Monday, June 3, 2019

Shavuot And Bikkurim

The Mishna in Menachot (68b) says that לכתחילה   the שתי הלחם  should be the first offering of the new grain, before any other mincha or bikkurim.  The Gemorah (84b) learns out from pessukim how we know that that the shtei halechem should come before bikkurim.  This law is codified by the Rambam in Temmedin Umussafin (7:17.)

It should emerge from this Gemorah that once the shtei halechem are offered one is allowed to bring bikkurim even on the holiday of Shavuot itself.  Indeed, Tosfot in Bechorot (26b) ד"ה מלאתך  is of that opinion.  However, the Shittah Mekubetzes and the implication of Rashi there is that one must wait until after Shavuot in order to bring bikkurim.  Why, once the shtei halechem was offered it should be permitted to bring bikkurim?  The Rambam in the laws of Bikkurim (2:6) also says that one should not bring bikkurim before עצרת  (Shavuot,) indicating one must wait until after the holiday to bring bikkurim, in contradiction to the previous Rambam that says one must wait only until the shtei halechem is offered?  This contradiction of the Rambam seems to be rooted in the Mishna.  For as already mentioned the Mishna in Menachot indicates one may bring bikkurim after the shtei halechem were offered.  On the other hand, the Mishna in Bikkurim (1:3) indicates that one must wait until after Shavuot (which is the source of the Rambam in Bikkurim.)  We need to understand is the מתיר  the shtrei halechem or is it Shavuot?  And why should one need to wait until after Shavuot to offer bikkurim?

We see that there are two dinim in the heter to bring bikkurim from the new grain.  One din is a din in menachot, a din in the shtei halechem that it must be the first offering in the mikdash from the new grain.  Then there is a second din, a din in the bikkurim that it must be brought after Shavuot (Briskor Rav Menachot 68b.)  This law may be sourced in the Sifri on the possuk in Ke Savo (26:2) אשר תביא מערצך אומר הספרי: כל זמן שמצויים על פני ארצך, מאימתי מביאים, מעצרת ועד החנוכה.  From here we derive that bikkurim have a din that one should bring them only after Shavuot. 

This additional din may factor into how to understand a possuk.   Rashi Sanhedrin (11b) ד"ה ועל פירות   explains  that עצרת  is the time for bringing bikkurim as it says in Pinchas (28:26) ביום הביכורים.  That interpretation of the possuk assumes that one can bring bikkurim on Shavuot.  The Rammah disagrees for he holds one can’t bring bikkurim until after Shavuot and understands the possuk is referring to the shtei halechem.  Rashi on Chumash also says the possuk is referring to the shtei halechem as opposes to the Chizkuni that says that its referring to bikkurim.

Another such question arises in regard to the possuk in Emor (23:17) which says מִמּוֹשְׁבֹ֨תֵיכֶ֜ם תָּבִ֣יאּוּ׀ לֶ֣חֶם תְּנוּפָ֗ה שְׁ֚תַּיִם שְׁנֵ֣י עֶשְׂרֹנִ֔ים סֹ֣לֶת תִּהְיֶ֔ינָה חָמֵ֖ץ תֵּאָפֶ֑ינָה בִּכּוּרִ֖ים לַֽי״יֽ.  What does it mean that its ביכורים?  Rashi says it means the shtei halechem must precede all minachos just as bikkurim is the first crop; in other words the possuk is referring to the shtei halechem.  However, the Gemorah in Menachos (45b) clearly understands it means literal bikkurim and the Torah is making a hekesh from the shtei halechem to bikkurim.

From here it is derived that for many laws the shtei halechem have the status of bikkurim.  For example, we mentioned here  the Tosfos in Menachos that learns that it can’t be offered from outside Eretz Yisroel like bikkurim.  Another example can be found in the Sfas Emes in Menachos (45b) has a doubt if possibly the rules of eating the shtei halechem are like eating that of bikkurim.

The Gemorah in Menachos (45b) brings a debate between the Taanaim if one can bring the loaves of the shtei halechem without the sheep.  The Rambam (Tmedim Umusaffin 8:16) rules like the opinion that it can be brought by itself.  However, in the Laws of Meilah (2:8) he mentions the prohibition of meilah in regard to the shtei halechem only when it is offered together with the sheep.  Why does he omit the case when its offered by itself?  The Toras Hakodesh volume 3 (#21) suggests that since that the shtei halechem are offered by themselves is learnt out from bikkurim, it has the same status as bikkurim and there won’t be meilah on it.

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