Study Guide

Study Guide

The Gemara cites a second braita featuring five arguments against the Baytusi claim that the Omer offering must always be brought on the first Sunday following the first day of Pesach. The braita concludes by deriving from the biblical verses that both the harvesting and the counting of the Omer must take place at night, while the actual sacrifice is offered during the day.

Rava reviews the nine rabbinic arguments presented against the Baytusim(compiled from both braitot) and systematically rejects the first three claims found in each.

The Mishna continues by describing the process of singeing (parching) the barley grains. Rabbi Meir and the Sages disagree regarding the specific stage at which this is done and the manner in which it should be performed.

Finally, any barley flour remaining after the sifting process is redeemed. The Sages and Rabbi Akiva dispute whether this redeemed flour is ultimately exempt from tithing.

The Mishna details the ceremony of the Omer harvest, a public event designed to openly reject the opinion of the Baytusim (Boethusians) who held that the date for the Omer offering was the first Sunday after the first day of Pesach. Before the Pesach holiday, messengers of the Beit Din tied the standing barley into bundles to facilitate a quick harvest. On the night following the first day of Passover, residents from surrounding towns gathered to watch as the harvester and the crowd engaged in a question-and-answer ceremony confirming three times each detail: "Has the sun set?", "With this sickle?", "In this basket?", and even "On this Shabbat," if it came out on Shabbat.

The Gemara quotes from Megillat Taanit two sets of days on which one cannot fast or eulogize, as they were days where the Sages won debates against the Tzedukim (Sadducees) regarding the Tamid sacrifice (proving it cannot be offered by individuals) and against the Baytusim regarding the date for the Omer offering. Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai dismisses the Baytusim claim that Moses scheduled Shavuot for Sunday just to give Israel a "long weekend," pointing out the absurdity of their logic. To solidify the law, he and other Sages offer various proofs for starting the count on the 16th of Nisan, ensuring the tradition remained rooted in the festival itself rather than a fixed day of the week.