Torah and Tea – Emor 5786
This week we are studying Parshas Emor, and for a change, we have only one portion rather than a double portion. As usual, we will focus on insights from the Rebbe’s sichos—talks, specifically from volume 32, sicha 1 and 2. In this week’s portion, the Torah covers all the holidays, beginning with Shabbos. While Shabbos is not technically a holiday, it is included as the foundation, and then the Torah proceeds in the chronological order of the months as they begin in the Torah, starting with Nisan. We have Pesach, then Sefiras HaOmer—the counting of the Omer, followed by Shavuos, then Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkos. This is the order of the year as presented in the Torah.
The Mishnah, in the section called Seder Moed—the order of special times, follows a similar sequence: Shabbos, Pesach, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkos. It seems logical and chronological. However, the Rebbe points out that Maimonides (Rambam) does not follow this order. Instead, the Rambam arranges the laws of the festivals by severity or importance to the person. For example, he places Yom Kippur immediately after Shabbos, before Pesach, because of its significance. The Rebbe’s discussion centers on why the Rambam deviated from the order found in the Torah and the Mishnah, and what this teaches us about the nature of the holidays.
The Rebbe explains that when we celebrate a holiday, two things are happening. First, the holiday itself is inherently holy—Shabbos is holy every seventh day, Pesach is a holy day, Shavuos is a holy day, and so on. The day itself is distinguished and different from all other days. This is the objective sanctity of the day, and the Torah lists the holidays in the order they occur. Second, there is the subjective experience of the person celebrating the holiday. If Rosh Hashanah arrives and we do not celebrate it, or if Yom Kippur comes and we do not observe it, then the personal aspect is missing. The focus here is on what the person does: praying, eating matzah, sitting in the sukkah. From the person’s perspective, the order is determined by what is most important to their spiritual life, not just the time of year. This is the order the Rambam follows—the order of personal impact and obligation.
Why does the Rambam do this? The Rebbe notes that most people think of holidays as limited to their specific times—Pesach is only for Pesach, Shavuos is only for Shavuos. Once the holiday passes, it is gone. But the truth is, the person’s commitment to the holiday, their preparation and mindset, is not limited to the holiday itself. For example, you cannot celebrate Pesach if you have not cleaned your house or bought matzah in advance. The obligation to prepare and the commitment to observe the holiday extend before and after the actual date. The person’s relationship to the holiday is ongoing, not just bound to the time it occurs.
The Rambam, before each section of his code, introduces it with a verse. For the laws of holidays, he chooses a verse from Tehillim (Psalms) 119: “I inherit your testimonies forever, for they are the joy of my heart.” The Rebbe asks, why does the Rambam choose a verse about eternity for holidays that are only observed at specific times? The answer is that the Rambam wants to teach us that the impact of the holidays is not limited to their dates. The inspiration and joy of the holidays should be carried throughout the year. Each holiday should inspire us, and that inspiration should last until the next holiday. The joy is continuous, not just a fleeting experience.
The Rebbe further explains that this is why, in some Haggadahs—the text used at the Pesach Seder—the phrase “Chassal Sidur Pesach” (we have completed the order of Pesach) appears at the end. However, in the Rebbe’s tradition, this phrase is omitted, because Pesach is never truly finished. The lessons and energy of Pesach are meant to be carried with us throughout the year. We do not want to say it is over; rather, it is always alive in our hearts, and we are always ready to celebrate whatever comes our way. Our gratitude and joy for Hashem’s gifts are not limited to the moment of celebration, but are ongoing and ever-present.
This attitude extends to all areas of life. We should not take Hashem’s blessings for granted, even when they are constant, like the manna in the desert. Just as the Jews became accustomed to the daily miracle of manna, we can forget to appreciate the ongoing gifts in our lives. The Rebbe encourages us to always be thankful for what we have, not just to focus on what is lacking or imperfect. Even when we are not actively celebrating, we are fortunate to have the opportunity to celebrate when the time comes. Our appreciation should be constant, not just tied to special occasions.
Moving to another insight from the Rebbe, there are two special offerings brought in the time of the Beis Hamikdash—the Holy Temple: the Omer and the Shtei HaLechem. The Omer is a measure of barley brought as an offering on the second day of Pesach, which permits the use of the new grain. The Shtei HaLechem—two loaves of bread made from wheat—are brought on Shavuos, which allows the new grain to be used for offerings on the Mizbeach&mdash>altar. Barley is considered animal food, while wheat is human food. The Rebbe interprets this as a metaphor for our service of Hashem: we each have an animal soul and a godly soul. The animal soul is represented by barley, and the godly soul by wheat.
Our service of Hashem begins with the animal soul. At first, we may not feel inspired or enthusiastic; we do what we must out of obligation, not excitement. This is the stage of accepting the yoke, pushing ourselves to do what is right even when we do not feel it. This is the offering of the barley. As we grow, we move to the next stage—the service of the godly soul, represented by wheat. Here, we begin to enjoy, understand, and celebrate our connection to Hashem. But even at this higher level, we must remember to approach Torah and mitzvos with humility and respect. Before learning Torah, we make a bracha—blessing, acknowledging that Torah is Hashem’s wisdom, beyond our own intellect. Only with this humility can we truly succeed in our learning and spiritual growth.
In summary, the Rebbe teaches that the sanctity and inspiration of the holidays are not limited to their specific times. Our commitment, preparation, and joy should be ongoing. We begin our service by overcoming the resistance of the animal soul, and as we grow, we must always maintain humility before Hashem. In this way, we can carry the lessons and energy of the holidays with us throughout the year, always celebrating, always grateful, and always striving to come closer to Hashem.
Torah and Tea Emor 5786
This week we’re learning Torah and Tea for the portion of Emor—“say.” Finally, we have only one portion this week, after several weeks of double portions. As usual, we’ll focus on something from the Rebbe’s talks, specifically from volume 32, sicha—discourse 1 and 2.
What’s interesting about this week’s portion is that it covers all the holidays. It starts with Shabbos—the Sabbath. While Shabbos isn’t technically a holiday, it’s included. Then the Torah lists the holidays in the order of the months as the Torah counts them, beginning with the month of Nisan. So we start with Pesach—Passover, move to Sefiras HaOmer—the counting of the Omer, then to Shavuos—the Festival of Weeks, and then it bends around to Rosh Hashanah—the New Year, Yom Kippur—the Day of Atonement, and Sukkos—the Festival of Booths. This is the chronological order of the year, which makes perfect sense.
The Mishnah—the Oral Torah, also has a section called Seder Moed—the Order of Special Times. There, too, the order is similar: first Shabbos, then Pesach, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkos. So it seems to be in order. But then comes the surprising part, which the Rebbe points out: Maimonides (Rambam) doesn’t follow the order of the verses or the Mishnah. Instead, he orders the holidays by severity or importance. For example, he places Yom Kippur after Shabbos, but before Pesach. The Rebbe’s discussion here revolves around why the Rambam changed the order from the Torah and the Mishnah and wrote his own sequence.
The Rebbe offers a fascinating explanation that also helps us understand the holidays we celebrate. When we celebrate a holiday, there are really two things happening. First, the holiday itself is a holy day, independent of our celebration. Shabbos is holy—every seventh day is Shabbos. All the holidays, like Pesach, are distinguished days; the day itself is different from every other day of the year. The Torah enumerates these days in the order they occur. But then there’s the person celebrating these dates. If you just have Rosh Hashanah and no one celebrates it, or Yom Kippur without observance, it’s just a date. What matters is what the person does: the prayers, eating matzah, sitting in the sukkah. From the person’s perspective, the order is based on what’s most important to them, not just the chronological order. The Torah and Mishnah focus on time, but the Rambam focuses on the impact on the person—what’s most significant for the individual.
The Maggid Mishnah explains that the Rambam’s order starts from the most important holiday for the person and goes down from there. The Rebbe wants to understand why the Rambam changed the order. First, the Rebbe points out that you can’t celebrate Pesach without preparation. You can’t just show up on Pesach without cleaning the house or buying matzah beforehand. The person’s obligation isn’t just during the holiday, but also before and after. The commitment to observe the holidays is a mindset that exists throughout the year, not just when the holiday arrives.
The Rambam, before every section, quotes a verse as an introduction. For the laws of holidays, he chooses a verse from Tehillim—Psalms, chapter 119: “I inherit your testimonies forever, for they are the joy of my heart.” The Rebbe asks: why choose a verse about eternity for holidays that are only celebrated at certain times? Wouldn’t it make more sense to choose a verse about doing mitzvahs at their appointed times? The answer is that the Rambam wants to teach us that even though we celebrate holidays at specific times, their impact and meaning are eternal. The holidays are not just for their appointed time; they inspire us throughout the year.
The Rebbe goes further: every holiday should inspire the person. The experience of Pesach and the freedom it represents should carry us through the year until the next Pesach. The person is always meant to be inspired and committed, not just during the holiday itself. When we celebrate Pesach properly, we transform time and make it holy. The calendar says it’s Pesach, but our celebration elevates the time and impacts the whole year. The same is true for Shavuos, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkos. The special experiences we have on these days can and should affect us all year long.
The Rambam wants to emphasize that even time-bound mitzvahs have an eternal impact. Some mitzvahs, like loving or fearing Hashem, are always relevant. But the Rambam teaches that even mitzvahs associated with specific times, like the holidays, are meant to be “forever” in the sense that their inspiration and joy continue. If the joy of the holidays was only for a few days, it would come and go, and not truly “rejoice the heart.” But when we carry the inspiration forward, we’re always celebrating, always joyful, always connected.
The Rebbe notes that in most Haggadahs—Passover guides, at the end, it says Chassal Sidur Pesach—“we’ve completed the order of Pesach.” But in the Rebbe’s Haggadah, this phrase is omitted, because Pesach doesn’t really end. We want to carry the energy and lessons of Pesach throughout the year. It’s not finished; it’s always alive in our hearts. We’re always ready to celebrate, always grateful to Hashem for the privilege of being able to celebrate. The joy isn’t limited to the holiday itself; it’s a continuous joy, a readiness to celebrate whatever comes our way, whether it’s Pesach, Shavuos, Sukkos, Rosh Hashanah, or Yom Kippur.
This attitude applies to all areas of life. We shouldn’t only appreciate Hashem’s gifts when something special happens. Just as you appreciate your mother or spouse not only when they serve you a meal, but for their constant presence, so too we should always be grateful to Hashem for the ability to celebrate and for all the blessings in our lives. Sometimes we focus on what’s missing—the one cracked tile in a beautiful ballroom—and forget to appreciate all the good. We need to remember to be thankful for what we have, not just notice what’s lacking.
Now, another thought from the Rebbe in these sichos. There are two special sacrifices related to the new grain in the time of the Beis Hamikdash—the Holy Temple. Before using the new grain, two offerings had to be brought: the Omer and the Shtei HaLechem. The Omer is a measurement of barley brought as an offering on the second day of Pesach. Only after bringing the Omer could people eat from the new grain. Then, on Shavuos, the Shtei HaLechem—two loaves of wheat bread—were brought, permitting the new grain to be used for offerings on the altar.
The Rebbe interprets this symbolically. Barley is considered animal food, while wheat is human food. We each have an “animal” within us—our natural instincts and desires—and a “human” or godly soul, our higher self. Our service of Hashem begins with the animal soul: we do what’s right even if we don’t feel it, pushing ourselves to act properly. This is the “barley offering.” Once we’ve harnessed our animal soul, we can move to the “wheat offering,” serving Hashem with understanding, joy, and deeper connection—the work of the godly soul.
Before starting something new, we must first bring the “barley offering”—accepting the yoke, doing what’s right even if we don’t fully understand or feel it. We all have questions and struggles, but living a life connected to Torah and mitzvahs brings blessing and meaning. Once we’ve pushed ourselves past resistance, we can engage our godly soul, learning, praying, and celebrating with joy. But even then, we must remember humility and gratitude. Before learning Torah, we make a blessing, recognizing that Torah is Hashem’s wisdom, beyond our intellect. Approaching Torah with humility and awe is the only way to truly succeed and connect.
In summary: all the holidays we celebrate are meant to inspire us all year long. Our work begins with struggle and discipline, but even as we grow, we must always remember our dependence on Hashem, stay humble, and appreciate the opportunity to connect to Him. May we continue to draw inspiration from the holidays and carry their lessons with us throughout the year, always striving to come closer to Hashem and to live with gratitude and joy.