer of the first of your harvest to the Cohein": There is no mitzvah of reaping for the Cohein. 5) (Vayikra 23:11) ("And he shall lift the omer before the L–rd as is acceptable to you; on the morrow of the Sabbath the Cohein shall lift it.") "And he shall lift the omer before the L–rd": It has three names: "the omer of the first," "the omer of lifting"; "omer," its (basic) name. "as is acceptable to you": The community is not compelled (to do a mitzvah) perforce. "on the morrow of the Sabbath": the morrow of (the first day of) the festival (of Pesach). "the Cohein shall lift it": a prototype (binyan av) for all "liftings" to be done by the Cohein. 6) (Vayikra 23:12) ("And you shall offer, on the day that you lift the omer, an unblemished lamb in its first year as a burnt-offering to the L–rd.") "and you shall offer on the day … a one-year old lamb": even if there be no omer; "omer": even if there be no lamb. "on the day that you lift": Lifting is only in the daytime. "an unblemished lamb in its first year as a burnt-offering to the L–rd" not in a year by calendar count. 7) (Vayikra 23:13) ("And its meal-offering, two tenths of fine flour mixed with oil, a fire-offering to the L–rd, a sweet savor; and its drink-offering, wine, a fourth of a hin.") "And its meal-offering, two tenths of fine flour mixed with oil, a fire-offering to the L–rd, a sweet savor": This two-tenths (meal-offering of the lamb which accompanies the omer) is twice the normal amount. 8) I might think that just as its meal is doubled, so should its wine be doubled; it is, therefore, written "wine, a fourth of a hin" (the normal amount). I might think that the wine is not doubled because it is not included in the meal-offering (but in the lamb offering), but that oil should be doubled because it is included in the meal-offering. It is, therefore, written and its (the meal-offerings) drink offering, a fourth of a hin — all of its drink offerings are to be a quarter (of a hin). 9) (Vayikra 23:14) ("And bread, and parched grain, and fresh ears you shall not eat until this self-same day, until you have brought the offering of your G d; a statute forever, throughout your generations, in all of your dwellings.") If it were written (only) "parched grain and fresh ears you shall not eat," I would think that pulse (which lends itself to these) were also included. It is, therefore, written "bread." This tells me only of what, which is called "bread," as it is written (Vayikra 23:17) "From your dwellings shall you bring two breads of lifting." Whence is derived for inclusion barley, spelt, oats, and rye? From "and parched grain and fresh ears you shall not eat until this self-same day." 10) "until you have brought the offering of your G d": This is the omer. I might think it is the lamb. Go and see what is written below (Vayikra 23:15) — the bringing of the omer; here, too, the omer (is being referred to). When the omer was offered, they found the markets of Jerusalem full of parched flour — without the approbation of the sages. These are the words of R. Meir. R. Yehudah says: They did so with the approbation of the sages. When the omer was offered, the new (produce) was immediately permitted, and those who were far (and did not know whether the omer had already been offered) were permitted (to eat if) from mid-day on. When the Temple was destroyed, R. Yochanan b. Zakkai ordained that the entire day of lifting was forbidden (in the eating of new produce). R. Yehudah said: Is it not forbidden by the Torah, it being written "until the self-same day"! (including the day [the sixteenth of Nissan] itself)? Why were those at a distance permitted to eat it from mid-day on? Because they know that beth-din were not dilatory in this matter. 11) (a statute forever": For the eternal house (the Temple). "throughout your generations": for all of your generations (and not that of the desert alone). "in all of your dwellings": in Eretz Yisrael and outside of it. R. Shimon said: Three things are land-linked and obtain both in Eretz Yisrael and outside of it: chadash (the ban on the new produce before the lifting of the omer), arlah (the fruits of the trees of the first three years) and kilayim (mixed seeds of the vineyard). Chadash is forbidden by the Torah in all places. Arlah (is forbidden by) a law (to Moses on Sinai). And kilayim (is forbidden by) the words of the scribes.
Sifra Emor Section 10
Tap any verse to see what it echoes — and start a chain or echo from it.