Menachos 68b

מנחות ס״ח ע״ב

Menachot 68b

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

Open Menachos 68b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

The ban on new grain (חדש) on יום הנף, and how the עומר and the שתי הלחם permit new grain

Overview

The amud opens with the תקנה of רבן יוחנן בן זכאי: after the Temple was destroyed, new grain (חדש) is forbidden for the whole 16th of ניסן. The reason given is that people might keep eating at dawn once the Temple is rebuilt, when only the עומר can permit the grain. רב נחמן בר יצחק explains that this follows רבי יהודה, who holds that the Torah itself forbids the whole day. The גמרא then reports three practices among אמוראים outside ארץ ישראל, and each one depends on how they handled the doubt about the calendar date. A new משנה teaches that the עומר permits new grain for ordinary eating and the שתי הלחם permits it for the מקדש. Offerings from new grain brought before the עומר are פסול, but those brought before the שתי הלחם are כשר. רבי יהודה בן נחמיה explains this difference to רבי טרפון, and a story follows about רבי עקיבא's warning to him. Finally רמי בר חמא asks whether the שתי הלחם can permit grain out of order. רבה tries to answer from a ברייתא proving that the עומר is barley, and the גמרא begins to reject that proof, continuing on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (30)

1. StatementThe decree of רבן יוחנן בן זכאי
2. ResponseThe reason: confusion once the Temple is rebuilt
3. ChallengeWould חכמים make a decree just for the best way of doing a מצוה?
4. Resolutionרבן יוחנן בן זכאי followed רבי יהודה
5. ResolutionHow רבי יהודה reads 'עד עצם היום הזה'
6. ChallengeDoesn't רבי יהודה argue with רבן יוחנן בן זכאי?
7. Resolutionרבי יהודה misunderstood רבן יוחנן בן זכאי
8. ChallengeBut the משנה says he 'instituted'
9. Resolution'Instituted' means he explained the פסוק and set up the practice
10. Statementרב פפא and רב הונא eat חדש on the night after the 16th
11. StatementThe חכמים of רב אשי's study hall wait until the morning of the 17th
12. ResolutionThe decree of רבן יוחנן בן זכאי does not cover a doubtful day
13. Statementרבינא's father waited until the night after the 17th
14. Statementמשנה: what the עומר and the שתי הלחם permit
15. Challengeרבי טרפון asks why before the עומר differs from before the שתי הלחם
16. Resolutionרבי יהודה בן נחמיה explains the difference
17. Statementרבי עקיבא rebukes Yehuda for being pleased
18. Statementרבי יהודה בן נחמיה died within weeks
19. StatementLibations from first fruits before the עומר are valid
20. ChallengeIsn't that obvious?
21. ResolutionWe might have thought only a lifted ban counts
22. Questionרמי בר חמא's question: do the שתי הלחם permit grain out of order?
23. QuestionDefining the case and laying out both sides
24. Proofרבה starts a proof from a ברייתא about the עומר
25. Responseרבי אליעזר: "אביב" means barley, as in Egypt
26. Proofרבי עקיבא: the community must also have a barley obligation
27. Proofרבי עקיבא's second proof: otherwise the two loaves are not first fruits
28. Proofרבה: out-of-order two loaves do not permit
29. Proofרבה names the grain the שתי הלחם would come from
30. RejectionThe גמרא starts to push back on רבה's proof