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מנחות 65
Soncino English Talmud · Berean Standard Bible
This is indeed what we have learnt: Petahiah was over the bird-offerings. This same Petahiah was Mordecai; why was his name called Petahiah? Because he was able to open matters and interpret them,’ and he knew seventy languages. But did not every member of the Sanhedrin know seventy languages? For R. Johanan said, None are to be appointed members of the Sanhedrin but men of wisdom, of good appearance, of fine stature, of mature age. men with a knowledge of sorcery and who know seventy languages, in order that the court should have no need of an interpreter! — Say, rather, that he used to mix together expressions and explain them; and on that account it is written of Mordecai ‘Bilshan’. MISHNAH. WHAT WAS THE PROCEDURE? THE MESSENGERS OF THE BETH DIN USED TO GO OUT ON THE DAY BEFORE THE FESTIVAL AND TIE THE UNREAPED CORN IN BUNCHES TO MAKE IT THE EASIER TO REAP. ALL THE INHABITANTS OF THE TOWNS NEAR BY ASSEMBLED THERE, SO THAT IT MIGHT BE REAPED WITH MUCH DISPLAY. AS SOON AS IT BECAME DARK HE CALLED OUT, ‘HAS THE SUN SET’? AND THEY ANSWERED. ‘YES.’ HAS THE SUN SET’? AND THEY ANSWERED, ‘YES.’ WITH THIS SICKLE’? AND THEY ANSWERED, ‘YES’. ‘WITH THIS SICKLE’? AND THEY ANSWERED, YES’. ‘INTO THIS BASKET’? AND THEY ANSWERED, ‘YES’. INTO THIS BASKET’? AND THEY ANSWERED. ‘YES’. ON THE SABBATH HE CALLED OUT FURTHER, ON THIS SABBATH’? AND THEY ANSWERED. ‘YES’. ‘ON THIS SABBATH’? AND THEY ANSWERED. ‘YES’. ‘SHALL I REAP’? AND THEY ANSWERED, REAP’. ‘SHALL I REAP’? AND THEY ANSWERED, ‘REAP’. HE REPEATED EVERY MATTER THREE TIMES, AND THEY ANSWERED, ‘YES.’ ‘YES.’ ‘YES’. AND WHY WAS ALL THIS? BECAUSE OF THE BOETHUSIANS WHO MAINTAINED THAT THE REAPING OF THE ‘OMER WAS NOT TO TAKE PLACE AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE [FIRST DAY OF THE] FESTIVAL. GEMARA. Our Rabbis taught: ‘On the following days fasting, and on some of them also mourning, is forbidden: From the first until the eighth day of the month of Nisan, during which time the Daily Offering was established, mourning is forbidden; from the eighth of the same until the close of the Festival, during which time the date for the Feast of Weeks was re-established, fasting is forbidden. ‘From the first until the eighth day of the month of Nisan, during which time the Daily Offering was established, mourning is forbidden’. For the Sadducees used to say that an individual may of his own free will defray the cost of the Daily Offering. What was their argument? — It is written, [said they]. The one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning and the other lamb shalt thou offer at dusk. And what was the reply [of the Rabbis]? — It is written, My food which is presented unto Me for offerings made by fire, of a sweet savour unto Me, shall ye observe. Hence all sacrifices were to be taken out of the Temple fund. ‘From the eighth of the same until the close of the Festival [of Passover], during which time the date for the Feast of Weeks was re-established, fasting is forbidden’. For the Boethusians held that the Feast of Weeks must always be on the day after the Sabbath. But R. Johanan b. Zakkai entered into discussion with them saying, ‘Fools that you are! whence do you derive it’? Not one of them was able to answer him, save one old man who commenced to babble and said, ‘Moses our teacher was a great lover of Israel, and knowing full well that the Feast of Weeks lasted only one day he therefore fixed it on the day after the Sabbath so that Israel might enjoy themselves for two successive days’. [R. Johanan b. Zakkai] then quoted to him the following verse, ‘It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb unto Kadesh-Barnea by the way of mount Seir.21
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If Moses was a great lover of Israel, why then did he detain them in the wilderness for forty years’? ‘Master’, said the other, ‘is it thus that you would dismiss me’? ‘Fool’, he answered, ‘should not our perfect Torah be as convincing as your idle talk! Now one verse says. Ye shall number fifty days. while the other verse says, Seven weeks shall there be complete. How are they to be reconciled? The latter verse refers to the time when the [first day of the] Festival [of Passover] falls on the Sabbath, while the former to the time when the [first day of the] Festival falls on a weekday. (Mnemonic: R. Eliezer ‘numbers’; R. Joshua ‘counts’; R. Ishmael ‘from the ‘Omer’; R. Judah ‘below’.) R. Eliezer says, This is not necessary, for Scripture says, Thou shalt number unto thee, that is, the numbering depends upon the [decision of the] Beth din; accordingly the Sabbath of the creation cannot be intended, as the numbering would then be in the hands of all men. R. Joshua says. The Torah says. Count days and sanctify the new moon, count days and sanctify the Feast of Weeks. Just as in regard to the new moon there is something distinctive at the commencement [of the counting], so with the Feast of Weeks there is something distinctive at the commencement [of the counting]. R. Ishmael says. The Torah says. Bring the ‘Omer-offering on the Passover, and the Two Loaves on the Feast of Weeks. Just as the latter are offered on the Festival, and indeed at the beginning of the Festival, so the former, too. Is offered on the Festival, and indeed at the beginning of the Festival. R. Judah b. Bathyra says. There is written ‘Sabbath’ below and also ‘Sabbath’ above; just as in the former case the Festival, and indeed the beginning of the Festival, is near [to the Sabbath]. so in the latter case, too, the Festival, and indeed the beginning of the Festival, is near [to the ‘Omer]. Our Rabbis taught: And ye shall count unto you. that is, the counting is a duty upon every one. On the morrow after the Sabbath, that is, on the morrow after the Festival. Perhaps it is not so but rather on the morrow after the Sabbath of Creation. R. Jose b. Judah says, Scripture says, Ye shall number fifty days, that is, every time that you number it shall not be more than fifty days. But should you say that the verse refers to the morrow after the Sabbath of Creation, then it might sometimes come to fifty-one and sometimes to fifty-two and fifty-three and fifty-four and fifty-five and fifty-six. R. Judah b. Bathyra says. This is not necessary.
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