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Parsha Perspectives by Ozer Alport

(וספרתם לכם ממחרת השבת מיום הביאכם את עמר התנופה שבע שבתות תמימת תהיינה (23:15

“You shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day when you bring the Omer of the waving, seven weeks that shall be complete.”

The holidays of Passover and Shavuot are separated by a 7-week period. Beginning on the 2nd day of Passover, when a grain-offering known as the Omer was brought in the Temple, 49 days were counted and the following day (the 50th) was the festival of Shavuot.

The above verse contains the mitzvah known as Sefirat HaOmer – counting the Omer. During each successive day of this 7-week period, we are commanded to count the passing days and weeks. However, if somebody forgets to count one of the days, he must continue to count the successive days but he may no longer recite the blessing. As the entire count is considered to be one complete mitzvah, rather than 49 individual ones for each day counted, somebody who misses even one day can no longer properly fulfill this mitzvah.

This concept is unparalleled among other mitzvot. If somebody accidentally ate chometz on Passover or forgot to light a menorah on one night of Chanuka, one would surely not assume that he is now exempt from observing the mitzvah for the duration of the holiday. Why is counting the Omer unique in this regard?

The Medrash teaches that Rabbi Akiva grew up as an uneducated shepherd. That all changed when at the age of 40, he noticed a rock with a hole which had been born through it by dripping water. He reasoned that if the water could penetrate the hard rock, certainly the Torah (which is also compared to water) could penetrate the soft flesh of his heart. He was motivated to begin learning, starting from scratch with the Aleph-Beit, until he eventually became the greatest scholar of his generation. What deeper message did Rabbi Akiva find in the dripping water which gave him confidence in his new undertaking?

Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz explains that when a person wants to boil water, he puts a pot on the stove for one minute until it begins to boil. What would happen if he placed it on the stove for 30 seconds, removed it from the flame for 5 minutes, and returned it for another 30 seconds? Even though the water was on the fire for a full minute, it wouldn’t boil. It isn’t the amount of time that the water is on the flame which is crucial, but the continuity. It is the accumulated power of the heat during 60 uninterrupted seconds which allows the water to boil.

Similarly, Rabbi Akiva was skeptical about his potential for beginning to study Torah at his age. If he had to start from the beginning and could realistically only learn a small amount daily, how much could he really accomplish? However, when he saw the hole in the rock created by the water, he recognized his error. Although each individual drop of water makes no distinguishable impression on the rock, the cumulative effect of their continuous dripping is indeed great. Understanding the power latent in continuity, Rabbi Akiva set off to study diligently until he became the leader of the generation.

The 7-week period of the Omer is one in which we prepare to celebrate the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai on Shavuot. As a result, Rabbi Eliezer Fireman suggests that the Torah requires us to count the Omer without missing a day to symbolically hint to us the importance of stability in our Torah study. Rabbi Akiva teaches that the key isn’t the age at which we start, but rather the continuity and permanence of our studies. If we persevere, the “hole” will be much greater than the sum of the parts! return to top
Ozer Alpert can be reached at ozer@partnersintorah.org  

talking points - parshas emor
Rabbi Elazar Meisels

1. Mandatory Holiness

“You shall sanctify him for he offers the food of your G-d, he shall remain holy to you” 21:8

• You Shall Sanctify Him - even against his will – Rashi
• He Shall Be Holy Unto You - treat him with sanctity, to take precedence in all matters of sanctity [i.e. be called up to the Torah first], and to bless first at a meal - Rashi

From where does a Kohen (priest) acquire his sanctity? Is it perhaps due to some intrinsic greatness that he possesses that all others lack? The Torah tells us that it’s a result of the fact that, “he offers the food of your G-d.” He is entrusted by the Almighty to perform the Temple service, and this responsibility endows him with a special degree of sanctity that mandates that we accord him great honor. A Kohen cannot forgo this special status and he must do everything in his ability to maintain it. This includes even forgoing marriage with a woman who is not permitted to him by the Torah, as such an act displays a lack of regard for his elevated status.

2. Thanks To All

“When you sacrifice a thanksgiving offering to Hashem, you shall slaughter it to gain favor for yourselves. On the day that it is sacrificed you must eat it; you shall not leave any of it until the next morning, I am Hashem.” 22:29,30

• Until The Next Morning - The Korbon Todah [thanksgiving offering] is of the Shlamim category of offerings, which typically allows for it to be consumed for two days and one night. The Todah however, is an exception to that rule as it may only be consumed the day it was brought and that evening.
• A Thanksgiving Offering – Not only is the animal offered but the owner must also offer 40 Challos [loaves], which are eaten together with the animal in the designated time period. – Leviticus 7:12,13

Why does the Torah insist that the Korbon Todah be accompanied by such an inordinately large number of loaves that no human being can be expected to consume in such a short period of time? Furthermore, why is the time span for eating this particular offering so much shorter than all other offerings of this nature? Rav Zalman Sorotzkin zt”l explains in Oznaim L’Torah that the purpose of the Todah offering is to demonstrate one’s gratitude to the Almighty for the kindnesses bestowed upon him. It is most appropriate that this be done in the presence of many others, so that as many people as possible learn of His kindness. Therefore, the Torah insisted that it be eaten in a short time, and that it be comprised of a large amount of food as well. This ensures that numerous others will be present at the meal and witness his gratitude toward Hashem.

3. Good Crop, Bad Crop

“You shall count for yourselves, from the day after the day of Pesach, from the day on which you will bring the Omer wave-offering, seven complete weeks they shall be.” 23:15

• It is a positive command in the Torah for each individual to count seven complete weeks from the day the Omer is brought in the Temple, as it says…it is obligatory to count the days along with the weeks…A blessing is recited before the counting etc. - Sefer HaMitzvos HaKotzer, Mitzvah 26

The Omer offering is brought from the new crop, and the counting begins in conjunction with it and continues until the holiday of Shavuot, which celebrates the Giving of the Torah at Sinai. In this manner, the new crop is associated with the Torah. What is the symbolism behind this association? Maharal explains that this teaches that the two are interdependent, for if we wish to merit a bountiful crop, we must remain focused on Torah study. Conversely, our sages [Pirkei Avos 3:17] have taught, “If there is no bread, there is no Torah”, for success in Torah requires proper nourishment and material sustenance. The new crop needs the Torah, and the Torah depends upon the new crop. return to top
Rabbi Elazar Meisels can be reached at rabbimeisels@partnersintorah.org 

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The festivals, which each occur but once yearly, are typically greeted with a great deal of enthusiasm and anticipation. The special preparations that are undertaken serve to bring us into the spirit of the Yom Tov that is to come, and we greet each one with vigor. The Sabbath, however, which comes without fail every seven days, can become like a familiar houseguest, whose arrival does not occasion much of a reaction.

The Torah wishes to teach us that this should not be the case. The Sabbath is a special, Divine gift, given to us so we can elevate ourselves above the physicality of the days of the workweek. Indeed, the fact that it comes every week is part of its special nature: Who among us has not wondered how the non-Jews can survive without the Sabbath! We must strive to treat the Sabbath with the same delight and anticipation that we do any of the festivals.

It is all too easy to fall into the trap of regarding the Sabbath simply as a day of rest, and to use it only as a chance to catch one's breath before heading back into the grind of the following week. The folly of this approach, too, is highlighted by the location of the Sabbath among the festivals. Nobody makes the mistake of looking at Passover or Succot as times of rest! These festivals are clearly identified as times to celebrate the closeness and special care that Hashem has demonstrated toward His people. So too with the Sabbath. A non-Jew is forbidden to observe the Sabbath; the Torah describes the Sabbath as: בֵּינִי וּבֵין בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אוֹת הִוא לְעֹלָם, between Me and the Children of Israel it is a sign forever (Shemot 31:17). Each Sabbath refreshes anew the special bond that Hashem has with His people, and affords every Jew the chance to turn away from the weekday world and bask in the radiance of the Shechinah (Divine Presence). Thus, every Sabbath is a festival; but rather than commemorating a single event, it serves to strengthen and nurture the connection between the Jews and their Father in Heaven. return to top

Hey, I never knew that! By Ozer Alport

Amazing Insights About the Weekly Parsha   

Q: A person who forgets or for any reason is unable to count even one night of the Omer is unable to continue counting on successive nights with a blessing, as the nightly counting over the course of the 7 weeks is considered to be one extended mitzvah (23:15). According to many opinions, the blessings which he recited until then are retroactively considered to have been in vain. A sickly centenarian’s doctors told him before Pesach that based on his poor medical condition, he would surely die before Shavuot, 7 weeks later. Is he permitted to recite the nightly blessing when beginning to count the Omer, as the laws of nature seemed to indicate that he would be prevented from successfully completing the mitzvah, thereby invalidating his blessings?

A: Rabbi Yitzchak Zilberstein responded that when a clever child has a tremendous craving for a sweet which his mother refuses to give him, he will simply recite its appropriate blessing, essentially forcing his mother to give him some in order that his blessing not be in vain. Similarly, he advised the man that specifically beginning to count with the recital of the accompanying blessing, he could in effect “force” the Heavenly Court to allow him to remain alive – against the doctor’s prognosis – until after Shavuot in order to complete the mitzvah. It shouldn’t be surprising, then, to note that the man died the week after Shavuot!

Q: Parshas Emor concludes with the tragic narrative recounting the episode in which a Jew blasphemously invoked Hashem’s name. Rashi explains that the blasphemer was upset about the Showbread in the Tabernacle. He argued that if a human king is served warm, freshly-baked bread every day, it is inappropriate and disrespectful to serve Hashem old, stale week-old bread in the Temple. When another Jew rebuked him for speaking disparagingly about the mitzvos, they began fighting, at which time the scoffer blasphemously uttered Hashem’s name. How is it possible that somebody who was motivated by a desire to increase Hashem’s honor and glory fell so quickly and drastically, to the point that he committed the ultimate disrespect to Hashem by blasphemously invoking His Holy name?

A: In his work Yalkut Yehuda, Rabbi Yehuda Leib Ginsburg cites Maimonides, who cautions against extremism, advising that the proper path to take in life and in all areas is the middle one. Rabbi Ginsburg suggests that somebody who is by nature a fanatic can easily switch from one extreme to the other in a matter of minutes. In this case, the blasphemer decided to be more “machmir” (stringent) than the Torah in his concern for the slight to Hashem’s honor brought about through the week-old bread. It shouldn’t be surprising, then, that such an individual was able to quickly switch from a fanatic for Hashem’s glory to one who commits the ultimate attack on Him by cursing His name! return to top

Ozer Alport can be reached at ozer@partnersintorah.org return to top

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