One More Day… |
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Thursday, 16 May 2024 |
Parshat Emor teaches us about the
different Biblical holidays that we observe throughout the year.
This year, in the aftermath of
October 7, the holiday that specifically stands out when reading the parsha is
Shmini Atzeret (Vayikra 23:34-36):
…On the fifteenth day of the seventh
month is the holiday of Sukkot, for seven days, for God. On the first day there
shall be a holy assembly; you shall not do any work or labor. For seven days,
you shall bring a fire offering to God; the eighth day shall be a holy
assembly, and you shall bring a fire offering to God. It is a day of assembly
(Atzeret), you shall not do any work or labor.
Rashi comments that the reason that the holiday is called Atzeret
(holding back) is because God wants to hold on to the Jewish people for one
more day:
I have kept you with me, like a king who invited his children for a
feast for a certain number of days, when the time came for them to leave, he
said: “My children, I beg of you, remain with me one more day; your leaving is
difficult for me.”
Rashi’s comment is based on the Talmud, Sotah 55b which speaks about the
seventy bulls that were sacrificed in decreasing order on the holiday of Sukkot
which correspond to the seventy nations of the world. In contrast, on Shmini
Atzeret, only one bull was sacrificed which corresponds to the singular nation,
Israel. On Shmini Atzeret, God wanted to have a small intimate banquet with
just His immediate family.
Shmini Atzeret is a totally separate holiday from Sukkot. The sacrifices
are different, we no longer sit in the Sukkah and we don’t bless the Lulav and
Etrog.
Why is Shmini Atzeret tacked onto Sukkot specifically?
Chizkuni brings a parable from the Bechor Shor about a king who asked
his children when they would be returning. The first child said that he would
return in 50 days so the king sent him on his way, happy that his son would be returning
soon. The second child said that he would return in 4 months so the king sent
him on his way, content that his son wouldn’t be gone for too long. The third
child said that he would be returning in seven months so they king asked him to
stay one more day so that he could enjoy being with him a drop more before he
goes away for a long absence.
We learn from here that Pesach doesn’t need to be extended because 50
days later we are already returning for Shavuot. Shavuot doesn’t need to be
extended as 4 months later we are returning for Sukkot. In contrast, since there
are seven months between Sukkot and Pesach and there are no Biblical holidays
due to the rainy season, we want to hold on to the holiday for just a little
bit longer.
Ibn Ezra explains that the word “Atzeret” can be understood in the
context of Shmuel Alef 21:8: “One of
Shaul’s servants had been detained before God.” He was not involved in any
worldly affairs.
Sforno explains that “Atzira” is not just “Lishbot”, stopping from doing
mundane work. Atzira is about time standing still for holy reasons- Torah
study, prayer and service. The day following Sukkot, after all three of the
Regalim (Pilgrimage festivals) have been celebrated is sanctified to be called “Atzeret”,
where the Jewish people are detained in the holy place (Jerusalem) for another
day and their happiness will be the joy of Torah and good deeds as it says in
Tehillim 149:2: “Israel rejoices in its Maker.”
Although in other years most people did not pay attention to the fact
that there are seven months between Sukkot and Pesach, this year, due to the
hostage situation, we are much more conscious of how much time has gone by.
Even in the Bechor Shor’s parable, seven months was looked at as a very
long time to be away from home.
Many of us feel that we are still detained in Shmini Atzeret which fell
on October 7th and since then every day has felt like Yom HaZikaron
(Memorial Day for the fallen soldiers and those who have been murdered in
terrorist attacks).
However, the hope is that by Shmini Atzeret which will not fall on
October 7 this year, we will have the hostages back, there will be safety and
security in Israel and we will be able to turn the day back into Simchat Torah,
a day of joy to celebrate spirituality while being safely protected by our
soldiers. |
The Omer teaches us to appreciate Israel |
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Monday, 01 May 2023 |
In Parshat Emor (Vayikra
23:10) we learn about the Mitzvah of the Omer:
When you shall enter the
Land that I give you and you reap its harvest, you shall bring an Omer from your
first harvest to the kohen…
Before any grain produce
of the new crop may be eaten, an Omer, the tenth part of an Epha, a measure of
ground barley (containing the volume of 43.2 eggs) must be brought to the Beit
HaMikdash on the second day of Pesach as an offering showing that we appreciate
the fact that the produce of the Land is a gift from God.
Alshich (1508-1600) explains:
There is nothing that profanes and makes a man's heart
haughty like great bounty; as it is stated in Dvarim 32:15, “So Yeshurun
grew fat and kicked.” They forget God and say that it is “their strength and
their might that produced all of this glory for them.” Ingratitude removes
them from the good path and from walking after God, to the point that they are
soon lost.
Therefore, God, who wishes for our good like a father
for a child, loves us and teaches us proper ethics: From the time when the
scythe begins to cut the crop of barley - which is the first of the land’s
produce - before our hearts become haughty when we see the abundance of produce
in the house and in the field, when the threshing floors are filled with grain
and the barns with plenty; God comes to open blinded eyes to teach them
knowledge.
Before any enjoyment from the bounty of the field comes
to their mouth, and before they taste the smallest bit of bread or parched
grain, all of the Jewish people bring the first of their harvest to the
kohen while saying to Him, may He be blessed, “Behold we recognize that all of
the land and everything in it is Yours; and what is Yours from the
beginning of it all has been given to You before we eat from anything, to
show that everything is from You and that we are not brazen-faced ingrates.”
And this is the meaning of its statement, “When you come
to the land” which you did not need to take with the might of your hands but
rather as one who comes to an inheritance: It should not enter your heart to
say, “The land was given to us an inheritance from our forefathers and it is
ours and our children's forever; and that which we eat its goodness and its
produce, it is the effort of our hands that we eat, as we work the land by
plowing and reaping and doing all the work in the field until the produce
arrives. As none of us stops from work - whether by sowing, planting
trees, planting shoots, winnowing, separating - so we eat the bread of the land
by the sweat of our brow...”
Therefore, God preceded us by saying, Observe and see
that after your coming to the land is not an inheritance or present that
has no break but rather “which I give” - in the present tense - and the
giving is never completely final. For whenever you turn away from Me, I
shall transfer it to others besides you. And you should not let it enter your
minds that it is your harvest that you are harvesting, but rather, “you shall
harvest the harvest of the land, for it is blessed, and you shall be
blessed from its blessing.”
The Land of Israel is a gift that God renews every
single day. The Omer helps us take a step back to appreciate the Land and God’s
gifts to us. We just concluded the celebration of Yom HaAtzmaut and we are now
gearing up for Yom Yerushalayim. It is not a coincidence that both of these
holidays are celebrated during the counting of the Omer, the time that we must
step back and appreciate the precious gift which is Israel. |
Who do you want to emulate- God or Haman? |
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Friday, 06 May 2022 |
In Vayikra 22:26-27 we read:
An ox, lamb or goat, when it is
born, shall be with its mother for seven days. From the eighth day and
thereafter it may be favorably accepted as a sacrifice as a fire offering to
God. An ox or a lamb, it and its offspring, you shall not slaughter in one day.
In Dvarim 22:6-7, we have a related
law:
If a bird’s nest happens to be
before you on the road, on any tree or on the ground- young birds or eggs- and
the mother is roosting on the young birds or on the eggs, you shall not take
the mother with the young. You shall surely send away their mother and take the
young for yourself, so that it will be good for you and prolong your days.
Ramban explains:
The reason for the prohibition of
the two commandments- the sending away of the mother bird and the slaughtering
of the mother and the young on the same day- is to eradicate cruelty and pitilessness
from man’s heart…to cultivate in us the quality of mercy, that we may not
become cruel, for cruelty envelops the entire personality of man, as is well
known from the professional animal killers who often become hardened to human
suffering.
Nechama Leibowitz points out:
Indeed, cruelty is indivisible, and
once practiced on certain objects, it soon expands. The rule that once free
reign has been given by man himself to the demon of destruction (man’s cruel
destructive instinct), it does not distinguish between the righteous and the
wicked, in our case, between animals and human beings.
We learn in Vayikra Rabba 27:11:
Rabbi Berakya said in the name of
Rabbi Levi: It is stated (Mishlei 12:10) “The righteous man regards the life of
his beast, but the mercies of the wicked are cruel.” “The righteous man” refers
to God, as it says in the Torah (Vayikra 22:26) “An ox, lamb or goat, when it
is born, shall be with its mother for seven days” and also (Vayikra 26:27) “An
ox or a lamb, it and its offspring, you shall not slaughter in one day.” This
teaches us to even have mercy on an animal that is about to be eaten. “The mercies of the wicked are cruel” refers
to the wicked Haman as it says (Ester 3:13) “…to destroy, to slay and to
exterminate all Jews, young and old, children and women, in a single day…”
Haman wanted to kill the youngest of children, even those who had not yet lived
for seven days. He also wanted to kill women and their children on the same
day- two cruel acts together.
One explanation for the laws above
is to teach us to be merciful like God and to stay far away from the wicked
behavior of the cruel enemies of the Jewish people such as Sancheriv, Haman and
Hitler who had no problem killing babies and mothers with their children.
May our cruel enemies see the light
and cease to attack us. |
The Covenant of the Omer |
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Friday, 30 April 2021 |
We read
in Parshat Emor, Vayikra 23:10,14-15: “Speak to B’nei Yisrael and say to them
‘Ki tavou el Ha’Aretz- when you come into the Land that I give to you and you
reap its harvest, you shall bring an Omer of the first fruits of your harvest
to the Kohen…Bread, parched grain or tender grain you shall not eat until this
very day, until you bring the offering of your God; it is an everlasting
statute for all your generations (ledoroteichem) in all your dwelling places.
You shall count for yourselves- from the morrow of the rest day, from the day
when you bring the Omer of the waving- seven weeks, they shall be complete
(temimot).’”
Before we eat any grain produce of the new crop, an Omer (a dry measure
containing the volume of 43.2 average eggs) of ground barley must be brought to
the Beit HaMikdash (Temple) on the second day of Pesach. The Omer is a meal
offering which symbolizes the prosperity of the field. Although a tremendous
amount of work is required, the crops are a gift of God that we must
appreciate. Once the Omer is brought, we can eat all the grain that took root
before that time. The later grain is only eaten after the following year’s Omer
is brought. Since we don’t have the Beit HaMikdash today, we can eat the new
crop after the second day of Pesach.
Rabbi Yochanan (Vayikra Rabba 28:6) taught: Do not take the mitzvah of
the Omer lightly, for it was by merit of this commandment that Avraham was
privileged to inherit the Land of Israel as it says in Breisheet 17:7-8 “I will ratify My covenant between Me and you and between your
offspring after you, throughout their generations, as an everlasting covenant,
to be a God to you and to your offspring after you. And I will give to you and
your offspring the Land of your sojourns- the whole Land of C’naan- as an
everlasting possession; and I shall be a God to them.” The Land was promised to
you on condition that you keep my covenant as it says in the next two verses, Breisheet
17:9-10 “God said to Avraham, ‘And as for you, you shall keep (tishmor) My
covenant- you and your offspring after you throughout their generations
(ledorotam). This is my covenant which you shall keep (tishmeru) between Me and
you and your descendants after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised.’”
What is meant by covenant? The covenant is the mitzvah of the Omer.
The simple reading of the text
teaches that the covenant is Brit Mila (circumcision), so where does Rabbi
Yochanan get his idea that there is another mitzvah, another covenant alluded
to that will give B’nai Yisrael the merit to enter and inherit the Land of
Israel?
In reference to Brit Mila, God tells
Avraham (Breishhet 17:1) “Walk before me and be perfect (tamim).” And in reference
to the Omer it says (Vayikra 23:15) “seven weeks, they shall be complete (temimot).”
Concerning
Brit Mila it says in Breisheet 17, “ledorotam”, “generations”
and “throughout their generations” while it says in Vayikra 23:14 regarding the Omer: “ledoroteichem”, “for all your generations.”
Pertaining
to Brit Mila it also says in Breisheet 17, “you
shall keep” (tishmor, tishmeru) and we find in Yirmiyahu 5:24, “that keeps
(yishamer) for us the appointed weeks of the harvest.” When we observe the Omer
properly, God will make sure that the grain is in good shape for us.
The observance of the Omer is one of
the Mitzvot HaTluyot Ba’Aretz, a mitzvah that is only observed in the Land of
Israel so it was a new mitzvah for B’nai Yisrael when they arrived in the land
with Yehoshua. They arrived at Pesach time and were able to cut down the
produce of the land, bring the Omer and eat from the grain of the land
immediately. They had already observed the mitzvot of Brit Milah and Pesach in
Egypt as well as Pesach in the Sinai desert as they are mitzvot that are not only
observed in Israel.
B’nai Yisrael’s swiftness in observing
the Omer caused them to immediately inherit the Land of Israel. Through this
mitzvah, they merited to complete God’s promise to Avraham that they would
return to and inherit the land. |
Every drop of oil counts |
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Tuesday, 05 May 2020 |
In honor of
Josh Halickman’s 33rd Bar Mitzvah anniversary
In Parshat Emor (Vayikra 24:1-2) we
read about the olive oil that was needed for the menorah:
God said to Moshe, saying; “Command
B’nai Yisrael that they bring to you pure olive oil, pressed for lighting (shemen
zayit zach katit lamaor) to keep the lamp burning constantly.”
This verse sounds similar to the
opening words of Parshat Tetzaveh (Shmot 27:20):
“You shall command B’nai Yisrael that
they bring to you pure olive oil pressed for lighting (shemen zayit zach katit
lamaor) to keep the lamp burning constantly.”
Ramban proves why both statements
are needed:
In Shmot, B’nai Yisrael brought the
olive oil as a donation along with all of the other donations that were brought
for the Mishkan (Tabernacle). In Vayikra, the oil which the princes brought as
a donation was used up and therefore God commanded B’nai Yisrael to take from
the public treasury throughout the generations pure olive oil, pressed for
lighting as was the first oil (of the princes).
The Mishna in Menachot 86a explains
that the oil used for the lighting of the ner tamid (menorah) must be from the
first drops of oil that drip from the ripest of olives that are pounded.
The oil that emerges when the olives
are pressed further with beams or with stones is a lower grade oil which is used
for the menachot offerings but is not pure enough for the menorah.
Shmot 29:40 refers to the mincha
offering which was brought with the daily tamid sacrifice:
“And a tenth of an ephah (measure)
of fine flour mixed with one fourth of a hin of pressed olive oil (bashemen
katit)…”
The Talmud, Menachot 86b explains
that the oil of crushed olives (the purest oil) may be used for the menachot
offerings but is not required in order to spare the Jews the expense of
obtaining it.
Many mincha offerings are brought
every day and if we needed to only use the purest oil from crushed olives, then
the demand would drive up the cost. The menorah only requires one “log” of oil
for each of the seven lamps (3 ˝ “lugin” a day). This is a relatively small
amount of oil that can be obtained at a minimal cost.
The Gemara asks why we care about
sparing Jews the extra expense.
Rabbi Elazar said: The Torah is
concerned with Israel’s wealth.
The Torah does not want us to incur
even minor financial losses. If we are able to continue pressing the olives
further with a beam or with a stone to draw out more oil, why should we waste
what is left of those olives? It is perfectly acceptable for that oil to be used
for the menachot offerings.
The same is true with the foods and
products that we have in our homes. Instead of wasting food, we should make it
a priority to eat whatever we bought before it gets spoiled. As well, we should
try to repurpose as many products as we can. It will save us money in the long
run as well as save the environment. |
What is the correct name for Shavuot? |
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Thursday, 03 May 2018 |
In our prayers we call the holiday
of Shavuot “Zman Matan Torateinu”, “the time of the giving of our Torah.” In
the Torah reading for Shavuot we read the account of B’nei Yisrael’s arrival at
Sinai and the receiving of the Ten Commandments (Shmot 19:1-20:23) yet we do
not find the holiday being called “Zman Matan Torateinu” in the Torah itself.
According to Abravanel, we don’t
need one day to commemorate the receiving of the Torah as the Torah and
prophecies constitute their own testimony. The basis for Shavuot is to
celebrate the beginning of the wheat harvest, just as Sukkot celebrates the end
of the harvest. Shavuot is not about the giving of the Torah, it is about bringing
the first fruits (Bikurim) to the Beit HaMikdash and the counting of the seven
weeks (the culmination of the Omer).
Nechama Leibowitz points out that Abravanel’s
explanation ignores the way that the holiday is celebrated with the traditional
all night gathering (Tikkun Leil Shavuot) in the synagogue in preparation for
receiving the Torah as well as the reading of the Ten Commandments in the
morning with many communities standing during the reading, as if witnessing the
Revelation at Sinai.
The Akedat Yitzchak says that there
is no appointed time to remember the Torah and its acceptance since the Torah
and its study are a permanent obligation, every day and at all times as it says
in Yehoshua 1:8, “This book of the Torah shall not depart out of your mouth you
shall meditate therein day and night.” The Torah must always be new and beloved
to us as on the day it was given to us.
Rabbi Hayim Paltiel states that in
the prayers for each of the Shalosh Regalim (Pilgrimage Festivals), we don’t
mention every aspect of the holiday. Rather, we focus on God’s acts of
kindness. Therefore on Pesach we say “Zman Cheruteinu”, “the time of our
freedom”, on Sukkot we say “Zman Simchateinu”, “the time of our gladness” and
on Shavuot we say “Zman Matan Torateinu.”
All of the names for Shavuot are
valid. It is Chag HaShavuot since it is the culmination of our counting seven
weeks from Pesach. It is Chag HaBikurim since when the Beit HaMikdash stood the
first fruits were brought up to Jerusalem. And it is called Zman Matan
Torateinu since after 49 days, B’nei Yisrael were finally worthy to receive the
Torah. Ever since the Revelation at Sinai, as a nation, we have continued to
receive the Torah every day.
As we say each morning in Birkot
HaTorah (the blessings recited on Torah study) “Baruch Atah HaShem, Noten
HaTorah”, “Blessed are You, God, Giver of the Torah.”
Each day is part of the marriage
between God and the Jewish people and Shavuot is the anniversary. |
Shavuot, the Sequel to Pesach |
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Friday, 01 May 2015 |
In Parshat Emor the holiday of Shavuot is presented as an
extension of Pesach.
Sefer HaChinuch, Mitzva 306 explains how the two holidays
are linked:
The very lifeblood of Israel is the Torah. Heaven and
earth were only created because of the Torah… The principal reason for Israel’s
deliverance from Egypt was their acceptance of the Torah on Mount Sinai and
their observance if its laws…This was the main motive for their deliverance,
this is their purpose in life and this was more important than freedom from
serfdom…and it was for this purpose they were taken out of Egypt and were made
into a great nation that they were commanded to count the days and weeks from
the second day of Pesach until the day on which we were given the Torah. Thus
we show our delight in and yearning for the great day as a servant longingly
counts the days until his liberation. The counting is an expression of
eagerness to reach that day…
Nechama Leibowitz points out that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi
(Shir HaShirim Raba 7:2) gave Shavuot the name Atzeret (concluduing festival of
Pesach) to mark it as the sequel and culmination of the Feast of Deliverance
from Egypt in the spirit of God’s promise made to Moshe at the burning bush
(Shmot 3:12) “When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve
them on the mountain.”
We see from here that the Exodus from Egypt was not
complete until we received the Torah. The holiday of Pesach is only fully
observed after we celebrate the holiday of Shavuot.
Unlike Pesach which is a difficult holiday to prepare for
and observe due to the food restrictions of not eating Chametz, Shavuot is
relatively easy. Although there is a custom to eat dairy on Shavuot there
really are no food restrictions and many eat meat as well since they believe
that a holiday is only fully celebrated by eating meat.
Why then is Pesach celebrated so much more than Shavuot with
many Jews outside of Israel
not even knowing about the existence of the holiday?
Shavuot doesn’t have a set ritual like the Pesach Seder. In Israel, many
Israelis, despite their affiliation or denomination attend all night learning
programs on the eve of Shavuot where the Torah is made accessible to the Jewish
community at large. Outside of Israel,
these all night learning programs are usually set up in synagogues and those
who are not affiliated may not know about them or may be hesitant to attend.
The time has come for Jewish community centers throughout the world to bring
the holiday of Shavuot to the entire Jewish community and to provide Torah
study classes that Jews of all backgrounds would feel comfortable attending
emphasizing the fact that the Exodus of Egypt was only complete once the Jewish
people received the Torah.
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The Mitzvah of the Omer |
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Friday, 04 May 2012 |
In Parshat Emor we read about the Omer.
The Mitzah of the Omer is only observed in the Land of Israel, Vayikra 23:10: “When you shall
enter the Land that I give you and you reap its harvest, you shall bring an
Omer from your first harvest to the Kohen…”
Before any grain produce of the new crop may be eaten, an
Omer, a measure of ground barley (containing the volume of 43.2 eggs) must be
brought to the Beit HaMikdash on the second day of Pesach as an offering
showing that we appreciate the fact that the produce of the Land is a gift from
God.
Even thought the farmers worked hard in order to work the
Land, at the end of the day, the produce would not have grown without God’s
help.
Today, we don’t bring the sacrifice since there is no Beit
HaMikdash. We still count the days of the Omer which was a Biblical obligation
but now is probably only a Rabbinic obligation since we don’t have the Beit
HaMikdash.
The paragraph that we read before saying the blessing over
counting the Omer comes from Parshat Emor, Vayikra 23:15 “You are to count from
the morrow of the rest day (starting the Second day of Pesach), from the day
that you brought the Omer offering that is waved- they are to be seven complete
weeks- until the morrow of the seventh week you are to count fifty days and
then offer a new meal offering to God.”
After we say the blessing and count the appropriate day we
say “May God return for us the service of the Beit HaMikdash to its place,
speedily in our days.”
Even though we are still counting the Omer by Rabbinic law,
we pray for the day that we can fulfill the Biblical commandments of the Omer
offering and the counting of the Omer in Yerushalayim. |
Celebrating in Jerusalem |
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Friday, 06 May 2011 |
Sponsored by Midreshet Devora www.midreshetdevora.org
in Honor of
Josh Halickman's 37th Birthday!
Celebrating in Jerusalem by Emily Kozlow, a student at Midreshet Devora
In Parshat Emor, we read about various laws pertaining to the Kohanim. We continue, and find mention of the appointed festivals, אלה מועדי השם מקראי קדש אשר תקראו אתם במועדם (Vayikra 23:4). This seems like an odd placement, it seems that the festivals’ acknowledgement might appear in Shemot, where the events upon which they are based, occurred. What is the meaning of this juxtaposition of concepts?
Before the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash, Kohanim served Hashem by operating the Beit Hamikdash, and teaching Torah. Only in a state of purity or taharah, could Kohanim fulfill this role, as they always directly served Hashem, always stood right before Hashem.
The privilege to stand before Hashem was not reserved only for Kohanim. However, on the Shalosh Regalim (pilgrimage festivals) Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot, all of Am Yisrael came to the Beit Hamikdash as commanded by Hashem.
Though we can no longer come to the Beit Hamikdash for the Shalosh Regalim, we still step away from our everyday lives to come closer to Hashem.
This year, I was blessed to spend Pesach in Yerushalayim. While I ordinarily find myself eagerly anticipating the seder’s end, this Pesach, I appreciated each moment. Celebrating in Eretz Yisrael intensifies so greatly the remembrance of Yetziat Mitzrayim (the Exodus from Egypt ) and the feeling of Hashem’s presence.
Last week, I participated in a tour of Yerushalayim with Rabbi Simcha Hochbaum. On the trip, we had the opportunity to get very close to where the Kohanim entered Har HaBayit (the Temple Mount ) and see a breathtaking view of where the Beit Hamikdash stood.
May we all celebrate this Shavuot standing before Hashem in Yerushalayim!
Shabbat Shalom,
Emily Kozlow
Emily is a graduate from Beth Tfiloh High School in Baltimore , Maryland . She now studies at Midreshet Devora in Yerushalayim.
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The Significance of the Lulav and Etrog All Year Long |
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Friday, 30 April 2010 |
In Parshat Emor we read about the different holidays, the last one being Sukkot.
One may wonder why we read about Sukkot now and if there is a message from the Lulav and Etrog that we can take with us throughout the year.
In Vayikra 23:40 we read: “You shall take for yourselves, on the first day, the fruit of a beautiful tree (etrog), a branch of palms (lulav), boughs of thick-leaved trees (hadasim) and willows of the brook (aravot) and shall rejoice before HaShem your God for seven days”.
Why do we specifically take these species on Sukkot?
According to Rashi in Masechet Taanit 2a, the Lulav, Etrog, Hadasim and Aravot are dependent on rain for their survival. By holding them we highlight the fact that the world cannot exist without rain and we thereby entreat God for a favorable decision on the world’s rainfall for the year.
These species can teach us a lesson that we can apply throughout the year which is that we should not take the rain for granted and that it should be appreciated.
After using the four species throughout the holiday of Sukkot, as the holiday is about to come to a close, on Shmini Atzeret, we once again begin saying “Mashiv HaRuach U”Morid HaGashem”, “God makes the wind blow and the rain fall”. This prayer is only introduced after we have held and felt these species all week, giving us an opportunity to feel a spiritual connection to nature, gearing up for a winter where we should be saying those words in the Shmoneh Esrei each day with kavana (intent) as opposed to by rote.
In Israel, there is always a concern that there will not be enough rain. Throughout the winter season we wait with baited breath to see if enough rain will fall.
On the first day of Pesach, we stop saying “Mashiv HaRuach U’Morid HaGashem” and in Israel we say “Morid HaTal”, “God makes the dew fall” until the end of Sukkot when we start the cycle again.
The four species in essence help us “kick off” the rainy season and teach us not to take anything for granted. |
Celebrate Good Times |
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Thursday, 07 May 2009 |
Parshat Emor includes a listing of all of the Biblical holidays and how they must be celebrated.
The springtime is full of Jewish holidays. Only a month ago, in Nisan, we were sitting around the seder table celebrating Pesach, the holiday of freedom. Now, we are busy counting the Omer, the 49 days between Pesach and Shavuot, the amount of time that it took B’nai Yisrael to get from Egypt to Mt. Sinai where they received the Torah. Before we know it, summer will be over and we will be celebrating Sukkot, which reminds us that God miraculously protected B’nai Yisrael in huts while they wandered in the desert for 40 years, as well as alludes to the final redemption in Messianic times.
The Jewish people are also celebrating modern day miracles during the spring. Last week, on the 5th of Iyar, we celebrated Yom HaAtzmaut, Israel Independence Day which commemorates the declaration of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948. Yom HaAtzmaut is the only holiday that is not in the Torah which is an official day off from work in the state of Israel (Chanukah, Purim and unfortunately Sundays are workdays at many places of business!) and many holiday prayers including Hallel (Praise) are added to the Religious Zionist prayer services.
In two weeks, on the 28th of Iyar, we will be celebrating Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Day, when Israel liberated the Old City of Jerusalem, Har HaBayit, The Temple Mount and the Kotel, The Western Wall in 1967. This too is a day when holiday prayers including Hallel are recited (however it is unfortunately not a day off from work!).
When B’nai Yisrael left Egypt, God gave them the Shalosh Regalim- Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot. Now that we have the State of Israel, two new holidays have emerged, Yom HaAtzmaut and Yom Yerushalayim.
Rabbi Benjamin Blech comments: “For the sake of parallelism, it would appear that a third modern-day holiday is missing. Perhaps that is the last festival of all- the one that hasn’t happened yet but will be proclaimed when the end of the Jew’s journey through time will be marked by the moment of the Mashiach’s (Messiah’s) arrival”.
Let’s hope and pray that the new holiday will emerge speedily in our days. |
Mitzvah Observance in the Land of Israel |
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Thursday, 03 May 2007 |
SPONSORED BY SHARONA, DOV, MOSHE AND YEHUDA HALICKMAN ON THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF JOSH HALICKMAN'S BAR MITZVAH In Parshat Emor- Vayikra 23:10,14 we read the words: “Speak to B’nei Yisrael and say to them ‘ki tavou el haaretz asher ani noten lachem- when you come into the land that I give to you and you reap its harvest, you shall bring an omer of the first fruits of your harvest to the kohen…Bread, parched grain or tender grain you shall not eat until this very day, until you bring the offering of your God; it is an everlasting statute for all your generations- bechol moshvoteichem- in all your dwelling places’”. From these pesukim, we learn the prohibition of ‘chadash’, eating new grain before the omer is offered. The Gemara in Kiddushin 37a asks if the prohibition of ‘chadash’ applies inside the Land of Israel as well as outside of the Land of Israel. Some say that this comes to teach us that we were not commanded regarding chadash until after taking possession of and settling the land, after conquering it and dividing it among the tribes. The Mishna in Masechet Kiddushin 36b states: Every commandment that is dependent on the land (usually having to do with agriculture, the land and its produce) applies only in the Land of Israel. Every commandment that is not dependent on the land, applies both in the Land of Israel as well as outside of the Land of Israel. The exceptions to this rule would be the commandments of orlah (the fruits of a tree’s first three years are forbidden for all benefit) and kilayim (hybrids) which are dependent on the land yet even apply outside of the Land of Israel. Rabbi Eliezer says the commandment of chadash is also an exception and would apply both inside and outside of Israel. Rabbi Eliezer’s reasoning is that at the end of the pasuk concerning chadash it said “bechol moshvoteichem, in all of your dwelling places” meaning both inside and outside of the Land of Israel. However, “in all of your dwelling places could denote all of your dwelling places in the land of Israel after the conquest and division of the land is complete and the Jews are then settled in it. Rashi comments that during the fourteen years that it took the Jews under Yehoshua to achieve that settlement of the land, the laws of chadash did not apply. Today, there are communities outside of Israel who take the stricter opinion and will not eat chadash. In Israel, there is no question that chadash along with all of the other land related mitzvoth which do not involve the Beit HaMikdash must be observed. Over a third of the 613 mitzvoth are linked to the land and can only be performed in the Land of Israel. The full Torah can only be observed in the Land of Israel when the Beit HaMikdash is rebuilt. Aside from the mitzvoth that are linked to the land, the Chafetz Chayim comments that the value of a mitzvah which is performed in the Land of Israel like putting on Tefilin is twenty times greater than the performance of the same mitzvah outside of the Land. Let’s hope and pray that the Beit HaMikdash will speedily be rebuilt so that we can perform all of the mitzvoth in the Torah. Until then let’s try to observe as many mitzvoth as we can in the land of Israel. |
Counting the Omer- Quality vs. Quantity |
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Thursday, 11 May 2006 |
In Parshat Emor, Vayikra 23:15, we read in reference to the counting of the omer, "Sheva shabbatot temimot tihiyena", seven complete weeks shall there be. Why is the word "temimot" used rather than the word "shleimot" (the normative word for full or complete)? Nechama Leibowitz brings the opinion of HaKtav VeHaKabbalah, quoting Rabbi Shlomo Pappenheim: Shleimot (from the root shalem) would refer to quantitative fullness, while temimot (from the root tamim) refers to qualitative perfection. Other examples of tamim in the Torah would be (Shmot 12:5) "seh tamim", a lamb without blemish, (Breisheet 5:9) "tzadik tamim", a righteous and perfect person, (Devarim 18:13) "tamim tihiyeh im hashem elokecha", You shall be perfect with Hashem your God. In Vayikra Raba, Rabbi Hiya taught: When are these seven weeks temimot (complete)? When Israel fulfills God's will. It's not enough just to count the days of the omer, we must also use introspection. Just as one carefully examines the amount and integrity of the money he receives so as to avoid deficient and counterfeit coins, thus also when counting the seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot one must make sure to complete the number and preserve the quality of each day and not detract from the spiritual integrity. According to Rabbi Zeev Wolf Einhorn, a commentator on Midrash Raba, if we take our counting seriously then the crops will be "temimot", without any defect or shortcoming. The crops will receive ample dew and the ears will be full and sturdy. If we take observance of the mitzvoth seriously, then God will in turn reward us. Let's take the next few weeks of counting to a higher spiritual level as we anticipate the celebrations of Lag BaOmer, Yom Yerushalayim and Shavuot. |
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