Parshas Emor 5785
- Torah Tavlin
- 8 hours ago
- 2 min read
וספרתם לכם ממחרת השבת מיום הביאכם את עמר התנופה שבע שבתות תמימת תהיינה ... (כג-טו)
The meforshim explain that the word "וספרתם" is derived from the root "ספיר" a sapphire. Our job during the ימי הספירה is to polish and refine our middos and avodah until they shine like a diamond. Then we will be more suitable to be mekabel the Torah on Shavuos. I once heard that Lag Baomer and Tu B’shvat are two of the most easily celebrated Yamim Tovim because they are not accompanied by special mitzvos, obligations, or restrictions and don’t demand any sacrifice. While this may be true, the seforim write that Lag Baomer is a day of hope for many types of salvation. The heilige Tanna Reb Shimon evokes Hashem’s rachmanus through our tefillos, showering Yidden with berachos. No, it’s not a contradiction. While there may not be any specific mitzvos linked to this day, perhaps the opposite is true. Each and every one of us knows the areas in which we can improve. It’s a day of introspection, avodas Hashem through simcha, and increasing our kesher to Hashem through tefillah. Reb Shimon, and his son Reb Elazar, lived for years in the cave, with mesiras nefesh and practically no gashmiyus. It would therefore behoove us to try to follow in that area as well, thereby meriting Reb Shimon to intercede on our behalf.
There’s a powerful vort from the Sar Shalom of Belz zt”l. He asks as follows: we know that Hashem “keeps” the entire Torah. Now, in order to be מהדר במצוה, we are supposed to pay more, up to a third of the price, to “upgrade” to a nicer mitzvah item. How is Hashem mekayem this inyan of הידור מצוה עד שליש? The Belzer Rebbe answers, when a Yid works on himself to combat the יצר הרע and he is successful, say, two-thirds of the way, Hashem takes care of the final third. Then he added, there are 49 days of Sefirah. The thirty-third day, Lag Baomer, is exactly two-thirds of ספירה. Thus, if we make a concerted effort to better ourselves, and mostly succeed, Hashem will “cover” the deficit. We can then be zoche to "אף הקדוש ברוך הוא מטהר את ישראל" and be worthy to be mekabel the Torah בשמחה ובטהרה on the upcoming Yom Tov of Shavuos הבא עלינו לטובה.