Whenever you google “matzo,” or “the five grains,” you’ll read this comment. [They start by naming the grains; wheat, spelt, barley, rye, and then you get;] “oats (according to Rashi) or, two-rowed barley (according to Rambam’s interpretation of Mishnah Kilayim 1:1; Yerushalmi Challah 1:1). שיבולת שועל”

What are they talking about? I asked my husband to show me Kilayim 1:1, and the Rambam there. ['Cause you know: Any actual Torah in these posts comes from my husband, Rabbi Aron Hier. The mistakes, sadly, are all mine.]

Kilayim is the Jewish prohibition against mingling different species, for example planting a blend of wheat and barley seeds in a single field. In Kilayim 1:1 the Mishna states that it is permitted to plant a blend of barley and shibbolet shu’al (the mysterious 5th grain.)

And at Kilayim 1:1, the Rambam states that, “Shibbolet Shu’al is Wild Barley.” “Se’orim midbarim”; se’or means barley, and midbar means wilderness. Where does everyone get “two-rowed barley?” I see no reference to any rows!

Rambam also states, by Pesachim when they first define the grains, that when the Torah says “wheat” it also means “spelt,” and when the Torah says “barley” it also means “rye” and “shibbolet shual.” (You might say, “I thought they said that in the Talmud!” They did, but there it’s a little squidgy, people seem to imply the categories could shift depending on the circumstances. The Rambam comes along and says firmly, “No, shibbolet shu’al is ALWAYS a kind of barley.” That’s actually big.)

[As for the rabbis classifying all 5 grains as either "wheat" or "barley," even though botanists think of rye as another species entirely and oats as from a whole new tribe:

[Imagine your breakfast comes with "Coffee" or "Tea." So then your waitress explains that "Coffee" also means "Decaf," and "Tea" could be "Black Tea" or "Green Tea" or even "Herbal Tea" which everybody knows isn't really "Tea" at all. But it's certainly not "Coffee," it's like the antithesis of Coffee, so what else can we call it?]

[Again, I am not a rabbi; and this blog is for entertainment purposes only.]

So anyway, for Rambam to call “shibbolet shual,” “se’orim” is no surprise, he’s already defined it as “se’orim.” Any plant he names here in Kilayim is, ipso facto, a type of barley. And what type is that? WILD se’orim. The kind that nobody cultivates. Weeds.

[In English it's a cliche, "sowing your WILD oats." And there's, "feeling your oats," for when a horse, or person, is feeling frisky. The concept of oats as an expression of, and cause of, wild-ness goes way back.]

All Rambam actually says, in Kilayim, is that shibbolet shu’al is some kind of wild, uncultivated grain that can be seen, in some physical or metaphysical sense, as a type of “barley.” Note also we still haven’t established what the connection is between barley and shibbolet shu’al.

Personally, I am reminded of the Mishna in Sotah 14a, where Rabban Gamliel comments on the offering of barley: “Because her actions were like acts of an animal, so she brings an offering of ANIMAL FODDER.” Even today, half our barley is grown to feed animals (and a large part of the rest goes to feed man’s more bestial nature.)

Know what else is animal fodder? Think of Samuel Johnson’s famous quip: “Oats: a grain which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people.” To which Boswell is supposed to have replied, “Aye, which is why in England you’ll raise fine horses, while in Scotland we’ll raise fine people.” Even today, “most oats are used as livestock feed.” “Most” as in, 95%, although this is changing.

***

Let’s review: The Encyclopedia Talmudit (vol.7, pp. 224-225) states that “according to most Rishonim,” shibbolet shu’al is avena sativa in Latin; avena in Old French, avoine in Modern French; and oats in English.

Rashi (1040-1105) states “v’shibbolet shu’al means in Old French, “avena,” and the “shibbolet” of it (it’s ear) is made like a zanav (tail) of a fox.”

But, the Aruch, a ‘talmudic dictionary’ written by Rav Natan ben Yechiel (1035-1106) (Rashi’s contemporary) (he may not have a wikipedia page, but he was still a big guy, Rashi himself cites him more than once), identifies “shibbolet shu’al” as EITHER “avena,” OR “secale,” rye.

The Rambam (1135-1204), as we said, translates “shibbolet shu’al” as “wild barley,” which is open to interpretation.

The Meiri (1249 - 1310) says, “shibbolet shu’al,” called in Old French, “avena.”

The Rosh (1250-1328) says, “shibbolet shu’al, called, avena.”

According to the Bartenura: (circa: 1450-1500) “shibbolet shu’al is se’orim midbarim, wild barley, also known as avena.”

Whoa, hold up there! So, Bartenura doesn’t think Rambam is contradicting Rashi at all, on the contrary, he says these are all different terms for the same thing!

Later Acharonim maintain the traditional understanding of oats as shibbolet shu’al:

Rabbi Yom-Tov Lipmann-Heller (1579- 1654) states: “The Rabbi (Bartenura) wrote “avena,” and it is called thus because the “shibbolet” of it (it’s ear) is made like a zanav (tail) of a fox.” [Straight out of Rashi.]

Tiferet Yisrael (1782 - 1860): “shibbolet shu’al is hafer [German for oats.]”

BTW, the Chazon Ish (1878 - 1953) (on the Rambam at Kilayim!) explains that there are three reasons why two different species might be considered NOT kilayim. The first reason, which applies to barley and shibbolet shu’al, is that the two species were, at the moment of creation, a single organism with different physical characteristics, much like branches of different-colored fruit on a single tree; and the two species diverged only AFTER Creation. “And the sages decided with Divine Spirit what is considered a single existential species; and that which determines common membership in a single species goes beyond appearance or form, but depends on other, foundational things deeply embedded in all living things, which cannot be seen & require the Divine Spirit to access.” (Could he be talking about DNA?)

And so the mesora, the tradition, was passed down until today, that shibbolet shu’al means oats.

***

[Total side point: Before I got married, my last name was Huberman. Hubber is Yiddish for oats. Coincidence? I think not.]

2 Responses to “Rambam, Rashi, and other Rishonim on Shibbolet Shu’al”

1. Tovah Says:
   May 14th, 2008 at 12:49 pm

   I LOVE that you post stuff like this! I have bookmarked this post, being a Jewish nerd as I am. BTW, school is out for the semester so if you want to talk food, yiddishkeit, and the intersection thereof… Drop me a line. I’m finally a human being again (until September, that is). your husband is adorable, btw!

2. Sandee Says:
   May 14th, 2008 at 11:14 pm

   & I LOVE your self-proclaimed Jewish nerd-hood, and I am honored by your bookmark! (We nerds gotta stick together.)

   And thanks, I LOVE my cutie husband! I’ll stop before I embarrass him.

   And be warned - I LOVE to talk about food! It’s like the story of food is the story of PEOPLE, really.

   *

   I did go in and edit one thing, though, sorry: I didn’t realize that the Aruch said shibbolet shu’al MIGHT be oats. OR rye.  Could be either.

Leave a Reply