R’ Yishmael says: The omer was brought on the Sabbath from three seah, and on a weekday from five. But the Sages say: Whether on the Sabbath or on a weekday, it came from three. R’ Chanina, the administrator of the Kohanim, says: On the Sabbath it was reaped by an individual, with one sickle, and in one basket; on a weekday by three, in three baskets, with three sickles. But the Sages say: Whether on the Sabbath or on weekdays, [it was done] by three [people], with three baskets, and three sickles.

The mitzvah of the omer is that it come from the closest [fields]. If that which is closest to Jerusalem did not ripen, we may bring it from any place. It once occurred that it came from Gaggoth Tzerifin, and the shtei halechem from the Ein Socher valley.

How did they do it? The court agents would go out on the eve of the Festival and make it into bundles while it was attached to the ground, so that it would be easier to reap. All of the towns nearby would gather there so that it should be reaped with great ceremony. As soon as it became dark, he would say to them, ‘‘Has the sun set?’’ and they would say, ‘‘Yes.’’ ‘‘Has the sun set?’’ and they would say, ‘‘Yes.’’ ‘‘This sickle?’’ and they would say, ‘‘Yes.’’ ‘‘This sickle?’’ and they would say, ‘‘Yes.’’ ‘‘This basket?’’ and they would say, ‘‘Yes.’’ ‘‘This basket?’’ and they would say, ‘‘Yes.’’ On the Sabbath, he would say to them, ‘‘This Sabbath?’’ and they would say, ‘‘Yes.’’ ‘‘This Sabbath?’’ and they would say, ‘‘Yes.’’ ‘‘Shall I reap?’’ and they would say to him, ‘‘Reap!’’ ‘‘Shall I reap?’’ and they would say to him, ‘‘Reap!’’ Three times for each item, and they would say to him, ‘‘Yes, yes, yes.’’ Why was all this necessary? Because of the Baytusim, who said that the omer is not reaped on motzaei Yom Tov.

They would reap it and place it in baskets [and] bring it to the [Temple] Courtyard. They would toast it in fire in order to fulfill the mitzvah of toasting; [these are] the words of R’ Meir. But the Sages say: They beat it with reeds and stalks so that it should not be crushed. [Then] they would place it in a pipe, which was perforated so that the fire should prevail over all of it. They would spread it out in the Courtyard and the wind would blow on it. They would place it in a grist-mill and extract from it an issaron, which was sifted with thirteen sieves. The remainder is redeemed and may be eaten by anyone. It is subject to challah but exempt from maaser. R’ Akiva declares it subject to challah and to maaser. He approached the issaron, and put in its oil and its frankincense; he [then] poured and mixed, waved and brought [it] near [to the Altar], and performed kemitzah and burnt [it] on the Altar; the remainder is eaten by the Kohanim.