Parshat Emor discusses the different holiday and when they are. Perek 23 pesukim 1 and 2 say,
| 1And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, | | אוַיְדַבֵּר יְהֹוָה אֶל משֶׁה לֵּאמֹר: |
| 2Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: The Lord's appointed [holy days] that you shall designate as holy occasions. These are My appointed [holy days]: | | בדַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם מוֹעֲדֵי יְהֹוָה אֲשֶׁר תִּקְרְאוּ אֹתָם מִקְרָאֵי קֹדֶשׁ אֵלֶּה הֵם מוֹעֲדָי: |
Why does pasuk bet say both speak say?
The Gemara says that both to join together the elders and the young.
What are other reasons for saying both of these? What are the reasons for these holidays?
Rashi says that “designate as holy occasions” means to establish a leap year for the Jews outside of Yerushalayim so that they would make it on time for the festivals. This would allow the Jews not to give up if they thought they would never make it on time, because now Hashem was adding in time so that they could travel.
ReplyDeleteRabbi Alpert says that the pasuk says both speak and say to emphasize the importance of these holidays. Although it is the kohanim that actually designate the holidays, moshe was instructed to tell all of bnei yisrael to ensure that the entire bnei yisrael shows up when it is time to carry out the holiday rituals.
ReplyDeleteThis pasuk can be translated/interpreted differently. Earlier in the parsha the same phrasing appeared. Rashi says that in the first case,it can teach a lesson that “the adult kohanim should warn/ advise the younger kohanim” (regarding the mitzvos related to guarding their state of purity). Therefore, since this is an identical case, we may be able to interpret this pasuk similarly.
ReplyDeleteWEBITZEN!!! WEBITZEN!!! 🙌
The holidays are referred to continuously as "moadim"-appointed times because they are special times where Jews "meet" with Hahsem. Rav Hirsch explains that the word "moadim"- appointed seasons, summon us to submit ourselves entirely to the inner realization of those ideals which lie at their foundation. Just as moed refers to places of assembly for an appointed purpose (Petach ohel moed- connection:)), so moed in time (not in location) summons us communally to an appointed activity- in this case an inner activity. Therefore Moadim are the days which stand out from the other days of the year. The summon us from everyday life to stop and dedicate all of our spirituality to them. They interrupt the everyday activities of our lives and give us the spirit and power for the future by reviving those ideas upon which our whole life is based.
ReplyDeleteThe Mar'eh Yechezkel says that you should establish the holidays and then keep them in the future, this is why both of the words are needed. He gives a mashal of someone traveling through a desert with his son, who is a prince, and wants water. Instead of simply getting water, his father orders a well to be dug and put a sign near it. Although there were ways of getting water quicker, maybe one day in the future if someone is traveling alone and has no way of obtaining water, this well will help him, and he will remember you by the sign that you have placed. This related to the holidays in that now is the time that the holidays are being established, and will be remembered into the future.
ReplyDeleteThis double expression comes to admonish the adult Kohanim to be responsible for the minors and that they must not contaminate them.
ReplyDeleteThe Vilna Gaon says there's an allusion to the festivals when it is allowed to do Melacha for the sake of preparing food. In Pasuk Gimmel, it says "For six days work may be done". There are six festival days on which the Torah permits cooking food. "But on the seventh day"--on Yom Kippur, it is forbidden to do melacha to prepare food.
ReplyDeleteRabbi Waxman asks why say this? Do we not know there are festivals? Have we not heard about Shabbat?! Rather, this is done to introduce the festivals, and to connect it to the famous Shabbat Bereishit, of which everyone knows.
ReplyDeleteMore than that, we are told that the seventh day of the week is a "Shabbat Shabbaton," and then we are carefully told what this entails. It is "a holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of work." Why, because it is a Shabbat unto Hashem. This is giving a definition so that we are being told what a "Shabbat" is.
Rashi quote the gemara in yevamos which says that it is to tell the adults to caution the children.
ReplyDelete"How do Chazal see this from the fact that is says twice to tell them, asks Rav Moshe Shmuel Shapiro?
He answers that the Dubno Magid once asked the Vilna Gaon what is the most effective way to influence children. The Vilna Gaon answered with a Mashal.
He said to take a large cup and surround it with smaller cups. Then pour into the large cup and keep pouring until it spills over the top right into the little cups. To have children absorb the lessons, you must fill yourself with an overdose of whatever traits you want to teach them. They will become filled from the overflow. "
-Shirat Devorah Blogspot
Ariella Rand
ReplyDeleteThe Lubavitcher Rebbe says that the word used by rashi/Talmud "lehazhir" can also mean an illumination. It was bringing together the elders and the younger/others of bni israel. When educating, it is also an illumination for the elders, not just learning for the younger.
In this weeks Parsha, the Torah commands us to rejoice on the holidays. When the Torah mentions Sukkot and Shavuot it is specifically written that we should rejoice on those holidays. On Pesach, however, there is no mention about rejoicing. The Ba'al HaTurim suggests that people are concerned about gathering grain at that time of the year, but on Shavuot they are not since it has already been harvested.
ReplyDeleteMoshe Shmuel Shapiro says it was the parents way of cautioning the children, and he shows this with a mashal. You take small cups and surround them around a large cup. You fill the large cup with water until it starts to overflow into the smaller cups. So to, if you want to be able to teach children, the smaller cups, you, the larger cup, should "overflow" yourself with whatever you want to be teaching them.
ReplyDeleteRashi says that אשר תקראו אותם קראי קדש means to establish a leap year so that the Jews living outside of Yerushalayim would be able to get to the בהמק in time for the holidays. Hashem was adding in time for them to travel.
ReplyDeleteOn the holidays one should do things that bring him joy. The chinuch explains that people need joyous occasions in their lives, therefore God established holidays in which we should experience joy in a holy context. It duals as a chance to thank Hashem for all the miracles he performs for us. Maimonides adds that when happiness is expressed within a community, it strengthens the love and connection between fellow Jews.
ReplyDeletehttp://m.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1192936/jewish/Rejoicing-on-the-Holidays.htm