When do we bring animal food as a korban?
Barley is a versatile grain. It can be eaten as a whole grain, such as in soups, salads, or cholent, or processed into cereal flakes. Barley flour can be used to make bread, cakes, pancakes, and pasta. Soaking, germinating, and drying barley grains produces malt, the main ingredient in beer, whiskey, and other alcoholic beverages. In halacha, barley is primarily considered a food for animals, and indeed it is a major source of animal feed today, especially for cattle, pigs, and poultry. If barley is considered animal food, how can we bring it as a korban? The mefarshim give many answers. However, on a practical level, barley ripens very quickly. It is ready to be brought as a korban well before other crops that may be more refined or sophisticated.
