🌾 THE STORY OF THE KORBAN HA’OMER
In the times of the Bet HaMikdash, after the long winter, the fields of Israel began to turn golden—because wheat and barley started to grow. From the flour of wheat and barley you can prepare the most essential foods: bread, cookies, pastries, pasta, barley soup, and many more nutritious and delicious things.
The farmers looked at their crops and were very excited. The new grain was ready!
But there was one very important rule: 👉 No one could eat anything made from the new grain yet!
That meant: ❌ No bread ❌ No cakes or pastries ❌ No pasta ❌ No barley soup
👉 Nothing made from the new flour.
Food made from the new grain before the Omer offering was called CHADASH, and it was considered temporarily forbidden — almost like “non-Kosher.” Why? Because first, something very special had to happen in the Bet HaMikdash.
🌙 THE NIGHT HARVEST
When the first day of Yom Tob of Pesach ended, after nightfall:
People gathered in the fields near Yerushalayim. Thousands of Jews were there, watching and celebrating.
A few stalks of barley were cut by special messengers sent from the Bet HaMikdash — called Sheluche Bet Din — who were officially appointed to perform this mitzvah.
They cut the barley in a formal and very public way, while everyone watched.
They would even ask the crowd: 👉 “Has the sun set?” —and everyone answered: “Yes!” 👉 “Shall we cut?” — and everyone answered, “Yes! Cut!”
This happened three times, to make sure everyone saw and heard. It was a big celebration! 🎉
🏛️ THE NEXT DAY — IN THE BET HAMIKDASH
The next day (the second day of Pesach):
The barley was brought to the Bet HaMikdash. The Kohanim:
- Cleaned it, removing the husks from the grain
- Ground it into very fine flour—sifted 13 times to make it extremely pure and fine, much more than regular flour ✨
- Prepared one special measure called an “Omer”
📏 How much is an Omer? About 2.5–3 pounds of flour—roughly the weight of a large bag of flour you might see at home!
🌾 WHAT DID THEY OFFER FOR THE KORBAN HA’OMER?
It was not just plain flour. The Korban ha’Omer was a special preparation:
👉 Fine barley flour 🌾 👉 Mixed with oil 🫒 👉 With levonah (frankincense) placed on top 🌿
Here is how it was made, step by step:
- The barley was ground into very fine flour
- It was sifted 13 times until perfectly pure
- The flour was mixed with oil
- Levonah (frankincense) was placed on top
- A portion was burned on the Mizbeach—the main altar of the Bet HaMikdash
- The rest was eaten by the Kohanim
Once that offering was made, all the wheat, barley, flour, and bread from the new harvest became completely permitted to eat! ✅
🎯 WHY WAS THIS SO IMPORTANT?
This korban was like saying: 👉 “Everything we have comes from ה׳.”
Only after we brought this offering and recognized that everything comes from HaShem: ✔ The new grain became permitted ✔ People could now eat from the new harvest (Chadash)
🏪 WHAT HAPPENED IN THE MARKETS?
As soon as the Korban ha’Omer was offered—everything changed!
The moms, the kids, the farmers, the bakers, the sellers in the market — everyone was happy and excited. They could finally sell and buy all the new goods: 👉 Fresh bread, new flour, cakes, and all products from the new harvest 🍞🎂
🔢 SEFIRAT HA’OMER — COUNTING THE OMER
From that very moment, something else began:
👉 That night — the night after the Omer was offered — the people began to count:
49 days—from the Omer → all the way to Shabuot 🎊
- The Omer was offered during the day (2nd day of Pesach)
- That night → the new day begins in the Jewish calendar
- 👉 From that night, people started counting: Day 1 of the Omer
✔ We do not rush to enjoy things. ✔ First we recognize that everything comes from ה׳ ✔ Then we use it properly 🙏
DID YOU KNOW?
🌿 WHAT IS LEVONAH?
Levonah is a special white resin — like a natural gum or sap — that comes from a tree called the Boswellia tree.
Here is how it works:
When you make a small cut in the bark of that tree, a thick white liquid slowly drips out — almost like when you cut a fruit and juice comes out. That liquid dries and hardens into small white crystals.
When you burn those crystals, they produce a beautiful, sweet, and very strong smell — like a perfume from nature. 🌸
Why was it used in the Bet HaMikdash?
The Kohanim placed levonah on the flour offering. When it was burned on the Mizbeach, the sweet smell rose up like a gift to ה׳ — almost like saying “this offering is precious and holy.”
In fact, the Hebrew word לְבוֹנָה / Lebonah comes from the word לָבָן / laban—which means white—because of its beautiful white color. ⬜
Did you know? 🌍
The Boswellia tree grows in special dry and rocky places — like parts of the Middle East and Africa. Levonah was considered very precious and valuable in ancient times, almost like gold. Kings and traders would travel long distances to buy it!
Today we call it by its English name: frankincense.
FOR STUDENTS
✏️ ACTIVITIES – KORBAN HA’OMER
1. 🟢 CHADASH or YASHAN?
Write C (Chadash) or Y (Yashan):
___ New grain before the Omer
___ Grain after the Korban ha’Omer
___ Bread you can eat after the Omer
___ New flour before the offering
2. 🔄 PUT IN ORDER (1–5)
Number the steps in the correct order:
___ The Korban ha’Omer is offered
___ People gather at night in the field
___ The barley is cut
___ The new grain becomes permitted
___ The flour is prepared in the Bet HaMikdash
3. ✍️ FILL IN THE BLANKS
The Korban ha’Omer was made from __________
It was sifted __________ times
It was mixed with __________
A special spice placed on top was __________
4. 🧠 TRUE or FALSE
Write T (True) or F (False):
___ People could eat the new grain right away
___ The barley was cut at night
___ The flour was very fine
___ The Omer was offered in the Bet HaMikdash
___ After the Omer, the grain became permitted
5. 🎨 DRAW & LABEL
Draw one scene and label it:
Choose ONE:
🌾 The field with barley
🌙 The night harvest
🏛️ The Bet HaMikdash (Korban ha’Omer)
🏪 The market after the Omer
👉 Label at least 3 things in your picture