Menachot 128
דעד כאן לא קאמר ר' ישמעאל התם אלא דכי ממעט באכילה קא ממעט קצירה אבל הכא דכי קא ממעט באכילה קא מפשא קצירה ודאי שלש מייתינן:
<br> for even R. Ishmael only said so in that case, since the less one uses the less one reaps, but in this case, where the less one uses the more one has to pluck, we should certainly bring the three [figs]. MISHNAH. THE PRECEPT OF THE 'OMER IS THAT IT SHOULD BE BROUGHT FROM [WHAT GROWS] NEAR BY. IF [THE CROP] NEAR JERUSALEM WAS NOT YET RIPE, IT COULD BE BROUGHT FROM ANY PLACE. IT ONCE HAPPENED THAT THE OMER WAS BROUGHT FROM GAGGOTH ZERIFIN AND THE TWO LOAVES FROM THE PLAIN OF EN SOKER. <br>
<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> מצות העומר להביא מן הקרוב לא ביכר הקרוב לירושלים מביאין אותו מכל מקום מעשה שבא העומר מגגות צריפין ושתי הלחם מבקעת עין סוכר:
GEMARA. Why is this So? - If you wish. I may say, Because it is written, Fresh corn shalt thou bring; or if you wish, I may say, Because of the rule 'One must not pass over [the first occasion for performing] the precept' <br>
ואיבעית אימא משום דאין מעבירין על המצות:
Our Rabbis taught: When the Kings of the Hasmonean house fought one another, Hyrcanus was outside and Aristobulus within [the city wall]. Each day [those that were within] used to let down [to the other party] denars in a basket, and haul up [in return] animals for the Daily Offerings. An old man there, who was learned in Greek wisdom, spoke with them in Greek wisdom, saying. 'As long as they carry on the Temple service they will never be delivered into your hands'. On the morrow they let down denars in a basket and hauled up a pig. When it reached halfway up the wall, it stuck its claws into the wall, and the land of Israel was shaken over a distance of four hundred parasangs by four hundred parasangs. At that time they declared, 'Cursed be the man who rears pigs and cursed be the man who teaches his son Greek wisdom!' It was concerning this time [of siege] that we learnt: IT ONCE HAPPENED THAT THE 'OMER WAS BROUGHT FROM GAGGOTH ZERIFIN AND THE TWO LOAVES FROM THE PLAIN OF EN SOKER. For when the time for the 'Omer arrived they did not know from whence they could take it. They at once proclaimed the matter, whereupon a deaf-mute came forward and pointed with one hand to the roof and with the other to a cone-shaped hut. Then spake Mordecai, 'Is there anywhere a place by name Gaggoth Zerifin or Zerifin Gaggoth?' Thereupon they searched and found the place. When they should have brought the Two Loaves they did not know from whence they could take it. They at once proclaimed the matter, whereupon a deaf-mute came forward and put one hand on his eye and the other hand on the socket of the bolt. Then spake Mordecai, 'Is there anywhere a place by name En Soker or Soker En?' Thereupon they searched and found the place.
מעשה שבא [העומר] מגגות צריפין: תנו רבנן כשצרו מלכי בית חשמונאי זה על זה והיה הורקנוס מבחוץ ואריסטובלוס מבפנים בכל יום ויום היו משלשלין להן דינרין בקופה ומעלין להן תמידין
Once three women brought three pairs of doves to the Temple. One said, 'It is for my zibah'; the other said, 'It is for my yammah'; and the third said, 'It is for my 'onah'. Now they [the priests] thought that by zibah [the woman] actually meant her flux, by yammah her stream, and by 'onah her period, and therefore of each pair of doves, one bird was to be offered for a sin-offering and the other for a burnt-offering. Then spake Mordecai, 'Perhaps the one had been in danger by reason of her flux, the other had been in danger by reason of a sea journey, and the third had been in danger by an infection of the eye, and therefore all the doves were to be offered for burnt-offerings!' Thereupon they enquired into the matter and found that it was so.