A Zeman Nakat Project
From the Omer to Shavuos · Mishnah 4 of 43 · Interactive Edition
Movement I·A · Chadash — The Prohibition Established
4 · מְנָחוֹת י:ז · Menachos 10:7
הַחִטִּים וְהַשְּׂעֹרִים וְהַכֻּסְּמִין וְשִׁבֹּלֶת שׁוּעָל וְהַשִּׁיפוֹן חַיָּבִין בַּחַלָּה, וּמִצְטָרְפִין זֶה עִם זֶה, וַאֲסוּרִים בֶּחָדָשׁ מִלִּפְנֵי הַפֶּסַח, וּמִלִּקְצֹר מִלִּפְנֵי הָעֹמֶר. וְאִם הִשְׁרִישׁוּ קֹדֶם לָעֹמֶר — הָעֹמֶר מַתִּירָן. וְאִם לָאו — אֲסוּרִים עַד שֶׁיָּבֹא עֹמֶר הַבָּא.
Wheat, barley, spelt, oats, and rye — obligated in challah and combine with each other. Forbidden as Chadash before Pesach, and forbidden to harvest before the Omer. If they took root before the Omer — the Omer permits them. If not — forbidden until the next Omer.
Fuchsia — Rule
Green — Positive ruling
Red — Negative ruling
Purple — Condition
Black — Case / Object
Listen with Ephraim Diamond · 4:27 0:00 / 4:27
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Two boys examining grain that has taken root — the question that determines whether the Omer permits it
The five grains — the Omer releases the same grains it governs
חִטִּים
Wheat
שְׂעֹרִים
Barley
כֻּסְּמִין
Spelt
שִׁבֹּלֶת שׁוּעָל
Oats
שִׁיפוֹן
Rye
Why this mishnah appears in the Omer chapter of Menachos
The same five grains that carry the challah obligation are precisely the grains that the Omer releases from the Chadash prohibition. Menachos Chapter 10 is entirely about the Omer — and this mishnah belongs here because the Omer's permitting function applies to exactly these five species. The Omer is made from barley; the Shtei HaLechem from wheat. The five grains and the two Korbanos are inseparable.
The Omer as matir — the rooting condition
Before the Omer
אָסוּר
New grain and harvest both forbidden.
16th Nisan
הָעֹמֶר
The matir
After the Omer
מַתִּירָן
Permitted — for grain that rooted before.
Rooted before the Omer
וְאִם הִשְׁרִישׁוּ קֹדֶם לָעֹמֶר
הָעֹמֶר מַתִּירָן
This year's Omer releases them.
Rooted after the Omer
וְאִם לָאו
אֲסוּרִים עַד שֶׁיָּבֹא עֹמֶר הַבָּא
Forbidden until next year's Omer. Note: no definite article הָ — a genuine textual variant from Challah 1:1.
Position in the Omer to Shavuos arc — 43 mishnayos
Preceding · Mishnah 3
Challah 1:1
The same halacha in the challah tractate — with a formal introduction and recap phrase
Current · Mishnah 4
Menachos 10:7 — In the Omer's Own Chapter
Movement I·A
The same halacha appears a second time, now in the Omer chapter itself — confirming that the Omer's releasing function is inseparable from the five grains. The halacha belongs to both masechtos for different reasons.
Following · Mishnah 5
Menachos 10:9
When may one harvest before the Omer, and how must the Omer itself be harvested?
‹PreviousChallah 1:1›NextMenachos 10:9