Hayom Yom 10 Iyar - You shall make yourselves luminous

The daily Hayom Yom with Rabbi Yosef Katzman

Day 25 of the Omer

נַהֲגִינָן לְהַטְבִּיל פְּרוּסַת הַמּוֹצִיא שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים בְּמֶלַח

According to our custom, the piece of bread over which the blessing HaMotzi is recited is dipped into salt three times;

וְלֹא לִזְרוֹק הַמֶּלַח עַל הַפְּרוּסָה

one does not shake the salt over the bread.

יוֹם בּ' דְּחַג הַשָּׁבוּעוֹת תּרכ"א בִּסְעוּדָּה סִפֵּר הַצֶּמַח צֶדֶק

During the festive meal on the second day of Shavuos, 5621 (1861), the Tzemach Tzedek related

יוֹם בּ' דְּחַג הַשָּׁבוּעוֹת תּקנ"ה בִּסְעוּדָּה אָמַר אַאַזְמוּ"ר (רַבֵּנוּ הַזָּקֵן)

that during the festive meal on the second day of Shavuos, 5555 (1795), his grandfather, the Alter Rebbe, had said:

בְּיוֹם בּ' דְּחַג הַשָּׁבוּעוֹת תּקכ"ח בִּסְעוּדָּה אָמַר כְּבוֹד קְדוּשַּׁת מוֹרִי וְרַבִּי (הַמַּגִּיד מִמֶּעזרִיטשׁ)

“During the festive meal on the second day of Shavuos, 5528 (1768), my Rebbe, the Maggid of Mezritch,

וּסְפַרְתֶּם לָכֶם

[interpreted the command], U’Sfartem lachem (lit., ‘And you shall count for yourselves’) as follows:

וּסְפַרְתֶּם הוּא מִלְּשׁוֹן סַפִּירוּת וּבְהִירוּת

The verb U’Sfartem (lit., ‘you shall count’) shares a root with the Hebrew word for the translucent sapphire.

וּסְפַרְתֶּם לָכֶם, צְרִיכִים לַעֲשׂוֹת שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הַלָּכֶם בָּהִיר

[Hence, on the non-literal level of interpretation known as derush, this verb implies an additional meaning — ‘you shall make luminous.’] [The object of that verb is] lachem (‘yourselves’). [Thus, on a mystical level, the message of the above command is]: ‘You shall make yourselves luminous!’”

וַיִּשָּׁעֵן כְּבוֹד קְדוּשַּׁת אַאַזְמוּ"ר עַל זְרוֹעוֹת קָדְשׁוֹ

The Tzemach Tzedek continued: “My revered grandfather, the Alter Rebbe, then leaned on his forearms

וַיְשׁוֹרֵר אֶת הַנִּגּוּן שֶׁל ד' בָּבוֹת בִּדְבֵקוּת גְּדוֹלָה

and sang the Niggun of Four Themes in a rapt state of intense dveikus.

אַחַר כַּךְ הִגְבִּיהַּ אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ

He then raised his head

וַיֹּאמַר — בְּנִגּוּן שֶׁל שְׁאֵלָה

and asked in a rhetorical singsong:

וּבַמֶּה מְסַפְּרִים אֶת הַלָּכֶם

‘And how do you make yourself luminous?’

וְתוֹךְ כְּדֵי דִבּוּר אָמַר — בְּנִגּוּן שֶׁל תְּשׁוּבָה

He immediately answered his own question, again melodiously:

בְּשֶׁבַע שַׁבָּתוֹת תְּמִימוֹת

‘By counting seven perfect weeks —

בְּבֵרוּר שֶׁבַע הַמִּדּוֹת

by refining the seven primary character traits,

שֶׁכָּל מִדָּה וּמִדָּה תִּהְיֶה כְּלוּלָה מִשֶּׁבַע

so that each of those character traits is [tempered by being] interconnected with all seven attributes.

וְשֶׁבַע הַמִּדּוֹת עַצְמָם יִהְיוּ שֶׁבַע שַׁבָּתוֹת

“‘The seven character traits will then be seven Shabbasos [i.e., they will be Shabbos-like],

דְּשַׁבָּת אֵינָהּ צְרִיכָה בֵּרוּר

in the sense that Shabbos does not need to be refined.’“

Text and Translation courtesy of Sichos in English

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