ספרי דברים 136

(דברים טז ט) שִׁבְעָה שָׁבֻעוֹת תִּסְפָּר לָךְ – בְּבֵית דִּין. מִנַּיִן לְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (ויקרא כג טו): ״וּסְפַרְתֶּם לָכֶם מִמָּחֳרַת הַשַּׁבָּת״ – כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד.

Pisqa’ 136⁴⁶⁰H:178; JN1: 328-329.
1. “Seven weeks shall you count for yourselves” (Dt.16:9)—
the days are counted off by the Court
[acting as proxy for the community].
On what basis do we know that
each individual [also counts off the days for himself]?
The Teaching states:
“Seven weeks shall you count for yourselves” (Dt.16:9)—
[yourselves implies that each one keeps his own count].⁴⁶¹//Sifra, ‘emor, per 12:1.

מֵהָחֵל חֶרְמֵשׁ בַּקָּמָה, מִשֶּׁתַּתְחִיל חֶרְמֵשׁ בַּקָּמָה,

2. “When the sickle initiates the standing grain” (Dt.16:9)—
that is, when you begin applying the sickle to the standing grain,

שֶׁיְּהֵא הַכֹּל בַּקָּמָה, שֶׁיְּהֵא תְּחִלָּה לְכָל הַנִּקְצָרִים; שֶׁלֹּא תְּהֵא קְצִירָתוֹ אֶלָּא בְּחֶרְמֵשׁ.

it should all be standing;
and it should be the first of the entire harvest;
and its harvesting should only be with a sickle.⁴⁶²Cf. Sifra, ‘emor, par. 10:3.

יָכוֹל יִקְצוֹר וְיָבִיא, וְיִסְפּוֹר כָּל זְמַן שֶׁיִּרְצֶה? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: מֵהָחֵל חֶרְמֵשׁ בַּקָּמָה תָּחֵל לִסְפֹּר.

Is it possible to say that
he shall harvest it
and count the days whenever he wants?
The Teaching states:
“From when the scythe is first set to the standing grain, you shall begin to count” (Dt.16:9)—
[the counting must begin immediately at the harvest].

יָכוֹל יִקְצוֹר וְיִסְפּוֹר, וְיָבִיא כָּל זְמַן שֶׁיִּרְצֶה? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (ויקרא כג טו): ״מִיּוֹם הֲבִיאֲכֶם תִּסְפְּרוּ״.

Is it possible to say that he shall harvest it, count the days, and then bring it whenever he wants?
The Teaching states:
“From the day that you bring it” (Lv.23:15)—
[the days must be counted in sequence].

יָכוֹל יִקְצוֹר בַּיּוֹם וְיִסְפּוֹר בַּיּוֹם וְיָבִיא בַּיּוֹם? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (ויקרא כג טו): ״שֶׁבַע שַׁבָּתוֹת תְּמִימוֹת תִּהְיֶינָה״. אֵימָתַי הֵן תְּמִימוֹת? מִשֶּׁאַתָּה מַתְחִיל מִבָּעֶרֶב.

Is it possible to say that
he should harvest by day,
and count by day,
and bring it [to the presiding Priest] by day?
The Teaching states:
“There shall be seven complete weeks” (Lv.23:15).
When are they deemed complete?
When you start counting the days from the evening.

יָכוֹל יִקְצוֹר בַּלַּיְלָה וְיִסְפּוֹר בַּלַּיְלָה וְיָבִיא בַּלַּיְלָה? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (ויקרא כג טו): ״מִיּוֹם הֲבִיאֲכֶם תִּסְפְּרוּ״, אֵין הֲבָאָה אֶלָּא בַּיּוֹם.

Is it possible to say that
he should harvest by night,
and count by night,
and bring it by night?
The Teaching states:
“From the day that you bring it” (Lv.23:15)—
this bringing must occur by day.

הָא כֵּיצַד? קְצִירָה וּסְפִירָה בַּלַּיְלָה, וַהֲבָאָה בַּיּוֹם.

Well, how so?
The harvesting and the counting should be by night,
But the bringing should be by the very next day.⁴⁶³=Sifra, ‘emor, per.12:6