Sifra 1.0.26

Vayikra Dibbura DeNedavah, Section 13

1) (Vayikra 2:14): "And if you offer a meal-offering of first fruits (bikkurim) to the L–rd" (the meal-offering of the omer): R. Yehudah says: The meal-offering of bikkurim is destined to be suspended (with exile) and to be restored. And, similarly, it is written (Bamidbar 36:4): "And if the jubilee (yovel) will be for the children of Israel" — the jubilee is destined to be suspended and to be restored.

2) R. Shimon says: "And if you offer a meal-offering of bikkurim to the L–rd": This meal-offering is mandatory. I might think it is voluntary; it is, therefore, written (Bamidbar 23:10): "and you shall bring the omer, the first (grain) of your harvest to the Cohein" — it is mandatory.

3) If so, why is it written "if (you offer)")? To teach: If you bring it willingly, I shall account it to you as if you brought it as a gift; and if you do not bring it willingly, I shall account it to you as having brought it for your personal needs only (i.e., to allow you to eat chadash [the new grain]).

4) as it is written (Vayikra 23:14): "And bread, and kali, and karmel you shall not eat until this self-same day, until you have brought the offering of your G d." "And if you offer a meal-offering of bikkurim to the L–rd": This is the meal-offering of the omer. From which (grain) does it come? From barley. — But perhaps it comes from wheat! R. Eliezer says (to negate this): It is written here (Vayikra 2:14): "aviv" (grain in the ear), and also in respect to Egypt (Shemoth 9:41). Just as "aviv" in respect to Egypt is barley, so, "aviv" here. R. Akiva says: It is written that the congregation is to bring bikkurim (the omer) on Pesach and that the congregation is to bring bikkurim (the two loaves) on Atzereth (Shavuoth). Just as we find that of that kind (of grain [i.e., wheat]) of which the individual brings his obligatory offering, the congregation brings its obligatory offering (the two loaves) on Atzereth — so, of that kind (i.e., barley), of which the individual brings his obligatory offering (the meal-offering of rancor of the sotah), the congregation is to bring its bikkurim (the omer) on Pesach. From which kind does the individual bring his obligatory offering? From barley. The congregation, too, is to bring its obligatory offering only from barley. An alternate derivation: If you say (that he brings it) of wheat, then the two loaves (which are of wheat) could not be (called) "bikkurim" (first fruits).

5) R. Yishmael, the son of R. Yochanan b. Broka, says: I might think that it (the omer) could be brought from spelt, oats, and rye; but this is (negated by) a kal vachomer, viz.: If wheat, which is kasher for all other meal-offerings, is not kasher for the meal-offering of the omer — then spelt, oats, and rye, which are not kasher for all other meal-offerings, how much more so should they not be kasher for the omer! — No, this may be the case with barley because the sotah's meal-offering is brought of it, unlike spelt, oats, and rye, so that wheat is excluded (from the omer) by Scripture (as above), and spelt, oats, and rye by the kal vachomer.

6) "Aviv kalui with fire, karmel" (groats of the fresh ear): We are hereby taught that we scorch it in fire to fulfill the mitzvah of kalui. These are the words of R. Meir. The sages say: It is called "kalui" because a tube of the kala'im (parched-grain merchants) was there, which was perforated like a sieve, so that the fire enveloped the whole.

7) "aviv": If it were written "aviv kalui geresh (groats)," it would be ambiguous (i.e., Does "kalui" (parched) refer to aviv, that it is to be parched before it is ground, or does it refer to geresh), that it is to be parched after it is ground? Now that it is written "aviv kalui ba'esh (with fire)," "with fire" creates a hiatus, so that (the meaning must be) it is roasted (when) aviv (grain in the ear).

8) "karmel": (acronymically) "rach mal" (soft and malleable). And (similar instances of acronymics) (II Kings 4:42): "And a man came from Bal Shalishah, and brought to the man of G d bread of the first fruits: twenty loaves of barley bread and karmel in his scrip (betziklono)," (acronymically): Ba (Come), veyatzok lanu (and spill out to us), ve'achalnu (and we shall eat), venavah hayah (and it was tasty).

9) And (Iyyov 39:13): "knaf renanim ne'elassah" ("The knaf renanim [a kind of bird] ne'elassah" [acronymically]): noseh (it carries [its egg]), oleh (it goes up [to its nest]), umithchateh (and drops it in.) And (Proverbs 7:18): "Nithalssa ba'ahavim," (acronymically): Nissa venitan (Let us consort), vena'aleh (and let us go up [to bed]), venithchatah ba'ahavim (and immerse ourselves in love). And (Bamidbar 22:32): "ki yarat haderech lenegdi," (acronymically): yarathah (it feared), ra'athah (it saw), nat'thah (it turned aside).