💯 Earlier or Later Fields

This month shall be the beginning of months for you;
it is to be the first month of the year to you. (Exodus 12:2)

Dear Friends,

I understand that some of you have been thinking about whether we are supposed to be begin the year based on the earlier or later developing regions, and so I thought I’d share some of my thoughts on this with you.

When I read Lev 23:9-14, I see that all the verbs are “you (pl)”, which may suggest that everyone is supposed to bring an omer of the reshit of their harvest to the priest. In fact, it specifically says that we are supposed to do this “in all our generations, in all our settlements” (Lev 23:14). Suggesting that as we multiply and expand throughout the country, we still all need to bring an omer of the reshit of our harvest to the priest for Yom HaNafat HaOmer (The Day of the Wave Sheaf Offering). This understanding is further supported by Ex 23:14-19 and Dt 16:16-17, which states that everyone is supposed to bring the reshit of their harvest to the Temple on the three harvest festivals. How can they do this, if the festival starts before the barely has finished developing throughout the land?

Was the omer a national offering brought from the first Aviv field in the Land?

I don’t see that when I read Lev 23:9-14, Ex 23:14-19, and Dt 16:16-17, but if that is your understanding, by all means start the year based on the earliest field in the Land.

What is the “reshit” of our harvest?

In Lev 23:10 we are told that when we have harvested our harvest, we are to bring an omer of the “reshit of our harvest” to the priest. “Reshit” literally means “first” (Gen 1:1), therefore some think this means that when we start harvesting, we are to put an omer of that in a basket (Dt 26:1-11) and bring it with us when we go up to the Temple. Others think “reshit” here means “best” of our harvest, based on the fact that “bikkurim” which also literally means “first”, is also used to refer to something that is special/chosen (Ex 4:21-23, Dt 21:15-17), and we see “reshit” used in this way as well (Jeremiah 49:35). We also know it’s not pleasing to Yehovah when we don’t give Him the best of our produce (Gen 4:1-5). In my study, I have found “reshit” and “bikkurim” to be used interchangeably and didn’t find any significance that the word “reshit” is used in reference to Chag HaMatzot (Feast of Weeks) (Lev 23:10), and the word “bikkurim” used in reference to Chag HaShuvaot (Feast of Weeks) (Ex 34:22). In fact, sometimes the two words are used together (Ex 23:19, Ex 34:26).

What is your understanding of Dt 16:9?

When I read Dt 16:9 in its context (Dt 16:9-12), we see that Chag HaShavuot (Feast of Weeks) is seven weeks from when the grain harvest begins. The verse is obviously referring to the seven-week count from Yom HaNafat HaOmer (The Day of the Wave Sheaf Offering) (Leviticus 23:15–16), which celebrates the beginning of the grain harvest, the barley, which is the first of the winter crops to ripen.

Is there a prohibition against harvesting before Yom HaNafat HaOmer?

I do not see any prohibition against harvesting before Yom HaNafat HaOmer. In fact, we clearly need to harvest before Yom HaNafat HaOmer, in order to bring the reshit (best) of our harvest for the Wave Offering (Lev 23:10). Not to mention that as the name suggests, Chodesh HaAviv (Month of the Aviv) is the month when the fields are Aviv, i.e. ready to be harvested (Ex 31:9, Lev 23:10, Lev 23:14, Joshua 5:10-12), and the fields need to be harvested when they become ripe (Mark 4:29) or they will shatter, meaning the heads will become so dry and brittle they fall to the ground. In fact, it’s common that we don’t find any Aviv Barley at what would have theoretically been Yom HaNafat HaOmer the previous month, but then we have shattered heads, by Yom HaNafat HaOmer the following month, so obviously we are expected to harvest before Yom HaNafat HaOmer.

Can we have two consecutive 13-month years?

I tend to think that you wouldn’t have two consecutive 13-month years, unless you changed a criterion of how you determined when to start the year, from one year to the next.

Is there a video of your inspection?

You are invited to watch an overview of the Barley Inspection we carried out on March 16 & 19, 2023 (descriptions of the fields and video timestamps can be found in the description box below the video).

Are you related to Nehemia Gordon?

Nehemia and I were married many years ago and have been divorced for some 20 years. I was an avid participant in the New Moon Observations and Barley Inspections Nehemia would organize, and when Nehemia decided to step down from working on the Biblical Calendar, I chose to step up and continue this important work. Like many of us, I have learned much from Nehemia, but my understandings may differ from his on some issues. Also, I have noticed some of you confuse me with Dev Arndt-Daniel, that works with Nehemia at his headquarters in Texas, while we have same first name, we are different people. In fact, there is no connection between Nehemia’s ministry and the work our team does to restore the Biblical Calendar with the help of your support.

If you have a question regarding the Biblical Calendar, feel free to send it to us and we’ll do our best to try and answer it in a future newsletter. All of our answers are based on relevant Biblical verses, what we’ve seen in the Land over the past few decades, and much study and prayer.

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If you have been enjoying our New Moon Reports, Barley Inspection Reports, and the studies we provide on the Biblical Calendar, please partner with us to restore the Biblical Calendar. We could really use your support to carry out this important work. Contributions can be made via PayPal, Patreon, or by sending a Check to Devorah’s Date Tree, POB 4263, Jerusalem 9104201, ISRAEL.

Together we can restore the Biblical Calendar!

Devorah Gordon
Jerusalem, Israel

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DEVORAH’S DATE TREE

Devorah's Date Tree organizes New Moon Observations and Barley Inspections in the Land of Israel. This important effort is headed by Devorah Gordon, who has been living in Israel, and looking for the crescent New Moon and participating in Barley Inspections, for over 25 years. Today our reports reach countless people around the world and are considered the most reliable and respected New Moon and Barley Inspection reports from the Holy Land. If reliable first-hand New Moon and Barley Inspection reports from Israel are of value to you, please support our efforts to restore the Biblical Calendar. Contributions can be made via PayPal, Patreon, or by sending a check to Devorah’s Date Tree, POB 7816, Jerusalem 9107801, ISRAEL.

Together we can restore the Biblical Calendar!

Support Devorah’s Date Tree

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