[Par-lite] For Parshat Emor

Thu May 7 01:46:18 EDT 2015

This week's TSC shiurim are dedicated

 in memory of Shmuel Aharon Ashkenazie ....
Ha'ish hakasher vehayshar beenav rav pealim
Gomel hasadim . 

niftar 24 Iyar.    Yehi zichro Baruch.

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     THE TANACH STUDY CENTER
[http://www.tanach.org]

          In Memory of Rabbi Abraham Leibtag

     Shiurim in Chumash & Navi by Menachem
Leibtag

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         PARSHAT  EMOR  - "moadei Hashem

    What is a "moed"?

    Most of us would answer - a Jewish
holiday [i.e. a "yom-tov"].

      [Most English Bibles translate "moed" -
a fixed time.]

     However, earlier in Chumash, the Hebrew
word "chag" was

used to describe the Holidays (e.g. see Shmot
12:14, 13:6,

23:16).  So why does Parshat Emor prefer to
use the Hebrew

word "moed" instead? [See 23:2,4,37,44.]

     Furthermore, it is just by chance that
the same Hebrew

word "moed" is also used to describe the
Mishkan, i.e. the

"Ohel MOED"?  [See Vayikra 1:1, Shmot 30:34
etc.]

     In this week's shiur, we attempt to
answer these

questions by taking a closer look at Vayikra
chapter 23.

INTRODUCTION

     Even though Parshat Emor discusses all
of the Jewish

holidays, these same holidays are also
discussed in the other

books of Chumash as well:

     * in Sefer Shmot: Parshat Mishpatim
(23:14-17)

                             & Ki-tisa
(34:23);

     * in Sefer Bamidbar: Parshat Pinchas
(chapters 28-29);

     * in Sefer Devarim: Parshat Re'ay
(chapter 16).

     However, within these four 'parshiot' we
find two

distinct sets of holidays:

     A) The "SHALOSH REGALIM"

          [the three pilgrimage holidays]

          i.e.- chag ha'Matzot, Shavuot, &
Succot;

     B) The "YOMIM NORAIM"

          [the days of awe /  the 'high
holidays']

          i.e.- Rosh ha'Shana, Yom Kippur &
Shmini Atzeret.

     Sefer Shmot and Sefer Devarim discuss
ONLY the "shalosh

regalim", while Sefer Vayikra and Sefer
Bamidbar discuss both

the "shalosh regalim" AND the "yomim noraim".

     At first glance this 'multiple
presentation' of the

chagim in FOUR different books of the Chumash
appears to be

superfluous. After all, would it not have
been more logical

for the Torah to present ALL of these laws
together in ONE

Parsha (and in ONE Sefer)?

     However, since the Torah does present
the holidays in

four different "seforim", we can safely
assume that there must

be something special about each presentation,
and that each

relates to the primary theme of its
respective "sefer".

     Even though our shiur will focus on the
chagim in Emor,

we must begin our study with the chagim in
Parshat Mishpatim,

for that 'parshia' contains the first mention
of the SHALOSH

REGALIM in Chumash.

  [As the shiur is very textual (more than
usual), it is

  recommended that you follow it with a
Tanach at hand.]

TWO CALENDARS

     As background for our shiur, we'll need
to first review

some basics regarding the 'Biblical
calendar'.

  Even though we commonly refer to the Jewish
calendar as

'lunar', in Chumash, we find the use of both
a 'solar' [i.e.

the agricultural seasons] and a 'lunar'
calendar [i.e. the 29

day cycle of the moon].

  The solar calendar in Chumash corresponds
to the seasons of

the agricultural year (in Hebrew: "tkufot
ha'shana").  For

example:

  spring ="aviv" (see Shmot 13:3 & 23:14),
and

  autumn ="b'tzeit ha'shana" (Shmot 23:16 &
Devarim 11:12).

  We also find many instances where Chumash
relates to a

calendar that is based on the monthly cycle
of the moon.  For

example:

  "ha'chodesh ha'zeh lachem rosh chodashim"
(Shmot 12:2)

  & the special korban on 'rosh chodesh' (see
Bamidbar 28:11)

  These two calendars are 'correlated' by the
periodic

addition of an 'extra' month to assure that
the FIRST month of

the lunar year will always correspond with
the spring equinox

(see Shmot 12:1-2).

     With this distinction in mind, let's
take a careful look

at the calendar which Chumash employs when it
describes the

holidays.

THE SHALOSH REGALIM IN PARSHAT MISHPATIM

     Let's take a quick look at Shmot
23:14-17, as this is the

first presentation of the "shalosh regalim"
in Chumash:

  "Three times a year celebrate to Me:

    (1) Keep CHAG HA'MATZOT, eat matza... at
the "moed"

       [appointed time] in the SPRING [when
you went out of

       Egypt]...

    (2) and a CHAG KATZIR [a grain HARVEST
holiday] for the

        first- fruits of what you have sown
in your field,

    (3) and a CHAG HA'ASIF [a fruit gathering
holiday] at the

        conclusion of the [agricultural]
year...

  "Three times a years, each male should come
to be seen by

   God..."   (see Shmot 23:14-17)

     Note how these three holidays are
described ONLY by the

agricultural time of year in which they are
celebrated

.without any mention of the specific lunar
date!:

     chag ha'Matzot: "b'aviv" - in the
SPRING;

     chag ha'Katzir: the wheat harvest - in
the early SUMMER;

     chag ha'Asif: the fruit harvest - in the
AUTUMN.

     Note as well (in 23:17) that the primary
mitzvah

associated with each of these three holidays
is "aliyah

la'regel" - to be seen by God [i.e. by
visiting Him at the

Mishkan/Mikdash].

  [Note that this presentation is repeated in
a very similar

  fashion in Parshat Ki-tisa (see Shmot
34:18-26) when Moshe

  Rabeinu receives the second Luchot.
However, that

  repetition was necessary due to the events
of "chet ha'egel"

  (see TSC shiur on Ki-tisa), and hence
-beyond the scope of

  this shiur.]

THE SHALOSH REGALIM IN PARSHAT RE'AY

     In Sefer Devarim (see 16:1-17) we find a
very similar

presentation, although a bit more detailed.
As you review

that chapter, note that once again:

     * Only the SHALOSH REGALIM are presented

     * Only their agricultural dates are
cited, and

     * The primary mitzvah is "aliya
la'regel"

     However, this unit adds two important
details that were

not mentioned in Parshat Mishpatim:

  1) WHERE the mitzvah of "aliyah l'regel" is
to take place,

  i.e. "ba'makom asher Yivchar Hashem..." -
at the site that

  God will choose to have His Name dwell
there.

                    [See 16:2,6,11,15,16.]

  2) that we must REJOICE on these holidays -
not only with

  our own family, but also with the less
fortunate, such as

  the stranger, the orphan, the widow etc.
(see 16:11,14).

     The Torah demands that when we celebrate
and thank God

for the bounty of our harvest, we must invite
the less

fortunate to join us.

AGRICULTURAL HOLIDAYS

     It is not coincidental the Torah chose
to use the solar

calendar in its presentation of the SHALOSH
REGALIM.  Clearly,

the Torah's primary intention is that we must
thank God during

these three critical times of the
agricultural year:

     (1) when nature 'comes back to life' in
the spring (PESACH)

     (2) at the conclusion of the wheat
harvest (SHAVUOT)

     (3) at the conclusion of the fruit
harvest (SUCCOT)

     Hence, the Torah describes these three
holidays by their

agricultural dates, with even mentioning a
lunar date.

     However, when the Torah presents the
holidays in EMOR

(Vayikra 23) and PINCHAS (Bamidbar 28->29),
we will find a

very different manner of presentation, as the
'lunar date' of

each holiday is included as well.  We will
now review those

two units, noting how each "chag" is
introduced with its

precise lunar month and day.

THE CHAGIM IN PINCHAS

     Briefly scan Bamidbar chapters 28 & 29
(in Parshat

Pinchas), noting how it comprises a complete
unit - focusing

on one primary topic, i.e. the details of the
KORBAN MUSAF

that is offered (in the Bet ha'Mikdash) on
each holiday.  Note

how it first details the daily "korban tamid"
(see 28:1-8),

followed by the weekly and monthly Musaf
offering (see 28:9-

15) that is offered on Shabbat and Rosh
Chodesh.  Afterward,

beginning with 28:16, ALL of the holidays are
mentioned, one

at time - introduced with their lunar date,
followed by the

details of its specific Musaf offering.
Technically speaking,

this entire section could also be titled -
"korbanot ha'Tmidim

v'ha'Musafim" - since that is its primary
focus, and it is in

that context that the holidays are presented.

     As this unit serves as the yearly
'schedule' for offering

the korban Tamid and Musaf in the Temple, it
makes sense that

each holiday is introduced solely by its
lunar date.

  [Note that the "maftir" reading on each
holiday is taken

  from this unit, and we quote its relevant
section every time

  when we doven tefilat Musaf!]

A QUICK SUMMARY

     Before we begin our study of the
holidays in Parshat

Emor, let's summarize what we have discussed
thus far:

     In the books of Shmot and Devarim, only
the "shalosh

regalim" were presented, and only according
to their solar

dates - focusing on our obligation to 'visit
God' during these

critical times of the agricultural year.

     In Sefer Bamidbar, all the holidays were
presented

according to their lunar dates, as that unit
focused on the

specific korban Musaf offered on each special
day.

     In earlier shiurim, we have also
discussed the thematic

connection between each of these units, and
the book in which

they were presented:

* In Parshat Mishpatim - as part of laws
pertaining to 'social

  justice', and hence their thematic
connection to the psukim

  that precede them in Shmot 23:6-12.

    [See TSC shiur on Parshat Mishpatim.]

* In Parshat Re'ay - in the context of the
primary topic of

  chapters 12 thru 17, i.e. "ha'makom asher
yivchar Hashem".

          [See TSC shiur on Parshat Re'ay.]

*   In Parshat Pinchas - as part of the laws
of Tmidim u'Musafim.

               [See TSC shiur on Parshat
Pinchas.]

     In contrast to these units, we will now
show how the

presentation of the holidays in Parshat Emor
is unique, and

how it relates to the overall theme of Sefer
Vayikra.

THE CHAGIM IN PARSHAT EMOR

     Review Vayikra 23:1-44, noting how this
unit also

presents all of the holidays (i.e. the
shalosh regalim & the

"yamim noraim"), yet unlike Parshat Pinchas,
this time they

are presented by BOTH their lunar and solar
dates!

Furthermore, in addition to certain mitzvot
which are common

to all of the holidays, we also find a unique
mitzvah for each

holiday.  For example:

     Chag Ha'Matzot - the special OMER
offering (from barely);

     Shavuot - the SHTEI HA'LECHEM offering
(from wheat);

     Rosh Ha'Shana - YOM TERUAH - blowing the
shofar;

     Yom Kippur - fasting;

     Succot - sitting in the SUCCAH.

          and the ARBA MINIM (lulav and etrog
etc.).

     To appreciate why these specific details
are found in

Sefer Vayikra, let's take a closer looks at
how these laws are

presented, as well as the dates that are
used.

'DOUBLE DATING'

     As we noted above, it is rather obvious
how Parshat Emor

presents the holidays by their LUNAR dates
(month/day).

However, as the following table will now
demonstrate, when

Parshat Emor introduces the special mitzvah
for each holiday,

especially in regard to the SHALOSH REGALIM,
the agricultural

season (i.e. the SOLAR date) is mentioned as
well!  For

example, note:

CHAG HA'MATZOT - mitzvat ha'OMER

  "When you enter the Land... and HARVEST the
grain, you must

  bring the OMER - the FIRST HARVEST to the
Kohen (23:10);

SHAVUOT - mitzvat SHTEI HA'LECHEM

  "... count SEVEN WEEKS [from when the first
grain becomes

  ripe], then... you shall bring a NEW flour
offering..."

  (23:16);

SUCCOT - the ARBA MINIM

  "On the 15th day of the 7th month WHEN YOU
GATHER THE

  PRODUCE OF THE LAND... and you shall take
on the first day a

  'hadar' fruit..." (see 23:39).

     In fact, look carefully and you'll
notice that Parshat

Emor presents the agricultural related
commandment for each of

the "shalosh regalim" in an independent
manner!

     For example, the agricultural mitzvah to
bring the korban

"ha'omer" and the "shtei ha'lechem" is
presented in a separate

'dibur' (see 23:9-22) that makes no mention
at all of the

lunar date!  Similarly, the mitzvah of the
"arba minim"  in

23:39-41 is presented independently, and
AFTER the mitzvah

CHAG HA'SUCCOT is first presented in
23:33-38. [To verify

this, compare these two sections carefully!]

     So why does the structure of Emor have
to be so

complicated?  Would it not have made more
sense for the Torah

to employ one standard set of dates, and
explain all the

mitzvot for each holiday together?

     To answer this question, we must first
take a closer look

at the internal structure of Vayikra chapter
23.

THE COMMON MITZVOT

     Even though Parshat Emor presents the
special mitzvot of

each holiday, it also presents some common
mitzvot for all the

holidays - immediately after each is
introduced by its lunar

date.

     Review chapter 23 and note the pattern,
noting how each

holiday is referred to as a "moed", and that
we are commanded

to make it a "mikra kodesh" [to call out to
set it aside for a

national gathering] - when work is prohibited
- "kol mlechet

avodah lo taasu"; and that we must offer an
korban -

"v'hikravtem ishe l'Hashem".

     To verify this, note the following
psukim:

CHAG HAMATZOT / 23:6-8

ROSH HA'SHANA / 23:25

YOM KIPPUR / 23:27-28

SUCCOT & SHMINI ATZERET / 23:33-36

  [Note that in regard to SHAVUOT (see 23:21)
a lunar date and

  the phrase "v'hikravtem" is missing!  For a
discussion why,

  see the TSC shiur on Shavuot.]

     Therefore, in relation to the LUNAR
date, Parshat Emor

requires that on each holiday the nation must
gather together

[="mikra kodesh"], refrain from physical
labor [="kol mlechet

avoda lo ta'asu"], and offer a special korban
Musaf

[=v'hikravtem ishe la'Hashem"], as detailed
in Parshat

Pinchas.

     However, within this same unit, we also
find that the

"shalosh regalim" are presented INDEPENDENTLY
with a solar

date -within the context of its agricultural
mitzvah.

     If we take a closer look at those
psukim, we'll also

notice that in each instance the concept of a
SHABBAT or

SHABBATON is mentioned in conjunction with
the special

agricultural mitzvah of each holiday [i.e.
OMER, SHTEI

HA'LECHEM & ARBA MINIM].

     Furthermore, we also find the use of the
word SHABBATON

in the presentation of ROSH HA'SHANA and YOM
KIPPUR as well!

[See 23:24,32.]

     Finally, note the detail of the mitzvot
relating to

SHABBATON always conclude with the phrase:
"chukat olam

l'doroteichem [b'chol moshvoteichem]", see
23:14,21,31,41!

     The following chart summarizes this
second pattern in

which the word SHABBAT or SHABBATON is
mentioned in relation

to each holiday:

Chag Ha'MATZOT - "mi'mochorat ha'SHABBAT"
(23:11)

SHAVUOT - "ad mimochorat ha'SHABBAT
ha'shviit..." (23:16)

ROSH Ha'SHANA - "SHABBATON, zichron truah..."
(23:24)

YOM KIPPUR -  SHABBAT SHABBATON hi lachem..."
(23:32)

SUCCOT &  - ba'yom ha'rishon SHABBATON...
(23:39)

SHMINI ATZERET - u'bayom ha'Shmini SHABBATON"
(23:39)

     Note also that within this parsha, the

SHABBAT/agricultural aspect is first
introduced by a separate

"dibur":

  "And God spoke to Moshe saying... When you
ENTER THE LAND

  that I am giving you REAP ITS HARVEST, you
shall bring the

  OMER - the first sheaf of your harvest to
God. This OMER

  shall be waived in front of God... on the
day after SHABBAT

  the Kohen shall waive it...."  (23:9-14)

  The most striking example of this 'double
pattern' is found

in the psukim that describe Succot. Note how
the Torah first

introduces this holiday as a MIKRA KODESH by
its lunar date:

  "On the 15th day of the 7th month Chag
Succot seven days: on

  the first day there shall be a MIKRA
KODESH... and on the

  eighth day a MIKRA KODESH..." (23:35-36)

    [As this is the last MOED, the next pasuk
summarizes all

    of the chagim: "ayleh Moadei Hashem..."
(23:37-38)].

     Then, in a very abrupt fashion, AFTER
summarizing the

moadim, the Torah returns to Succot again,
but now calls it a

SHABBATON:

  " 'ACH' - on the 15th day of the seventh
month, when you

  GATHER THE HARVEST OF YOUR FIELD, you shall
celebrate for

  seven days, on the first day - a SHABBATON,
and on the

  eighth day - a SHABBATON." (23:39)

     Hence, it appears from Parshat Emor that
each holiday is

treated as both a "moed" (in relation to
"mikra kodesh", "isur

melacha", & "v'hikravtem") AND as a
"shabbaton" (in relation

to its special mitzvah).

A DOUBLE 'HEADER'

     Let's take a look now at the
introductory psukim of this

entire unit (i.e. 23:1-3), for they appear to
allude as well

to the double nature of this presentation.

     First of all, note how the opening
psukim of chapter 23

appear to contradict each other:

  * "And God told Moshe, tell Bnei Yisrael...
THESE are the

     MOADEI HASHEM (fixed times), which YOU
shall call MIKRAEI

     KODESH (a sacred gathering) - these are
the MOADIM". (23:1-2)

  *  "SIX days work may be done, but the
SEVENTH day shall be

      a SHABBAT SHABBATON 'mikra kodesh'...
(23:3)

     THESE are the 'MOADEI HASHEM'...:

          On the 14th day of the first month
- Pesach

          On the 15th day of the first month
- chag ha'Matzot...

                              (see 23:4-6)

     Based on this header, it remains unclear
if SHABBAT

should be considered one of the MOADIM?

     If yes, then why does 23:4 repeat the
header "ayleh

moadei Hashem"?

     If not, why is SHABBAT mentioned at all
in the first

three psukim?

     Furthermore, there appears to be two
types of 'mikraei

kodesh' in Parshat Emor.

  (1)  MOADIM - those that Bnei Yisrael
declare: "asher tik'ru

  otam [that YOU shall call] - mikraei
kodesh" (23:2)

  (2)  SHABBAT - that God has set aside to be
a 'mikra kodesh'

  (read 23:3 carefully!).

     This distinction, and the repetition of
the header "ayleh

moadei Hashem" in 23:4, indicate the first
three psukim could

be considered a 'double' header: i.e MO'ADIM
and SHABBATONIM.

     As the unit progresses, this 'double
header' reflects the

double presentation of chagim in this entire
unit, as

discussed above.  In regard to the shalosh
regalim, the

SHABBATON aspect is presented separately. In
regard to Rosh

Ha'shana and Yom Kippur, the SHABBATON aspect
is included in

the 'lunar' MIKRA KODESH presentation.

  [In regard to the agricultural nature of
Rosh ha'shana and

  Yom Kippur, see TSC shiur on Rosh
ha'shana.]

     What is the meaning of the double nature
of this

presentation?  Why does Parshat Emor relate
to both the lunar

and solar calendars?  One could suggest the
following

explanation.

THE AGRICULTURAL ASPECT

     As mentioned above, Parshat Emor details
a special

agricultural related mitzvah for each of the
shalosh regalim:

Chag ha'Matzot:

     The Korban Ha'Omer- from the first
BARLEY harvest.

Shavuot:

     The Korban Shtei Ha'lechem, from the
first WHEAT harvest.

Succot:

     Taking the 'Arba Minim', the four
species -

               [i.e. the lulav, etrog, hadas
and arava]

     These mitzvot relate directly to the
agricultural seasons

in Eretz Yisrael in which these holidays
fall.  In the spring,

barley is the first grain crop to become
ripe.  During the

next seven weeks, the wheat crop ripens and
is harvested.  As

this is the only time of the year when wheat
grows in Eretz

Yisrael, these seven weeks are indeed a
critical time, for the

grain which will be consumed during the
entire year is

harvested during this very short time period.

     Similarly, the ARBA MINIM, which are
brought to the

Mikdash on Succot, also relate to the
agricultural importance

of the fruit harvest ("pri eytz hadar v'kapot
tmarim") at this

time of the year, and the need for water in
the forthcoming

rainy season ("arvei nachal").

     Therefore, specifically when the Torah
relates to these

agricultural mitzvot, these holidays are
referred to as

SHABBATONIM - for the concept of "shabbat"
relates to the DAYS

of the week, and thus, to the cycle of nature
caused by the

sun, i.e. the agricultural seasons of the
year. They also

relate to the natural cycle of the sun.

  [Recall that the 365 day cycle of the earth
revolving around

  the sun causes the seasons.]

     As these holidays are celebrated during
the most critical

times of the agricultural year, the Torah
commands us to

gather at this time of the year in the Bet
HaMikdash and offer

special korbanot from our harvest.  Instead
of relating these

phenomena of nature to a pantheon of gods, as
the Canaanite

people did, Am Yisrael must recognize that it
is God's hand

behind nature and therefore, we must thank
Him for our

harvest.

  [This challenge - to find God while working
and living

  within the framework of nature - is
reflected in the

  blessing we make over bread: "ha'motzi
lechem min ha'aretz".

  Even though we perform 99% of work in the
process of making

  bread (e.g. sowing, reaping, winnowing,
grinding, kneading,

  baking etc.), we thank God as though He had
given us bread

  directly from the ground!]

THE HISTORICAL HOLIDAYS

     Even though these agricultural mitzvot
alone provides

sufficient reason to celebrate these
holidays, the Torah finds

HISTORICAL significance in these seasonal
holidays as well.

     The spring commemorates our redemption
from Egypt.  The

grain harvest coincides with the time of
Matan Torah.  During

the fruit harvest we recall our supernatural
existence in the

desert under the "annanei kavod" (clouds of
God's glory) in

the desert.

     Just as the Torah employs to the SOLAR
date of the chagim

in relation to the agricultural mitzvot, the
Torah also

employs the LUNAR date of these chagim in
relation to their

historical significance.  For example, when
describing Chag

Ha'Matzot, which commemorates the historical
event of Yetziat

Mitzraim, the lunar date of the 15th day of
the first month is

used (see 23:6). Similarly, when the Torah
refers to Succot as

a Mikra Kodesh, it employs solely the lunar
date and

emphasizes the mitzvah of sitting in the
succah, in

commemoration of our dwelling in succot
during our journey

through the desert (see 23:34-35,43).

     One could suggest that specifically the
lunar calendar is

used in relation to the historical aspect,
for we count the

MONTHS in commemoration of our Exodus from
Egypt, the most

momentous event in our national history:

  "ha'chodesh ha'zeh lachem ROSH
CHODASHIM..."  This month (in

  which you are leaving Egypt) will be for
you the FIRST

  month... (see Shmot 12:1-3).

REDEMPTION IN THE SPRING

     From the repeated emphasis in Chumash
that we celebrate

our redemption from Egypt in the early spring
("chodesh

ha'aviv" /see Shmot 13:2-4 and Devarim
16:1-2), it would

appear that it was not incidental that the
Exodus took place

at that time.  Rather, God desired that our
national birth

take place at the same time of year when the
growth cycle of

nature recommences.

  [For a similar reason, it would appear that
God desired that

  Bnei Yisrael enter the Promised Land in the
first month of

  the spring (see Yehoshua 4:19 & 5:10).]

     One could suggest that the celebration
of our national

redemption specifically in the spring
emphasizes its proper

meaning.  Despite its importance, our freedom
attained at

Yetziat Mitzraim should be understood as only
the INITIAL

stage of our national spiritual 'growth',
just as the spring

marks only the initial stage in the growth
process of nature!

Just as the blossoming of nature in the
spring leads to the

grain harvest in the early summer and fruit
harvest in the

late summer, so too our national freedom must
lead to the

achievement of higher goals in our national
history.

     Thus, counting seven weeks from chag
ha'matzot until chag

ha'shavuot (sfirat ha'omer) emphasizes that
Shavuot

(commemorating the Giving of the Torah)
should be considered

the culmination of the process that began at
Yetziat

Mitzrayim, just as the grain harvest is the
culmination of its

growth process that began in the spring.

  [One would expect that this historical
aspect of Shavuot,

  i.e. Matan Torah, should also be mentioned
in Parshat Emor.

  For some reason, it is not. We will deal
with this issue

  iy"h in our shiur on Shavuot.]

     By combining the two calendars, the
Torah teaches us that

during the critical times of the agricultural
year we must not

only thank God for His providence over nature
but we must also

thank Him for His providence over our
history.  In a

polytheistic society, these various
attributes were divided

among many gods. In an atheistic society, man
fails to see God

in either. The double nature of the chagim
emphasizes this

tenet that God is not only the Force behind
nature, but He

also guides the history of nations.

     Man must recognize God's providence in
all realms of his

daily life; by recognizing His hand in both
the unfolding of

our national history and through perceiving
His greatness as

He is the power behind all the phenomena of
nature.

KEDUSHAT ZMAN

     In conclusion, we can now return to our
original

question, i.e. why does specifically Sefer
Vayikra describe

these holidays as MOADIM?

     The Hebrew word "moed" stems from the
root

"vav.ayin.daled" - to meet.

  [That's why a committee in Hebrew is a
"vaad", and a

  conference is a "ve'iydah". See also Shmot
29:42-43 and Amos

  3:3. Finally, note Breishit 1:14!]

     The Mishkan is called an OHEL MOED - a
tent of meeting -

for in that tent Bnei Yisrael [symbolically]
'meet' God.  In a

similar manner, the Jewish holidays are
called MOADIM, for

their primary purpose is that we set aside
special times

during the year to MEET God.  Clearly, in
Parshat Emor, the

Torah emphasizes the "bein adam la'makom"
[between God and

man] aspect of the holidays. Not only do we
perform the mitzva

of "aliya la'regel", we also perform a wide
range of special

mitzvot that occupy our entire day during
those holidays.

     [See Sefer Kuzari ma'amar r'vii in
relation to the

chagim!]

     As we explained in last week's shiur,
this is the essence

of KEDUSHA - the theme of Sefer Vayikra. We
set aside special

times, and infuse them with special KEDUSHA
to come closer to

Hashem.  However, our experience during these
holidays

provides us with the spiritual strength to
remain close to God

during the remainder of the year.

                         shabbat shalom

                         menachem

================

FOR FURTHER IYUN

A. WHY IN VAYIKRA?

     Why is this parsha that describes the
special mitzvot of

all the chagim located specifically in Sefer
Vayikra?

     Based on last week's shiur, we can
suggest an answer. We

explained that the second half of Vayikra
'translates' the

concentrated level of the shchina dwelling in
the Mishkan to

norms of behavior in our daily life in the
"aretz" (into the

realms of kedushat ha'aretz and kedushat
zman, and kedushat

Makom).

     The special agricultural mitzvot of the
chagim are a

manifestation of how the Kedusha of the
Mishkan affects our

daily life.  By bringing these special
korbanot from our

harvest, the toils of our daily labor, to the
Beit HaMikdash

we remind ourselves of God's Hand in nature
and in the routine

of our daily life.

B. Does the mitzvah of Succah relate to
historical aspect

(yetziat mitzraim) or to the agricultural
aspect (temporary

booths built by the farmers in the field
collecting the

harvest) - or both?

1. Use the two psukim which describe succot
(23:34,42-43) to

base you answer. [Relate also to Succah 11b,
succah k'neged

ananei kavod or succot mamash.]

2. Note also the use of "chukat olam b'chal
moshvoteichem" -

see 23:14,21,31 in relation to Shabbaton.
Note also 23:3!

Now note 23:41, based on the above pattern,
what word is

missing?

Now look at pasuk 23:42 - "ba'succot
TAY'SHVU..."!

Can you explain now why 'that word' is
missing in 23:41?

3. Why is the word "ezrach" used in 23:42?
Relate to Shmot

12:49! [How does "moshvoteichem" relate to
the word

"shabbat"?]

C. Chagei Tishrei and agriculture:

     We noted earlier that Parshat Emor also
included chagei

Tishrei, and each is referred to as a
shabbaton, as well as a

mikra kodesh.

     As explained in our shiur on Rosh
HaShana, these three

holidays, Rosh HaShana, Yom Kippur, and
Shmini Atzeret, relate

to forthcoming year.

  A new agricultural year is about to begin,
and we must

recognize that its fate is not a function of
chance or the

whims of a pantheon of gods, rather a result
of our acceptance

of God's kingdom and the observance of His
mitzvot.

  [Note from Parshat Pinchas, that these
three chagim share a

  common and unique korban musaf! (1-1-7/1)

  Note also that Succot stands at the
agricultural crossroads

of last year's harvest and next year's rainy
season. Thus, we

recite "Hallel" in thanksgiving for the
previous year, but we

all say "Hoshanot" in anticipation of the
forthcoming year.]

D. The sun, we explained, relates to the
agricultural aspects

of chagim, while the moon to its historical
aspect.

1. Relate this to the waxing and waning
feature of the moon

and God's hashagacha over our history.

2. Relate this to the concept of "hester
panim"

3. Relate this to the fact that succot and
pesach fall out on

the 15th day of the lunar month (full moon),
while rosh

hashana -yom din- falls on the first of the
month (b'keseh

lyom chageinu)

4. Relate this to the concept and korbanot of
Rosh Chodesh.

5. Why do you suppose that the sun serves a
symbol of

'nature'?

E. Note the emphasis on the number 'seven'
throughout this

parsha. How and why does the number seven
relate to the solar

calendar, and the agricultural holidays.
Relate your answer to

the first perek of Sefer Breishit and
shabbat!

F. Why do you think that the mitzvot of
aliyah la'regel are

presented specifically in Sefer Shmot?

     Relate to the general theme in the
second half of the

Shmot, relating to the function of the
Mishkan as a

perpetuation of Har Sinai.  In what manner
can "aliyah

l'regel", a national gathering at the Mishkan
on the holidays,

serve as a re-enactment of certain aspects of
Ma'amad Har

Sinai?

G. Compare carefully 23:1-4 to Shmot 35:1-4
and notice the

amazing parallel!. How does this enhance your
understanding of

this parsha, shabbat, and of the Mishkan?]

     See Ramban on 23:1-2!

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