Devar/5768/Emor
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And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor fresh ears, until this selfsame day (Lev 23:14)
Here the Torah forbids eating "new" grain, as the Rambam writes: Any one of the five grains, alone -- it is forbidden to eat its new produce before the bringing of the `omer offering on the sixteenth of Nissan (Laws of Forbidden Foods 10:2). And he continues: And anyone who eats and olive's bulk of "new" grain before the bringing of the `omer, receives the punishment of lashes from the Torah -- in every place, and in every age, whether in the Land or outside the Land, whether the Temple exists or not. (ibid.) The "Shulchan Aruch" adds: The prohibition of new grain is in effect whether in the Land or outside the Land, whether the grain is from a Jew or from a Gentile. (Sh"A Y"D 293:2). And in the Mishna it states: New grain is forbidden by the Torah, everywhere. (Orla 3:10)
I saw a religious web-site (www.daat.ac.il), which states that: "The Rambam ruled that the prohibition of new grain only takes effect in the Land of Israel", because he states: It is prohibited to harvest the five grains in the Land of Israel, before the `omer sheave is harvested. What case is being discussed? That of a harvest from which it would be permitted to bring the `omer offering, but (that of) dry fields in the valleys, since it is not fitting to bring (the offering) from it, it may be harvested before the `omer is, but is should not be piled up. Grain which took root before the `omer was offered, the `omer offering causes it to be permitted; but if not, it is forbidden to be harvested just as it is forbidden to be eaten, until the next `omer is brought. Grain which did not grow at least one-third of its full growth, is permitted to be harvested in order to feed to animals, and one may also harvest to prevent damage to the new plants. (Laws of Perpetual and Additional Offerings 7:14,15)
Here we see the severity of the problem of one who "learns superficially and doesn't repeat his lesson". Had that author read and repeated the entire Mishne Torah -- and not simply searched with a computer to find the desired ruling, he would undoubtedly have encountered the explicit prohibition against eating new grain which we mentioned above. And perhaps he would not have erred in that here the Rambam is speaking of harvesting the grain, and there he speaks of eating the grain. Likewise, all of use must learn Torah in order to do, and therefore it is very important to learn seriously and continuously.
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