Daf Yomi - Taanis 5 - GRAIN FROM THE ANT HOLES

The Gemora provides the details of the miracle that transpired in the times of Yoel. That year, the month of Adar passed and there was still no rainfall. The first rain fell on the first day of Nissan. The prophet Yoel told Klal Yisroel to go and plant their fields. The people protested that since they have a small amount of wheat and barley, they should eat it and not plant it. If they would plant it, they would die from starvation waiting for the new crop to grow. Yoel persisted and told them to plant the grain which they had. A miracle occurred and they found grain in the walls and in the ant holes. They planted on the second, third and fourth day of Nissan from the grain with which they had and the second rainfall came down on the fifth day of Nissan.

Rashi learns that they planted from the grain with which they had and ate the grain from which they found. Rabbeinu Chananel learns exactly the opposite. They ate from the grain from which they had and they planted from the grain with which they found. What compelled Rashi to learn his way? The Rif in the Ein Yaakov asks on Rashi that how was the verse “Those who plant with tears will harvest with bliss” fulfilled? Rashi learns that they were crying since they didn’t have what to eat. Why should they be planting with tears if they had grain which they found in the walls?

The Rif answers that Hashem did not perform the miracle of providing them with the grain in the walls until they showed their faith in Hashem by planting from the grain with which they had.

The Yad Yosef answers that the grain from the ant holes would not be suitable for planting. The saliva from the ants and mice destroys all the moisture in the grain and therefore they ate from that grain and planted the old grain.

Sefer Tehilla L’yonah found an answer that since they would be bringing the grain with which they planted for the korban omer; grain from a miracle is not fitting to be used for a korban.

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Daf Yomi - Rosh Hashana 13 - MATZAH FROM THE PEDDLERS

Rav Kahana was asked by his contemporaries regarding the korban omer that the Jews brought when they entered Eretz Yisroel. They inquired of him as to where did the barley come from for this korban. It could not have been grown by a non-Jew for the Torah states that it should be from “your harvest.” The Gemora proves that the korban omer was brought that year from the verses in Yehoshua which state that the Jews ate from the new grain only on the day after Pesach began. It is evident that they originally did not eat because the korban was not brought and it was only on the second day of Pesach, which is the day the korban omer is brought that they began to eat from the new grain.

Tosfos wonders as to how they ate matzah on the first night of Pesach that year. The new grain only became permitted on the second day of Pesach. Tosfos answers that the gentile merchants sold them grain which did not have this prohibition.

The Mekor Chaim brings a proof from this Tosfos to the opinions that hold that one can fulfill the mitzva of eating matzah even if the grain was not watched from the time of the harvesting since here the gentiles did the harvesting and afterwards sold the grain to the Jews. It is ruled in halacha that in extraordinary situations, one can buy flour from the market place and use it to bake matzah with.

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Daf Yomi - Rosh Hashana 13 - IS THE NEW GRAIN WORSE THAN PIG?

Rav Kahana was asked by his contemporaries regarding the korban omer that the Jews brought when they entered Eretz Yisroel. They inquired of him as to where did the barley come from for this korban. It could not have been grown by a non-Jew for the Torah states that it should be from “your harvest.” The Gemora proves that the korban omer was brought that year from the verses in Yehoshua which state that the Jews ate from the new grain only on the day after Pesach began. It is evident that they originally did not eat because the korban was not brought and it was only on the second day of Pesach, which is the day the korban omer is brought that they began to eat from the new grain.

The Turei Even asks from the Gemora in Chulin 17a which states that during the seven years that the Jews were capturing Eretz Yisroel, they were even permitted to eat pig. Why could they not eat from the new grain as well, even without the offering of the korban omer?

One of the answers that are offered by the Acharonim is that only prohibitions that will not become permitted later were they allowed eating then. The new grain would become permitted with the bringing of the korban omer and therefore before the korban, it could not be eaten.

The Ohr Chodosh answers that only eating prohibitions were permitted then; For one to eat from the new grain, one would be required to harvest it first and that is also not allowed before the korban omer is brought. The prohibition of harvesting before the omer was not permitted at that time.

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