Dear Reader sh’yichyeh,
We are currently in the special days of S’firas HaOmer, the counting of the Omer and are quickly approaching the holy Yom Tov of Lag B’Omer. We are not just counting the days that are passing; rather we are working to make every part of every day count. This is described in the words of the HaYom Yom (Rosh Chodesh Iyar):
“At a farbrengen during the days of s’fira (at some point during in the years 5651–5653, 1891–1893) someone said to my father, ‘The Alter Rebbe’s chassidim were always keeping count.’ My father took a great liking to the saying, and he commented: ‘That idea characterizes man’s avoda. The hours must be ‘counted hours,’ then the days will be ‘counted days.’ When a day passes one should know what he has accomplished and what remains yet to be done… In general, one should always see to it that tomorrow should be much better than today.”
Chassidus teaches us a deeper perspective of S’firas HaOmer, as is explained in the HaYom Yom (10 Iyar): “At the festive meal on the second day of Shavuot 5621 (1861), the Tzemach Tzedek related as follows: At the festive meal on the second day of Shavuot 5555 (1795) my grandfather (the Alter Rebbe) said: At the festive meal on the second day of Shavuot 5528 (1768) my saintly master and teacher (the Maggid of Mezritch) said:
“‘You shall count for yourselves,’ us’fartem lachem. The word us’fartem has the root of sapirut, meaning brilliance and brightness. Us’fartem lachem, your lachem, selves, must be bright.”
The Tzemach Tzedek continued his narrative: “My grandfather (the Alter Rebbe) then leaned his head on his hands and sang the Niggun of Four Stanzas with profound d’veikus. Afterward he raised his head and said in a questioning tone: ‘And with what does one brighten the lachem?’ and without a pause he continued in a tone of response, ‘With the seven complete weeks’ (more literally, ‘…seven…Shabbasos’), that is, through refining one’s seven emotion traits, each trait in turn to be sub–incorporated with all seven. The seven attributes themselves are to become ‘seven Shabbasos,’ Shabbos needing no refinement.
With this understanding of the word “S’fira” meaning shining, the Frierdike Rebbe (Seifer HaSichos 5704 page 88) explains a seemingly perplexing part of the Hagada shel Pesach. The Hagada quotes: “ It happened that Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Yehoshua, Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah, Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Tarfon were reclining [at a seder] in B’nei Brak. They were discussing the Exodus from Egypt all that night, until their students came and told them: ‘Our Masters! The time has come for reciting the morning Shma!’”
It is seemingly unfitting of the students to interrupt and interfere with the service and Seder of their teachers! But based on the above, it can be understood. The teachers were fulfilling the commandment of סיפור יציאת מצרים . The literal meaning of the story is that they were retelling the story of the Exodus. If, however, we translate the word סיפור as shining (with the same deeper meaning of the words ספירת העומר), it is all understood. The teachers were trying and accomplishing that through their own service and by being totally involved in the retelling of the story of Yetzias Mitzrayim by the Seder, they would bring the light of the Exodus to their students. After a whole night of this intense service of Hashem, the students told them, “Our Masters! The time has come for reciting the morning Shma! You have succeeded in bringing us to the point that we see the light of Shma (יחודא עילאה) as well.”
Realizing that S’firas HaOmer is not just a mitzva of counting, rather a continuous journey of self–refinement from Pesach through Shavuos, we can understand the way Chassidus views the Yom Tov of Pesach Sheini. At first glance, this day, when during the time of Mishkan/Mikdash, those that were impure or far away by the first Pesach had a chance to bring their Korban Pesach, has no real relevance to us today in exile, as we are not bringing any korbanos.
The Rebbe (HaYom Yom Pesach Sheini) teaches us: “The theme of Pesach Sheini is that it is never too late. It is always possible to make things right. Even if one was tamei (ritually impure), or one was far away, and even in a case of lachem, when this (impurity etc.) was deliberate, nonetheless he can correct it.”
In a famous Maamer (Seifer HaMaamarim Meluket Vol. 3 – L’Havin Inyan Pesach Sheini) the Rebbe explains the deeper meaning of the Yom Tov of Pesach Sheini on a whole new level, based on a Maamer of the Tzemach Tzedek
The Yom Tov is not only for sinners; rather, it is a unique opportunity for a second and higher jump – the literal translation of Pesach Sheini – for all those who are serving Hashem.
What is the special Avoda and Ko’ach that comes from the Yom Tov of Pesach Sheini? It is the Avoda of His’hapcha, turning over our Nefesh Ha’bahamis. While on Pesach Rishon the Yidden had to run away from Mitzrayim for they were still sunk in the impurity, on Pesach Sheini, after a whole month of purifying ourselves, we can finally cleanse ourselves of the impurity.
One of the most special and shining days of S’firas HaOmer is Lag B’Omer, the 33rd of the Omer. On that day, the Yahrtzait of Rashbi, the tremendous lights of refinement are drawn into the world. It is connected with the Pasuk “גל עיני ואביטה נפלאות מתורתך” – May my eyes be revealed and see the wonders of the Torah of Hashem. It is through the revelation of P’nimius HaTorah that we can refine ourselves and prepare ourselves for Mattan Torah.
The days of S’fira are the bridge between the Yom Tov of Pesach and the Yom Tov of Shavuos. While we connected the word וספרתם to the Yom Tov of Pesach (סיפור יציאת מצרים), the word לכם is connected to Shavuos. The Gemara (P’sachim 68b) tells us:
“Rabbi Elazar said, ‘All authorities concede that on Atzeres — Shavuot — we require also ‘an assembly for you (everyone should eat).’ What is the reason? It is the day on which the Torah was given.” (P’sachim 68b) By feasting on Shavuot one demonstrates that he rejoices upon having received the Torah. (Rashi)
On the second night of Shavuos 5751, after the Chassidim returned for Tahalucha, the Rebbe delivered a short sicha in which he connected the above–mentioned Gemara with the Geula.
The Rebbe quoted a gematria from a Poilishe Seifer (Maamer Mordechai on Meseches P’sachim, written by the Tzaddik HaRav Mordechai from Nadvorna), that the words “לכם נמי” have the same numerical value as the word “קץ” (meaning, end of Galus and beginning of Geula).
The Rebbe explains the connection between the literal translation of the Gemara, that“לכם נמי” is teaching us that we need to eat a meal, and this homiletical understanding that “לכם נמי” implies (see footnote 15 of that sicha), that all agree that we need the Geula. In the time of Galus there is the incorrect perspective that “eating” – representing the physical world – is a contradiction to spirituality. The whole point of the giving of the Torah was to break that conceived barrier and to reveal the truth in the world: that everything comes from and is here to reveal G–dliness. Thus, we have a special Mitzva of having a festive meal on Shavuos, when we celebrate the giving of the Torah, to show this very point.
Rabbi Avtzon is the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Lubavitch Cincinnati and a well sought after speaker and lecturer. Recordings of his in–depth shiurim on Inyanei Geula u’Moshiach can be accessed at http://www.ylcrecording.com