1 to R. Josiah his contemporary, You are not to sit down Until you have explained to me the following: Whence is it derived that the ‘Omer renders permitted that which has only taken root? [You ask whence? Surely it is derived from the expression ‘corn in the ear’, from which it follows that there is that which is not yet in the ear [which is permitted by the ‘Omer]. Perhaps [the inference is that there is] that which is not yet in the ear but which has reached a third of its growth [which is permitted by the ‘Omer! -Rather, said Samuel. [It is derived from the expression] ‘from the time you begin to put the sickle’, from which it follows that there is that which is not yet fit for the sickle [which is permitted by the ‘Omer]. But perhaps the inference is that there is that which is not yet fit for the sickle but which is at least fit for fodder [that is permitted by the ‘Omer]! -Rather, said R. Isaac, [It is derived from the expression] ‘to the standing corn. from which it follows that there is that which is not yet standing corn [which is permitted by the ‘Omer] — But perhaps the inference is that there is that which is not yet standing corn but which is at least in the grass stage [which is permitted by the ‘Omer]! -Rather. said Raba, [It is derived from the expression] ‘which thou sowest’, that is from the time of sowing [it is permitted by the ‘Omer]. Said R. Papa to Raba, In that case, even though it had not taken-root [it should be permitted by the ‘Omer, should it not]?-He replied. You wise man, it is written, In the field. MISHNAH. ONE MAY REAP [BEFORE THE ‘OMER THE CORN] IN IRRIGATED FIELDS IN THE PLAIN, BUT ONE MAY NOT STACK IT. THE MEN OF JERICHO USED TO REAP [BEFORE THE ‘OMER] WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE SAGES, AND USED TO STACK IT WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF THE SAGES, BUT THEY DID NOT FORBID THEM. ONE MAY REAP THE UNRIPE CORN AND FEED CATTLE THEREWITH. SAID R. JUDAH, WHEN IS THIS SO? ONLY IF ONE HAD BEGUN TO REAP IT BEFORE IT HAD REACHED A THIRD OF ITS GROWTH. R. SIMEON SAID, ONE MAY REAP IT AND FEED [CATTLE THEREWITH] EVEN AFTER IT HAS REACHED A THIRD OF ITS GROWTH. ONE MAY REAP ON ACCOUNT OF THE SAPLINGS OR [IN ORDER TO MAKE AN OPEN SPACE] FOR THE MOURNERS OR THAT THE BETH HAMIDRASH BE NOT HINDERED. ONE MAY NOT BIND THEM IN BUNDLES BUT THEY MUST BE LEFT IN SMALL HEAPS. THE PRECEPT OF THE ‘OMER IS THAT IT SHALL BE BROUGHT FROM THE STANDING CORN; IF THIS CANNOT BE FOUND IT MAY BE BROUGHT FROM THE SHEAVES. THE PRECEPT IS THAT IT SHALL BE BROUGHT FROM THE FRESH CORN; IF THIS CANNOT BE FOUND IT MAY BE BROUGHT FROM THE DRY CORN. THE PRECEPT IS THAT IT SHALL BE REAPED BY NIGHT; IF IT WAS REAPED BY DAY IT IS VALID. MOREOVER IT OVERRIDES THE SABBATH. GEMARA. It was taught: R. Benjamin says, The verse says, When ye shall reap the harvest thereof, then shall ye bring the sheaf. and following that it says, The first of your reaping unto the priest. How is it to be explained? Thus, the field from which you may bring [the ‘Omer] you may not reap [before the ‘Omer]. but that field from which you may not bring [the ‘Omer] you may reap [before the ‘Omer]. Perhaps I ought to say this: that kind of grain from which you may bring [the ‘Omer] you may not reap [before the ‘Omer], but that kind from which you may not bring [the ‘Omer] you may reap [before the ‘Omer]! — You cannot say so on account of R. Johanan's teaching. THE MEN OF JERICHO USED TO REAP [BEFORE THE ‘OMER] WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE SAGES, AND USED TO STACK IT WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF THE SAGES etc. Whom have you heard say that [in certain cases] they [the Sages] forbade them and [in others] they did not forbid them? [Clearly it is R. Judah. Is then R. Judah of the opinion that with regard to reaping [before the ‘Omer] the men of Jericho acted with the approval of the Sages? But it has been taught: The men of Jericho did six things: three with the approval of the Sages and three without their approval. These they did with the approval of the Sages: they grafted palms the whole day. they ‘rolled up’ the Shema’, and they reaped before the ‘Omer. And these they did without the approval of the Sages: they stacked the corn before the ‘Omer, they permitted for use the branches of carob and sycamore trees which had been dedicated to the Temple, and they made breaches in their gardens and orchards so as to allow the poor to [come in and] eat the fallen fruit on Sabbaths and Festivals in years of drought. So R. Meir. Then said R. Judah to him, If they did them with the approval of the Sages then all people could do so! But they did both without the approval of the Sages, save that three they forbade them and three they did not forbid them to do. These they did not forbid them: they grafted palms the whole day. they ‘rolled up’ the Shema’, and they reaped and stacked before the ‘Omer. And these they forbade them:ᵃᵇᶜᵈᵉᶠᵍʰⁱʲᵏˡᵐⁿᵒᵖᵠʳˢᵗᵘᵛʷˣʸᶻᵃᵃᵃᵇᵃᶜᵃᵈᵃᵉᵃᶠᵃᵍᵃʰᵃⁱ
2 they permitted for use the branches of carob and sycamore trees which had been dedicated to the Temple. they made breaches in their gardens and orchards so as to allow the poor to [come in and] eat the fallen fruit on Sabbaths and Festivals in years of drought, and they gave pe'ah from vegetables; and the Sages forbade them! -But according to your view, too, [this passage is difficult, for] it says ‘six things’ and it enumerates seven! You must therefore delete reaping from here. ONE MAY REAP THE UNRIPE CORN AND FEED CATTLE THEREWITH. We have learnt elsewhere: These are the things which divide a field [into two] with respect to pe'ah: a river, a pool, a private or a public road, a public or a private path that is in use both during the summer and the rainy season, fallow land or newly broken land, and a different kind of crop. If one reaped the unripe corn [as fodder, the part so reaped] divides the field. So R. Meir; but the Sages say, This part does not divide the field unless it was also ploughed up. Rabbah b. Bar Hanah said in the name of R. Johanan. R. Meir based his ruling on the principle enunciated by R. Simeon [in our Mishnah] who said, ONE MAY REAP IT AND FEED [CATTLE THEREWITH] EVEN AFTER IT HAS REACHED A THIRD OF ITS GROWTH. For he is of the opinion that any [cutting of] unripe corn [for fodder] is no reaping. Rabbah was sitting and reciting this statement, when R. Aha b. Huna raised against Raba the following objection. It was taught: If locusts devoured [the crop in the middle of the field] or ants nibbled it or the wind broke it down, all agree that only if it was also ploughed up does it divide the field [in two]. but if it was not ploughed up it does not divide the field. Who is meant by ‘all agree’! Obviously R. Meir. Now it is intelligible if you say that the Mishnah quoted , refers to unripe corn which had not reached a third of its growth and the Baraitha which states ‘that only if it was also ploughed up it divides the field and not if it was not ploughed up’ refers to unripe corn which had already reached a third of its growth. But if you say that the Mishnah quoted also refers to that which had already reached a third of its growth, then [it will be asked,] If in that case, where the reaping was done by man, R. Meir holds that it is no reaping, then surely it is so in this case! — Say, rather, that R. Meir based his ruling on the principle enunciated by R. Judah [in our Mishnah] who said, WHEN IS THIS SO? ONLY IF ONE HAD BEGUN TO REAP IT BEFORE IT HAD REACHED A THIRD OF ITS GROWTH. But perhaps you have heard R. Judah maintaining this view only when it is cut [as fodder] for cattle, but have you heard him say so with regard to that which is cut [as food] for man? For if he were to say so then we should have three Tannaim differing in this matter! -The fact is that when R. Dimi came [from Palestine] he said, R. Meir based his ruling on the principle enunciated by his teacher R. Akiba, namely that even though [it was cut as food] for man it is no reaping. For we have learnt: If a man reaped his field in separate stages. leaving [unreaped] the unripe stems, R. Akiba says. He must give pe'ah from each [portion reaped]. But the Sages say, From one for all. And Rab Judah has said that R. Akiba declares him liable [to give pe'ah from each portion] only where he reaps the field in stages for roasting. but not where he reaps it in stages for storing. But surely this is not so! For when Rabin came [from Palestine] he stated in the name of R. Johanan that R. Akiba declares him liable [to give pe'ah from each portion] even where he reaps it in stages for storing! —ᵃʲᵃᵏᵃˡᵃᵐᵃⁿᵃᵒᵃᵖᵃᵠᵃʳᵃˢᵃᵗᵃᵘᵃᵛᵃʷᵃˣᵃʸᵃᶻᵇᵃᵇᵇᵇᶜᵇᵈᵇᵉᵇᶠᵇᵍᵇʰᵇⁱᵇʲ