Zechusamזכותם
Lehavas David · Parshas Emor · Maamar ד

Counting for Ourselves: Becoming Hashem's Children Always

From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Vayikra 23:15
וּסְפַרְתֶּם לָכֶם מִמׇּחֳרַת הַשַּׁבָּת מִיּוֹם הֲבִיאֲכֶם אֶת־עֹמֶר הַתְּנוּפָה שֶׁבַע שַׁבָּתוֹת תְּמִימֹת תִּהְיֶינָה
And you shall count for yourselves from the morrow of the Shabbos, from the day that you bring the omer of the waving; seven complete weeks shall there be.
1“And you shall count for yourselves from the morrow of the Shabbos, from the day that you bring the omer of the waving; seven complete weeks shall there be.”1 What is the meaning of the word lachem, “for yourselves”? The verse could have said, “And you shall count from the morrow of the Shabbos”; lachem seems unnecessary. Chazal also said: “When are they temimos, complete? When Israel does the will of the Omnipresent.”2 This needs explaining. At first glance temimos refers to the time: the forty-nine days must be complete. Where, then, did Chazal find in the word temimos that the wholeness of the count depends on doing Hashem's will? We must also understand why the Torah commanded that the counting of the Omer be complete at all. The Torah gives no such command for other counts, such as the count of seven shemitah cycles toward Yovel, the Jubilee year, or a niddah's count of seven clean days.
וּסְפַרְתֶּם לָכֶם מִמָּחֳרַת הַשַּׁבָּת מִיּוֹם הֲבִיאֲכֶם אֶת עוֹמֶר הַתְּנוּפָה שֶׁבַע שַׁבָּתוֹת תְּמִימוֹת תִּהְיֶינָה (כג, טו). צָרִיךְ לְהָבִין מַהוּ הַלָּשׁוֹן ׳לָכֶם׳, דְּהָיָה לוֹ לוֹמַר ׳וּסְפַרְתֶּם מִמָּחֳרַת הַשַּׁבָּת׳, וְתֵיבַת ׳לָכֶם׳ מְיוּתָּר לִכְאוֹרָה. עוֹד אָמְרוּ חז״ל (ויקרא רבה כח, ג) אֵימָתַי הֵן תְּמִימוֹת בִּזְמַן שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל עוֹשִׂין רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם, וְצָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר, דְּלִכְאוֹרָה ׳תְּמִימוֹת׳ קָאֵי עַל הַזְּמַן שֶׁהַזְּמַן יִהְיֶה תָּמִים, וְאִם כֵּן מֵהֵיכָן לָמְדוּ חז״ל לִדְרוֹשׁ מִתֵּיבַת תְּמִימוֹת שֶׁשְּׁלֵימוֹת וּתְמִימוֹת הַסְּפִירָה תָּלוּי בַּעֲשִׂיַּית רְצוֹנוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ. גַּם צָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר הָא גּוּפָא שֶׁצִּוְּתָה הַתּוֹרָה לְעִנְיַן סְפִירַת הָעוֹמֶר שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת תְּמִימוֹת, מַה שֶׁלֹּא מָצִינוּ כַּיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה בִּשְׁאָר סְפִירוֹת, כְּגוֹן סְפִירַת שֶׁבַע שַׁבְּתוֹת שְׁמִיטָּה לַיּוֹבֵל, וּסְפִירַת שִׁבְעָה יָמִים נְקִיִּים דְּנִידָּה.
  1. Vayikra 23:15. ↩
  2. Vayikra Rabbah 28:3. ↩
In shortWhy “for yourselves,” how did Chazal tie “complete” to doing Hashem's will, and why must only the Omer count be complete?
2Let us first cite a teaching of Chazal: “When Bnei Yisrael received the Torah, the nations of the world were jealous of them: ‘Why should they be brought closer than the other nations?’ The Holy One, blessed be He, shut their mouths. He said to them, ‘Bring Me your book of lineage, as it says, “Render to Hashem, O families of the peoples,” as My children bring theirs …’ For Israel was privileged to receive the Torah only because of its lineage.”3 But what does lineage have to do with receiving the Torah? Chazal said, “Take care with the children of the poor, for from them Torah will go forth.”4 So where Torah is concerned, lineage does not matter. We should also look closely at the words “as My children bring theirs.” The Midrash could have said, “as Israel brings its own.” Why, when speaking of lineage, does Hashem mention that Bnei Yisrael are the children of the Omnipresent?
וְנַקְדִּים מַה שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל (ילקוט שמעוני תרפד), בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁקִּבְּלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַתּוֹרָה, נִתְקַנְּאוּ אוּמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם בָּהֶן מַה רָאוּ לְהִתְקָרֵב יוֹתֵר מִן הָאוּמּוֹת, סָתַם פִּיהֶן הקב״ה, אָמַר לָהֶן הָבִיאוּ לִי סֵפֶר יוּחֲסִין שֶׁלָּכֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״הָבוּ לַה׳ מִשְׁפְּחוֹת עַמִּים״, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁבָּנַי מְבִיאִין, וְכוּ׳, שֶׁלֹּא זָכוּ לִיטּוֹל אֶת הַתּוֹרָה אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִיל הַיּוּחֲסִין שֶׁלָּהֶן. וְיֵשׁ לְהָבִין מָה שַׁיָּיךְ עִנְיַן יִחוּס אֵצֶל קַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה, הֲרֵי מָצִינוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל (נדרים פא, א) הִזָּהֲרוּ בִּבְנֵי עֲנִיִּים שֶׁמֵּהֶם תֵּצֵא תּוֹרָה, הֲרֵי שֶׁלְּעִנְיַן הַתּוֹרָה אֵין הַדָּבָר תָּלוּי בְּיִחוּס. עוֹד יֵשׁ לְדַיֵּיק הַלָּשׁוֹן ׳כְּשֵׁם שֶׁבָּנַי מְבִיאִין׳, דְּהָיָה לוֹ לוֹמַר ׳כְּשֵׁם שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל מְבִיאִין׳, וְלָמָּה הִזְכִּיר לְעִנְיַן הַיִּחוּס מַה שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל הֵם בָּנָיו שֶׁל מָקוֹם.
  1. Yalkut Shimoni, Bamidbar §684; Tehillim 96:7. The Midrash goes on to cite the verse “and they declared their lineage by their families” (Bamidbar 1:18). ↩
  2. Nedarim 81a. ↩
In shortHashem silenced the nations by asking for lineage “as My children bring theirs”; but what has lineage to do with Torah, and why “My children”?
3We may explain it this way. Chazal said: “When are Bnei Yisrael called children? When they do the will of the Omnipresent. When they do not do the will of the Omnipresent, they are called servants.”5 “Doing His will” means doing Hashem's will all the time: not only while they pray and learn Torah, but even while they are busy with material things, they act with avodas Hashem, the service of Hashem, in mind. That is why they are called children. Being a child is a permanent state that can never be broken off or cancelled: a child is always called a child. So it is with Bnei Yisrael. When they do His will continually, at every moment, the name of their Father's very essence always rests upon them, and they are never separated from Him. The title “servant,” on the other hand, can lapse, since a servant may at times leave his master and not serve him every moment. So if there are times when Bnei Yisrael do not do His will, they are like servants, who serve their master at some times and not at others.
וְאֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר בָּזֶה, דְּהִנֵּה אָמְרוּ חז״ל (בבא בתרא י, א) אֵימָתַי קְרוּיִין יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּנִים, בִּזְמַן שֶׁעוֹשִׂין רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם, וּבִזְמַן שֶׁאֵין עוֹשִׂין רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם קְרוּיִין עֲבָדִים, וְהִנֵּה ׳עוֹשִׂין רְצוֹנוֹ׳ הַכַּוָּונָה לְמַצָּב שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל עוֹשִׂים רְצוֹנוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ כָּל הָעֵת, הַיְינוּ לֹא רַק בְּעֵת עֵסֶק הַתְּפִלָּה וְהַתּוֹרָה, אֶלָּא אֲפִילּוּ בְּעֵת עוֹסְקָם בַּגַּשְׁמִיּוּת גַּם כֵּן עוֹשִׂים זֹאת בְּכַוָּונָה לְשֵׁם עֲבוֹדַת הַשֵּׁם, וְעַל כֵּן הֵם נִקְרָאִים בָּנִים, שֶׁכֵּן שֵׁם בֵּן הוּא מַצָּב תְּמִידִי שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לוֹ לִיפָּסֵק וְלִיבָּטֵל, דְּתָמִיד הוּא קָרוּי בְּשֵׁם בֵּן, כָּךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּשֶׁעוֹשִׂים רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם בִּתְמִידוּת כָּל הָעֵת, אֲזַי תָּמִיד שֵׁם עַצְמוּת אֲבִיהֶם עֲלֵיהֶם וְאֵינָם נִפְרָשִׁים מִמֶּנּוּ. מַה שֶׁאֵין כֵּן שֵׁם עֶבֶד יָכוֹל לִיבָּטֵל, שֶׁכֵּן יָכוֹל לִפְעָמִים לִפְרוֹשׁ מֵרַבּוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יַעַבְדֶנּוּ תָּמִיד בְּכָל רֶגַע, עַל כֵּן בְּאִם יֵשׁ זְמַנִּים שֶׁאֵין יִשְׂרָאֵל עוֹשִׂים רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם, אָז הֵם בִּבְחִינַת עֲבָדִים, שֶׁמּוֹרֶה עַל בְּחִינָה שֶׁלִּפְעָמִים הֵם עוֹבְדִים אוֹתוֹ וְלִפְעָמִים אֵינָם עוֹבְדִים אוֹתוֹ.
  1. Bava Basra 10a. ↩
In shortThose who do Hashem's will at every moment, even in material things, are His children, a permanent bond; servants serve Him only at times.
4This is also what the counting of the Omer is about. When Bnei Yisrael left Egypt, “the nakedness of the land,” a place steeped in immorality, they needed to purify themselves.6 The holy Ohr HaChaim writes that the counting is like that of a niddah, who must count seven clean days; while a niddah needs seven days, here seven weeks were needed because the impurity was so extreme. Those are his holy words.7 But besides purifying themselves during the days of the count, separating from impurity and cleansing themselves of it, they had to accomplish something more: to grow ever holier. That is why the verse says, “And you shall count lachem.” The word lachem, “for yourselves,” [what is a person's own,] hints at material things, and the command “count lachem” means that they must see to it that everything that is “yours” is done for the sake of Heaven. A niddah's count must be continuous, without a break, simply because her separation from impurity must be unbroken. In the same way, Bnei Yisrael were commanded that the Omer count be temimos, “complete”: whole, without a break.
וְזֶהוּ גַּם עִנְיַן סְפִירַת הָעוֹמֶר, דְּהִנֵּה בְּעֵת שֶׁיָּצְאוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרַיִם מְקוֹר עֶרְוַת הָאָרֶץ הָיוּ צְרִיכִים לְהִטָּהֵר, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַב בְּאוֹר הַחַיִּים הַקָּדוֹשׁ, שֶׁעִנְיַן הַסְּפִירָה הוּא כְּמוֹ נִידָּה שֶׁצְּרִיכָה לִסְפּוֹר שִׁבְעָה נְקִיִּים, וַהֲגַם שֶׁהַנִּדָּה צְרִיכָה שִׁבְעָה יָמִים, כָּאן הוּצְרַךְ שִׁבְעָה שְׁבוּעוֹת, לְצַד הַפְלָגַת הַטּוּמְאָה, עכד״ק. וְהִנֵּה מִלְּבַד עִנְיַן הַטָּהֳרָה וְהַפְּרִישׁוּת וְהַנְּקִיּוּת מִדְּבַר טוּמְאָה שֶׁהָיוּ צְרִיכִים לִפְעוֹל בִּימֵי הַסְּפִירָה, מִלְּבַד זֶה הָיוּ צְרִיכִים לִפְעוֹל עִנְיָן נוֹסָף, וְהוּא לְהִתְקַדֵּשׁ יוֹתֵר וְיוֹתֵר, וּלְהַכְנִיס עַצְמָם לְתוֹךְ הַקְּדוּשָּׁה, וְעַל כֵּן נֶאֱמַר ׳וּסְפַרְתֶּם לָכֶם׳, דְּ׳לָכֶם׳ מְרַמֵּז עַל דְּבָרִים הַגַּשְׁמִיִּים, וְנִצְטַוּוּ ׳וּסְפַרְתֶּם לָכֶם׳, שֶׁיִּרְאוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת כָּל עִנְיְנֵי הַ׳לָכֶם׳ לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם. וְהִנֵּה כְּשֵׁם שֶׁבִּסְפִירַת הַנִּידָּה צָרִיךְ שֶׁתִּהְיֶה הַסְּפִירָה רְצוּפָה בְּלֹא הֶפְסֵק, וְהוּא מֵחֲמַת שֶׁהַפְּרִישָׁה מֵהַטּוּמְאָה צְרִיכָה לִהְיוֹת בִּרְצִיפוּת, כֵּן נִצְטַוּוּ בְּמִצְוַת סְפִירַת הָעוֹמֶר עַל עִנְיַן הַ׳תְּמִימוֹת׳, שֶׁתִּהְיֶה סְפִירָה שְׁלֵמָה בְּלֹא הֶפְסֵק.
  1. Bereishis 42:9. ↩
  2. Ohr HaChaim on Vayikra 23:15. ↩
In shortBeyond purifying themselves like a niddah, Bnei Yisrael had to sanctify all that is “yours,” and the count must be unbroken, like hers.
5[The main preparation for receiving the Torah is this:8 everything a person does, says and thinks through the whole day, even physical things such as eating and drinking, should be done to bring nachas ruach, satisfaction, to the Creator, blessed be He. That is why Chazal asked, “When are they temimos?” meaning, when are the mitzvos a person does whole? Only when Israel does the will of the Omnipresent, that is, when all of a person's deeds through the day are done for the sake of His will. This is the true wholeness and purpose of a person's service in this world. Chazal mention it in connection with counting the Omer because these are days of preparation for receiving the Torah, and in them a person must take special care to do his deeds for the Creator's satisfaction.]
*[וְהִנֵּה עִיקַּר הַהֲכָנָה לְקַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה הִיא, שֶׁכָּל מַעֲשָׂיו וְדִיבּוּרוֹ וּמַחְשְׁבוֹתָיו שֶׁל הָאָדָם בְּמֶשֶׁךְ כָּל הַיּוֹם, וְאַף דְּבָרָיו הַגַּשְׁמִיִּים שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה כְּגוֹן אֲכִילָה וּשְׁתִיָּה, יִהְיֶה הַכֹּל עַל מְנָת לַעֲשׂוֹת נַחַת רוּחַ לְהַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרֵךְ שְׁמוֹ. וְעַל כֵּן אָמְרוּ חז״ל דִּ׳אֵימָתַי נִקְרָאִים תְּמִימוֹת׳, הַיְינוּ אֵימָתַי הַמִּצְוֹת שֶׁהָאָדָם עוֹשֶׂה הֵם בִּשְׁלֵימוּת, זֶה דַּוְוקָא ׳כְּשֶׁעוֹשִׂים רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם׳, הַיְינוּ שֶׁכָּל מַעֲשָׂיו בְּמֶשֶׁךְ הַיּוֹם יִהְיוּ בִּשְׁבִיל לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם, וְזֶהוּ עִיקַּר שְׁלֵימוֹת וְתַכְלִית עֲבוֹדַת הָאָדָם בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה. וְלָכֵן הִזְכִּירוּ חז״ל עִנְיָן זֶה לְגַבֵּי סְפִירַת הָעוֹמֶר, מִשּׁוּם שֶׁהַיָּמִים הַלָּלוּ הֵם יְמֵי הֲכָנָה לְקַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה, וְצָרִיךְ הָאָדָם לְהִזָּהֵר בְּאוֹתָם הַיָּמִים בְּיוֹתֵר לַעֲשׂוֹת מַעֲשָׂיו לְנַחַת רוּחַ לַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרֵךְ.
  1. The sefer's note: An addition from another occasion, copied from students' writings. ↩
In shortWhen every deed, even eating, is done for Hashem, our mitzvos are whole; the Omer days, preparing for the Torah, call for this especially.
6[As we know from the sefarim, on the holy Shabbos a person can rectify all the food eaten during the week. On Shabbos the soul has the power to turn physical things into something spiritual that it enjoys, and in this way to elevate what was eaten on the other days. That is why the Torah says, “And you shall count for yourselves from the morrow of the Shabbos,” and not “from the morrow of Pesach.” It hints that the days of counting the Omer are like Shabbos. Just as Shabbos rectifies the eating of the whole week, these days can do the same for the eating and the desires of the whole year, and everything can become nachas ruach before Hashem, blessed be He.]
וְהִנֵּה יָדוּעַ מִפִּי סְפָרִים, דִּבְשַׁבָּת קוֹדֶשׁ אֶפְשָׁר לְתַקֵּן כָּל הַמַּאֲכָלִים שֶׁאָכְלוּ בִּימֵי הַחוֹל, דִּבְשַׁבָּת יֵשׁ כֹּחַ לַנְּשָׁמָה לַהֲפוֹךְ אֶת הַדְּבָרִים הַגַּשְׁמִיִּים לְדָבָר רוּחָנִי שֶׁהַנְּשָׁמָה נֶהֱנֵית בּוֹ, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה לְתַקֵּן אֶת הַמַּאֲכָלִים שֶׁל שְׁאָר הַיָּמִים, וְעַל כֵּן אָמְרָה תּוֹרָה ׳וּסְפַרְתֶּם לָכֶם מִמָּחֳרַת הַשַּׁבָּת׳ וְלֹא נֶאֱמַר ׳מִמָּחֳרַת הַפֶּסַח׳, לְרַמֵּז דִּכְשֵׁם שֶׁבְּשַׁבָּת מְתַקְּנִים אֶת הָאֲכִילָה שֶׁל כָּל יְמֵי הַשָּׁבוּעַ, כָּךְ גַּם יְמֵי סְפִירַת הָעוֹמֶר הֵם בִּבְחִינַת שַׁבָּת, שֶׁאֶפְשָׁר בַּיָּמִים הַלָּלוּ לְתַקֵּן אֶת הָאֲכִילָה וְהַתַּאֲוֹות שֶׁל כָּל יְמוֹת הַשָּׁנָה, וְהַכֹּל יְכוֹלִים לַעֲשׂוֹת נַחַת רוּחַ לְפָנָיו יִתְבָּרֵךְ שְׁמוֹ].
In shortLike Shabbos, which rectifies the week's eating, the Omer days, counted “from the morrow of the Shabbos,” can rectify a whole year's eating and desires.
7When Bnei Yisrael do His will without interruption, they naturally become holy in all that is lachem, “yours,” since they do even their material affairs for His sake. And as we explained earlier, those who always do so are called children, and they are tamim, whole and without blemish.
וְהִנֵּה כְּשֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל עוֹשִׂין רְצוֹנוֹ בִּתְמִידוּת, מִמֵּילָא הֵם גַּם מִתְקַדְּשִׁים בְּעִנְיְנֵי הַ׳לָכֶם׳, שֶׁאֲפִילּוּ אֶת עִנְיְנֵי הַגַּשְׁמִיּוּת הֵם עוֹשִׂים עֲבוּרוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ. וְהִנֵּה נִתְבָּאֵר לְעֵיל, דְּבִזְמַן שֶׁעוֹשִׂין רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם בִּתְמִידוּת, נִקְרָאִים ׳בָּנִים׳, וְהֵם בִּבְחִינַת תָּמִים בְּלֹא מוּם.
In shortDoing Hashem's will constantly sanctifies even material life and makes Bnei Yisrael His children, whole and without blemish.
8aThis lets us explain why, precisely when the Torah was given, the Holy One, blessed be He, told the nations of the world that Bnei Yisrael are His children [as in the Midrash we cited]. It is because Bnei Yisrael had reached the level of children who do the will of the Omnipresent. They reached it by making themselves holy and pure through the count, fulfilling “seven complete weeks shall there be.” That is what Hashem hinted at in His answer to the nations, who were jealous of Bnei Yisrael and asked why they should be the ones to receive the Torah. He answered them, “as My children bring theirs.” For it is known that the nations of the world, lehavdil, cannot keep up their service of what they revere without a break. Their worship is confined to the time of their rites, so of course they cannot bring it into the hours they spend on material things.
וּבָזֶה יֵשׁ לִיתֵּן טַעַם מַדּוּעַ דַּוְקָא לְעִנְיַן קַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה מָצִינוּ שֶׁאָמַר הקב״ה לְאוּמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל הֵם בָּנָיו [כְּדִבְרֵי הַמִּדְרָשׁ הַנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל], וְהוּא מֵחֲמַת שֶׁזָּכוּ לִהְיוֹת בְּמַדְרֵגַת בָּנִים הָעוֹשִׂים רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם, כֵּיוָן שֶׁזָּכוּ לָבוֹא לְמַדְרֵגָה זוֹ בְּעֵת שֶׁנִּתְקַדְּשׁוּ בְּשִׁבְעָה שְׁבוּעוֹת אֵלּוּ בִּבְחִינַת ׳תְּמִימוֹת תִּהְיֶינָה׳ בִּקְדוּשָּׁה וְטָהֳרָה. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁרָמַז הקב״ה בִּתְשׁוּבָתוֹ לְאוּמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם שֶׁנִּתְקַנְּאוּ בִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מַה רָאוּ אֵלּוּ לִיטּוֹל הַתּוֹרָה, וְהֵשִׁיב לָהֶם ׳כְּשֵׁם שֶׁבָּנַי מְבִיאִין׳, דְּנוֹדָע שֶׁאוּמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם לְהַבְדִּיל אֵינָם יְכוֹלִים לַעֲבוֹד אֶת יִרְאָתָם בִּתְמִידוּת בְּלֹא הֶפְסֵק, וַעֲבוֹדָתָם הִיא רַק בְּעֵת הַפּוּלְחָן, וּמִכָּל שֶׁכֵּן שֶׁאֵין יְכוֹלִים לְהַכְנִיס עֲבוֹדָה גַּם בְּעֵת שֶׁעוֹסְקִים בַּגַּשְׁמִיּוּת.
8bSo the Holy One, blessed be He, told them that if they received the Torah, they would not manage to sustain this service of doing His will without pause. Why, then, should they be jealous of His children? They could not reach the level of Bnei Yisrael, who are called children of the Omnipresent because they are “mighty in strength,” doing His will constantly and not only now and then.9 So Bnei Yisrael alone are worthy of receiving the Torah, and not the nations of the world, who do not have it in them to serve Him at all times. Where does this power of Bnei Yisrael really come from? They are the children of the holy Avos, who were privileged to be a chariot for the Shechinah. As Chazal expounded on the verse “And God went up from upon Avraham”: “The Avos are the chariot.”10 To be a chariot means to cleave to the Shechinah without a break, even for a moment, as the Tanya explains.11 That is why He told them: “Bring Me your book of lineage, as My children bring theirs.” For Bnei Yisrael trace their lineage to the Avos [and inherit from them the power to cleave without a break].
וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר לָהֶם הקב״ה שֶׁבְּאִם תְּקַבְּלוּ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה לֹא תַּשְׂכִּילוּ לְהַכְנִיס עֲבוֹדָה זוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם תָּמִיד, וְעַל כֵּן לָמָּה לָכֶם לְקַנְּאוֹת בְּבָנַי, הֲלֹא אֵין אַתֶּם יְכוֹלִים לְהַשִּׂיג וּלְהַגִּיעַ לְמַדְרִיגַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁנִּקְרְאוּ בָּנִים לַמָּקוֹם, מֵחֲמַת שֶׁהֵם גִּיבּוֹרֵי כֹּחַ עוֹשֵׂי רְצוֹנוֹ בִּתְמִידוּת וְלֹא לִפְרָקִים, וּמִמֵּילָא רַק הֵם זַכָּאִים לְקַבֵּל הַתּוֹרָה, וְלֹא אוּמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם שֶׁאֵין בְּכוֹחָם לְעָבְדוֹ בְּכָל עֵת. וּבֶאֱמֶת מֵהֵיכָן בָּא כֹּחַ זֶה לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, זֹאת מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֵם בְּנֵי הָאָבוֹת הַקְּדוֹשִׁים שֶׁזָּכוּ וְהָיוּ מֶרְכָּבָה לַשְּׁכִינָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁדָּרְשׁוּ חז״ל (בראשית רבה מז, י) עַל הַכָּתוּב (בראשית יז, כב) וַיַּעַל אֱלֹקִים מֵעַל אַבְרָהָם, שֶׁהָאָבוֹת הֵן הֵן הַמֶּרְכָּבָה, וְעִנְיַן מֶרְכָּבָה הַיְינוּ שֶׁדְּבוּקִים בַּשְּׁכִינָה בְּלִי הֶפְסֵק שָׁעָה אַחַת (כמבואר בתניא פרק לד), וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר לָהֶם ׳הָבִיאוּ לִי סֵפֶר יוּחֲסִין כְּשֵׁם שֶׁמְּבִיאִין בָּנַי׳ שֶׁמִּתְיַיחֲסִים אַחַר הָאָבוֹת.
  1. Tehillim 103:20, said there of the angels. ↩
  2. Bereishis 17:22; Bereishis Rabbah 47:10 (in standard editions 47:6). ↩
  3. Tanya, ch. 34. ↩
In shortIsrael received the Torah as Hashem's children, serving Him constantly as the nations cannot; that power is their lineage from the Avos.
9May the Holy One, blessed be He, help us be privileged to walk in the ways of our fathers and to perfect ourselves toward the redemption. Amen, may it be His will.
הקב״ה יַעֲזוֹר שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה לֵילֵךְ בְּדַרְכֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ וְנַשְׁלִים עַצְמֵנוּ לִקְרַאת הַגְּאוּלָּה, אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן.
In shortThe Rebbe prays that we walk in the ways of our fathers and perfect ourselves toward the redemption.
Takeaway

The Torah asks us to count “for ourselves,” because the Omer reaches into our material lives, not only our prayer and learning. A servant serves at set hours, but a child belongs to his Father all day long, and the Torah was given to those who serve Hashem that way. That unbroken service is our inheritance from the Avos, and it is what makes our count, and ourselves, complete.

Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›

All of Lehavas David

English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.