Daf Yomi: Avodah Zara 16
Guest Author:
Rabbi Nachman Cohen
Young Israel of North
Riverdale/Yonkers - Ohab Zedek, NY
Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz, known as the Shelah [an acronyom for his famed
work, Shenei Luchot haBerit] posits that the Sidrot which we read each
Shabbat correspond to the time of the year that they are read. (This is
the basis for my sefer, A Time for All Things.) Each year most Parshiyot
are read during the same Hebrew Calendar week. For example, Chaye Sara is
always read between 22 and 27 Cheshvan. The major exceptions are the
parshiyot between Pikudei and Bechukotei. These can be read as much as a
month away from their regular dates due to the additional four weeks of
the leap month of Adar. To compensate, the Parshiyot of VaYakhel and
Pikudei, Tazriva and Metzora, Acharei Mot and Kedoshim, and Behar and
Bechukotei that are ordinarily read over four weeks are read over eight
weeks.
One
Parsha that is significantly affected by the advent of a leap year is
Parshat Shemini. Customarily, this Parsha is read immediately after
Pesach. During leap years, however, it is read before Pesach. Based on the
hypothesis of the Shelah, the placement of this reading is highly
symbolic. But first, a word about leap years and their function is in
order.
The
Torah states that Pesach must fall in the spring [that is, after the
vernal equinox]. Since a normal Jewish year is composed of 12 lunar months
wherein the mean month is 29.5 days, the Jewish year is generally 354
days. The mean Solar year, on the other hand, is approximately 365.25
days. Thus, the solar year exceeds the lunar year by more than 11 days per
year. Were this to go on indefinitely, Pesach would eventually come out in
the winter, fall and summer. To prevent this, an extra month is added
seven times in nineteen years. The addition of these months serves to
rectify the discrepancy between the two calendars.
In
kabbalistic writings, the Sun is symbolic of HaShem, whereas the Moon is
symbolic of Mankind. The Sun projects light, the Moon reflects it. At
Creation, the Moon was on par with the Sun [as stated, G-d created the
"two great luminaries] in that each night there was a full [that is, a
totally illuminated] Moon. This symbolized that Mankind was fully
accepting of everything G-d commanded. However, once Adam sinned by saying
"there cannot be two simultaneous rulers of Earth.. . [and while] the
Heavens belong to G-d, the Earth belongs to Man," G-d responded by telling
the Moon "diminish your light" [ that is, wax and wane] to symbolize
humanities fluctuations in its loyalty to Me. Full Moon [ is when Pesach
and Sukkot begin] represents a period when Mankind has complete faith in
HaShem. The end of the month when the Moon has almost completely waned
symbolizes a time when Mankind has all but completely abandoned G-d.
At
the very crucial moment at the end of each month when the last reflection
of sunlight disappears from the Moon and G-d, by all rights, should
destroy the world, HaShem exclaims, "It is My fault that Mankind sinned! I
created the Yetzer haRa which they could not overcome!" In response, the
Al-Mighty established Rosh Chodesh proclaiming, "Bring a sin offering to
atone for My transgression." Thus, Rosh Chodesh became a "Day of
Forgiveness for all of Jewry." But Rosh Chodesh, in general, is merely a
reprieve; G-d gives the Jewish people "a breather" because kavayakhol, He
was complicit in their sin. Rosh Chodesh does not represent a time when
Israel has rectified its sins. The latter is symbolized by leap years.
Through leap years the solar and lunar calendars converge. This symbolizes
the time when Nation Israel returns to HaShem. Because of their teshuva
HaShem forgives them for their past sins. The scales are wiped clean and
Israel is afforded a fresh opportunity to begin again.
Rosh Chodesh Nisan symbolizes this beginning. In Parshat haChodesh we
read, "This month [Nissan] is for you the month of months, the beginning
of the yearly [lunar] cycle." Nissan is the month during which we bring
the communal korbanot from the "new" Machatzit haShekel donations. These
donations serve as a source for HaShem to renew his relationship with
Nation Israel. With this revitalized power Israel is able to grow ever
closer to Him. The potential for Israel's perfection is symbolically
displayed in the growth of the light reflected by the Moon towards Earth
each night from the first to the fifteenth of Nissan. The fifteenth of
Nissan, Pesach, is the time reserved for the Redemption. R. Yehoshua
reiterates this when he posits: In Nissan we were redeemed, in Nissan we
will be redeemed in the End of Days. To emphasize the importance of Leap
Years, Shemini is read on leap years on Shabbat Rosh Chodesh Nisan or if
Rosh Chodesh falls during the week of the Shabbat preceding Rosh Chodesh
Nissan.
The
Parsha of Shemini has two aspects to it: The joy of the dedication of the
Mishkan on 1 Nissan, and the associated sin of Nadav and Avihu which
marred the happiness of this day.
The
focus of Parshat Shemini is defined by when the Parsha is read.
In this regard, Shemini parallels Bereishit, which is read on Simchat
Torah and again on Shabbat Bereishit. When read on Simchat Torah, Berishit
explicates the end point we seek to reach through our avodah [devotion]
during the Yamim Nora'im [ Holidays]; namely, during the Yamim Nora'im we
seek to return the world to its Gan Eden level. For this the reading of
the Creation Chapter is quite appropriate. However, when read on Shabbat
Bereishit this same parsha that begins with the glory of Creation ends
with G-d's lamenting that He should never have created human beings. Right
after Sukkot we must remember that the world is not perfect and that we
must strive to rectify the sin of Adam.
The same is true of Parshat Shemini. On regular years, we read Shemini
after Pesach because these years represent the world before its tikkun. On
those years, the reading of Shemini is meant to remind us of our failings
and transgressions. This is not the case on leap years. On this and every
other leap year we read Shemini on or right before I Nissan, the day the
Mishkan was permanently established, because this underscores that when
Nation Israel repents its past sins [symbolized by the synchronization of
the Solar and Lunar Calendars] it will be given renewed fervor to worship
G-d b�shleimut [symbolized by Rosh Chodesh]. When this perfection is
reached the Beit haMikdash will be rebuilt. Then the Shekhina will once
again reside within each and every Jew. May we merit seeing these events
fulfilled b�miheira b'yameinu.
