Menachot 131
הרי הוא אומר תספור לך ספירה תלויה בבית דין יצתה שבת בראשית שספירתה בכל אדם
<br> 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. Jose says. On the morrow after the Sabbath means on the morrow after the Festival. You say that it means on the morrow after the Festival, but perhaps it is not so, but rather on the morrow after the Sabbath of Creation! I will prove it to you. Does Scripture say, 'On the morrow after the Sabbath that is in the Passover week'? It merely says, 'On the morrow after the Sabbath'; and as the year is full of Sabbaths, then go and find out which Sabbath is meant. Moreover, 'Sabbath' is written below, and 'Sabbath' is written above; just as in the former case it refers to the Festival, and indeed to the beginning of the Festival, so in the latter case, too, it refers to the Festival, and indeed to the beginning of the Festival. R. Simeon b. Eleazar says, One verse says. Six days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, whereas another verse says, Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread. How are they to be reconciled?' [In this way:] you may not eat unleavened bread of the new produce the seven days, but you may eat unleavened bread of the new produce six days. From the day that ye brought [the 'Omer of the waving]...shall ye number: now I might think that the 'Omer must be reaped and offered [on the day stated], but the counting may begin whenever one wishes, the text therefore also states, From the time the sickle is first put to the standing corn thou shalt begin to number. But from [this verse], 'From the time the sickle is first put to the standing corn thou shalt begin to number', I might think that the 'Omer must be reaped and then one begins to count, but it is to be offered whenever one wishes, the text therefore states, From the day that ye brought [the 'Omer...shall ye number]. But from [this verse], 'From the day that ye brought', I might think that it must be reaped and offered and the counting begun all by day, the text therefore states 'Seven weeks shall there be complete; and when do you find seven weeks complete? Only when you begin to count from the [previous] evening. I might think, then, that it must be reaped and offered and the counting begun all by night, the text therefore, states, 'From the day that ye brought'. How is it to be then? The reaping and the counting must be on the [previous] night, but the bringing on the [following] day. <br>
רבי יוסי אומר ממחרת השבת ממחרת יום טוב אתה אומר ממחרת יו"ט או אינו אלא ממחרת שבת בראשית אמרת וכי נאמר ממחרת השבת שבתוך הפסח והלא לא נאמר אלא ממחרת השבת דכל השנה כולה מלאה שבתות צא ובדוק איזו שבת
Said Raba: All the above interpretations can be refuted, excepting those of the last two Tannaim of the first Baraitha and of the last two Tannaim of the second Baraitha, which cannot be refuted, If [it were to be derived from] R. Johanan b. Zakkai's interpretation it can be refuted thus: Perhaps [the explanation of the conflicting verses is] as given by Abaye; for Abaye said, It is the precept to count the days and also the weeks. If from R. Eliezer's and R. Joshua's interpretations it can be refuted thus: How do they know that it refers to the first day of the Festival? It may refer to the last day of the Festival! R. Ishmael's and R. Judah b. Bathyra's interpretations cannot be refuted. If from R. Jose son of R. Judah's interpretation it can be refuted thus: Perhaps the fifty days excludes those six days! If from R. Judah b. Bathyra's interpretation it can be refuted thus: How does he know that it means' the first day of the Festival? Perhaps it means the last day of the Festival! R. Jose also realized this same difficulty, and he therefore added the second interpretation 'Moreover.
ועוד נאמרה שבת למטה ונאמרה שבת למעלה מה להלן רגל ותחילת רגל אף כאן רגל ותחילת רגל
The [above] text [stated]: Abaye said, It is the precept to count the days and also to count the weeks. The Rabbis of the school of R. Ashi used to count the days as well as the weeks. Amemar used to count the days but not the weeks, saying, It is only in commemoration of Temple times. <br>
רבי שמעון בן אלעזר אומר כתוב אחד אומר (דברים טז, ח) ששת ימים תאכל מצות וכתוב אחד אומר (שמות יב, טו) שבעת ימים מצות תאכלו הא כיצד מצה שאי אתה יכול לאוכלה שבעה מן החדש אתה יכול לאוכלה ששה מן החדש
MISHNAH. THEY REAPED IT, PUT IT INTO THE BASKETS, AND BROUGHT IT TO THE TEMPLE COURT; THEN THEY PARCHED IT WITH FIRE IN ORDER TO FULFIL THE PRECEPT THAT IT SHOULD BE PARCHED [WITH FIRE]. SO R. MEIR. BUT THE SAGES SAY, THEY FIRST BEAT IT WITH REEDS OR STEMS OF PLANTS THAT THE GRAINS SHOULD NOT BE CRUSHED, AND THEN THEY PUT IT INTO A PIPE THAT WAS PERFORATED SO THAT THE FIRE MIGHT TAKE HOLD OF ALL OF IT. THEY SPREAD IT OUT IN THE TEMPLE COURT SO THAT THE WIND MIGHT BLOW OVER IT. THEN THEY PUT IT INTO A GRISTMILL AND TOOK OUT OF IT A TENTH [OF AN EPHAH OF FLOUR] WHICH WAS SIFTED THROUGH THIRTEEN SIEVES. WHAT WAS LEFT OVER WAS REDEEMED AND MIGHT BE EATEN BY ANY ONE; IT WAS LIABLE TO THE DOUGH-OFFERING BUT EXEMPT FROM TITHES. R. AKIBA DECLARES IT LIABLE BOTH TO THE DOUGH-OFFERING AND TO TITHES.
(ויקרא כג, טו) מיום הביאכם תספרו יכול יקצור ויביא ואימתי שירצה יספור
GEMARA. Our Rabbis taught: 'Abib': this signifies fresh ears of corn; 'parched with fire': this teaches us that Israel used to parch it with fire in order to fulfil the precept 'parched'. So R. Meir. But the Sages say,<br>