494 —ספירת העומר, חציית קו התאריך הבינלאומי, וקיום החגים

B"H, 16 Sivan, 5709.

Haraha"ch vavaha"ch iy"a nu"m etc. Mehorab"tz Shub.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

Your earlier letter was received, and just now your letter from the 12th of Sivan arrived. Surely you have already received my reply from Erev Chag HaShavuot along with the kuntres for Chag HaShavuot, which you distributed to the public. I also hope that you have begun holy work, especially regarding 'Nifneh' and establishing public Torah study. As you conclude in Paris—may you begin and continue successfully.

Regarding a new organization or in a new place—it is worthwhile to connect and learn from what I once heard from my father-in-law, the Rebbe shlita: After our wedding, when rooms were built for us (in the house in Lubavitch), the beginning was that a class of children was brought there to learn. That is: opening a channel must be through Torah and mitzvot. In this context it can be said—since Torah and mitzvot are not only vessels for receiving but also limbs that draw down spiritual light and vitality (see also in the Shavuot maamar at its beginning and elsewhere). This is also true regarding channels for material influence through them.

Regarding your question—during your journey a day was skipped. You ask why this happened and how one should conduct themselves regarding Sefirat HaOmer specifically. The reason: (a) Since the earth is round and not flat—the sunrise is not seen at once everywhere. (b) Since the sun moves east to west—in places further east sunrise is earlier; further west it is later. As our sages say in Rosh Hashanah (20b), in Jerusalem sunrise was six hours later than in Babylon. The Zohar (III:10a) says that in different places it can be day here while night elsewhere. See also Shaar HaKolel at its start. (c) Based on this: when it is midday Sunday in Jerusalem (the sun overhead), at the eastern edge of Babylon it is already six hours after midday Sunday; further east—in eastern Siberia—it is midnight Monday; but if you go west from Jerusalem to eastern America (about as far as Babylon is from Jerusalem), then at midday Sunday in Jerusalem it is six hours earlier there—Sunday morning; even further west—as far as Siberia is east of Babylon—it is midnight Sunday. So at one place, if you arrive from east to west it's Sunday; from west to east it's Monday. To resolve doubt one must find where days begin counting. Here lies the core confusion: since heaven and earth are round with no beginning or end, every point could be considered a start.

This question has been debated by authorities (see Shu"t Bnei Tzion, Hayomam by Rabbi Tokaczynski, etc.), with three opinions on where days begin: (a) 90 degrees east of Jerusalem; (b) 145 degrees east; (c) 180 degrees east. For Australia—according to the last two views—it lies east of Jerusalem for day-counting purposes, matching non-Jews living there; so too should Jews act henceforth according to local custom (and possibly even according to the first opinion since the dividing line passes through Australia itself—but this view stands alone). This applies to laws dependent on weekdays or months—but Sefirat HaOmer depends on elapsed time and may not relate to these debates.

The question: If someone crosses the date line during Sefirat HaOmer—where a day is skipped or added—and follows local custom upon arrival, he will count only 48 or 50 days of Sefirah instead of 49. What then about his obligation for Sefirah and Shavuot which depends on Sefirah rather than month days? So far I have found no discussion of this case regarding Sefirah; thus what follows is only theoretical analysis:

(a) Since all forty-nine days of Sefirah are interconnected—a single continuum with many details—when one counts day one he begins counting forty-eight more days afterward; it's an obligation on the person (not place). Therefore he must count forty-eight more days—not forty-seven or forty-nine—as "seven complete weeks" are required—not more nor less (unlike weekdays or months).

(b) On the other hand: Sefirah relates to month days (as with bringing the Omer if Beit HaMikdash stood); so if by law it’s now 30 Nissan locally—not 29 Nissan—he must count fifteen for Omer not fourteen. There’s room to explain both ways: do we follow the person counting or his location? Even if we follow him personally—after crossing he could only count thirteen times—or do we follow his local month count? Or perhaps Sefirah is unified for all Jews like there’s only one Omer offering—or perhaps each individual must count? Or perhaps saying "today is fifteen days for Omer" suffices if he means today completes fifteen days—or must he state explicitly "fifteen days"? Since there are arguments both ways—he should count both numbers without a blessing, especially per Shu"t Devar Avraham I:34 who holds that counting requires certainty—not doubt—even though others disagree.

Therefore we reach your second question: how should he observe Shavuot? It seems—even though this may be novel—that since Shavuot depends solely on Sefirah—as known—then per one logic above he should celebrate Shavuot on what would be second Yom Tov for Australian Jews—which for him would be first Yom Tov out of doubt (not due to ancestral custom)—perhaps that logic is correct—and also celebrate their first Yom Tov out of doubt (perhaps another logic applies)—but not certainly so. Thus he counts all forty-nine days and puts on tefillin on their first Yom Tov (see Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 31), does not get called up to Torah either day etc.

[Upon reconsideration—a third possibility exists: both logics about Sefirah are correct—that on day fifty by one count he should celebrate Shavuot—and likewise on day fifty by his other count—for both are valid so both should be observed as holy with shared sanctity; what’s forbidden one day becomes permitted another—for Shehecheyanu blessing take a new fruit etc.; for this view he counts both numbers with a blessing since there’s no doubt but certainty that today completes fourteen by one count and fifteen by another—and both counts are obligatory—but still recites only one blessing over both counts since it’s one mitzvah—like tefillin shel yad and shel rosh. Ideally say lower number first as Mishnah Berurah rules about Retzeh/Yaleh Veyavo when Motzaei Yom Tov falls on Shabbat—but post facto either order suffices since they’re separate counts.]

Do not object that this creates issues of "Lo Titgodedu" [prohibition against forming separate groups] or disrespecting Yom Tov—for since this happens rarely and privately we needn’t worry—it’s no worse than an Israeli putting on tefillin during Chol HaMoed abroad etc.

It might seem that similarly all these doubts apply if someone crosses date line during Pesach or Sukkot regarding Shevi'i Shel Pesach or Shemini Atzeret since those depend on first festival day rather than month dates—but there’s a distinction: Shevi'i Shel Pesach was set also by month dates as written "until twenty-first day...", plus neither Pesach nor Sukkot require "complete weeks", so skipping/adding a day doesn’t matter just as skipping/adding between two Sabbaths doesn’t matter here either—but these matters still require further study.

Note: The above opinions requiring skipping/adding a day when crossing date line apply only for determining weekdays/months in settled places—but those traveling by ship across date line—their status isn’t fully clarified in these debates; while at sea after crossing until reaching land they act stringently both days. Nor has it been clarified regarding Alaska where date line passes through inhabited areas—you can’t say half a street keeps Shabbat while other half keeps Sunday—that would be absurd (see Eruvin 76a end). My reply was delayed due to many obligations.

The pamphlets/books you ordered will be sent soon—you’ll be notified how/when they’re sent—and surely you’ll distribute them locally where little has been done so far.

You asked about Tanya chapter 35 where it says "the intellect grasps...and what’s grasped...": seemingly if intellect grasps then obviously what’s grasped is held—so what does this teach? I don’t know any Chassidic discourse explaining this yet; my own thought:

(a) Even if nothing new were taught here—it’s stated explicitly because even such clarity contributes greatly—that this union [of mind/intellect] is wondrous etc.

(b) In Torah study this IS truly novel—even someone learning not lishmah—even someone called wicked whose Torah becomes poison—even so if his mind grasps then what’s grasped becomes part of him like flesh/blood. See also Hilchot Talmud Torah Admur Hazaken IV:3.

Summary

This letter explores intricate halachic issues arising when traveling across time zones during periods like Sefirat HaOmer or holidays such as Shavuot—including how many days should be counted or celebrated—and emphasizes careful adherence to halachic reasoning while recognizing practical complexities unique to such journeys.