The Bikurim
(יב) קָרְבַּ֥ן רֵאשִׁ֛ית תַּקְרִ֥יבוּ אֹתָ֖ם לַה' וְאֶל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֥חַ לֹא־יַעֲל֖וּ לְרֵ֥יחַ נִיחֹֽחַ׃
(יט) רֵאשִׁ֗ית בִּכּוּרֵי֙ אַדְמָ֣תְךָ֔ תָּבִ֕יא בֵּ֖ית ה' אֱלֹקיךָ לֹֽא־תְבַשֵּׁ֥ל גְּדִ֖י בַּחֲלֵ֥ב אִמּֽוֹ׃ (ס)
Halachot of Bikurim
- The Bikurim are to to be brought from the first fruits of the the 7 species of the land. Unlike the other offerings and tithes, Bikurim is designated as hekdesh while still growing on the tree or from the grounf.
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If someone's bikurim are stolen, they must replace them.
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Bikurim are offered along with a korban shelamim
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Songs are to be sung by the Leviim while the bikurim are being brought
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The owner and the Kohen performed tenufa, the ceremony of lifting and waiving, with the bikurim
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The pesukim of arami oved avi are recited by the one bringing the offering
The Korban Omer
וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יי אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (י) דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵקֶ֔ם כִּֽי־תָבֹ֣אוּ אֶל־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֲנִי֙ נֹתֵ֣ן לָכֶ֔ם וּקְצַרְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־קְצִירָ֑הּ וַהֲבֵאתֶ֥ם אֶת־עֹ֛מֶר רֵאשִׁ֥ית קְצִירְכֶ֖ם אֶל־הַכֹּהֵֽן׃ (יא) וְהֵנִ֧יף אֶת־הָעֹ֛מֶר לִפְנֵ֥י יי לִֽרְצֹנְכֶ֑ם מִֽמָּחֳרַת֙ הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת יְנִיפֶ֖נּוּ הַכֹּהֵֽן׃ (יב) וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֕ם בְּי֥וֹם הֲנִֽיפְכֶ֖ם אֶת־הָעֹ֑מֶר כֶּ֣בֶשׂ תָּמִ֧ים בֶּן־שְׁנָת֛וֹ לְעֹלָ֖ה לַיי (יג) וּמִנְחָתוֹ֩ שְׁנֵ֨י עֶשְׂרֹנִ֜ים סֹ֣לֶת בְּלוּלָ֥ה בַשֶּׁ֛מֶן אִשֶּׁ֥ה לַיי רֵ֣יחַ נִיחֹ֑חַ וְנִסְכֹּ֥ה יַ֖יִן רְבִיעִ֥ת הַהִֽין׃ (יד) וְלֶחֶם֩ וְקָלִ֨י וְכַרְמֶ֜ל לֹ֣א תֹֽאכְל֗וּ עַד־עֶ֙צֶם֙ הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה עַ֚ד הֲבִ֣יאֲכֶ֔ם אֶת־קָרְבַּ֖ן אֱלֹקֵיכֶ֑ם חֻקַּ֤ת עוֹלָם֙ לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם בְּכֹ֖ל מֹשְׁבֹֽתֵיכֶֽם׃ (ס) (טו) וּסְפַרְתֶּ֤ם לָכֶם֙ מִמָּחֳרַ֣ת הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת מִיּוֹם֙ הֲבִ֣יאֲכֶ֔ם אֶת־עֹ֖מֶר הַתְּנוּפָ֑ה שֶׁ֥בַע שַׁבָּת֖וֹת תְּמִימֹ֥ת תִּהְיֶֽינָה׃ (טז) עַ֣ד מִֽמָּחֳרַ֤ת הַשַּׁבָּת֙ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔ת תִּסְפְּר֖וּ חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים י֑וֹם וְהִקְרַבְתֶּ֛ם מִנְחָ֥ה חֲדָשָׁ֖ה לַיי
Halochot of the Korban Omer
- The Korban Omer must be brought from Chadash (new grain)
- The barley must be grown in Israel proper
- Barley must be of the first harvest of barley making it assur to harvest grain before bringing the Omer offering.
- Preferably, the barley is harvested at night, but if harvested during the day, the Korban is kosher
- The harvesting of the Omer can be done on Shabbat
- The grains are roasted, and then ground into fine flour
- The Korban Omer allows for chadash grains to be eaten throughout the land by the general population
Tied to the Omer
Begining the night we harvest the Omer, the Torah tells us to count 7 weeks or 49 days. On the 50th day, we are to bring the Shtei HaLechem offering of the new wheat harvest days Starting from the night we harvest the Korban Omer, the Torah tells us to count seven full weeks (Sefiras HaOmer), 49 days. On the 50th day (which is the Yom Tom of Shavuos), we are to bring another Korban Mincha, this one is called the Shtei HaLechem (the two loaves of bread). This Mincha comes from wheat (not barley) and is the first new wheat brought in the Beis HaMikdash. Prior to this date, no Korban can be brought from the new Harvest.
Yashan/Chadash
(ג) אִם-בְּחֻקֹּתַי תֵּלֵכוּ וְאֶת-מִצְוֹתַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם. (ד) וְנָתַתִּי גִשְׁמֵיכֶם בְּעִתָּם וְנָתְנָה הָאָרֶץ יְבוּלָהּ וְעֵץ הַשָּׂדֶה יִתֵּן פִּרְיוֹ. (ה) וְהִשִּׂיג לָכֶם דַּיִשׁ אֶת-בָּצִיר וּבָצִיר יַשִּׂיג אֶת-זָרַע וַאֲכַלְתֶּם לַחְמְכֶם לָשֹׂבַע וִישַׁבְתֶּם לָבֶטַח בְּאַרְצְכֶם. (ו) וְנָתַתִּי שָׁלוֹם בָּאָרֶץ וּשְׁכַבְתֶּם וְאֵין מַחֲרִיד וְהִשְׁבַּתִּי חַיָּה רָעָה מִן-הָאָרֶץ וְחֶרֶב לֹא-תַעֲבֹר בְּאַרְצְכֶם. ... (ט) וּפָנִיתִי אֲלֵיכֶם וְהִפְרֵיתִי אֶתְכֶם וְהִרְבֵּיתִי אֶתְכֶם וַהֲקִימֹתִי אֶת-בְּרִיתִי אִתְּכֶם. (י) וַאֲכַלְתֶּם יָשָׁן נוֹשָׁן וְיָשָׁן מִפְּנֵי חָדָשׁ תּוֹצִיאוּ. (יא) וְנָתַתִּי מִשְׁכָּנִי בְּתוֹכְכֶם וְלֹא-תִגְעַל נַפְשִׁי אֶתְכֶם. (יב) וְהִתְהַלַּכְתִּי בְּתוֹכְכֶם וְהָיִיתִי לָכֶם לֵאלֹהִים וְאַתֶּם תִּהְיוּ-לִי לְעָם
הסברים
- רש"י: ואכלתם ישן נושן - הפירות יהיו משתמרין וטובים להתיישן שיהא ישן הנושן של שלש שנים יפה לאכול משל אשתקד. וישן מפני חדש תוציאו - שיהיו הגרנות מלאות חדש והאוצרות מלאות ישן וצריכים אתם לפנות האוצרות למקום אחר לתת החדש לתוכן.
הַחִטִּים וְהַשְּׂעֹרִים וְהַכֻּסְּמִין וְשִׁבֹּלֶת שׁוּעָל וְהַשִּׁיפוֹן
חַיָּבִין בַּחַלָּה, וּמִצְטָרְפִין זֶה עִם זֶה,
וַאֲסוּרִים בֶּחָדָשׁ מִלִּפְנֵי הַפֶּסַח,
וּמִלִּקְצֹר מִלִּפְנֵי הָעֹמֶר.
וְאִם הִשְׁרִישׁוּ קֹדֶם לָעֹמֶר, הָעֹמֶר מַתִּירָן.
וְאִם לָאו, אֲסוּרִים עַד שֶׁיָּבֹא עֹמֶר הַבָּא:
(7) Wheat, barley, spelt, oats and rye are subject to challah. And they are reckoned together. They are forbidden [to be eaten] as new grain before the omer. And they may not be harvested before Pesach. If they had taken root before the omer, the omer permits them; And if not, they are forbidden until the next year's omer.
Halachot of Yashan/Chadash
- Until one brings the Korban Omer, it is assur to eat from Chadash.
- Chadash is defined as grain that has taken root since the previous Korban Omer.
- In the absence of the Beit HaMikdash, we wait until after the 16th of Nissan in Israel or the 17th in Ch"ul
Shtei HaLechem
Halachot of Shtei HaLechem
- Flour is brought to the mikdash make of the finest wheat which has been sifted 12 times
- The flour is then turned into 2 leavened loaves (unlike most offerings which are matzot)
- The loaves are brought to the mizbeach along with 2 lambs
- The lambs and loaves are waved in the 4 cardinal directions
- The loaves are then eaten by the kohanim
- No offerings of chadash are allowed to be brought in the mikdash until the Shtei HaLechem are offered
Bringing it all Together
הָעֹמֶר הָיָה מַתִּיר בַּמְּדִינָה,
וּשְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ.
אֵין מְבִיאִין מְנָחוֹת וּבִכּוּרִים וּמִנְחַת בְּהֵמָה קֹדֶם לָעֹמֶר.
וְאִם הֵבִיא, פָּסוּל.
קֹדֶם לִשְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם, לֹא יָבִיא. וְאִם הֵבִיא, כָּשֵׁר:
(6) The omer permits [the new grain] throughout the land, and the two loaves permit it in the Temple. One may not offer minhahs, first-fruits, or minhahs that accompany animal offerings, before the omer. And if one did so, it is invalid. Nor may one offer these before the two loaves. But if one did so it was valid.
In summation, these four halachik categories are interdependent along with the Korban Pesach. You cannot bring the Omer until the day after the night after bringing the Koban Pesach. Grain is considered chadash and may not be consumed until you bring the Omer. The bikurim must also be brought from chadash produce and this time of year opens up the window in which it can be brought. It is important to me that we all understand what we are missing in not have a Beit HaMikdash. Shavuot, as I learned in school (the Torah refers to it as Atzeret) has no mitzvot hayom, but that is simply not true. If we had a Mikdash, we would be bringing Shtei HaLechem allowing us to bring other korbanot of new grain.