Hebrew: שִׁיפוֹן תַּרְבּוּתִיי, shifon tarbuti
Family: Grasses (Poaceae)
Scientific name: Secale cereale
Rye belongs to the grass family known as bare grains, where the kernel easily separates from the husk, similar to various wheat species. This contrasts with covered species, where the kernel does not separate easily from the husk, even through threshing, such as barley and rice. Rye grows best in regions with a temperate climate. It is resistant to cold, drought, and can grow in acidic and sandy soils—soils that are not suitable for wheat cultivation.
Among the species defined as the Five Grains in the Torah, only three are explicitly mentioned: wheat, barley, and spelt. Oats and rye are not directly mentioned, though the Sages interpreted a verse from Isaiah to refer to these two additional species.
Several commentators have identified shiffon with different species, including cultivated rye, hulled wheat, cultivated oats, or spelt wheat. The rye sown in the Garden of Mitzvot is cultivated rye (Secale cereale).
The domestication of rye likely occurred later than that of the other Five Grains. Its primary domestication took place in northeastern Europe and western Asia, unlike wheat and barley, which were likely domesticated in the Land of Israel. Rye is likely derived from mountain rye, found in the Golan Heights and Mount Hermon. Currently, commercial rye cultivation is not practiced in Israel.
Since the Middle Ages, rye has been widely grown in Central and Eastern Europe, and it is the main bread grain in many regions, especially in areas where the soil conditions are not suitable for wheat, but temperatures are low enough to support rye cultivation.
Kilei zera’im (interplanting mixed species): The Sages classified the Five Grains as two groups: wheat and barley. The wheat group includes spelt, while the barley group includes oats and rye. Mishnah Kilayim states that rye and spelt are not considered mixed species despite being from different groups, because their appearance is similar, allowing them to be sown next to each other.
Five grains: The Mishnah identifies rye as one of the five grains, and all of the relevant laws apply to it: challah, matzah and chametz on Passover and is subject to the prohibition of chadash.
Challah (separating from dough when baking bread): The point at which challah is required from dough made with rye is the same as for dough made from barley, known as timtum (indicating that the ingredients of the dough are connected, but not tightly enough to form a solid bond, requiring some effort to “stick them together” into one entity). This bonding issue is likely due to the lower gluten quality in these plants.
Temple Use: Although rye is one of the Five Grains, it is not used for the two loaves offering (Shtei HaLechem) or the Minchat Sotah (Sotah offering).
Matnot aniyim (gifts for the poor): The obligation to leave gifts for the poor applies to species that ripen uniformly and can be stored for extended periods. Rye, like oats, meets these conditions, and lekket, shichachah, and pe’ah should be left for the poor in the field.
