{"id":13675,"date":"2011-05-11T09:38:17","date_gmt":"2011-05-11T09:38:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/production.ou.org\/life\/other\/masechet_menahot_65a71b\/"},"modified":"2015-10-15T13:38:29","modified_gmt":"2015-10-15T18:38:29","slug":"masechet_menahot_65a71b","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/torah\/masechet_menahot_65a71b\/","title":{"rendered":"Masechet Menachot 65a-71b"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>The Coming Week&#8217;s Daf Yomi by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>This essay is based upon the insights and chidushim (original ideas) of Talmudic scholar Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, as published in the Hebrew version of the Steinsaltz Edition of the Talmud.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><u>Menachot 65a-b: Harvesting the new barley crop<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/m.htm#mishna\">Mishna<\/a> on today&#8217;s <em>daf<\/em> describes how the barley was harvested and prepared for the <em>korban ha-omer<\/em> brought on the second day of the Passover holiday &#8211;<\/p>\n<p><em>The messengers of the<\/em> <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/bc.htm#beitdin\">bet din<\/a><\/em> <em>used to go out on the day before the festival and tie the unreaped barley in bunches to make it the easier to reap. All the inhabitants of the nearby towns assembled there, so that it might be harvest would be done with much publicity. As soon as it became dark the reaper called out:<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>\u2018Has the sun set?\u2019 and they answered: \u2018Yes!\u2019<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>&#8216;Has the sun set?\u2019 and they answered, \u2018Yes!\u2019<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>&#8216;With this sickle?\u2019 and they answered, \u2018Yes!\u2019<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>\u2018With this sickle?\u2019 and they answered, &#8216;Yes!\u2019<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>\u2018Into this basket?\u2019 and they answered, \u2018Yes!\u2019<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>&#8216;Into this basket?\u2019 and they answered, \u2018Yes!\u2019<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>On Shabbat he called out further:<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>&#8216;On this Shabbat?\u2019 and they answered, \u2018Yes!\u2019<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>\u2018On this Shabbat?\u2019 and they answered, \u2018Yes!\u2019<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>\u2018Shall I reap?\u2019 and they answered, &#8216;Reap!\u2019<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>\u2018Shall I reap?\u2019 and they answered, \u2018Reap!\u2019<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>He repeated every matter three times, and they answered, \u2018Yes!\u2019 \u2018Yes!\u2019 \u2018Yes!\u2019<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>And why was all this?<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Because of the<\/em> <em><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Boethusians\">Baitusim<\/a><\/em> <em>who maintained that the reaping of the omer was not to take place at the conclusion of the first day of the festival.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#gemara\">Gemara<\/a> explains that the Baitusim were a religious sect that disagreed with the tradition of the Sages regarding the <em>korban ha-omer<\/em>. The Sages interpreted the passage in <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/s.htm#sefer\">Sefer<\/a><\/em> <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/tw.htm#vayikra\">Vayikra<\/a><\/em> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mechon-mamre.org\/p\/pt\/pt0323.htm#11\">23:11<\/a> that says that the <em>omer<\/em> must be brought on the day following &#8220;<em>Shabbat<\/em>,&#8221; as referring to the first day of the Passover holiday. The Baitusim argued that the <em>korban ha-omer<\/em> was always brought on Sunday, so that <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/s.htm#shavuot\">Shavuot<\/a><\/em> could only fall out on Sunday, as well.<\/p>\n<p>The Gemara records that when the Sages succeeded in instituting an accepted practice that clarified the <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#halachah\">halacha<\/a><\/em> and placed <em>Shavuot<\/em> in its proper time according to their tradition, a minor holiday was established and recorded in <em>Megillat Ta&#8217;anit<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><em>Megillat Ta&#8217;anit<\/em> is a little known collection of statements about minor holidays and fasts that commemorate events which took place during the <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Second_Temple\">Second Temple<\/a> &#8211; although there are also events from earlier and later periods included, as well. This work is set up chronologically, and it includes the date and a brief account of the incident written in <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Aramaic_language\">Aramaic, followed by a fuller description of the event in Hebrew. (Although it is not part of the standard texts of Talmud<\/a>, the <a href=\"http:\/\/steinsaltz.org\/content.php?pg=Steinsaltz%20Edition&amp;ID=17\">Steinsaltz Talmud<\/a> includes it as an addendum to the volume that contains <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/m.htm#masechet\">Masechet<\/a><\/em> <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.steinsaltz.org\/learning.php?pg=Daf_Yomi&amp;articleId=502\">Ta&#8217;anit<\/a><\/em>).<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong style=\"line-height: 1.5;\"><u>Menachot 66a-b: Counting the<\/u><\/strong> <em style=\"line-height: 1.5;\"><strong><u>Omer<\/u><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/torah.htm\">Torah<\/a> commands that we count the fifty days from the holiday of <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/np.htm#pesach\">Pesach<\/a><\/em> until <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/s.htm#shavuot\">Shavuot<\/a><\/em> (see <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/s.htm#sefer\">Sefer<\/a><\/em> <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/tw.htm#vayikra\">Vayikra<\/a><\/em> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mechon-mamre.org\/p\/pt\/pt0323.htm#15\">23:15-16<\/a>), a tradition that is kept to this day, even though the associated sacrifices can no longer be brought. The first of those <em>pesukim<\/em> discusses counting seven weeks, while the second discusses counting 50 days. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=120&amp;letter=A\">Abayye<\/a> concludes that there is a distinct commandment to count the days as well as a second commandment to count the weeks.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#gemara\">Gemara<\/a> relates that the Sages of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=1945&amp;letter=A\">Rav Ashi<\/a>&#8216;s study hall counted both days and weeks, while Amemar only counted days without counting weeks. He explained that after the destruction of the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/bc.htm#beithamikdash\">Temple<\/a> counting was merely <em>zecher le-Mikdash<\/em> &#8211; in memory of the Temple practice &#8211; so a partial counting was sufficient.<\/p>\n<p>With regard to the basic requirement to count both days and weeks, the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=905&amp;letter=M\">Rambam<\/a> suggests that nevertheless there is still just a single <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/m.htm#mitzvah\">mitzvah<\/a><\/em> of counting, although <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rabbenu_Yerucham\">Rabbeinu Yerucham<\/a> argues that they are two separate <em>mitzvot<\/em> so that when the Temple stood two separate blessings were made on their performance. It appears that the basic requirement is to summarize the conclusion of each seven days with the words &#8220;\u2026that are a single week in the <em>omer<\/em>,&#8221; or &#8220;\u2026that are two weeks in the <em>omer<\/em>,&#8221; and so forth. Nevertheless it is common practice today to include both the number of weeks and days in every counting after the first seven days are completed.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/bc.htm#baaleitosafot\">Tosafot<\/a> bring the opinion of the <em><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Simeon_Kayyara\">Ba&#8217;al Halachot Gedolot<\/a><\/em> who ruled that someone who missed a day of counting can no longer count, and questioned why this should be true. The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=1930&amp;letter=A\">Rosh<\/a> explains that since counting every day is a <em>mitzvah<\/em> there is no reason to think that missing one day should preclude fulfilling the commandment of counting on the rest of the days. Some answer that according to the <em>Behag<\/em> the <em>mitzvah<\/em> is the full counting, and the daily blessing is on the partial fulfillment of the commandment. In fact, the accepted <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#halachah\">halacha<\/a><\/em> is that if someone misses a single day he should continue counting, although he no longer can recite a blessing on the remaining days.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong style=\"line-height: 1.5;\"><u>Menachot 67a-b: The availability of new grain in the marketplace<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>According to the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/torah.htm\">Torah<\/a>, until the <em>omer<\/em> offering was brought on the second day of <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/np.htm#pesach\">Pesach<\/a><\/em>, the new grain harvest could not be consumed (see <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/tw.htm#vayikra\">Vayikra<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mechon-mamre.org\/p\/pt\/pt0323.htm#14\">23:14<\/a>). The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/m.htm#mishna\">Mishna<\/a> on today&#8217;s <em>daf<\/em> records that once the <em>korban ha-omer<\/em> was brought, one could enter the Jerusalem marketplace and immediately find that flour from the new harvest was available for purchase. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=343&amp;letter=M\">Rabbi Meir<\/a> says that this situation existed against the wishes of the Sages; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=632&amp;letter=J\">Rabbi Yehuda<\/a> says that it was done with the permission of the Sages.<\/p>\n<p>The <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/r.htm#rishon\">rishonim<\/a><\/em> disagree about what the Sages may have found to be objectionable. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=172&amp;letter=G\">Rabbeinu Gershom<\/a> explains that the Sages were concerned with the fact that the harvest took place before the <em>omer<\/em> was harvested and brought to the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/bc.htm#beithamikdash\">Temple<\/a>, lest people come to partake of the new grain before the proper time. In his Commentary to the Mishna, the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=905&amp;letter=M\">Rambam<\/a> explains that there was nothing untoward with the harvest, the concern was with the ready availability in the marketplace even before the offering had been brought.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#gemara\">Gemara<\/a> asks why Rabbi Yehuda does not appear to be concerned lest people eat from the new crop while it is still forbidden, since we find that on the day before Passover he permits searching for <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/bc.htm#chametz\">hametz<\/a><\/em> only when it can still be eaten; once it is forbidden to eat he becomes concerned lest a person eat it accidentally should he find it.<\/p>\n<p>While both <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=120&amp;letter=A\">Abayye<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=5&amp;letter=R\">Rava<\/a> offer suggestions in the Gemara explaining why Rabbi Yehuda may be inclined to show concern about eating <em>chametz<\/em> after the time that it becomes forbidden, even though he is not worried about eating new grain before it becomes permitted, in his <em>Netivot ha-Kodesh<\/em> Rabbi Avraham Moshe Salman offers a simple distinction. When a forbidden food is a simple <em>lav<\/em> &#8211; a negative commandment &#8211; Rabbi Yehuda is not concerned lest it be eaten accidentally. <em>Chametz<\/em> on Pesach, however, which carries with it the severe punishment of <em>karet<\/em>, demands a more restrictive Rabbinic prohibition.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong style=\"line-height: 1.5;\"><u>Menachot 68a-b: Permitting the new harvest<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/torah.htm\">Torah<\/a> teaches that it is forbidden to eat grain from the new harvest (see <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/tw.htm#vayikra\">Vayikra<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mechon-mamre.org\/p\/pt\/pt0323.htm#14\">23:14<\/a>), it appears to offer two separate mechanisms for permitting the new crop. According to the Torah &#8220;\u2026neither bread, nor parched corn, nor fresh ears&#8221; can be eaten \u2013<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>until this selfsame day,<\/li>\n<li>until you have brought the offering of your God.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Thus it appears that the arrival of the day itself permits the new harvest, yet there is also the element of waiting until after the <em>korban ha-omer<\/em> is brought.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=127&amp;letter=A\">Rav<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=204&amp;letter=S\">Shmuel<\/a> both explain the passage as follows. When the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/bc.htm#beithamikdash\">Temple<\/a> stood and the <em>omer<\/em> offering was brought on the second day of <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/np.htm#pesach\">Pesach<\/a><\/em> (the 16th day of Nissan), the new crop became permitted only after the <em>korban ha-omer<\/em>. Following the destruction of the Temple, the dawn of the 16th day of Nissan permitted the new crop to be eaten.<\/p>\n<p>According to the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/m.htm#mishna\">Mishna<\/a>, during the time of the Temple, Jews who were far from the Temple could assume that by mid-day the <em>korban ha-omer<\/em> would have been brought, and they were permitted to begin eating from the new crop. Following the destruction of the Temple, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=362&amp;letter=J\">Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai<\/a> established a rule that forbade eating from the new crop until the morning of the 17th day of Nissan. His reasoning was that when the Temple is rebuilt &#8211; speedily in our days! &#8211; people would mistakenly think that they can begin eating from the new grain on the morning of the 16th, not realizing that they were only permitted to do so in the past because no <em>korban ha-omer<\/em> could be brought. In order to keep them from that mistake, he did not permit the new harvest until the following day.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=357&amp;letter=J\">Rabbi Yochanan<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=757&amp;letter=S\">Reish Lakish<\/a> disagree with Rav and Shmuel, arguing that even when the Temple stood the new crop became permitted with sunrise on the 16th of Nissan. Nevertheless there was a special <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/m.htm#mitzvah\">mitzvah<\/a><\/em> to wait until after the <em>korban ha-omer<\/em> was brought before beginning to eat.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong style=\"line-height: 1.5;\"><u>Menachot 69a-b: Utensils that can &#8211; and cannot &#8211; become ritually defiled<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Ritual defilement of utensils is a topic to which an entire tractate of <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/m.htm#mishna\">Mishnayot<\/a><\/em> <em>&#8211;<\/em> <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/m.htm#masechet\">Masechet<\/a><\/em> <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=163&amp;letter=K\">Keilim<\/a><\/em> &#8211; is devoted. In a number of places the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/torah.htm\">Torah<\/a> teaches the laws of utensils that come into contact with dead creatures and become <em>tamei<\/em> (defiled). For example, in <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/s.htm#sefer\">Sefer<\/a><\/em> <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/tw.htm#vayikra\">Vayikra<\/a><\/em> (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.mechon-mamre.org\/p\/pt\/pt0311.htm#29\">11:29-35<\/a>) the Torah lists different types of animals that defile upon their death, and includes the kinds of utensils that can become defiled. Similarly, in <em>Sefer<\/em> <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/bc.htm#bamidbar\">Bamidbar<\/a><\/em> (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.mechon-mamre.org\/p\/pt\/pt0431.htm#20\">31:20-23<\/a>) in the context of the booty captured by the Children of Israel in their war with the Midianites, we learn of different materials that will become <em>tamei<\/em> and must be purified for use. Generally speaking, there are seven types of utensils that fit this category: If they are made of metal, wood, animal skin, bone, cloth, sack or pottery. In addition, glass utensils can become <em>tamei<\/em> on a Rabbinic level.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#gemara\">Gemara<\/a> on today&#8217;s <em>daf<\/em> teaches that there are some types of utensils that do not become ritually defiled, neither on a Biblical nor on a Rabbinic level. These are <em>klei avanim, klei gelalim<\/em> and <em>klei adama<\/em>, which retain their &#8220;earthiness&#8221; and are not considered to be full-fledged utensils that would render them important enough to become <em>tamei<\/em>.<br \/>\n<em>Klei avanim<\/em> are stone utensils. <em>Klei adama<\/em> are utensils made from earth. Some explain that they are made from stones that have been sanded down, others suggest that they are earthenware that never was placed in a furnace to be finished. <em>Klei gelalim<\/em> may be made from a large stone that can only be moved by rolling; others suggest that these are made from animal excrement.<\/p>\n<p>In this context the Gemara brings a question posed by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=91&amp;letter=R\">Rami bar Hama<\/a> &#8211; if an elephant swallows a <em>kefifah Mitzrit<\/em> &#8211; a basket woven from Egyptian reeds &#8211; and excretes it whole, is it considered <em>klei gelalim<\/em> to the extent that it would no longer be considered <em>tamei<\/em>? While the Gemara rejects this possibility, it does consider whether if the elephant ate the reeds themselves and then excretes them that they may be considered <em>gelalim<\/em> so that a basket made from them would be considered <em>klei gelalim<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>A <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.steinsaltz.org\/Kefifah_Mitzrit.php\">kefifah Mitzrit<\/a><\/em> is made from soft palm branches specifically because it remains flexible even as it retains its shape. Such a basket could, theoretically, be swallowed by a large animal and return to its original shape after being eaten.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong style=\"line-height: 1.5;\"><u>Menachot 70a-b: Does Jewish law consider rice to be a type of grain?<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/m.htm#mishna\">Mishnayot<\/a> in this <em>perek<\/em> have been discussing the laws of <em>chadash<\/em> &#8211; the new grains that are permitted only after the second day of Passover. The Mishna on today&#8217;s <em>daf<\/em> enumerates the types of grain that fall into this category &#8211; <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wheat\">wheat<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rye\">rye<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Oat\">oats<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Barley\">barley<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Spelt\">spelt<\/a> &#8211; all of which \u00a0are also obligated in the <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/m.htm#mitzvah\">mitzvah<\/a><\/em> of <em><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Mitzvah_of_Challah\">hallah<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>In the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#gemara\">Gemara<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=757&amp;letter=S\">Resh Lakish<\/a> explains that the Mishna specifically comes to exclude <em>orez<\/em> &#8211; rice (<em><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Oryza_sativa\">oryza sative<\/a><\/em>) &#8211; and <em>dochen<\/em> &#8211; millet (<em><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Proso_millet\">panicum miliaceum<\/a><\/em>). He derives this from the parallel between the commandment to separate <em>challah<\/em> when eating <em>lechem<\/em> (see <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/bc.htm#bamidbar\">Bamidbar<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mechon-mamre.org\/p\/pt\/pt0415.htm#19\">15:19-21<\/a>), and the commandment to eat <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/chagim\/pesach\/pesachguide\/maze\/basic6.htm\">matzah<\/a><\/em> <em>&#8211; lechem oni<\/em> &#8211; for it is specifically from these types of grains that <em>matzah<\/em> can be made. The Gemara learns this from the passage (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#devarim\">Devarim<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mechon-mamre.org\/p\/pt\/pt0516.htm#3\">16:3<\/a>) that forbids the eating of <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/bc.htm#chametz\">chametz<\/a><\/em> in the same context as the command to eat <em>matzah<\/em>, connecting the two to one-another.<\/p>\n<p>Although our Gemara takes for granted that rice is not considered a type of grain, this is subject to a dispute between the Sages of the Mishna in <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/m.htm#masechet\">Masechet<\/a><\/em> <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.steinsaltz.org\/learning.php?pg=Daf_Yomi&amp;articleId=139\">Pesachim<\/a><\/em> (<em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.steinsaltz.org\/learning.php?pg=Daf_Yomi&amp;articleId=173\">daf 35a<\/a><\/em>), where we find that <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=359&amp;letter=J\">Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri<\/a> rules that <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rice\">rice<\/a> is also a type of grain for which one would be held liable for eating if it became <em>chametz<\/em>, and that one could fulfill the <em>mitzvah<\/em> by baking it into <em>matzah<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>The accepted opinion understands that the process of mixing rice with water does not lead to <em>chimutz<\/em> &#8211; fermentation &#8211; but to <em>sirhon<\/em> &#8211; spoilage. The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/tw.htm#yerushalmi\">Jerusalem Talmud<\/a> explains that establishing which types of grains are those that can become <em>chametz<\/em> and <em>matzah<\/em> was based on extensive research done by the sages, who experimented with the baking process to ascertain whether the fermentation process takes place. With regard to a small number of grain-type products, there remained differences of opinions as to whether the process that took place should be considered <em>chimutz<\/em>.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong style=\"line-height: 1.5;\"><u>Menachot 71a-b: Farming dispensations<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>According to the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/m.htm#mishna\">Mishna<\/a> on today&#8217;s <em>daf<\/em> there were places where reaping the new crop was permitted even before the <em>korban ha-omer<\/em> that permitted the new harvest was brought on Passover. In irrigated fields found in the valleys early harvest was permitted, either because the heat in those places led the grain to ripen early, and it would become ruined if it was not harvested, or because what grew in these places was low quality and the Sages&#8217; injunction against harvest did not apply to them.<\/p>\n<p>The Mishna relates that in the city of Yericho the farmers followed this policy and harvested early with Rabbinic approval; nevertheless when they stacked the harvested grain it was done without the approval of the Sages, who, nonetheless, did not stop them from doing so.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.steinsaltz.org\/Yeriho.php\">Yeriho<\/a> is located in the Jordan Valley, one of the lowest places in Israel (and, indeed, in the entire world). \u00a0Its fields were irrigated from ancient fresh water springs as well as from the Jordan River itself.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#gemara\">Gemara<\/a> relates a number of other activities done by the people of Yericho, some of which were approved of &#8211; or at least accepted by &#8211; the Sages, others of which the Sages objected to. Among the activities that were done with Rabbinic approval was <em>markivin dekalim kol ha-yom<\/em> &#8211; that the farmers &#8220;grafted&#8221; palm-trees the entire day of the 14th of Nissan, even though traditionally people did not work on the day before the Passover holiday.<\/p>\n<p>The date palm is <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Plant_sexuality\">dioecious<\/a>, having separate male and female plants. Only the female trees can give fruit, assuming that they were pollinated by male trees. In nature or in areas with many palm trees, pollination takes place on its own. With cultivated trees, however, &#8220;grafting&#8221; was often necessary. Grafting palm trees involved placing a branch from a male branch among female trees, as closely as possible to the time that the female flowers opened. This often happened at mid-day, and there was a clear situation of monetary loss if the &#8220;grafting&#8221; did not take place at the appropriate time.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><em>In addition to his monumental translation and commentary on the Talmud, Rabbi Steinsaltz has authored dozens of books and hundreds of articles on a variety of topics, both Jewish and secular. For more information about Rabbi Steinsaltz&#8217;s groundbreaking work in Jewish education, visit <a href=\"http:\/\/www.steinsaltz.org\/\">www.steinsaltz.org<\/a> or contact the Aleph Society at 212-840-1166.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Coming Week&#8217;s Daf Yomi by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz This essay is based upon the insights and chidushim (original ideas) of Talmudic scholar Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, as published in the Hebrew version of the Steinsaltz Edition of the Talmud. Menachot 65a-b: Harvesting the new barley crop The Mishna on today&#8217;s daf describes how the barley<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":125,"featured_media":48561,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[83],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13675","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-torah","series-steinsaltz-daf-yomi"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Masechet Menachot 65a-71b - OU Life<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Coming Week&#039;s Daf Yomi (Menachot 65a-71b) by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, based upon insights &amp; chidushim published in the Steinsaltz Edition of the Talmud\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/torah\/masechet_menahot_65a71b\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Masechet Menachot 65a-71b - 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