How do we count the Omer?
סדר תפל' ליל שני של פסח וספירת העומר. ובו י"ס:
בליל שני אחר תפל' ערבית מתחילין לספור העומר ואם שכח לספור בתחל' הלילה הולך וסופר כל הלילה ומצוה על כל אחד לספור לעצמו וצריך לספור מעומד ולברך תחל' וסופר הימים והשבועו' כיצד ביום הראשון אומר היום יום אחד (בעומר) עד שמגיע לשבעה ימים ואז יאמר היום שבעה ימים שהם שבוע אחד (בעומר) וביום שמיני אומר היום שמונה ימים שהם שבוע א' ויום א' (בעומר) וכן עד שיגיע לארבע' עשר יאמר היום ארבעה עשר ימים שהם שני שבועו' (בעומר) ועל דרך זה מונה והולך עד מ"ט יום:
בליל שני אחר תפל' ערבית מתחילין לספור העומר ואם שכח לספור בתחל' הלילה הולך וסופר כל הלילה ומצוה על כל אחד לספור לעצמו וצריך לספור מעומד ולברך תחל' וסופר הימים והשבועו' כיצד ביום הראשון אומר היום יום אחד (בעומר) עד שמגיע לשבעה ימים ואז יאמר היום שבעה ימים שהם שבוע אחד (בעומר) וביום שמיני אומר היום שמונה ימים שהם שבוע א' ויום א' (בעומר) וכן עד שיגיע לארבע' עשר יאמר היום ארבעה עשר ימים שהם שני שבועו' (בעומר) ועל דרך זה מונה והולך עד מ"ט יום:
On the second night after the evening prayer, we begin to count the Omer. And if someone forgot to count, [that one may count] from the beginning of the evening onwards. He may account all night. It is a mitzvah for each person to count for themselves. He needs to count standing and bless before. He should count the days and weeks. How? On the first day he should say “today is day one of the Omer”, until he arrives to seven days. [At which point he should say], “they are one week of the Omer.” And on the eighth day he should say “today is eight days and they are one week and one day of the Omer.” And also, when he arrives to the 14th day, he should say “today is 14 days, they are two weeks of the Omer.” And in this way he should count and onwards until the 49th day.
מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה לִסְפֹּר שֶׁבַע שַׁבָּתוֹת תְּמִימוֹת מִיּוֹם הֲבָאַת הָעֹמֶר שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כג טו) "וּסְפַרְתֶּם לָכֶם מִמָּחֳרַת הַשַּׁבָּת" "שֶׁבַע שַׁבָּתוֹת". וּמִצְוָה לִמְנוֹת הַיָּמִים עִם הַשָּׁבוּעוֹת שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כג טז) "תִּסְפְּרוּ חֲמִשִּׁים יוֹם". וּמִתְּחִלַּת הַיּוֹם מוֹנִין לְפִיכָךְ מוֹנֶה בַּלַּיְלָה מִלֵּיל שִׁשָּׁה עָשָׂר בְּנִיסָן:
It is a positive commandment to count seven complete weeks from the day the omer is brought, as [Leviticus 23:15] states: "And from the day after the Sabbath, you shall count... seven weeks." It is a mitzvah to count the days together with the weeks, as [ibid.:15] states: "You shall count 50 days."
One should count at the inception of the [new] day. Therefore one counts at night, [beginning] from the night of the sixteenth of Nisan.
One should count at the inception of the [new] day. Therefore one counts at night, [beginning] from the night of the sixteenth of Nisan.
(ב) אם טעו ביום המעונן ובירכו על ספירת העומר חוזרים לספור כשתחשך והמדקדקים אינם סופרים עד צאת הכוכבים וכן ראוי לעשות: (ג) המתפלל עם הצבור מבעוד יום מונה עמהם בלא ברכה ואם יזכור בלילה יברך ויספור. הגה: ואפילו ענה אמן על ברכת הקהל אם היה דעתו שלא לצאת יחזור ויברך ויספור בלילה (בית יוסף בשם רשבא): (ד) מי ששואל אותו חבירו בין השמשות כמה ימי הספירה בזה הלילה יאמר לו אתמול היה כך וכך שאם יאמר לו היום כך וכך אינו יכול לחזור ולמנות בברכה אבל קודם בין השמשות כיון שאינו זמן ספירה אין בכך כלום. הגה: וכשהגיע הזמן אסורים לאכול עד שיספור ואפילו התחיל לאכול פוסק וסופר מיהו אם התחיל לאכול קודם שהגיע הזמן אינו צריך להפסיק אלא גומר אכילתו וסופר אחר כך (דברי עצמו למאן דאמר ספירה בזמן הזה דאורייתא):
(2) If they (the people who are counting) made a mistake on a cloudy day and they blessed on the counting of the Omer, they should go back to count when it got dark. Those who are punctilious, they do not count until the stars come out [namely, three stars], and this is a proper thing to do. (3) The one who prays with the community during the day, he should count with them without a blessing. And if he remembers at night, she should bless and count. GLOSS: And even if he answered “amen” to the blessing of the community, if he had the awareness that he was not fulfilled [of his obligation], he may go back and he may bless and count that night. (4) The one who asks his friend [during the period of time] between sunset and when the stars come out, “how many days of the counting [of the Omer] is it tonight?”, he should say to him, “yesterday was such and such.” Because if he had said to him, “Today is such and such,” he would not be able to go back and count with a blessing. However, [if he answered back] before [the period of time] between sunset and when the stars come out [he can go back and count], since it wasn’t the time of the counting of the Omer [which is when it is night time] and it doesn’t count for anything. GLOSS: And when the time arrives [to count], it is forbidden to eat until he counts and even if he began to eat, he should stop and count. However, if he began to eat before the time [to count] arrived, it is not necessary for him to stop except [when] he finishes his eating and counts afterwards.
(ז) אם טעו ביום המעונן וספרו ביום, ובירכו "על ספירת העומר" – חוזרים לספור כשתחשך בברכה, דספירת היום על יום דלמחר – אינו כלום. ולכן המדקדקים אינן סופרין עד צאת הכוכבים, וכן ראוי לעשות.ואם ספרו אחר השקיעה בבין השמשות – יצא...ואין אנו סומכין לספור בין השמשות רק בקבלת שבת, משום דמצוה וחובה לקבל שבת בעוד יום.
(ח) כתב רבינו הבית יוסף בסעיף ג:המתפלל עם הציבור מבעוד יום – מונה עמהם בלא ברכה. ואם יזכור בלילה – יברך ויספור.עד כאן לשונו. ולאו דווקא מבעוד יום, דאם כן היאך מברכין הציבור ברכות לבטלות? ולמה ימנה עמהם לחזק ידי עוברי עבירה? ועוד: למה קאמר "ואם יזכור" – הלא מחוייב לזכור, שהרי לא יצא כלל.אלא הכוונה שאין עדיין לילה ממש, אלא בין השמשות דמותר לספור אז, כמו שכתבתי. אך הוא אינו רגיל לספור אלא בלילה. ולכן יספור עמהם בלא ברכה, ויכוין שאם לא יזכור – יצא בספירה זו. ואם יזכור – לא יצא. ותנאי מועיל בכי האי גוונא. וזהו שסיים רבינו הרמ"א, וזה לשונו:ואפילו ענה "אמן" על ברכת הציבור, אם היה דעתו שלא לצאת – יחזור ויברך ויספור בלילה.עד כאן לשונו, וזהו כדברינו.
7. If one made an error on a cloudy day and made the blessing, one should repeat again once it is certainly nightfall and count again, with a blessing. For counting the omer on the day to come is an irrelevant action. Therefore, the punctilious will not count until certain nightfall, which we strive to do. But if one did count after sunset but before nightfall, they have fulfilled their obligation.
We do not consider twilight as the following day, except for Kabbalat Shabbat [which we routinely bring in prior to nightfall]. This is because there is a mitzvah to bring in Shabbat while there is still daylight.
8. The Beit Yosef writes: "one who davens with the community while it is still daytime - should count the omer with them, but not make a blessing. And if he remembers later that night - he should repeat the counting with a blessing." Now, this cannot possibly mean actual daytime, for how could it be that the community is collectively making an empty bracha? And why should he count with them, thereby seeming to justify their practice? And furthermore, why would he say if he remembers - he's obligated to remember, as he hasn't yet fulfilled the mitzvah!
Therefore, he must be referring to twilight, when it is permissible to count, as we have said. And he's discussing a person who typically only counts at night, so he may count here without a blessing with the intention that if he fails to count again after nightfall, he has nevertheless fulfilled his obligation with this counting. One may make a mental stipulation regarding this.
The Rema concludes: "and even if he answered amen to the congregation's blessing, if he had in mind not to fulfill his obligation until later, he may indeed do so with a blessing.
Rabbeinu Nissim of Gerona , 14th cent. commentary to the Rif
The rule of safek brachot l'hakel applies only after the fact, in situations where one performed the act and then a question arose as to whether or not the act satisfactorily fulfilled the rabbinic obligation. ...one must wait until absolute nightfall before counting the omer, in order to avoid uncertainty. It is only if one mistakenly counted the omer during twiligh that we may then apply the rule of safeik de-rabbanan le-hakel to absolve him of the need to count again after dark.
The rule of safek brachot l'hakel applies only after the fact, in situations where one performed the act and then a question arose as to whether or not the act satisfactorily fulfilled the rabbinic obligation. ...one must wait until absolute nightfall before counting the omer, in order to avoid uncertainty. It is only if one mistakenly counted the omer during twiligh that we may then apply the rule of safeik de-rabbanan le-hakel to absolve him of the need to count again after dark.
Why do we count it this way?
גם מבאר טעם ספירת העומר בפ' אמור וז״ל: ובמדרש הגלוי וספרתם לכם שבע שבתות, זאת הספירה היא לפי שהשי״ת אמר למשה בהוציאך את העם ממצרים תעבדון את האלקים, ולפי שהתורה היתה חביבה עליהם היו סופרים הימים והלילות והעתים אימתי יגיע הזמן, משל לאדם שיש לו להשיג חפץ מחופץ או לישא אשה לסוף חמישים יום, ומרוב תשוקתו הוא מונה הימים והעתים, כך ישראל, ולכן אמרו מצוה למימני יומי ומצוה למימני שבועי (מנחות ס"ו). עכ"ל המדרש (רב פעלים 42).
And [R. Avraham Saba] also explains the reason for the counting of the omer in Parashat Emor, and these are [his] words: And in the Midrash HaGalui, "'And you shall count seven weeks' - this counting is because the Lord, may He be blessed, said to Moshe (Exodus 3:13), 'When you take the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God' (and receive the Torah). And since the Torah was beloved to them, they counted the days, the nights and the moments until the time would come. It can be compared to a man who will be receiving a desired object or marrying a woman at the end of fifty days; so due to his great desire, he counts the days and the moments. Likewise is Israel [with this]. And that is why they said (Menachot 66), 'It is a commandment to count days and it is a commandment to count weeks.'" To here are [the words] of the midrash. (Rav Paalim 42)
(ה) מדיני המצוה. מה שאמרו זכרונם לברכה (מנחות סו, א), שמצוה למנותן מבערב כדי שיהו תמימות, כמו שאמר הכתוב תמימות תהיינה. ואמרו זכרונם לברכה, אימתי הן תמימות בזמן שמתחיל מבערב. ומכל מקום פרשו המפרשים (תוס' מנחות שם בד''ה זכר בשם ביקוק'ג) שאם שכח ולא מנה מבערב מונה למחר כל היום. ויש אומרים שם, שמי ששכח ולא מנה יום אחד שאין יכול למנות עוד באותה שנה, לפי שכלן מצוה אחת הם. ומכיון ששכח מהן יום אחד, הרי כל החשבון בטל ממנו, ולא הודו מורינו שבדורנו לסברא זו, אלא מי ששכח יום אחד יאמר אמש היו כך בלא ברכה, ומונה האחרים עם כל ישראל.
(5) From the laws of the commandment is that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Menachot 66a) that it is a commandment to tally them from the evening so that they be complete. As the verse stated, "complete shall they be" - and they, may their memory be blessed, said, "From when are they complete? From when he begins from the evening." And nonetheless, the commentators (Tosafot in the name of Behag on Menachot, s.v. zecher) explained that if he forgot and did not tally from the evening, he [may] tally on the morrow the whole day. And some say there that one who forgot and did not tally one day may not tally again that year, since they are all one commandment; and since he forgot one day from them, the entire count is negated for him. And our teacher in our generation did not concede to this reasoning. Rather, one who forgot a day should say, "Yesterday was such," without a blessing; and tally the other [days] with all of Israel.
מצות העומר לבא מן הקמה לא מצא יביא מן העמרים מצותו לבא מן הלח לא מצא יביא יבש מצותו לקצור בלילה נקצר ביום כשר ודוחה את השבת:
The mitzva of the omer is for the barley to come from standing grain. If one did not find standing grain, he brings from sheaves. Its mitzva is for it to come from fresh, moist grain. If one did not find moist grain, he brings from dry grain. Its mitzva is for one to reap the grain at night, but if it was reaped during the day, it is fit. And reaping the grain for the omer overrides Shabbat.
נקצר ביום כשר: והתנן כל הלילה כשר לקצירת העומר ולהקטיר חלבים ואברים זה הכלל דבר שמצותו כל היום כשר כל היום דבר שמצותו בלילה כשר כל הלילה
§ The mishna teaches: If it was reaped during the day, it is fit. The Gemara asks: But didn’t we learn in a mishna (Megilla 20b): All mitzvot that must be performed at night may be performed anytime during that night. Therefore, the entire night is valid for reaping the omer on the night following the first day of Passover, for burning the fats of offerings that had been brought during the preceding day, and for burning the limbs of burnt offerings. This is the principle: A matter that it is a mitzva to perform during the entire day is valid if performed anytime during the entire day, and likewise a matter that it is a mitzva to perform at night is valid if performed anytime during the entire night.
כׇּל הַלַּיְלָה כָּשֵׁר לִקְצִירַת הָעוֹמֶר וְכוּ׳, דְּאָמַר מָר: קְצִירָה וּסְפִירָה — בַּלַּיְלָה, וַהֲבָאָה — בַּיּוֹם. וּלְהֶקְטֵר חֲלָבִים וְאֵבָרִים, דִּכְתִיב: ״כׇּל הַלַּיְלָה עַד הַבּוֹקֶר״.
It was taught in the mishna: “The entire night is a valid time for reaping the omer,” as the Master said in tractate Menaḥot: The reaping of the omer and the counting of the omer must be performed at night, whereas bringing the omer offering to the Temple must be done during the day. And for burning the fats and limbs of the offerings, it is derived as it is written with regard to them: “Which shall be burning upon the altar all night until the morning” (Leviticus 6:2).
Menachot 66 (for those interested)
הרי הוא אומר תספור לך ספירה תלויה בבית דין יצתה שבת בראשית שספירתה בכל אדם רבי יוסי אומר ממחרת השבת ממחרת יום טוב אתה אומר ממחרת יו"ט או אינו אלא ממחרת שבת בראשית אמרת וכי נאמר ממחרת השבת שבתוך הפסח והלא לא נאמר אלא ממחרת השבת דכל השנה כולה מלאה שבתות צא ובדוק איזו שבת ועוד נאמרה שבת למטה ונאמרה שבת למעלה מה להלן רגל ותחילת רגל אף כאן רגל ותחילת רגל רבי שמעון בן אלעזר אומר כתוב אחד אומר (דברים טז, ח) ששת ימים תאכל מצות וכתוב אחד אומר (שמות יב, טו) שבעת ימים מצות תאכלו הא כיצד מצה שאי אתה יכול לאוכלה שבעה מן החדש אתה יכול לאוכלה ששה מן החדש (ויקרא כג, טו) מיום הביאכם תספרו יכול יקצור ויביא ואימתי שירצה יספור תלמוד לומר (דברים טז, ט) מהחל חרמש בקמה תחל לספור אי מהחל חרמש תחל לספור יכול יקצור ויספור ואימתי שירצה יביא תלמוד לומר מיום הביאכם אי מיום הביאכם יכול יקצור ויספור ויביא ביום תלמוד לומר (ויקרא כג, טו) שבע שבתות תמימות תהיינה אימתי אתה מוצא שבע שבתות תמימות בזמן שאתה מתחיל לימנות מבערב יכול יקצור ויביא ויספור בלילה תלמוד לומר מיום הביאכם הא כיצד קצירה וספירה בלילה והבאה ביום אמר רבא כולהו אית להו פירכא בר מתרתי תנאי בתראי בין במתניתא קמייתא בין במתניתא בתרייתא דלית להו פירכא אי מדרבן יוחנן בן זכאי דלמא כדאביי דאמר אביי מצוה למימני יומי ומצוה למימני שבועי אי מדרבי אליעזר ורבי יהושע ממאי דביום טוב ראשון קאי דלמא ביו"ט אחרון קאי דרבי ישמעאל ור' יהודה בן בתירא לית להו פירכא אי מדרבי יוסי בר' יהודה הוה אמינא דלמא חמשין לבר מהני שיתא אי מדר' יהודה בן בתירא ממאי דביו"ט ראשון קאי דלמא ביו"ט אחרון קאי ר' יוסי נמי חזי ליה פירכא והיינו דקאמר ועוד גופא אמר אביי מצוה למימני יומי ומצוה למימני שבועי רבנן דבי רב אשי מנו יומי ומנו שבועי אמימר מני יומי ולא מני שבועי אמר זכר למקדש הוא: מתני׳ קצרוהו ונתנוהו בקופות הביאוהו לעזרה והיו מהבהבין אותו באור כדי לקיים בו מצות קלי דברי רבי מאיר וחכמים אומרים בקנים ובקולחות חובטין אותו כדי שלא יתמעך נתנוהו לאבוב ואבוב היה מנוקב כדי שיהא האור שולט בכולו שטחוהו בעזרה והרוח מנשבת בו נתנוהו לריחים של גרוסות והוציאו ממנו עשרון שהוא מנופה בשלש עשרה נפה והשאר נפדה ונאכל לכל אדם וחייב בחלה ופטור מן המעשר ר' עקיבא מחייב בחלה ובמעשרות: גמ׳ תנו רבנן אביב זה אביב קלוי באש מלמד שהיו ישראל מהבהבין אותו באש כדי לקיים בו מצות קלי דברי ר' מאיר וחכמים אומרים אין אור לשון קלי אלא דבר אחר (הא כיצד וכו') אין לשון קלי אלא דבר (אחר) קליל הא כיצד אבוב של קליות היה שם והיה מנוקב ככברה כדי שתהא האור שולטת בכולו אביב קלוי גרש איני יודע אם אביב קלוי אם גרש קלוי כשהוא אומר באש הפסיק הענין כרמל רך ומל וכן הוא אומר (מלכים ב ד, מב) ואיש בא מבעל שלישה ויבא לאיש האלקים לחם ביכורים ועשרים לחם שעורים וכרמל בצקלונו ויאמר תן לעם ויאכלו בא ויצק לנו ואכלנו ונוה היה ואומר (משלי ז, יח) נתעלסה באהבים נשא ונתן ונעלה ונשמח ונתחטא באהבים ואומר (איוב לט, יג) כנף רננים נעלסה נושא עולה ונתחטא ואומר (במדבר כב, לב) כי ירט הדרך לנגדי יראתה ראתה נטתה דבי רבי ישמעאל תנא כרמל כר מל: ור"ע מחייב בחלה ובמעשרות: אמר רב כהנא אומר היה ר"ע מירוח הקדש אינו פוטר מתיב רב ששת מותר שלש סאין הללו מה היו עושין בו נפדה ונאכל לכל אדם וחייב בחלה ופטור מן המעשרות ר' עקיבא מחייב בחלה ובמעשרות אמרו לו פודה מיד גזבר יוכיח שחייב בחלה ופטור מן המעשרות ואם איתא דמירוח הקדש אינו פוטר מאי קאמרי ליה היא היא ועוד איתיביה רב כהנא בר תחליפא לרב כהנא (בר מתתיה) ר' עקיבא מחייב בחלה ובמעשרות לפי שלא ניתנו מעות אלא לצורך להן אלא אמר ר' יוחנן תלמוד ערוך הוא בפיו של ר' עקיבא שלא ניתנו מעות אלא לצורך להן אמר רבא פשיטא לי דמירוח הקדש פוטר ואפילו ר' עקיבא לא קא מחייב התם אלא שלא ניתנו מעות אלא לצורך להן אבל מירוח הקדש בעלמא פוטר מירוח העובד כוכבים תנאי היא דתניא תורמין משל ישראל על של ישראל ומשל עובדי כוכבים על של עובדי כוכבים ומשל כותיים על של כותיים ומשל כל על של כל דברי רבי מאיר ורבי יהודה רבי יוסי ורבי שמעון אומרים תורמין משל ישראל על של ישראל ומשל עובדי כוכבים על של כותיים ומשל כותיים על של עובדי כוכבים אבל לא משל ישראל על של עובדי כוכבים ושל כותיים ולא משל עובדי כוכבים ושל כותיים על [של] ישראל
as the verse states: “Seven weeks you shall number for you; from the time the sickle is first put to the standing grain you shall begin to number seven weeks” (Deuteronomy 16:9). By using the term “for you,” the verse indicates that the counting of the weeks is dependent upon the decision of the court, as they know how to calculate the new months. This serves to exclude the possibility that the counting starts after the Shabbat of Creation, whose counting can be performed by every person, not only the court. Rabbi Yosei says that the verse: “And you shall count for you from the morrow after the day of rest [hashabbat]” (Leviticus 23:15), means from the morrow after the festival of Passover. Do you say it means from the morrow after the festival of Passover, or is it only referring to from the morrow after Shabbat of Creation, i.e., Sunday? You can say in response: Is it stated: From the morrow after the day of rest [hashabbat] that is during Passover? No, it is stated only: “From the morrow after the day of rest [hashabbat].” Considering that the entire year is full of Shabbatot, go and try to examine to which Shabbat the verse is referring. How does one know which Shabbat this means? Clearly, then, this “day of rest” is the Festival, not Shabbat. Rabbi Yosei cites another proof: And furthermore, it is stated “shabbat” below, with regard to the festival of Shavuot (Leviticus 23:16), and it is also stated “shabbat” above (Leviticus 23:15), with regard to starting the counting of the omer. Just as below, with regard to the festival of Shavuot, it is stated: “Even until the morrow after the seventh week [shabbat] you shall number fifty days,” and the word shabbat is referring to a time at the beginning of the Festival; so too here, with regard to the bringing of omer, the word shabbat means Festival, and the counting starts near the beginning of the Festival, on the second day of Passover. According to the Boethusians, sometimes the commencement of the counting is well after the start of Passover. The baraita continues: Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says there is yet another proof: One verse states: “Six days you shall eat unleavened bread” (Deuteronomy 16:8), and one verse states: “Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread” (Exodus 12:15). How can these texts be reconciled? Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar explains that there is matza that you are unable to eat for all seven days of Passover, due to the prohibition of harvesting and eating from the new crop of grain that ripened before Passover until after the omer offering. But you are able to eat that same matza for six days, although it is from the new crop, as it is permitted after the bringing of the omer offering on the second day of Passover. This resolution of the verses is possible only if the omer offering is brought on the sixteenth of Nisan, not on any other date. Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar clarifies another two verses that deal with the counting of the omer: “And you shall count for you from the morrow after the day of rest, from the day that you brought the sheaf [omer] of the waving; seven weeks there shall be complete; even until the morrow after the seventh week you shall number fifty days; and you shall present a new meal offering to the Lord” (Leviticus 23:15–16). One might have thought that although one must harvest and bring the omer meal offering on the second day of Passover, the sixteenth of Nisan, he may start to count the omer from whenever he wishes after that day. Therefore, the verse states: “Seven weeks you shall number for you; from the time the sickle is first put to the standing grain you shall begin to number seven weeks” (Deuteronomy 16:9). This verse indicates that the counting should commence upon the reaping of the grain for the omer offering. If one would read just this verse: “From the time the sickle is first put to the standing grain you shall begin to number,” one might have thought that one can harvest and count and then bring the omer offering whenever he wishes. Therefore, the other verse states: “From the day that you brought the sheaf of the waving…you shall number fifty days,” indicating that the counting should start on the day the omer offering is brought. If one would derive the halakha from this verse: “From the day that you brought the sheaf of the waving,” one might have thought that he should harvest and count and bring the omer offering during the day, not on the night of the sixteenth of Nisan. Therefore, the verse states: “From the day that you brought the sheaf of the waving; seven weeks there shall be complete.” When do you find that there are seven complete weeks? You find it at the time when you begin to count from the evening. Only if the counting commences at night, at the start of the sixteenth of Nisan, will the seven weeks of counting be complete, without missing that first evening. If so, one might have thought that all of the rites of the omer should be at night, and therefore one should harvest and bring the omer offering and start to count at night. Therefore the verse states: From the day that you brought the sheaf of the waving. How can these texts be reconciled? Does one start at night or in the day? Harvesting and counting should be performed at night, and the bringing of the omer offering is during the day. § The Gemara has presented two baraitot with ten proofs between them countering the Boethusian claim that the counting of the omer begins on the Sunday after Passover. Rava said: For all of the suggested proofs there is a possible refutation except for those of the two last tanna’im cited, both in the first baraita and in the second baraita, for which there is no refutation. Rava elaborates: If one seeks to prove from that which Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai said, that there is a contradiction between two verses, as one indicates that there is an obligation to count fifty days and another that the obligation is to count seven weeks, perhaps this contradiction can be resolved in accordance with the statement of Abaye. As Abaye said: It is a mitzva to count days, and it is also a mitzva to count seven weeks. When one counts, he should track both the number of days and the number of weeks. Rabbi Eliezer derived that the counting is dependent upon the court, not the individual. Therefore, he claimed that when the verse mentions shabbat it must be referring to the Festival, not a regular Shabbat, which does not require a court for its determination. Rabbi Yehoshua derived that just as the counting and sanctifying of the New Moon is performed at a distinct time, so too the counting of the omer and start of Shavuot that follows must occur on a specific date. Rava refutes both of these claims: If the proof is from that which Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua said, granted that their proofs successfully demonstrate that the counting should start after the Festival, not after Shabbat, but from where does one know that it is referring to the first day of the Festival? Perhaps it is referring to the last day of the Festival, i.e., the seventh day of Passover? Rava now addresses the statements of the final two the tanna’im cited in the first baraita: With regard to the proof given by Rabbi Yishmael from the two loaves that are brought at the beginning of a Festival, and the proof mentioned by Rabbi Yehuda ben Beteira from the usage of the word shabbat in connection with Shavuot, Rava said: They have no refutation. Continuing with the proofs of the tanna’im from the second baraita, Rava said: If one seeks to disprove the Boethusian claim from that which Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Yehuda, said, that if the counting starts from Shabbat then Shavuot can occur anywhere from fifty to fifty-six days from the date the counting had started the previous year, I would say that perhaps the verse means fifty days excluding these six extra days. Rava continues: If one seeks to prove from that which Rabbi Yehuda ben Beteira said in the second baraita, that the verse indicates that the counting is dependent upon the decision of the court, not an individual, this can too be refuted: From where does one know that it is referring to the first day of the Festival? Perhaps it is referring to the last day of the Festival, the seventh day of Passover? Rava concludes: The first proof cited by Rabbi Yosei was that if the counting starts the day after a regular Shabbat then it would be impossible to determine which Shabbat is meant. Rabbi Yosei himself saw that it is also subject to refutation, and this is why Rabbi Yosei continued and said: Furthermore, and suggested a second proof. As Rava declared, the last two proofs cited in the second baraita, the second proof provided by Rabbi Yosei and the proof of Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar, stand without refutation. § The Gemara analyzes the matter itself of Abaye’s statement cited in the course of the previous discussion. Abaye said: It is a mitzva to count days, and it is also a mitzva to count weeks. The Gemara notes that in fact the Sages of the study hall of Rav Ashi counted days and they also counted weeks. Ameimar counted days but not weeks. In explanation of his practice, Ameimar said: Since there is no longer an omer offering, the counting is performed only in commemoration of the Temple. Therefore, one does not need to be so scrupulous to count both days and weeks. MISHNA: After they harvested the omer and placed it in the baskets, they brought it to the Temple courtyard. And they would singe in the fire the kernels of barley while they were still on the stalks, in order to fulfill the mitzva of parched grain, as it is written: “And if you bring a meal offering of first fruits to the Lord, you shall bring for the meal offering of your first fruits grain in the ear parched with fire” (Leviticus 2:14). This is the statement of Rabbi Meir. And the Rabbis say: Prior to parching the kernels, they would remove them from the stalks by beating them with soft, moist reeds and with cabbage stalks, not with sticks, so that the kernels would not be crushed. They then placed the grain into a hollow vessel [le’abuv], and this vessel was perforated so that the fire would take hold of the grain in its entirety. After parching the kernels, they would spread the kernels in the Temple courtyard and the wind would blow upon the kernels, cooling and drying them. They then placed the kernels in a mill used to grind grits, so that the barley would not be ground so fine that the shell would be mixed with the grain. And they produced from the ground barley a tenth of an ephah of barley flour that was sifted through thirteen sifters, and the rest is redeemed and may be eaten by any person. And dough from this barley flour is obligated in the separation of ḥalla, and the grain is exempt from the separation of tithe. Rabbi Akiva deems this flour obligated in having ḥalla and tithes separated from it. GEMARA: The mishna cited a disagreement between Rabbi Meir and the Rabbis as to whether the barley kernels were first singed while they were in their stalks or only after they were beaten and removed from their stalks, when they were placed in a hollow vessel. The Sages taught in a baraita with regard to the verse: “And if you bring a meal offering of first fruits to the Lord, you shall bring for the meal offering of your first fruits grain in the ear parched with fire, even groats of the fresh ear” (Leviticus 2:14). “Grain in the ear”; this is a reference to the grain, i.e., the barley kernel. “Parched [kalui] with fire”; this teaches that the Jewish people would singe it in fire, in order to fulfill the mitzva of bringing parched grain. This is the statement of Rabbi Meir. And the Rabbis say: Fire is not the proper interpretation of the term kali in the verse. Rather, kali means something else, i.e., the barley was parched inside a receptacle and not directly in the fire. How so? The term kali means only that something else, a vessel made from burnished [kalil] brass was used in the process of parching the grains. How so, i.e., how was this performed? There was a hollow vessel there, in the Temple, which was used for making parched grains. And it was perforated with holes like a sieve, in order to allow the fire to take hold of it in its entirety. The baraita analyzes the verse: “And if you bring a meal offering of first fruits to the Lord, you shall bring for the meal offering of your first fruits grain in the ear parched with fire, even groats of the fresh ear” (Leviticus 2:14). This indicates that the grain used for the omer offering must be parched with fire, but is unclear if that clause modifies the earlier or later part of the verse. In other words, I do not know if grain in the ear is to be parched before it is ground, or if the ground groats are to be parched. The baraita explains that when the verse states: With fire, it interrupted the previous matter and is now introducing a new clause. Accordingly, the instructions to parch with fire is referring to the grain still in the stalks, not the ground groats. The verse states that the omer offering should be of the fresh ear [karmel]. The baraita defines karmel as soft and malleable [rakh umal]. And likewise there are other examples of terms that are interpreted as shortened terms, as the verse states: “And there came a man from Baal Shalishah, and brought the man of God bread of the first fruits, twenty loaves of barley, and fresh ears of grain [karmel] in his sack [betziklono]. And he said: Give to the people, that they may eat” (II Kings 4:42). This verse mentions the word karmel in connection with the word betziklono, which is interpreted as an abbreviation for: He came [ba] and he poured for us [veyatzak lanu], and we ate [ve’akhalnu] and it was fine [venaveh haya]. The baraita presents further examples of words that are interpreted as shortened terms of an expanded phrase. And the verse states: “Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning; let us solace ourselves [nitalesa] with love” (Proverbs 7:18). The word nitalesa is short for: We shall converse [nissa veniten] and we shall go up [vena’aleh] to bed and we shall rejoice [venismaḥ] and be pampered [venitḥata] with loves. The baraita provides an example of a similar shortened word: “The wing of the ostrich beats joyously [ne’elasa]” (Job 39:13). The word ne’elasa is a combination of the words: Carries [noseh], goes up [oleh], and places down [venitḥata]. This bird carries its egg, flies upward, and places it in its nest. Likewise, the verse states, after Balaam struck his donkey: “And the angel of the Lord said to him: Why did you hit your donkey these three times? Behold I have come out as an adversary because your way is contrary [yarat] against me” (Numbers 22:32). Yarat is also a shortened term: The donkey feared [yirata], it saw [ra’ata], and it turned aside [nateta]. The Gemara returns to discuss the word karmel. The school of Rabbi Yishmael taught that karmel means: A full kernel [kar maleh], i.e., that the shell of the kernel should be filled with the ripened kernel inside. § The mishna teaches: Rabbi Akiva deems this flour obligated in having ḥalla and the tithes separated from it. Rav Kahana said that Rabbi Akiva would say: The smoothing of a pile of consecrated grains does not exempt it from the obligation to separate tithes if it is later redeemed for common use. This is despite the halakha that the smoothing of the pile is what causes the obligation of separating tithes to take effect. Rav Sheshet raises an objection from a baraita: What would they do with the leftover of these three se’a of barley, i.e., the portion not used for the tenth of an ephah of flour for the omer offering? It is redeemed and eaten by any person, and it is obligated in the separation of ḥalla and exempt from the separation of tithes. Rabbi Akiva deems this flour obligated in having ḥalla and the tithes separated from it. The Rabbis said to Rabbi Akiva: The halakha of one who redeems produce from the possession of the Temple treasurer [gizbar] proves otherwise, as he is obligated in the separation of ḥalla but exempt from the separation of tithes. Rav Sheshet explains his objection: And if it is so that Rabbi Akiva holds that smoothing a pile of consecrated grains does not exempt it from tithes, what is the significance of that which the Rabbis said to him? Rabbi Akiva would simply disagree with their premise, as it is the same ruling itself: Just as a pile of consecrated grains that was smoothed is not exempt from tithes, so too, Rabbi Akiva would maintain that produce redeemed from the Temple treasury is not exempt from tithes. And furthermore, Rav Kahana bar Taḥlifa raises an objection from a baraita to Rav Kahana bar Matitya, who reported that Rabbi Akiva holds that consecrated grain is not exempt from the obligation to separate tithes. The baraita teaches: Rabbi Akiva obligates one in the separation of ḥalla and in the separation of tithes, as the Temple money designated for the omer crop was given only to cover the cost of that which they required for the offering. Only the requisite tenth of an ephah out of the entire three se’a was paid from the Temple treasury, and was therefore its property. This indicates that had the entire crop been purchased by the Temple, it would be exempt from the obligation to separate tithes. Rather, Rabbi Yoḥanan says: It is a settled, accepted tradition in the mouth of Rabbi Akiva that the Temple money designated for the omer crop was given only to cover the cost of that which they required for the offering. In other words, Rav Kahana’s version of Rabbi Akiva’s opinion, that in all cases the smoothing of a pile of consecrated grains does not exempt it from tithes, is rejected. Rava likewise said: It is obvious to me that the smoothing of a pile of consecrated grain exempts one from any subsequent obligation to separate tithes. And even Rabbi Akiva, who requires the separation of tithes from the remainder of the grain not used for the omer offering, obligates one to separate tithes only there, where the money was given only to pay for that which they required for the offering. But he concedes that the smoothing of a pile of consecrated grain generally exempts one from the obligation to separate tithes. Rava continues: The status of a pile of grain after smoothing performed by a gentile owner is a dispute between tanna’im, as it is taught in a baraita: One separates teruma from produce of a Jew to exempt other produce of a Jew, and from produce bought from gentiles to exempt other produce bought from gentiles, and from produce bought from Samaritans to exempt other produce bought from Samaritans. Furthermore, one may separate teruma from the produce of any of the above to exempt the produce of any of the above. This is the statement of Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yehuda, as they maintain that produce that belonged to gentiles or Samaritans is obligated in tithes and has the same status as produce that initially belonged to a Jew. Rabbi Yosei and Rabbi Shimon say: One separates teruma from produce of a Jew to exempt other produce of a Jew, and from produce bought from gentiles to exempt produce bought from Samaritans, and from produce bought from Samaritans to exempt produce bought from gentiles. But one may not separate teruma from produce of a Jew to exempt produce bought from gentiles or from Samaritans, nor from produce bought from gentiles or from Samaritans to exempt produce of a Jew. According to Rabbi Yosei and Rabbi Yishmael, produce that belonged to a gentile or a Samaritan is exempt from the obligation to separate tithes. Therefore one may not separate tithes from produce of a Jew, to which the obligation of tithes applies, to exempt such produce.