What Do the Terms Chodosh Flour and Yoshon Flour Mean?

The Torah (Vayikra 23:14) states that it is forbidden to eat the new year’s grains until after the omer sacrifice (a barley offering) is brought in the Bais HaMikdash on the second day of Passover. This prohibition applies exclusively to five varieties of grain: wheat, barley, spelt, rye and oats. Once the omer sacrifice was brought, all grain which took root before Passover is viewed as yoshon (old), and is permitted. Grain which took root after the second day of Passover is known as chodosh and is not permitted until the following year’s omer offering.

Though we no longer sacrifice the omer in the Bais Hamikdash, the prohibition of chodosh is still in effect. While it is accepted that the Torah prohibition of chodosh applies in Israel, there are different opinions as to whether the prohibition of chodosh applies in other countries as well. 

The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.