Menachos 66a

מנחות ס״ו ע״א

Menachot 66a

Learn Menachos 66a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Menachos 66a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

When ספירת העומר begins and how it is done, which proofs for the 16th of ניסן stand, and how the עומר was prepared.

Overview

This amud finishes a ברייתא that brings proofs against the בייתוסים, who read ״מִמָּחֳרַת הַשַּׁבָּת״ as the Sunday after a regular שבת. One proof uses ״תִּסְפׇּר לָךְ״, which ties the count to the בית דין. רבי יוסי gives two more proofs, and רבי שמעון בן אלעזר settles the clash between six and seven days of מצה. All of them show that the עומר is brought on the 16th of ניסן. The ברייתא then works out the timing: the harvesting and the counting are done at night, and the עומר is brought in the day. רבא then judges all the proofs. He shows how most of them can be pushed off, and only the last two תנאים in each ברייתא stand. The גמרא then looks at אביי's rule that we count both days and weeks, and reports that אמימר counted only days, since today the count is a זכר למקדש. A new משנה describes how the עומר was parched, ground, and sifted, and what happens to the leftover flour. The גמרא begins with a ברייתא on ״קָלוּי בָּאֵשׁ״, and the חכמים' reading of it continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (30)

1. ProofThe counting depends on the court, so it cannot start from a weekly שבת
2. Statementרבי יוסי: ״מִמָּחֳרַת הַשַּׁבָּת״ means the day after יום טוב
3. QuestionMaybe it means the day after a regular weekly שבת?
4. ResponseThe תורה never said which שבת, so it cannot mean a weekly שבת
5. ProofA second proof: the word שבת in the שבועות פסוק means a יום טוב
6. ChallengeTwo פסוקים clash: six days of מצה or seven?
7. Resolutionמצה from the new grain (חדש) can be eaten for six days, not seven
8. QuestionCan the counting start whenever one wants?
9. ResponseThe counting starts with the harvest
10. ChallengeThen maybe the bringing can be whenever one wants
11. ResolutionThe count is also tied to the bringing
12. ChallengeThen maybe everything happens in the daytime
13. ResolutionComplete weeks means counting from the evening
14. ChallengeThen maybe everything happens at night
15. ConclusionHarvest and count at night, bring in the day
16. Statementרבא says almost every proof can be pushed off
17. RejectionPushing off the proof of רבן יוחנן בן זכאי
18. RejectionPushing off the proofs of רבי אליעזר and רבי יהושע
19. ConclusionThe proofs of רבי ישמעאל and רבי יהודה בן בתירא stand
20. RejectionPushing off the proof of רבי יוסי ברבי יהודה
21. RejectionPushing off the proof of רבי יהודה בן בתירא
22. Rejectionרבי יוסי himself saw a weakness in his first proof
23. Statementאביי: count both days and weeks
24. StatementHow the Sages actually counted: both, or days only
25. StatementBringing the עומר and singeing it on the stalks
26. StatementThe חכמים: beat the kernels off with soft reeds
27. StatementParching in a holed pan and cooling in the wind
28. StatementGrinding, sifting the עשרון, and the leftover flour
29. Statementרבי עקיבא: obligated in מעשרות too
30. StatementA ברייתא brings the פסוק for רבי מאיר's view