Dvar Torah for Parshat Emor

Based on Likutey Halakhot Hilkhot Dam 1

"[Beginning the second day of Passover] you shall count for yourselves [the Omer-count]...seven complete weeks."
(Leviticus 23:15)

Perhaps it wasn't that long ago and you still remember it - your first teshuvah moment, the first moment when you felt a powerful desire "to be religious," to strengthen your commitment to Hashem (God) and a more Jewish lifestyle. And in that first moment, in those first hours or first days, you're not really sure what to do. You simply don't know how to concretize that desire. This teshuvah moment is Pesach (Passover).

Pesach is an awakening from above, a gift, plain and simple. Hashem decided to take us out of slavery, to remove the Egyptian walls that kept us away from Him and we were free. And at that teshuvah moment Hashem decided to remove the walls that were keeping you from Him. And like our ancestors of long ago what could we really do for God at that moment? They had no Torah, no instructions as to what is was they were to do. You, too, even if you were already committed to Torah observance when you had your teshuvah moment, you didn't know what to do then, what particulars of your observance (or lack thereof) needed attention. Nonetheless, you were granted freedom to take a step closer to Hashem.

But when did we as a nation become aware of what to do? How, or what, was that awareness brought about? We became aware, we were enlightened, when we received the Torah at Sinai. What brought about the giving of the Torah? We know that Moshe Rabbeinu (our teacher Moses) as on the mountaintop for 40 days and 40 nights, but why did God extend the invitation? Because of our desire and that of those tzaddikim (righteous individuals) who lived prior to its giving (including, but not limited to, the Patriarchs and Matriarchs, Noah and Methuselah.) The accumulated desire to serve Hashem for His sake of those saintly ancients, combined with the intense yearning of those millions of Jews who left Egypt and the perfection of Moshe Rabbeinu, coalesced and the Torah was given.

Again this year, just twenty-something days ago, each of us had another wall removed, another exodus from Egypt, another teshuvah moment. Now we have to again yearn to receive the Torah, to receive the gift of God's instructions of how to take another step closer to Him. Our honest yearning to serve Him for His sake helps us to correctly understand and perform those instructions.

(This parallels the teshuvah process engaged in prior to and during the Ten Days of Repentance. During that time of the year we also long to improve our ways and to better fulfill the Torah. Now, however, our yearning "writes," as it were, the Torah, determining how well we will understand the Divine revelation. The period of the Omer-count, like the Days of Repentance, is a time for saying extra Tehilim [Psalms].)

This answers the question sometimes heard this time of the year. Why, it is asked, do we count "It is so-many and so-many days of the Omer"? Since we are so desirous of receiving it, shouldn't we be having a countdown: Only 49 days left! Only 20 days left! This question never gets off the ground. Firstly, if we were merely counting down, the mitzvah of counting should be done late in the afternoon, at day's end, and not right after nightfall when the day begins! Secondly, we are counting our moving away from Egyptianite behavior and thinking. The more successful one is at this, the more successful s/he will be in being loyal to the Torah. Thirdly, we are not just watching "time go by"—we are making our time count. Finally, and most importantly, counting up teaches us that the giving of the Torah is not an automatic event that will take place if we lack the requisite interest and preparation. If you don't prepare, it's not there! Yes, of course, the Torah scroll is in the Ark and the leather-bound Talmud sits on the bookshelf, but what good are they if you're not interested in studying them and taking their words to heart?!

Now is the time to prove to Hashem that taking us out of Egypt was not a mistake. Now is the time to prove to yourself that your interest in God and Judaism is not momentary. Now is the time to take stock to see how much progress you've made on the road to receiving the Torah. Make the time count—now!

agutn Shabbos!
Shabbat Shalom!