This week’s parsha discusses all the yamim tovim—holidays. Reviewing the parsha, we see it follows the order of the Torah year, beginning with Pesach—Passover, then Sefiras HaOmer—the counting of the Omer, leading to Shavuos—the Festival of Weeks. The parsha then transitions to Rosh Hashanah—the Jewish New Year, and Yom Kippur—the Day of Atonement. In today’s section, parsha hamishi in Emor, the focus is on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
It’s worth reflecting: what is the connection between the parsha’s discussion of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and today’s date? Today is Yud Aleph Iyar—the 11th day of Iyar. Rosh Hashanah is not until the first of Tishrei, and Yom Kippur is the tenth of Tishrei. Yet, as soon as the Torah introduces Rosh Hashanah, it calls it a zichron teruah—a remembrance of the shofar blast. What does this mean? Rashi explains that we recall and recite verses about the shofar and the different types of blasts, which in turn remind us of Avraham and Yitzchak, specifically the Akeidah—the binding of Yitzchak. This episode demonstrates the extraordinary dedication and self-sacrifice of our forefathers, beginning with Avraham and Yitzchak, who gave everything for Hashem.
In Kabbalah, the Rebbe often notes that the word ‘Iyar’ is an acronym for Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, and Rochel—the four legs of the merkavah—the Divine chariot. These are the spiritual foundations. However, particularly in the context of Rosh Hashanah, we focus on Avraham and Yitzchak, corresponding to the Aleph and Yud of ‘Iyar.’ Thus, today’s date, Yud Aleph Iyar, alludes to Avraham and Yitzchak and has a special connection to Rosh Hashanah. Furthermore, today is the 11th day, while Yom Kippur is the 10th day of Tishrei, so there is a subtle link between today and these significant days.
The Rebbe writes in many letters that it is unfortunate that people come to shul on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, become inspired and uplifted, but after the holidays, nothing seems to change in their lives. The experience is uplifting, but practically, there is often no visible difference between before and after Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. This is especially relevant today, the day after Yud, on Yud Aleph Iyar. The question is: on the 11th day, how do we take the inspiration from Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and make it meaningful? What is the message for us?
The Rebbe suggests that perhaps the problem is that when people come to shul, the focus is often on fixing the world’s problems—global issues, national concerns, or even who the president might be. These are big topics, but in reality, we have little influence over such matters. Maybe we can impact local elections, but on the larger scale, our input is minimal. The Rebbe points out that when our attention is on things we cannot change, it leads to a lack of personal growth.
Instead, when we learn the parsha of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur—even when it is not the actual holiday, but simply reading about it in the Torah—we should use this as a time for introspection. The focus should be on our own lives: How close are we to Hashem? How much time do we dedicate to studying Torah? How much do we invest in doing mitzvos—commandments? Hashem gives us the gift of 24 hours each day; the question is, how much of that time do we give back to Him? These are the questions we must ask ourselves, bringing the message of the holidays down to a personal level.
Of course, I’m preaching to the choir—those who come to shul and learn are already engaged in this work. But it is still important to emphasize the Rebbe’s message: we must use the inspiration of the holidays, and of all the yamim tovim, to make real, personal changes that affect our day-to-day relationship with Hashem through Torah and mitzvos.
This also connects to the upcoming days: the 13th of Iyar is the yahrzeit—anniversary of passing—of the Rebbe’s brother. And next week, on the 14th of Iyar, is Pesach Sheini—the Second Passover. Pesach Sheini teaches us nishtakum farfaln—it is never too late; if we missed out on Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur, we can still make it up. All these themes fit together: Yud Aleph Iyar, the messages of the holidays, and the opportunity for renewed commitment. Whatever the drosha—Torah teaching—may be, the main point is to internalize these lessons and strive for self-improvement, so that our study of the parsha leads to tangible growth in our relationship with Hashem through Torah and mitzvos.