Komentarz do Kapłańska 23:15

ממחרת השבת FROM THE MORROW AFTER THE DAY OF REST — i. e. from the morrow after the first day of the Passover festival (Menachot 65b).

AND YE SHALL COUNT ‘LACHEM’ (UNTO YOU). The meaning thereof is similar to the expression And ye shall take ‘lachem,’²⁶⁴Further, Verse 40. thus establishing that the counting [of the forty-nine days of the omer] and the taking [of the lulav, ethrog etc. on the Festival of Tabernacles] be done by each and every person. Thus the counting must be done by word of mouth, and he should mention the number, just as our Rabbis have received it by tradition.²⁶⁵This may refer to what the Rabbis have said: “It is obligatory to count the days, and it is obligatory to count the weeks” (Menachoth 66 a). Thus we say e.g., “This is the tenth day, making one week and three days of the omer.” This is unlike the expressions and he shall count ‘lo’ (to himself) seven days for his cleansing;²⁶⁶Above, 15:13. then she shall number ‘lah’ (to herself) seven days²⁶⁷Ibid., Verse 28. [referring to a man or woman who suffered a flux, in which case the counting of the clean days does not have to be uttered by word of mouth], because if they so wish, they may remain in their impurity; they must only beware not to forget their impurity [and enter the Sanctuary or eat holy food in a state of defilement, which Scripture strongly forbids].²⁶⁸But otherwise the man or woman suffering a flux [i.e., zav or zavah] is under no obligation to proceed with the purification. Hence “the counting” of the seven clean days which the Torah mentioned that they must do could not be in the nature of a positive act — counting by word of mouth — but merely a warning that they should not forget their state of impurity. However, in the case of the counting of the omer, this reasoning is inapplicable, since the observance of Shevuoth on the fiftieth day is not a matter of choice, hence “the counting” must mean by word of mouth. Similarly, And thou shall number ‘lecha’ (unto thee) seven Sabbaths of years etc.²⁶⁹Further 25:8. of the Jubilee, means [only] that you shall be heedful of the number so that you should not forget [when the Jubilee year falls, but the actual counting of the years does not have to be by word of mouth]. But in the Torath Kohanim I have found it said:²⁷⁰Torath Kohanim, Behar 2:1. “And thou shalt number unto thee²⁶⁹Further 25:8. — in the court.” Now I do not know if the intention is to state that the Great Court [of seventy-one judges] is obliged [actually] to count the years and the Sabbatical cycles²⁷¹Thus the counting would be done e.g., in the following manner: “This year is the twentieth year, making two Sabbatical cycles and six years of the Jubilee.” See “The Commandments,” Vol. I, pp. 148-149. at the beginning of every year, and to recite a benediction before the counting as we do at the counting [of the forty-nine days] of the omer; or it may be that the intention [of the Torath Kohanim] is to state that the court should be careful in the counting of the years, and sanctify the fiftieth year.²⁷²See ibid., p. 144. Thus the number of days from the day of the waving of the omer until the day of the holy convocation [i.e., the Festival of Weeks], is identical to the number of years of the [seven] Sabbatical cycles until the Jubilee, and the reason for them is the same. Therefore ye shall number fifty days²⁴⁹Verse 16. which means that one is to count seven weeks [comprising] forty-nine days,²⁷³Perhaps the thought conveyed here is as explained above (in Verse 11) that these seven weeks are not determined from the start of the regular cycle of weeks, but by these forty-nine days which are counted from the day of the waving of the sheaf, on whatever day of the week it may take place. and sanctify the fiftieth day which he has counted [and make it a holy convocation], just as He said with respect to the Jubilee.²⁶⁹Further 25:8. This is the meaning of the word t’mimoth (complete) — [seven weeks shall there be ‘complete’], meaning that they be exactly that number, no less and no more, just as is the meaning of the expression: they shall be perfect,²⁷⁴Numbers 28:19. for anything additional or missing makes a thing imperfect.²⁷⁵The thought is similar to a principle stated by the Sages: “Every addition of a limb is considered equivalent to the entire absence of the respective limb [in an animal or fowl]” (Chullin 58 b). Thus the explanation of this section is that we are to begin counting the days in the beginning of the barley harvest,²⁷⁶Ruth 1:22. and bring of the first fruits of the harvest, of the fresh ears,²⁷⁷Above, 2:14. a meal-offering unto the Eternal, and also to offer up with it an offering,²⁷⁸As specified in Verse 12: And in the day when ye wave the sheaf, ye shall offer a he-lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt-offering unto the Eternal. and to finish the counting of the days in the beginning of the corn harvest, as a shock of grain cometh up in its season,²⁷⁹Job 5:26. and bring of it a meal-offering of fine corn flour unto the Eternal, and to offer with it also an offering.²⁸⁰As specified in Verse 18: And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs … This is the reason why He mentioned these offerings in this section, because they are brought on account of the meal-offerings which are the main [commandment] of these festivals, but He did not mention the Additional Offerings brought on these festivals [which are enumerated in the Book of Numbers],²⁸¹Numbers 28:18-31. even as He did not mention those of the rest of the festivals.

וספרתם לכם, "and you shall count for yourselves, etc." The reason the Torah adds the word "for yourselves" is that G'd commanded to count for seven weeks consecutively. We are told in the Zohar volume 3 page 97 that seeing the Jewish people were in a state of impurity and G'd wanted to betroth them to Himself He applied the legislation pertaining to a menstruant woman who is required to purify herself for seven days. He therefore commanded them to "purify" themselves for seven weeks by counting those days much as a menstruant counts the seven days. The count then was for the benefit of the Israelites in order that they would become G'd's "bride" as it were and would be able to step under the wedding canopy at Mount Sinai. The reason that the period of counting was seven weeks instead of seven days was the extraordinary amount of impurity the Jewish people had accumulated during their extended stay in Egypt. Another reason is that in this instance we speak about an entire people having to shed their accumulated impurities. I have explained on Exodus 19,1 that the word בצאתם was to be understood as a cause for G'd having delayed the giving of the Torah, i.e. the presence of the Israelites in Egypt for a long time necessitated the period of seven weeks during which the Jews prepared themselves for this event. The sentiment that the reason the Torah was not given immediately after the Exodus is supported by the words ממחרת השבת, that the Torah would not be given immediately after the Sabbath, i.e. Passover, but after a period described as the morrow of that day. The nature of this count is that the days have to be whole days, as opposed to parts of days. Seeing the 15th of Nissan at that time was a Sabbath and that on part of that day the Israelites were still in Egypt, the count of the seven weeks could not commence until the following day, i.e. ממחרת. While it is true that this consideration applied only to the generation of Israelites who left Egypt at that time, the Torah legislated that the same procedure be followed year after year starting with the year of the Exodus. Kabbalists understand why we have to re-enact history in this fashion. According to the plain meaning of the text the reason the Torah refers to "the day following the Sabbath" is a reminder of the fact that while in Egypt the Jews had to perform slave labour also on the Sabbath. You may do well to read what I have written on Genesis 2,2 in connection with the words ויכל אלוקים ביום השביעי.