Menachos 68a

מנחות ס״ח ע״א

Menachot 68a

Learn Menachos 68a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Why רבי יהודה does not fear eating חדש before the עומר, and when חדש becomes permitted

Overview

The amud opens by explaining why רבי יהודה is not afraid that someone handling new grain (חדש) before the עומר will eat it, even though he worries about this with חמץ. The first answer is that harvesting, grinding and sifting are done in unusual ways, which remind the person. A בית השלחין, where normal harvesting is allowed, knocks that answer down. אביי then says people keep away from חדש all year, but not from חמץ. רבא accepts this for רבי יהודה, and adds that the רבנן do not worry about חמץ because a person searching for it in order to burn it will not eat it. רב אשי suggests that only parched flour was prepared, but the גמרא rejects his answer as a mistake. A new משנה teaches that the עומר permits חדש, and that after the חורבן רבן יוחנן בן זכאי forbade the whole day, which רבי יהודה says is Torah law. In the גמרא, רב and שמואל say dawn permits חדש only when there is no בית המקדש. רבי יוחנן and ריש לקיש say dawn permits it always, and they read every source that ties the permission to the עומר as 'למצוה', the ideal way.

Opening lines

The steps (24)

1. ResolutionPicking by hand reminds him not to eat
2. Challengeאביי asks about grinding and sifting
3. ResolutionGrinding and sifting are also done unusually
4. ChallengeChallenge from an irrigated field where normal harvesting is allowed
5. Resolutionאביי's new answer: people stay away from חדש, but not from חמץ
6. Challengeרבא: what about the contradiction in the רבנן's view?
7. Resolutionרבא answers both contradictions
8. Resolutionרב אשי: before the עומר they made only flour of parched grain
9. Rejectionרב אשי's answer does not cover the grain before it became parched
10. ChallengeHand-picking cannot save רב אשי because of the irrigated field
11. ConclusionFinal verdict: רב אשי's answer is rejected
12. Statementחדש is permitted once the עומר is offered
13. StatementAfter the חורבן the whole day is forbidden
14. Statementרבי יהודה: it is Torah law, and why the far-away people could eat at midday
15. Statementרב and שמואל: the עומר permits when the בית המקדש stands, dawn permits when it does not
16. QuestionWhat is the source? Two phrases seem to give different times
17. ResponseOne phrase for when the בית המקדש stands, one for when it does not
18. Statementרבי יוחנן and ריש לקיש: dawn permits even when the בית המקדש stands
19. ChallengeBut the verse says 'until you bring'
20. ResolutionWaiting for the עומר is only the ideal way
21. ChallengeChallenge from the משנה: new grain is permitted right after the עומר
22. ResolutionAnswer: the משנה describes the best way, not the strict law
23. ChallengeChallenge from the next משנה: the עומר permits outside the בית המקדש
24. ResolutionSame answer: the עומר is only the ideal time