To not eat from the new grain before the end of the sixteenth of Nissan: To not eat from the new grain before the end of the sixteenth of Nissan, as it is stated (Leviticus 23:14), “And bread and roasted grain and fresh grain you shall not eat until this very day.”
It is from the roots of the commandment [that it is] since the main nourishment of the creatures is from grains. And therefore it is fitting to offer from them a sacrifice to God Who gave them, before the creatures benefit from them. And [it is] similar to that which they, may their memory be blessed, said about [something] resembling this (Berakhot 35a), “Anyone who benefits from this world without a blessing has misappropriated.” And all of this is to prepare ourselves that we should be fitting to receive from His goodness — and as I wrote in this book many times. And at the time of the [Temple], on the sixteenth of Nissan, we would offer the sacrifice of the omer from the new barley grain, since it is the grain that comes out first [before] the wheat. And it permits [us to benefit from] all of the grains.
From the laws of the commandment is that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Menachot 70a) that there are only five grains that are included in the prohibition of the new [grain]. And they are wheat, barley, spelt, oats and rye. And at the time of the [Temple] from the time that the omer was offered on the sixteenth of Nissan, the new [grain] was permitted in Jerusalem. And in places distant [from it], they would permit [it] after midnight, since the court would not be lazy with it until after midnight. And therefore it was permitted for them in every place to rely upon this assumption. And today that — on account of our iniquities — there is no Temple, it is forbidden the whole day from Torah writ. And in places that they make two days of holiday, it is forbidden on the seventeenth until the evening rabbinically. And the rest of its details are in Menachot, the tenth chapter (see Sefer HaMitzvot, Negative Commandments 191) and in [some] places in [Shevuot], in Sheviit, Maasrot and Challah.
And this prohibition is practiced in every place and at all times — whether in the presence of the [Temple] (when it exists) or not in the presence of the [Temple] — by males and females. And one who transgressed it and ate a kazayit of new bread before the day of the offering of the omer is liable for lashes.
שֶׁלֹּא לֶאֱכֹל מִתְּבוּאָה חֲדָשָׁה קֹדֶם כְּלוֹת שִׁשָּׁה עָשָׂר בְּנִיסָן – שֶׁלֹּא לֶאֱכֹל מִתְּבוּאָה חֲדָשָׁה קֹדֶם כְּלוֹת יוֹם שִׁשָּׁה עָשָׂר בְּנִיסָן. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כג יד) וְלֶחֶם וְקָלִי וְכַרְמֶל לֹא תֹאכְלוּ עַד עֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה.
To not eat from the new grain before the end of the sixteenth of Nissan: To not eat from the new grain before the end of the sixteenth of Nissan, as it is stated (Leviticus 23:14), “And bread and roasted grain and fresh grain you shall not eat until this very day.”
מִשָּׁרְשֵׁי הַמִּצְוָה. לְפִי שֶׁעִקַּר מִחְיָתָן שֶׁל בְּרִיּוֹת, הִיא בַּתְּבוּאוֹת, וְעַל כֵּן רָאוּי לְהַקְרִיב מֵהֶן קָרְבָּן לַשֵּׁם אֲשֶׁר נְתָנָם טֶרֶם יֵהָנוּ מֵהֶן בְּרִיּוֹתָיו, וּכְעֵין מָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (ברכות לה, א) בְּדוֹמֶה לָזֶה, כָּל הַנֶּהֱנֶה מִן הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה בְּלֹא בְּרָכָה מָעַל, וְכָל זֶה, לְהַכְשִׁיר עַצְמֵנוּ שֶׁנִּהְיֶה רְאוּיִין לְקַבֵּל מִטּוּבוֹ, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַבְתִּי בְּסֵפֶר זֶה פְּעָמִים רַבּוֹת. וּבְיוֹם שִׁשָּׁה עָשָׂר בְּנִיסָן, הָיִינוּ מַקְרִיבִין בַּזְּמַן הַבַּיִת קָרְבַּן הָעֹמֶר מִתְּבוּאָה חֲדָשָׁה מִן הַשְּׂעוֹרִים, כִּי הִיא הַתְּבוּאָה הַמְבַכֶּרֶת יוֹתֵר מִן הַחִטִּים, וְהִיא מַתֶּרֶת כָּל הַתְּבוּאוֹת.
It is from the roots of the commandment [that it is] since the main nourishment of the creatures is from grains. And therefore it is fitting to offer from them a sacrifice to God Who gave them, before the creatures benefit from them. And [it is] similar to that which they, may their memory be blessed, said about [something] resembling this (Berakhot 35a), “Anyone who benefits from this world without a blessing has misappropriated.” And all of this is to prepare ourselves that we should be fitting to receive from His goodness — and as I wrote in this book many times. And at the time of the [Temple], on the sixteenth of Nissan, we would offer the sacrifice of the omer from the new barley grain, since it is the grain that comes out first [before] the wheat. And it permits [us to benefit from] all of the grains.
מִדִּינֵי הַמִּצְוָה. מָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (מנחות ע א) שֶׁחָמֵשׁ תְּבוּאוֹת לְבַד הֵן, שֶׁהֵן בִּכְלַל אִסּוּר הֶחָדָשׁ, וְהֵן, חִטָּה וּשְׂעוֹרָה וְכֻסֶּמֶת שִׁבֹּלֶת שׁוּעָל וְשִׁיפוֹן. וּבִזְמַן הַבַּיִת מִשֶּׁקָּרַב הָעֹמֶר בְּיוֹם שִׁשָּׁה עָשָׂר בְּנִיסָן, הָיָה מֻתָּר הֶחָדָשׁ בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם. וּמְקוֹמוֹת הָרְחוֹקִים מֻתָּרִין אַחַר חֲצוֹת, לְפִי שֶׁאֵין בֵּית דִּין מִתְעַצְּלִין בּוֹ עַד אַחַר חֲצוֹת, וְעַל כֵּן הָיָה מֻתָּר לָהֶם בְּכָל מָקוֹם לִסְמֹךְ עַל חֲזָקָה זוֹ. וְהַיּוֹם בַּעֲוֹנֹתֵינוּ, שֶׁאֵין מִקְדָּשׁ, אָסוּר מִן הַתּוֹרָה כָּל הַיּוֹם. וּבִמְקוֹמוֹת שֶׁעוֹשִׂין שְׁנֵי יָמִים טוֹבִים אָסוּר כָּל יוֹם שִׁבְעָה עָשָׂר עַד לָעֶרֶב מִדְּרַבָּנָן. וְיֶתֶר פְּרָטֶיהָ בִּמְנָחוֹת פֶּרֶק עֲשִׂירִי (עי' סהמ"צ להרמב"ם ל"ת קצא) וּבִמְקוֹמוֹת (משבועות) מִשְּׁבִיעִית וּמַעַשְׂרוֹת וְחַלָּה.
From the laws of the commandment is that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Menachot 70a) that there are only five grains that are included in the prohibition of the new [grain]. And they are wheat, barley, spelt, oats and rye. And at the time of the [Temple] from the time that the omer was offered on the sixteenth of Nissan, the new [grain] was permitted in Jerusalem. And in places distant [from it], they would permit [it] after midnight, since the court would not be lazy with it until after midnight. And therefore it was permitted for them in every place to rely upon this assumption. And today that — on account of our iniquities — there is no Temple, it is forbidden the whole day from Torah writ. And in places that they make two days of holiday, it is forbidden on the seventeenth until the evening rabbinically. And the rest of its details are in Menachot, the tenth chapter (see Sefer HaMitzvot, Negative Commandments 191) and in [some] places in [Shevuot], in Sheviit, Maasrot and Challah.
וְנוֹהֵג אִסּוּר זֶה בְּכָל מָקוֹם וּבְכָל זְמַן, בֵּין בִּפְנֵי הַבַּיִת בֵּין שֶׁלֹּא בִּפְנֵי הַבַּיִת בִּזְכָרִים וּנְקֵבוֹת. וּמִי שֶׁעָבַר עַל זֶה וְאָכַל כַּזַּיִת מִפַּת חָדָשׁ קָדַם יוֹם הַקְרָבַת הָעֹמֶר חַיָּב מַלְקוּת.
And this prohibition is practiced in every place and at all times — whether in the presence of the [Temple] (when it exists) or not in the presence of the [Temple] — by males and females. And one who transgressed it and ate a kazayit of new bread before the day of the offering of the omer is liable for lashes.