5783/2023
In the first Aliyah of Parashat BeHar, the Torah discusses the
counting of the years until the Yovel year. Pasuk Chet says:
“VeSafarta Lecha Sheva Shabetot Shanim Sheva Shanim Sheva
Pe’amim VeHayu Lecha Yemei Sheva Shabetot HaShanim Teisha
Ve’Arba’im Shanah,” “And you should count for yourselves seven
weeks of years, seven years seven times, and those seven
weeks of years will be 49 years.” Then, in Pasuk Tet, the Torah
tells us: “VeHa’avarta Shofar Teru’ah BaChodesh HaShvi’i
Be’Asor LaChodesh BeYom HaKippurim Ta’aviru Shofar BeChol
Artzechem,” “And you shall blow the horn in the seventh month
on the tenth day of the month on Yom Kippur, and the horn will
pass through all your land.” The Torah then tells us that the
fiftieth year will be “sanctified” for all of the residents of the
land.
However, when the Torah talks about the counting of the Omer
in Parashat Emor, it states “USfartem Lachem MiMachorat
HaShabbat MiYom Havi’achem Et Omer HaTenufah Sheva
Shabatot Temimot Tihyenah,” “And count for yourselves from
the day after the holiday, from the day you bring the Omer
HaTenufah, they will be seven full weeks” (VaYikra 23:15). At a
quick glance the commandments in Emor and BeHar seem to
be nearly the same, besides what is being counted. However,
there’s one key difference between the countings. The counting
of the Omer is in plural, “USfartem Lachem,” while the counting
of the years until Yovel is in singular, “VeSafarta Lecha.” The
Gemara (Menachot 65b) states that the Mitzvah of counting the
Omer is a Mitzvah for every person, not a Mitzvah on the
community: “‘USfartem Lachem,’ Shetehei Sefirah LeChol Echad Ve’Echad.” However, in the context of counting to the Yovel, the
Sifra and Rambam in Mishneh Torah say that the counting is a
responsibility of the Sanhedrin. We are told that the Sanhedrin
is carrying out this Mitzvah on behalf of all the Jewish people,
explaining why the Torah writes in BeHar, “Lecha” in the
singular.
This key difference teaches us an important concept in
leadership. On our own, we simply count day by day, but to be a
leader, we need to count by years. On our own, we are able to
think about tomorrow or next week, but to be a leader, we need
to think long term and focus on the future, ie. count by years.
The Gemarain Masechet Tamid states that Alexander of
Macedon said to the Chachamim that a smart person is
someone who sees and anticipates the consequences of his
actions. Wise leaders will always think about how their actions
will impact others not tomorrow, but for many years to come.
Everyone should strive to be like this. It can be as simple as our
interactions with friends and parents or being careful with
regard to COVID-19 as we count down the days until the virus
is gone. As Jewish people we need to be the leaders that count
by the years and think about the future.