פרשת אמור — רביעי (Aliyah 4)

'דבר אל בני ישראל, מועדי ה‎‎ SPEAK UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL [AND DECLARE UNTO THEM] THE APPOINTED FESTIVALS OF THE LORD — This means, Regulate the festive seasons in such a manner that all Israel should become practised in them (their observance). Hence we derive the law that they (the Sanhedrin) proclaim a leap-year (i. e. intercalate a second Adar) for the sake of those living in the diaspora who have already left their homes in order to go up for the festival but have not yet arrived in Jerusalem (Sifra, Emor, Section 9 1; cf. Sanhedrin 11a).

[EVEN THESE ARE MY APPOINTED SEASONS.] Scripture reads, even these are My appointed seasons (mo'adai) because there are many Sabbaths in the year.1According to I.E. verse 2 refers only to the Sabbath. That being the case, the verse should have read this is My appointed season. I.E. thus points out that My appointed seasons refers to all the Sabbaths (of the year. After stating that all the Sabbaths are God's appointed seasons, Scripture goes on to speak of the weekly Sabbath in verse 3. For another interpretation see Rashi.

מועדי ה' אשר תקראו אותם מקראי קודש, after the Torah had spoken on the subject of the animal offerings and the people offering them whose purpose it is to ensure that the Shechinah rests in/over the people of Israel. Compare Exodus 29,42 עולת תמיד לדורותיכם, פתח אהל מועד לפני ה' אשר אועד לכם שמה; "a regular burnt offering throughout the generations, at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting before the Lord." The Torah spoke of the festivals, days on which one abstains from the pursuit of secular matters. On some of these days one has to abstain from such activities completely, on others only partially. For instance, on the Sabbath as well as on the Day of Atonement there is a total cessation of everything which is called מלאכה, work, in the sense of a productive activity. These days are meant for us to occupy ourselves exclusively with Torah and other sacred tasks. To this effect the Torah wrote (Exodus 20,9-10) "you shall labour for six days and conduct all your activities, whereas the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your G'd." On that day your activities should concern spiritual matters. On some of the days described as holy convocations there is a partial prohibition of work, desisting basically from the kind of activity related to the kind of labour involved in earning one's livelihood. One is to enjoy these days. Concerning such days, our sages coined the phrase חציה לה' וחציה לכם, "half for G'd and half for you." (Pessachim 68) There is no doubt that when the Jewish people conduct themselves in this fashion that the Divine Presence will be at home among them. Assaph expressed this thought in Psalms 82,1 which commences with the words אלוקים נצב בעדת א-ל וגו', "G'd stands in the divine assembly. Among the divine beings He pronounces judgment." The meaning of the word מקראי קודש when applied to the days the Torah calls מועדי ה' אשר תקראו אותם מקראי קודש is: "days of assembles of the people for sacred undertakings." The word מקרא refers to an assembly, just as the words שבת and חודש are understood as meaning assemblies both in Isaiah 1,13 and Isaiah 4,5 אלה הם מועדי, "these are the appointed dates on which I will demonstrate My pleasure in your company." If you were to treat these dates as ordinary days, week days, they would turn from being מקראי קודש to מקראי חול assemblies devoted exclusively to the transient life on earth and the physical pleasures people want to experience in this life. They would then not be מועדי, "My appointed times," but would turn into מועדיכם שנאה נפשי, "your appointed times, the ones My soul detests." (same chapter in Isaiah 1,14)

מועדי ה׳ אשר תקראו אותם, "appointed seasons (festivals) of G'd which you shall proclaim, etc." G'd decreed that these festivals will come into force as a result of the court declaring them to be in force (Torat Kohanim). We need to understand why the Torah repeated the words אלה הם מועדי, "these are My festivals." We must also try and understand how the Sabbath (verse 3) fits into this chapter seeing it is most certainly not subject to the manipulations of the Jewish High Court! Moreover, why did the Torah have to write the words: "these are the festivals of the Lord" a third time in verse 4? I believe we must understand this verse in the following manner. In the first instance G'd informed the Jewish people that in principle the exact time (though not the calendar date) of these "appointed seasons" are subject to input by the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Supreme Court. In view of this principle, the Torah feared that we might err and believe that even the Sabbath itself was subject to such input by the Sanhedrin, i.e. to postponement if it suited the court. The Torah therefore wrote: "these are My appointed seasons, you are to have work performed for six consecutive days and only the seventh day is the Sabbath on which you may not perform all manner of work." The Torah had to write once more: "these are the appointed seasons of the Lord which you are to proclaim," to inform us that we are entitled to adjust the part of the calendar dealing with those days to suit our needs. This is followed by the respective dates in the first month, the third month and the seventh month which are liable to be affected by adjustments made by the Sanhedrin. There may be yet another reason why the Torah repeated the formula אשר תקראו אותם, "which you are to proclaim (or may) proclaim." Maimonides writes as follows in chapter 4 of his treatise on the sanctification of the new month: "There are three considerations which justify lengthening the year by means of the insertion of an extra month. 1) Bringing it in line with the solar seasons of the year. 2) Ensuring that Passover occcurs in the spring as demanded by the Torah. 3) Enabling the period when the fruit of the trees ripen to occur in summer. Maimonides mentions some other reasons which may prompt the Sanhedrin to adjust the calendar, such as to enable travellers to make their pilgrimage to Jerusalem at a time when the roads are passable, etc., or at a time when the bridges are safe from flooding, etc. The secondary reasons are mostly connected to the fact that many Israelites lived in the diaspora. In other words, the two principal considerations for adjusting the calendar are A) climate-related reasons. B) people-related reasons. Seeing that the Torah described the Passover festival as occurring in the season of the spring, the religious authorities made the necessary adjustments to conform with this requirement. The Torah repeats the right of the Sanhedrin to proclaim when these dates should occur in order for us to know that both climate-related considerations and people-related considerations are valid reasons for the Sanhedrin to make use of its authority in this regard.

ששת ימים SIX DAYS [MAY WORK BE DONE BUT THE SEVENTH DAY IS THE SABBATH OF STRICT REST] — What relation is there between the Sabbath (the day that is invariably fixed by God as the holy day) and the festive seasons (the times of which are variable, being dependent upon the proclamation of the Sanhedrin)? But by putting both into juxtaposition Scripture intends to teach you that he who desecrates the festivals is regarded as though he had desecrated the Sabbath, and that he who keeps the festivals is regarded as though he had kept the Sabbath (Sifra, Emor, Section 9 7).

IN ALL YOUR DWELLINGS. In your country and outside of your country, at home and on the way. I have previously explained the meaning of it is a sabbath unto the Lord.2See I.E. on Ex. 16:23 (Vol. 2, p. 325). It is called "a sabbath day unto the Lord…because He rested from all His work on the seventh day."

'שבת היא לה, He, the creator of light and darkness assigns these days in all your dwellings, wherever on earth. The reason this is spelled out is that we might have thought that just as days and nights are not constant, being longer in the summer than in the winter respectively, so that the hours of the first Sabbath in history might serve as the model for all future Sabbaths, and Jews over the world ought to observe the 24 hours which Jews in the land of Israel observe as their Sabbath. The Torah, by writing בכל מושבותיכם, indicates that the commencement and conclusion of the Sabbath depends on the local times of day and night, not on a central location. [as opposed to the determination of the monthly time when the new moon , i.e. the new month begins, which is related to its astronomical constellation in the sky over Jerusalem, which serves as the "dateline" for the Jewish people.Ed.]

'אלה מועדי ה THESE ARE THE APPOINTED FESTIVALS OF THE LORD [EVEN CONVOCATIONS OF HOLINESS WHICH YE SHALL PROCLAIM] — Above (v. 2), where similar words are used, Scripture is speaking of proclaiming the year to be a leap-year, here it is speaking of the קדוש החדש, sanctification of the month (a technical expression denoting proclaiming when is the New Moon — the beginning of a month) (Sifra, Emor, Chapter 10 1).

Scripture then mentions the festivals (v. 4). The Torah says, even these are My appointed seasons, with regard to the Sabbath and in their appointed season with regard to the festivals. The meaning of in their appointed season is, in any day of the week in which they fall. Note, I will now lay down a general rule with regard to the festivals. During the time of the Temple the festivals were in the hands of the Beth Din. Do you not see that Scripture says, For the king had taken counsel (II Chron. 30:2), with regard to the Passover proclaimed by Hezekiah.3Hezekiah put off the observance of Passover for a month. According to I.E., Hezekiah's actions were based on a ruling of the Bet Din. See Vol. 1, pp. 9,10. After Hezekiah established the new moon of Nisan he proclaimed a leap year.4And proclaimed that Passover be observed in the next month. Our sages, of blessed memory, criticized him for this, for he should not have added a Nisan on Nisan.5See Berakhot 10b. The transmitters of tradition said that the Beth Din took many things into consideration in estabhshing the year.6See Sanhedrin 11a,b. The Bet Din had to consider many things in deciding whether or not to make a year a leap year. They said, regarding Rabbi Akiba, that he established two leap years back to back according to the needs of the hour.7San. 12a. However, the text there speaks of three years. Hence Krinsky suggests emending I.E. to read three years. Vat. Ebr. 38 omits the word two. It reads, "He established leap years back to back." There is no proof in Scripture as to how Israel established the months and the festivals. The Gaon's statement to the effect that they relied on the intercalational calculation8The rules governing the establishment of the fixed Jewish calendar. is not true, for there are proofs in the Mishnah and also in the Talmud that Passover fell on a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.9Which cannot occur under the rules of the fixed Jewish calendar. There are also two stories in the Talmud [which show that they did not rely on a fixed calendar].10The Mishnah, Rosh Ha-Shanah 2:9 records a controversy between Rabban Gamliel and Rabbi Joshua as to when Yom Kippur fell in a certain year. If the rabbis of the Mishnah had used a fixed calendar there would be no place for this difference of opinion. The Mishnah (Ibid. 2:8) also reports an instance of two sets of witnesses contradicting themselves as to the position of the new moon. The latter shows that the month was established by actually seeing the new moon and not by calculation. See Weiser and Krinsky. Leap years11Of which there are seven in an 19 year cycle. come close to compensating for the additional days which a solar year has over a lunar year.12The solar year is about ten days longer than the lunar year. The extra month added during the leap year comes very close to closing this gap. The latter does not follow the way of the ancients.13Who established the new moon visually, not by calculation. The calculation14Of the fixed calendar. What follows is a bit complicated. Hence a few words are in order. The Jewish months begin with the conjunction of the sun and moon. The calculation starts with the very first conjunction. That conjunction theoretically occurred at the end of five hours and 204 parts of an hour of the second day of the week (the rabbis divided an hour into 1,080 parts). The latter is known as molad tohu, or molad baharad, which is the Hebrew abbreviation for five hours and 204 parts of an hour of the second day of the week. How do we arrive at this calculation? Ibn Ezra explains that we do so by counting back a year from the conjunction which occurred on the day that Adam was born. It should be noted that that year, except for the five days preceding the birth of Adam, did not exist in reality. It was a theoretical year. starts with the end of 14 hours of the sixth day;15Adam was born on Friday. That day was the first day of the month of Tishri. According to the rabbis the moon was then in conjunction with the sun at the end of 14 hours of the day. that is, add four days, eight hours, and 876 parts16The days between the start of one simple lunar year to the next lunar year. See Maimonides, M.T., Laws of the Sanctification of the New Moon, 6:4,5. to five hours and 204 parts of an hour of the second day of the week.17There were five days preceding the birth of Adam. Those days belonged to the previous year. In that year the conjunction of the sun and the moon (had they existed) would have taken place at five hours plus 204 parts of on hour of the second day. The calculation is as follows. A lunar month consists of 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, and 3 1/3 seconds. A year consists of 12 months. If we work backwards from the birth of Adam, who was born on a Friday, a day which we mark as the New Year, then the previous New Year which came 12 months earlier had to fall on a Monday. For 12 times 29 1/2 days and 44 minutes comes to 50 weeks plus four days and some five hours. Then the birth of the new moon will occur at the end of 14 hours of the sixth day.18Adam was born on a Friday. The day of Adam's birth started a new year. A year is added,19To the year which started with the birth of Adam. for we start counting from five hours and 204 parts of an hour of the second day of the week20Of the "year" which preceded the birth of Adam. because of the five days which preceded the creation of Adam, for a day into a year is considered a year.21The five days preceding the birth of Adam count as part of a separate year. This presents no problem.22To the calculation of the calendar. You cannot add an additional year,23To the year preceding the birth of Adam and declare the year in which Adam was born a leap year. I.E.'s point is that our calendar is accurate. It is based on a 19-year cycle. The 3rd, 6th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th, and 19th year of the cycle are leap years. In those years we add a second month of Adar. According to current calculations the first leap year occurred a year after Adam was born (the third year from creation). If we begin the calendar two years before Adam was born, our calendar would have to be accordingly readjusted. However, we cannot do so, for there was nothing in existence two years before Adam's birth. Hence the calendar must begin a year before the birth of Adam, not before. for it did not yet exist. Note, an additional month was added to the year after a year and a half.24A real year and a half following the birth of Adam, for that was the "third" year from creation. The three years are calculated as follows. The "year" of tohu (or yetizrah, creation), the year in which Adam was born (molad adam), and a half of the following year. The intercalation is based on the average25"The moment that the moon would have the same longitude as the sun, if both moved uniformly" (W.M. Feldman, Rabbinical Mathematics and Astronomy, p. 123). Also see Maimonides, M.T., Laws of the Sanctification of the New Moon, 6:1. The length of a junction varies. Its average time is 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, and 3 and 1/3 seconds. The average movement (or conjunction) stands in contrast to the true conjunction of the sun and moon. movement of the moon.26The average conjunction of the moon and sun. The sages therefore said that sometimes the birth of the moon comes at longer intervals; at times it comes at shorter intervals.27Rosh Ha-Shanah 25a. The establishment of the month28In the post-calendar period. is not tied to the sighting of the moon in Jerusalem,29In the post-calendar period the month is established by calculation, not by the actual sighting of the new moon. or in the far east,30Literally, edge of the east. During the Middle Ages, before the Western Hemisphere was discovered, the Jews, in common with others, believed half of the globe to be covered by water (the Great Ocean) and the other half to be dry and habitable. Thus R. Abraham bar Chiya of the 11th century begins his work on the Jewish Calendar by stating that "the earth is round like a sphere. The water of the Great Ocean covers half of it, which is uninhabitable, the other half is dry and habitable" (W.M. Feldman, Rabbinical Mathematics and Astronomy, p. 104). or in the west [of the world].31That is, to the actual sighting of the new moon at the edge of the East or the West of the world. The place of the average conjunction of the moon32Which determines the start of the new year. is proof of this,33That the new moon is not contingent on the actual sighting of the new moon at the edge of the East or the West of the world. for look, it is reckoned when occurring over Jerusalem.34The new moon begins when it is calculated that the moon would be in conjunction with the sun over Jerusalem if both moved uniformly. Furthermore, we have seen the moon many times on the second night of the month of Nisan. It was similarly seen in the entire world. However, the month was established on the third night [of the week].35If the new moon were based on sighting the moon, then the month would be established when the moon was actually seen. The same thing happened in the three months preceding Nisan. This occurs when the birth of the new moon of Tishri occurs at nine hours and 204 parts of an hour of the third day [of the week].36On an ordinary year, that is, not a leap year. It was enacted37By those who established the calendar. because of the postponement.38Hebrew, dechiyot. "There are five separate occasions which necessitate the postponement of New Year's day by one or even two days," Feldman, op. cit, p. 191. For these dechiyot, see Maimonides, M.T., Laws of the Sanctification of the New Moon, Chap. 7. Also see Feldman, pp. 191-194. There are also times when the month of Tishri was established on the fifth day [of the week] and the moon was not seen on the night of the Sabbath. Now, the air was then clear. This occurs every year when the birth of the new moon39In the month of Tishri. is close to half of the day40Another example of a postponement. This postponement is called dechiyat yach (yod chet = 18), i.e., the 18th hour. "If the molad of Tishri occurs at or past noon (i.e., the 18th hour of any day. Noon is the 18th hour of a day which consists of 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night. Such a day begins at 6:00 P.M. New Year (Rosh Ha-Shanah) is postponed to the following day. Such a molad is called an Old Molad (molad zaken) because on the day of the new month, the moon is already old" (Feldman, pp. 191,192). and the moon is in half of its sphere's apogee. The establishment41Of the new month. is also not dependent on the time of the conjunction42The true conjunction of the sun and the moon. of the sun and moon. It is not even dependent on their mean conjunction, for note, the conjunction43The mean conjunction. of the sun and moon at 15 hours and 599 parts44The printed editions read 204 parts. However, the commentaries point out that this is a scribal error. of the hour on the second day45This is known as dechiyat betutkapat (bet, tet-vav, tav-kof, peh-tet), which stands for two days, 15 hours, 599 parts. and similarly the conjunction at nine hours and 204 parts of the third day46This postponement is called dechiyat gatrad (gimel-tet, resh-dalet), which stands for three days, nine hours, 204 parts. is proof of this.47That the new moon is not always contingent on the mean conjunction. If I did not want to go on at length I would explain the secret of the calculation of the calendar and the secret of the very difficult law, i.e., the rule regarding a moon born before midday.48See Rosh Ha-Shanah 20b. The general principle is: our wise men, of blessed memory, transmitted to us the rule that we are to rely on the intercalated calendar in exile. We received the same from the mouth of the prophets. We cannot do anything better than it. The sages ruled that the festivals be observed for two days in the Diaspora because of uncertainty.49Whether the Bet Din in Jerusalem declared the new month on the 30th or 31st day from the start of the previous month. This was in the time before the fixed calendar. Those who fast for two days in observance of Yom Kippur50Because they want to start the month with the day that the moon is calculated to be in conjunction with the sun. They also keep the Rabbinic calendar. fast in vain51They fast an extra day in vain. I.E. will point out that one should follow Rabbinic law with regard to the calendar. Thus if the rabbis say that one does not have to fast for two days to ensure that one fasts on the true Yom Kippur, it is not necessary to do so. See I.E., Sefer Ha-Ibbur, pp. 11,12. due to the "postponements." For in a year when the birth of the new moon52Of Tishri. occurs at nine hours and 204 parts of the hour on the third day of the week, they should fast on what is the eighth day of the month according to our calculation if they rely on the conjunction.53For in this instance the first day of the month falls two days after the birth of the new moon. The point is that those who fast for two days do so because they want to be certain that they observed Yom Kippur on the real astronomical day. However, in a year when the birth of the new moon of the month of Tishri in an ordinary year occurs at nine hours and 204 parts of the third day, the new month should begin on Tuesday, not Thursday as in the intercalated calendar. However, since these people want to be certain that they celebrate Yom Kippur ten days from the start of the "real" New Year they should fast on what is the 8th day of the month according to the intercalated calendar. Why54According to those who fast two days on Yom Kippur because of doubt. manipulate the date of the start of one year55Literally, why should we pervert the calculation of our year? because of another year?56The start of the new year is postponed when the birth of the new moon in the month of Tishri occurs at nine hours and 204 parts of an hour on Tuesday so that there not be a difference of six days between that year and the next. See Maimonides, Hilchot Kiddush Ha-Chodesh 7:4. Those who fast for two days believe that our festivals should be based on astronomical reality. If that is the case, then all the rules of establishing the calendar should be discarded. This would happen to them57They would have to fast on what is the eighth day of the month according to our calculation in a year when the birth of the new moon occurs at nine hours and 204 parts of the third day. if the month is established by seeing the new moon.58If they established the month by the actual sighting of the new moon and not only by calculating the birth of the new moon.

בין הערבים AT EVENTIDE — i. e. the period from six hours onwards (reckoning from six o'clock in the morning) (Sifra, Emor, Chapter 11 1; cf. Rashi on Exodus 12:6). פסח לה׳ [AT EVENTIDE] IS THE פסח OF THE LORD — i. e. the offering of the sacrifice which bears the name פסח‎.

AT DUSK. I have previously explained this.59See I.E. on Ex. 12:6 (Vol. 2, pp. 221-225).

'בין הערבים פסח לה; although the day on which the Passover is being slaughtered is the 14th of Nissan, not one of the days listed as מקרא קודש, the Torah relates to it as if it were, seeing that this sacrifice, signifying the Exodus from Egypt, the redemption of the Jewish people from slavery, is at the root of the whole legislation governing the Jewish calendar. The sages are empowered to see to it that the annual calendar date which the Torah legislated for this sacrifice to be offered coincides with the month in which the spring equinox occurs, so as to ensure that we do not violate the concept of היום אתם יוצאים בחודש האביב, "on this day you left (Egypt) it was during the month of spring." The concept of "spring" and its message of resurrection of nature which had hibernated during the winter is so strong that it is part of the אלה מועדי ה' concept. (compare Deuteronomy 16,1)

בין הערבים פסח לשם, "at dusk it is the Lord's passover." This means that the part of the passover offering which belongs to G'd, i.e. the sprinkling of the blood and the burning of the fat parts of the lamb must occur on the eve of the 14th of Nissan. However, the part of that sacrifice which is to be consumed by every Jew has to occur after nightfall in conjunction with the eating of unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Furthermore, the expression "a passover to G'd" is a reminder of the very first passover sacrifice, the one the Jews slaughtered in Egypt. That Passover was of immediate benefit to the Jewish people so that the sacrifice could hardly be called "a passover for G'd." It included elements which were never repeated. In Shemot Rabbah 19 we are told concerning the Passover of Moses (not he personally but the one he commanded at the time) that it contained the fragrance carrried by the winds from Paradise. Compare what I have written in my commentary on Exodus 12,43 in this connection. In addition to that, the first Passover was responsible for G'd killing the firstborn of the Egyptians. Now that the Passover was merely a commemoration of what had occurred as part of the first Passover the people offering it could truly claim that they did so for G'd i.e. that it is a "passover for G'd."

'והקרבתם אשה וגו‎‎ BUT YE SHALL OFFER A FIRE-OFFERING etc. — This is identical with the additional offerings due on the first day of Passover which are mentioned in the section of פנחס (Numbers 28:19). But why are these referred to here? In order to intimate that the additional offerings do not impede one another (i. e. that if a particular animal of these מוספים cannot be scarified, it is still lawful to bring the others) (Menachot 49a), because it states: — ‎'והקרבתם אשה לה‎ YE SHALL BRING THE FIRE-OFFERING OF THE LORD — bring it under any circumstances — if there are no bullocks available as prescribed, offer the prescribed rams; and if there are neither bullocks nor rams, offer the lambs (Sifra, Emor, Chapter 11 5). שבעת ימים SEVEN DAYS — Wherever the term שבעת is used it is a noun (not a cardinal numeral), so that the words here mean a septaine of days (a period of seven days), in old French Similar is the meaning of all the expressions שמנת ,ששת ,חמשת ,שלשת. מלאכת עבדה [YOU SHALL DO NO] SERVILE WORK — Not even such labors as are regarded by you as an obligation and a necessity, the neglect of which involves loss of money, as, for instance, a matter that may become lost (that cannot be postponed without irretrievable loss). I understand this (that the above is the meaning of מלאכת עבדה) from Torat Cohanim (on .v 36 of this chapter), since it states there: I might think from what Scripture states (vv. 36, 37) כָּל מְלֶאכֶת עֲבֹדָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ אֵלֶּה מוֹעֲדֵי‎ that‎ מלאכת עבדה is forbidden also on the intermediate days of Passover and Tabernacles (lit., the week-days of the festivals). Scripture, however, states, "it (the eighth day) is a festival and ye shall do no מלאכת עבדה" thus intimating that on a day which is not a festival such work is permitted. The intermediate days are not regarded as a festival and the rule is that דבר האבד may be attended to. Hence the very question: "may מלאכת עבדה be done on the intermediate days?", implies that the term denotes דבר האבד.

AN OFFERING MADE BY FIRE. These are described in the Torah portion Pinechas.60Num. 28:19. Our verse mentions that an offering made by fire is to be made on Passover. Hence I.E. points out that Torah lists the various types of offerings to be made on Passover in Numbers. The offerings are described in the Torah portion Pinechas.

והקרבתם אשה לה' שבעת ימים, the offering of the mussaph offering for seven consecutive days is to remind us that the intervening days of this festival are not totally secular in nature, although only the first and seventh day have been accorded the title מקרא קודש. The whole matter of the mussaph, additional communal offerings, has not been gone into in detail here as this is a subject treated in Numbers when this legislation appears in detail in chapters 28-29. The reason why in connection with the New Year's day the Torah does mention the offering of an אשה לה', is that this day already qualified for a mussaph offering, it being not only the first day of the new year but also the first day of the month of Tishrey. In Numbers 29,6 the Torah once more draws our attention to this fact, [presumably to tell us that New Year's day does not replace the significance of the date of the new moon. Ed.] If you were to counter that אשה ה' is also mentioned in this chapter in connection with the day of Atonement, remember that what is referred to there are burnt offerings and sin offerings, both on behalf of the High Priest and the people but not by each individual member of the people as are sin offerings generally, not mussaph offerings which are mandatory communal offerings. The reason why the Torah listed the Sabbath and the festival of matzot in a single paragraph is that both were legislated prior to the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Each of the other festivals has been accorded a paragraph of its own. The Torah commences its reference to the festival of weeks by speaking of the Omer, and the counting of the seven weeks from the Passover until that festival, seeing that the festival of weeks is also known as the harvest festival,חג הקציר and we thank the Lord for the שבועות חקות קציד, "who keeps for our benefit the weeks appointed for harvest" (Jeremiah 5,24). The principal reason for the festivals is to afford us an opportunity to express our gratitude in prayer and in deed. For instance, an example is the appointed time for the festival during spring when we pray to G'd giving thanks for His having given us our freedom at the time of the Exodus from Egypt. The Omer was an expression of gratitude for the barley harvest, the earliest opportunity to fulfill part of the bikkurim legislation, presenting the first of the ripened crop to G'd. This prayer also contains a request concerning the future. The counting of the 49 days between Passover and the festival of weeks reminds us of the need to offer such prayers on a daily basis. On the festival of Sukkot, the festival of ingathering, we thank the Lord for having enabled us to bring the year's major harvest under our roofs.

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). 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".

Scripture reads, When ye are come into the land (v. 9),61After stating the laws of the Sabbath and Passover. so that Israel would observe all the Sabbaths in the wilderness and the Passover62Israel offered only one Passover sacrifice in the wilderness. They did this when they camped around Mount Sinai. See I.E. on Ex. 29:42 (Vol. 2, pp. 620,621). This celebration took place close to the time of the erection of the tabernacle, for the mishkan was erected on the first day of Nisan. Israel celebrated the Passover soon after. at Mount Sinai.63And in the merit of observing the Sabbath and Passover enter the Land of Israel, for after leaving the wilderness of Sinai, Israel was supposed to enter the Promised Land (Weiser). This section was given close to the [time of the] erection of the tabernacle.64The revelation of the laws in the Book of Leviticus commenced with the completion of the tabernacle. See Ex. 40:34-38; Lev. 1:1. [SPEAK UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL.] This means speak unto the children of Israel and tell them to gather. Afterwards,65After they gather. say unto them…66What follows.

והניף AND HE SHALL WAVE [THE OMER] — Every form of the root נוף used in connection with sacrifices signifies that one moves the latter about both horizontally (מוליך ומביא) and upwards and downwards (מעלה ומוריד); he moves it about horizontally to prevent (i. e. the act was symbolical of preventing) destructive winds, he moves it about upwards and downwards to keep away injurious dews (cf. Rashi on Exodus 29:24) (Menachot 62a). לרצנכם TO BE ACCEPTED FOR YOU — If you offer it according to this precept it shall effect favourable acceptance for you. ממחרת השבת ON THE MORROW AFTER THE DAY OF REST [THE PRIEST SHALL WAVE IT] — This must mean on the morrow of the first day of the Passover festival (on the 16th of Nisan); for if you say that it means on the morrow of the weekly Sabbath (i. e. on a Sunday) you do not know which particular Sabbath Scripture is referring to (Menachot 66a).

ON THE MORROW AFTER THE SABBATH. The sages said that on the morrow after the sabbath means on the morrow after the festival.67The day after the first day of Passover, i.e., on the 16th of Nisan. Those who contradict the sages68The Sadducees. say that the word Sabbath is be taken literally.69That Sabbath refers to the seventh day of the week. The Karaites claim that the omer was brought on the first Sunday following the start of Passover. Those who believe in the Rabbinic tradition offer proof from the Sabbatical year,70Lev. 25:5. the Jubilee, the great fast,71Yom Kippur. See verse 32. and the day of shofar sounding,72Verse 24. for the word shabbaton (a solemn rest) is employed with regard to them.73Scripture refers to these days by the term shabbaton. Thus the word shabbat does not refer only to the Sabbath. Scripture similarly employs shabbaton with regard to Sukkot74Verse 39. and Shemini Atzeret.75Ibid. They also say that the meaning of sheva shabbatot (v. 15) is seven weeks.76Not seven Sabbaths. We thus see that shabbat does not always mean the Sabbath. The same is true of ba'eh shabbat im yotze'eh shabbat (those that were to come in on the sabbath, with those that were to go out on the sabbath) (II Kings 11:9).77They render this verse as follows: those that were to come in on the Sabbath, with those that were to go out after the week was over. The same word78Shabbat. is employed with two meanings in one verse.79The first time the word shabbat is used it refers to the Sabbath; the second time, to a week. We thus see that shabbat does not necessarily refer to the Sabbath. Note, we find a similarity in sheloshim ayarim (thirty ass colts) (Jud. 10:4).80Jud. 10:4 reads: And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts (ayarim), and they had thirty cities (ayarim). The word ayarim appears twice in this verse. The first time it means ass colts; the second time, cities. They81Those who believe in the Rabbinic tradition. offer proof from the word complete (v. 15).82Verse 15 reads sheva shabbatot temimot. The latter can only mean seven complete weeks, for it makes no sense to render it seven complete Sabbaths. A wise man in Rome83I.E. does not identify the wise man. He remains unknown offered proof84That the morrow after the sabbath means on the morrow after the first day of festival, i.e., on the 16th of Nisan. from on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes and parched corn (Josh. 5:11).85Josh. 5 describes Israel's first Passover in the Land of Israel. Josh. 5:11 relates: And they did eat of the produce of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes and parched corn, in the selfsame day. This scholar believed that the term "passover" in Josh. 5:11 refers to the 15th of Nisan. Hence the morrow after the passover refers to the 16th. This scholar also assumed that the unleavened cakes and parched corn came from the new produce. Now, since eating of new produce is forbidden till the omer is offered, and Scripture tells us, And they did eat of the produce of the land, we must assume that the eating of the new grain was preceded by the offering of the omer. We thus see that the omer is brought on the 16th of Nisan. Furthermore, Josh. 5:11 shows that on the morrow after the sabbath means on the morrow following the first day of the festival. He did not know that it cost him his life,86This is metaphorical. That is, he trapped himself. See Prov. 7:23, As a bird hasteneth to the snare–And knoweth not that it is at the cost of his life. The "proof" offered by this scholar does not prove that which he intended. In fact, the Karaites or Sadducees can, as we shall see below, use his interpretation for their own purposes. for the Passover falls on the 14th87Of Nisan. and the morrow following it is on the 15th.88Day of Nisan. I.E.'s point is that in Scripture the term Passover is limited to the 14th of Nisan when the Passover sacrifice was offered. The seven days following are referred to as the Festival of Unleavened Bread (chag ha-matzot). Thus if we interpret Joshua 5:11 as alluding to the bringing of the omer, then we have to assume that the omer was brought on the 15th of Nisan, which we today call the first day of Passover. This is not in keeping with Rabbinic tradition. On the contrary, it supports the Karaites, for they believe that the morrow after the sabbath in Leviticus 23:16 refers to the first Sunday following the start of Passover. In other words, the Karaites say that in the year that Israel celebrated the first Passover in Canaan, the 15th of Nisan fell on a Sunday and Israel therefore offered the omer on that day. Scripture similarly reads, And they journeyed from Rameses in the first month (Num. 33:3).89The complete clause reads: And they journeyed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first of the first month; on the morrow after the passover. We thus clearly see that on the morrow after the passover refers to the 15th of Nisan. The eating of parched corn is prohibited until the waving of the omer.90Hence Josh. 5:11 cannot refer to the new grain. The Gaon91Rabbi Saadiah Gaon interprets And they did eat of the produce of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes and parched corn as follows: And they did eat of the produce of the land on the morrow after the Passover of the Lord, i.e., the morrow following the 15th day. says that there are two Passovers, a Passover of the Lord and a Passover of Israel. The Passover of God is on the night of the 15th.92While the Passover of Israel is on the 14th. The Passover of the Lord falls on the 15th, for that is when God killed the first-born of Egypt. The Passover of Israel falls on the 14th because that is the day that Israel sacrifices the paschal lamb. Now, the day after the Passover in Joshua refers to the 16th day.93Of Nisan. It follows from this that the interpretation of on the morrow after the passover (Num. 33:3), is on the morrow following the sacrifice of the Passover.94The paschal lamb. What he said has no value. The festival95The 14th of Nisan. is called Passover only because God skipped over the houses.96Of the Israelites. Thus the term Passover cannot be applied to first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread (chag ha-matzot). Hence the term Passover in Josh. 5:11 cannot refer to the 15th of Nisan. Its morrow is the morning of the 15th.97Not the morning of the 16th. Scripture similarly writes, all that day, and all the night, and all the next day (yom ha-mochorat)98Literally, the day of the morning. The point is that mochorat (morrow) refers to the following morning. (Num. 11:32). The Gaon further states that the unleavened cakes and the parched corn were from the old grain.99From the grain of the previous year. In this case Josh. 5:11 is to be interpreted literally and it presents no problem, for it merely states that Israel ate unleavened cakes and the parched corn from the old grain on the 15th of Nisan (on the morrow after the passover). This is not far-fetched, for Scripture says that the waving of the omer should begin from the time the sickle is first put to the standing corn (Deut. 16:9). If the omer was waved on the 15th100Of Nisan when did they harvest and make unleavened bread?101If the omer was waved on the 15th of Nisan when Israel entered the Land of Israel as the Karaites maintain, when did they harvest the grain to make the unleavened bread? Harvesting is prohibited on a festival. Furthermore, there was no harvest,102Before the festival. for the omer is brought from the first of the barley harvest.103They could thus not harvest before the omer was waved. There is also what appears to be proof of the Gaon's opinion,104That the unleavened cakes and the parched corn were from the old grain. for Scripture states, of the produce (meavur) of the land (Josh. 5:11). It is possible that the term avur refers to the produce of the year that has passed.105The verb avar means passed. Hence this interpretation. The meaning of the produce of the land is the produce of the land of Sihon and Og.106Which are located in Transjordan. The Israelites brought grain from Transjordan when they entered Canaan. The fact that Scripture afterwards states, of the fruit of the land of Canaan (Josh. 5:12), is proof.107Josh. 5:12 states, but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. This implies that Josh. 5:11 refers to grain that was not from the land of Canaan. Furthermore, kaluy (parched corn) (Josh. 5:11) is not the same as kali (parched com) (Lev. 23:14).108Kali (Lev.23:14) refers to parched corn from the new produce. Kaluy (Josh. 5:11) refers to any parched corn. Now, Scripture says, And ye shall eat neither bread nor parched corn (kali), nor fresh ears (v. 14). The verse which reads kaluy ba-esh (parched with fire) (Lev. 2:14)109Lev. 2:14 speaks of a meal offering of first-fruits (bikkurim). cannot serve as an argument to the contrary,110That kaluy refers to the new grain. for it describes the act111It is an adjective. since corn in the ear parched in fire is called kaluy.112Lev. 2:14 speaks of grain parched in fire. The proper Hebrew word for parched is kaluy. Hence that word is used. However, its use does not prove that the reference is only to new grain. We can also ask:113The Karaites. From where do we know that the kohen waved the omer on the other side of the Jordan,114On the morrow after the passover as the Karaites maintain. for the verse states, which I give unto you (v. 10)?115In other words, the obligation to wave the omer applies only after Israel has taken possession of the land. Thus Josh. 5:11 cannot allude to the waving of the omer. However, the land was not yet given to them.116They were thus not yet obligated to bring the omer. Scripture mentions matzot and corn only because the manna ceased. This is the meaning of the entire verse.117When Israel entered the Promised Land. I.E.'s point is that Josh. 5:11 does not state, And they did eat of the produce of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes and parched corn, to inform us that they waved the omer and then ate matzot and grain from the new produce. It rather tells us, And they did eat of the produce of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes and parched corn, because the manna ceased. The Gaon118Rabbi Saadiah Gaon. further says: If the word Sabbath119In on the morrow after the sabbath. is to be taken literally120As the Karaites do. then from which Sabbath shall we start to count? Joshua121A Karaite scholar. answers that there are 18 days aside from the Sabbath whereon sacrifices are offered. These days are called mo'adim (festivals). Now, since there is a sacrifice122A special sacrifice. on the day that the omer is offered123And Scripture does not specify that day as a separate festival. it is a sign and a witness that the waving takes place on one of the days of the spring festival.124One of the days of Passover. In other words, the omer is waved on the first day of the Passover holiday that follows a Sabbath. Note, he125Joshua. forgot the sacrifices that are offered on the new moon, which are not mentioned.126The new moons are not listed among the festivals. We thus see that a day on which an additional offering is brought is not necessarily a festival. The same should apply to the day that the omer is waved. In other words, the fact that the Torah does not specify the day of the omer waving as a festival does not mean that it falls on the festival of Passover. Hence if we reject the Rabbinic tradition and take the word Sabbath literally, we do not know from which Sabbath to start the count of seven weeks. Furthermore, Scripture states, After this manner ye shall offer daily,127On the Festival of Unleavened Bread. for seven days (Num. 28:24). Scripture should have stated, aside from the offering of the omer.128According to Joshua, Scripture should have stated: After this manner ye shall offer daily, for seven days aside from the offering which accompanies the waving of the omer. This129The fact that Scripture does not read, "After this manner ye shall offer daily, for seven days aside from the offering which accompanies the waving of the omer." too130Like the fact that Scripture employs the word Sabbath for the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread. is no argument against us, for we rely on tradition when it comes to the commandments. Now, Scripture does not state "aside from the he-lambs brought for a peace offering," when it lists in the Torah portion Pinechas the offerings to be brought on the festival of Shavu'ot.131In other words, Scripture, in listing the Shavu'ot offerings in Num. 28:27, omits the two he-lambs…for a sacrifice of peace-offerings, which according to verse 19 were to be offered on Shavu'ot. It states above,132In the verse preceding verse 19. and one young bullock, and two rams (v. 18). However, Pinechas reads, two young bullocks, one ram, seven he-lambs of the first year (Num. 28:27).133Our verse states that one young bullock, and two rams are to be brought as burnt offerings on Shavu'ot. However, Num. 28:27 states that two young bullocks, are to be brought as burnt offerings on Shavu'ot. See further for I.E.'s explanation of the discrepancy. The believer can also answer134The question as to why Scripture in our verse refers to the 16th of Nisan as on the morrow after the sabbath. that Moses prophetically knew the day that the omer would be waved.135Moses knew that when Israel entered the land of Canaan the first waving of the omer would take place on the Sabbath. Our verse alludes to that historic event. He knew that the first day of the month136Of Nisan. would be established on the Sabbath.137If the first day of Nisan falls on a Sabbath, then the 15th of Nisan also falls on a Sabbath. In such a year the 16th of Nisan falls on the morrow after the Sabbath. The arrangement of the bread which took place on the Sabbath is proof of this.138According ti I.E. Moses prophesied that the show bread would be arranged for the first time on a Sabbath. Scripture notes139In our verse. how they calculated the first year.140How the Festival of Unleavened Bread fell in the first year that they entered Canaan. They then141On the first Festival of Unleavened Bread following their entrance into Canaan. brought the peace offerings and the burnt offerings which are mentioned [in our Torah portion] and then142In the following years. the ones mentioned in the Torah portion Pinechas.143This explains the discrepancy in the sacrifices to be brought on Shavu'ot between our Torah portion and Num. 28:27. Scripture then goes on to say,144With regard to the observance of the omer in all the other years. in your feast of weeks (Num. 28:26) and seven weeks (Deut. 16:9); it does not state Sabbaths.145Deut. 16:9 speaks of weeks, not of Sabbaths, for the count does not start from the morrow after the Sabbath. There is no proof that the beginning of the week146Of the seven weeks that commence with the waving of the omer and conclude with shavu'ot. starts with the first day.147Sunday. In other words, there is no proof that the beginning of the seven weeks that commence with the waving of the omer and conclude with shavu'ot starts on a Sunday as the Karaites maintain. In fact, then she148A woman who gives birth to a baby girl. shall be unclean two weeks (Lev. 12:5) shows that this is not the case.149Lev. 12:5 shows that the term week does not apply only to a week which starts on Sunday and concludes on Saturday, for the women who deliver start counting their two weeks from the time of delivery. The same is true of the week which begins when the omer is counted. It does not start on a Sunday. Look, I will hint at a secret.150Regarding the festival of Shavu'ot. The secret is what follows: All the festivals are contingent on a specific day of the month. Scripture does not give a specific date of the month for the festival of shavu'ot (so Weiser). The question arises, what sort of secret is this? This is obvious. It is possible that I.E. is hinting that the establishment of the observance of Shavu'ot 50 days from the second day of Passover is not of Pentateuchal origin. The Torah states that the counting of the seven weeks starts from the day of putting the sickle to the corn. It does not date when the counting is to begin. See Judah Ha-Levi, The Book of Kuzari 3:41, "…The Synhedrion and all the sages found that this period [of 50 days] was fixed with the intention to create an interval of fifty days between 'the first fruits of harvest of the barley and the harvest of wheat,' and to observe 'seven weeks,' which are seven complete Sabbaths.' The first day of the week [the morrow after the Sabbath ] is only mentioned for argument's sake in the following manner: should the day of putting 'the sickle to the corn' be on a Sunday, you count till Sunday…The date of putting of the sickle from which we count is left for us to fix" (The Book of Kuzari, translated by H. Hirschfeld, N.Y., 1946, p. 153). All the festivals are contingent on a specific day of the month. Scripture does not give a date for the festival of Shavu'ot151It does not state on which day of the month Shavu'ot falls. because of the counting, which is a commandment. The rabbis, of blessed memory, transmitted the tradition that the Torah was given on the festival of Shavu'ot and that it is concerning this day that Scripture states, for we must hold a feast unto the Lord (Ex. 10:9). Some say that whenever the Torah uses the term li-retzonekhem it means to be accepted from you,152That is, so that God will accept it from you. for Scripture reads, And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you (li-retzonekhem) (v. 11). The meaning of the aforementioned is that you shall wave it willingly.153In other words, li-retzonkhem means willingly. This means you shall offer a he-lamb154Along with the sheaf. This seems to contradict what came before, for up to now li-retzonkhem was interpreted as meaning to be accepted for you. Filwarg suggests emending "the meaning of the aforementioned is not that you shall wave it willingly." Meijler suggests the following: However, the meaning of the aforementioned is that you shall wave it willingly; in other words, our sentence introduces a new interpretation. of the first year so that you will be accepted.155According to Meijler it means you shall offer a he-lamb willingly so that you will be accepted.

ועשיתם... כבש AND YE SHALL OFFER… A LAMB — This came (was brought) as an obligatory sacrifice in connection with the Omer.

Those who deny the Rabbinic tradition156The Karaites. say that ben shanah (of the first year) (Ex. 12:5) does not have the same meaning as ben shenato157Literally, of his first year. (of the first year), for ben shanato refers to a lamb under a year and ben shanah refers to a lamb of a complete year. Note, they did not read the section dealing with the dedication of the altar. The latter reads, one he-lamb of the first year (ben shenato), for a burnt offering (Num. 7:15). However, in the final section158Which summarizes the number of sacrifices offered when the altar was dedicated. it reads, the he-lambs of the first year (bene shanah) twelve (Num. 7:87).159We thus see that Scripture refers to the same lamb by either phrase. There is thus no difference between them; they mean the same.

ומנחתו AND THE MEAL OFFERING THEREOF — i. e. the usual meal-offering that was brought together with its drink-offering, שני עשרנים TWO TENTHS DEALS OF FLOUR — It was double as much as was usually required with a lamb (cf. Numbers ch. 28). ונסכו רביעית ההין AND THE DRINK OFFERING THEREOF OF WINE SHALL BE THE FOURTH PART OF HIN — Although its meal-offering was twice as much as usual its drink-offering was not double (Menachot 89b).

וקלי means flour made out of tender ears (כרמל); this is called קלוי because they dry them in the oven and so become scorched. וכרמל — these are ears themselves which are called grenailles in old French (Menachot 66a, b). בכל משבתיכם IN ALL YOUR HABITATIONS — The Sages differ in their opinions regarding this (the meaning of these words). Some learn from here (taking the words בכל משבתיכם in the sense "wherever you may live") that the law concerning the new crop applies also outside the Land of Israel; others, hold that it (the phrase) denotes "in all your settlements" and is only intended to teach that they did not become subject to the command concerning the new crop until after the land had become their inheritance and place of settlement (ישיבה) i. e. after they had subjugated the land and had parcelled it out amongst the tribes (Kiddushin 37a).

BREAD. From the new grain.160That when Scripture states, And ye shall eat neither bread…it refers to bread from the new grain. The fact that the Passover offering is eaten with matzot and bitter herbs is proof of this.161If our verse refers to bread baked from grain from the previous year, it would not command that unleavened bread be eaten along with the Passover sacrifice.

בכל מושבותיכם, the prohibition to eat from the new barley harvest before the 16th of Nissan applies even when there is no Temple and no Omer offering can be brought to G'd.

ממחרת השבת FROM THE MORROW AFTER THE DAY OF REST — i. e. from the morrow after the first day of the Passover festival (Menachot 65b). תמימת תהיינה [SEVEN WEEKS] SHALL BE COMPLETE — This teaches that one has to begin counting in the evening, for otherwise they would not be complete (Menachot 66a).

If it were not for tradition162That requires us to count the days between the waving of the omer and Shavu'ot. it would have appeared that the counting of the days is similar to the counting of the years163Hebrew, ki-shenot. Some editions read bi-shenot. According to this reading, "the counting of days only applies in the days of the Jubilee." In other words, the omer is not counted when the Jubilee is not observed. of the Jubilee.164Forty-nine years (seven weeks of years) are counted and the 50th year declared as the year of Jubilee. Similarly, seven weeks would be counted from the offering of the omer and the 50th day declared as the festival of Shavu'ot. Those who deny the Rabbinic tradition say that the meaning of complete is that the first Sabbath from the morrow on which the count begins is not to be considered in the count.165In other words, the Sabbath preceding the day on which the omer is waved is not to be considered in the count.

וספרתם לכם, "and you shall count for yourselves, etc." The reason the Torah adds the word "for yourselves" is that G'd commanded to count for seven weeks consecutively. We are told in the Zohar volume 3 page 97 that seeing the Jewish people were in a state of impurity and G'd wanted to betroth them to Himself He applied the legislation pertaining to a menstruant woman who is required to purify herself for seven days. He therefore commanded them to "purify" themselves for seven weeks by counting those days much as a menstruant counts the seven days. The count then was for the benefit of the Israelites in order that they would become G'd's "bride" as it were and would be able to step under the wedding canopy at Mount Sinai. The reason that the period of counting was seven weeks instead of seven days was the extraordinary amount of impurity the Jewish people had accumulated during their extended stay in Egypt. Another reason is that in this instance we speak about an entire people having to shed their accumulated impurities. I have explained on Exodus 19,1 that the word בצאתם was to be understood as a cause for G'd having delayed the giving of the Torah, i.e. the presence of the Israelites in Egypt for a long time necessitated the period of seven weeks during which the Jews prepared themselves for this event. The sentiment that the reason the Torah was not given immediately after the Exodus is supported by the words ממחרת השבת, that the Torah would not be given immediately after the Sabbath, i.e. Passover, but after a period described as the morrow of that day. The nature of this count is that the days have to be whole days, as opposed to parts of days. Seeing the 15th of Nissan at that time was a Sabbath and that on part of that day the Israelites were still in Egypt, the count of the seven weeks could not commence until the following day, i.e. ממחרת. While it is true that this consideration applied only to the generation of Israelites who left Egypt at that time, the Torah legislated that the same procedure be followed year after year starting with the year of the Exodus. Kabbalists understand why we have to re-enact history in this fashion. According to the plain meaning of the text the reason the Torah refers to "the day following the Sabbath" is a reminder of the fact that while in Egypt the Jews had to perform slave labour also on the Sabbath. You may do well to read what I have written on Genesis 2,2 in connection with the words ויכל אלוקים ביום השביעי. A moral-ethical approach to our verse may be derived if we see in the word וספרתם the root ספיר, sapphire, the material the second tablets were made of (compare Vayikra Rabbah 32,2). The souls of the Jewish people are compared to the nature of sapphires which lose their lustre when they become dirty. As a result of sins committed by their owners (bodies inhabited by these souls) something similar happens to their souls. The message of the word וספרתם is that by means of the count the Jewish people would "polish up" their souls so that they would be unblemished by the time they would experience the revelation at Mount Sinai. ממחרת השבת מיום הביאכם, "on the morrow of the Sabbath from the day you offer the Omer, etc." The meaning is that the count commences now before you come to the Holy Land. As far as what is to happen after the people will come to the land of Canaan the Torah writes: "from the day you offer the Omer sacrifice." The reason the Torah first mentioned the words ממחרת השבת, is that the commandment of counting commenced already at the time of the Exodus.

השבת השביעת — Translate this as the Targum does שבועתא שביעתא THE SEVENTH WEEK. עד ממחרת השבת השביעת תספרו EVEN UNTIL THE MORROW AFTER THE SEVENTH WEEK SHALL YE NUMBER — until, but not including the day until which you count: thus there are 49 days (the seven complete weeks spoken of in the preceding verse). 'חמשים יום והקרבתם מנחה חדשה לה‎… FIFTY DAYS — AND YE SHALL OFFER A NEW OBLATION UNTO THE LORD — i. e. on the fiftieth day ye shall offer it. This, I say, is a Midrashic explanation, but the literal sense is: "Even unto the morrow of the seventh week which is the fiftieth day shall ye number": the text has its phrases inverted. מנחה חדשה A NEW MEAL OFFERING — It was the first meal-offering that was offered from the new crop. And if you ask, "But surely the meal-offering of the Omer has already been offered on the 16th of Nisan"?! Then I reply: It (the Omer) was not like all the other meal-offerings — which, with one exception (cf. Numbers 5:15), were all brought of wheat — since it was brought of barley and therefore it is not taken into account (cf. Menachot 84b).

SHALL YE NUMBER FIFTY DAYS. For this is the way the Torah counts.166The 50th day is in the count; i.e., Shavu'ot does not fall on the 49th day, but on the 50th day. In other words, when the Torah gives a count of days it does not mean up to the last day of the count, it means including the last day mentioned. Similarly, in all cases of the eighth day.167When the Torah tell us to count 50 days and bring an offering, it does not mean to count 50 full days and bring the offering on the 51st day. Similarly, with circumcision, which the Torah requires to be performed on the eighth day from birth. One does not wait till the eighth day is concluded and then perform the rite of circumcision. The ritual is to be performed on the eighth day (Motot). According to Filwarg, I.E.'s point is that the Torah tells us to count seven weeks and to offer the sacrifice on the 50th day. Similarly, when Scripture requires seven days to pass (as in the case of one experiencing an issue, or a Nazirite who defiled himself) and then to offer a sacrifice, it means count seven days and offer the sacrifice on the eighth day.

מושבתיכם [YE SHALL BRING] OUT OF YOUR HABITATIONS [TWO WAVE LOAVES] — but not from outside the Land of Canaan (Sifra, Emor, Chapter 13 1; Menachot 83b). לחם תנופה WAVE LOAVES — i. e. heave loaves that have been heaved in honour of the Lord. It is these which constitute the "new meal-offering" mentioned above (v. 16). בכורים [THEY ARE] THE FIRSTLINGS — the first of all meal-offerings offered, the first even in relation to the "meal-offering of jealousy" (cf. Numbers 5:15) which was brought of barley; even that must not be offered of the new crop previous to the two loaves, although a barley offering had already been brought, viz., the Omer which was offered on Passover (Menachot 84b).

[YE SHALL BRING OUT.] The word tavi'u (ye shall bring out) is irregular in that its alef has a dagesh in it. We do not know the reason for this. OF YOUR DWELLINGS. We need tradition to teach us from which place it was brought168Whether the two loaves must brought only from grain of the Land of Israel or if it can be brought from grain grown outside of the Land of Israel (Krinsky). and when it is to be brought.169The date that the two loaves are to be waved. TWO WAVE-LOAVES. For the kohen along with the peace offering lambs.170The two wave-loaves and the peace offering lambs are to be eaten by the kohen.

חמץ תאפינה, בכורים, the Omer was the first ripened barley; the offering mentioned in our verse here represented the first ripened stalks of the wheat harvest. This is why the festival of weeks is also known as יום הבכורים, "the day of the firstlings offering." (compare Numbers 28,26 where this מנחה חדשה, "new gift offering" is described). The more appropriate translation would be the "gift offering consisting of the new (grain) harvest." The reason that the Torah added the word לה', "for the Lord," [after all, all offerings are exclusively for the Lord, so why single out this one by name? Ed.] is that after first presenting this offering to G'd, the whole people may now enjoy the new wheat harvest. The verse from Jeremiah 5,24 which we quoted earlier, referred to the סכנה, period of "danger" which this crop was exposed to while growing during which period so many things could have happened which would have ruined the eventual crop. Thanksgiving prayers are therefore called for, expressing our gratitude that nothing of what we worried about during those many weeks actually happened. [the word חקות in that verse may mean that the laws of nature according to which the crop would ripen was not upset by bad weather, and other climatic phenomena which would have ruined all of the farmer's efforts during the season of ploughing and seeding. Ed.] The Torah, appropriately, legislated that in addition to the two loaves baked from the new wheat, which did not get on the altar, of course, also 2 sheep, etc., were offered as explained in connection with שלמי תודה, thanksgiving offerings in Leviticus 7,13.

על הלחם means, on account of the bread — as an obligation connected with the bread (Sifra, Emor, Chapter 13 4; Menachot 45b). ומנחתם ונסכיהם WITH THEIR MEAL OFFERINGS AND THEIR DRINK OFFERINGS — according to the law of the meal offerings and the drink offerings which are distinctly set forth with reference to all animal sacrifices in the chapter dealing with drink offerings: (Numbers 28:12—14) "three tenth deals of flour for one bullock, two tenth deals of flour for one ram, and one tenth deal of flour for one lamb": — this is the meal-offering. The drink-offerings were: "half a hin of wine for a bullock, the third part of a hin of wine for a ram, and the fourth part of a hin of wine for a lamb".

It is possible that Scripture changed the sacrifices in the first year171In the first year of Israel's entering the Land of Israel. There is a discrepancy between our Torah portion and Num. 28:27. Our chapter states that one bullock and two rams are to be offered on Shavu'ot. Num. 28:27 states that two bullocks and one ram are to be offered. According to I.E. our Torah portion refers to the order of sacrifices to be offered by Israel after first entering the Land of Israel, and Numbers, to the years that followed. because it was the beginning of the beginning.172It was the first Shavu'ot in Israel's first year in the Land of Israel. Some say that the kohen shall offer173On Shavu'ot. either a bullock and two rams174In accordance with Lev. 23:18. or two bullocks and one ram.175In accordance with Num. 28:27. It depends on the will of the kohen.176In other words, Lev. 23:18 and Num. 28:27 do not contradict. They are options. We do not find such a commandment again.177Where the Torah offers an option as to how a commandment should be observed. I will give its true explanation in the Torah portion Pinechas.178According to I.E. one bullock and two rams were offered along with the two loaves on Shavu'ot, while two bullocks and one ram were offered on Shavu'ot as burnt offerings. Thus there is no discrepancy between Leviticus and Numbers. See I.E. on Num. 28:26 and the notes thereto (Vol. 4, p. 235), "The two wave-loaves were the main offerings. The seven lambs, one young bullock, two rams (Lev. 23:18)…were brought along with it. The burnt offerings (two bullocks and one ram) in our chapter (Num. 28:26) refer to the obligatory sacrifice of the festival day."

ועשיתם שעיר עזים THEN YE SHALL SACRIFICE ONE KID OF THE GOATS — I might think that the seven lambs (cf. v. 18) and the goat mentioned here are identical with the seven lambs and one goat mentioned in the Book of Numbers (28:27—30). — This is, however, not the case, for when you come to the bullocks and the rams you will find that they are not identical (here, v. 18. we have one bullock and two rams, whilst there you have two bullocks and one ram). Consequently you must admit that these (the lambs and the goats mentioned here) form a group for themselves and the others form a group for themselves: these were offered on account of the loaves and the others as additional offerings for the day (Sifra, Emor, Chapter 13 6; Menachot 45b).

Now, since the slaughtering of the peace offerings took place on the festival of Shavu'ot and it is a day of holy assembly, it is thus permissible to slaughter179An animal for meat. on all the festivals. The latter is contrary to the opinion of the Sadducees.180I.E.'s term for the Karaites. The Karaites claim that it is prohibited to slaughter an animal on a festival.

והניף הכהן אתם... תנופה AND THE PRIEST SHALL WAVE THEM [WITH THE BREAD OF THE FIRSTLINGS] FOR A WAVE OFFERING — This teaches us that they (the offerings) require the waving whilst they are still living. One might think that all of them (the seven lambs mentioned in v. 18) have to be waved! It, however, states על שני כבשים "[and the priests shall wave them… upon the two lambs]" (cf. Menachot 62a). קדש יהיו THEY SHALL BE HOLY [TO THE LORD FOR THE PRIEST] — Because festival-offerings offered by a private person are holy only in a minor degree, Scripture was compelled to state of the festival-offerings of the community that they are holy in the highest degree.

חקת עולם לכל מושבותיכם, even though no manner of sacrificial offering could be offered in any of the countries to which Jews were eventually exiled, the "counting" part of this legislation would not be abandoned on account of this.

ובקצרכם AND WHEN YE REAP [THE HARVEST OF YOUR LAND, THOU SHALT NOT MAKE CLEAR RIDDANCE OF THE CORNER OF THE FIELD] — Scripture repeats the prohibition here (although it has already been mentioned above, 19:9) in order to make one who transgresses this law infringe two negative commands. R. Abdima the son of R. Joseph said: What reason had Scripture to place it (the law concerning the corner of the field) amidst those regarding the festival-sacrifices — those of Passover and Pentecost on this side of it, and those of the New Year, Day of Atonement and "the Feast" (Tabernacles) following on that side of it? To teach you that he who leaves the gleanings, the forgotten sheaf and the corner of the field to the poor as it ought to be, is regarded as though he had built the Temple and offered his sacrifices therein (cf. Sifra, Emor, Chapter 13 11). תעזב THOU SHALT LEAVE [THEM UNTO THE POOR] — leave these in front of them and they shall gather: you are not allowed to assist one of them to the injury of another poor man (Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 3 5; Mishnah Peah 5:6). אני ה' אלהיכם I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD, Who am faithful to pay you your reward.

[AND WHEN YE REAP.] The reason Scripture mentions And when ye reap the harvest of your land… a second time181The same is stated in Lev. 19:9. is that Shavu'ot is the festival of the first-fruits of the wheat harvest (Ex. 34:22). Scripture cautions: Do not forget what I commanded you182In Lev. 19:9. to do at this time.

ובקצרכם , after giving thanks for the harvest and its successful storing of it in the barns, the Torah warns of what has to be done to ensure that the financial success which this harvest represents not be ruined. This is why the farmer is commanded to set aside, or simply not harvest, such incidentals as are referred to as לקט, שכחה, פאה, which in the words of our sages in Ketuvot 66 are viewed as מלח ממון חסר, ואמרי לה חסד. "money cannot be salted away (for safekeeping.)" Some people, in a play on words, change the word חסר for חסד, loving kindness, a kind of charity," suggesting that the only way to ensure that one does not lose one's own money is by engaging liberally in handing out charity to the deserving. The legislation in our verse then is this insurance for the farmer not to lose his crop even after he has already brought it into the barn. אני ה' אלוקיכם, the many faceted functions of G'd are alluded to here, i.e. that G'd's supervision is needed at all stages of the growing of the crop,; He is the G'd of the reapers, the G'd of the collectors. G'd says that "My regulations are designed to be beneficial for you the grower, for the poor who collects the gleanings. I will deal beneficially with those who have already demonstrated their concern for others by complying with the legislation set forth here."

ובקצרכם את קציר ארצכם, "And when you reap the harvest of your land, etc." Why does the Torah introduce this kind of legislation at this juncture when it is totally out of context with the subject matter being legislated in this chapter? Perhaps the Torah wanted to inform us that the owner of a field from which the barley for the Omer sacrifice has already been taken is still subject to the variety of tithes the farmer is commanded to leave for the poor when he harvests his field. Had the Torah not written this I might have thought that inasmuch as this field had already become a sacrifice to G'd in that the Omer of barley had been offered from it on the altar it would no longer be subject to the legislation of the various donations which have to be separated from the harvest. Perhaps this is why only two of those gifts to the poor are mentioned here, i.e. פאה ולקט, the corner and the gleanings, both of which are duties which devolve on the actual field itself. This is different from the legislation of שכחה, already harvested sheaves, which the owner has forgotten to pick up. Our sages in Torat Kohanim say that the Torah alludes to the moral-ethical message that anyone who gives פאה, לקט, and שכחה is considered as if he had assured the continued existence of the Holy Temple and had offered sacrifices therein; thus far Torat Kohanim. The reason they mention the word שכחה although it does not even appear in our verse is because it is also a commandment similar to לקט ופאה. In this way they have hinted at what we have written above.