Emor 5775 - English

Parashat Emor holds, among other topics, one of the descriptions the Torah presents about the holidays in the Hebrew calendar.  This description begins with the verse that says: “These are the fixed times of the Lord, which you shall proclaim as sacred occasions.”  In Hebrew, this last phrase is ‘aher tikreu otam’.  However, a beautiful Talmudic story reads this verse in a different way and through it, teaches us something about the nature of the Jewish festivities.  

Images of the phases of the moon were posted on the wall of Rabban Gamaliel’s upper story. He would show them to ordinary men and say, “Did you see something like this or like this?” Two came and said, “We saw it in the morning in the east and in the evening in the west.” Rabbi Yohanan ben Nuri said, “They are false witnesses.” When they reached Yavneh, Rabban Gamaliel accepted them. Another pair of witnesses came and said, “We saw it when it was anticipated and the following night we did not see it.” Rabban Gamaliel accepted them. Rabbi Dosa ben Harcynus said, “They are false witnesses. How can there be testimony that a woman has given birth, and the next day her belly is between her teeth [the woman is still pregnant]?” Rabbi Yehoshua said, “I see your point.” 

Rabban Gamaliel sent him [Rabbi Yehoshua] the message, “I order you to come to me with your walking staff and wallet on the day that is Yom Kippur according to your calculations.” Rabbi Akiva went and found him depressed. He said, “I have a way of learning that everything Rabban Gamaliel does is valid, as it is said, ‘These are the fixed times of the Lord, which you shall proclaim as sacred occasions. (Lev. 23:2).’ Whether at their times or not in their times, I have no special times other than these.” He came to Rabbi Dosa ben Harcynus. He said to him, “If we second guess Rabban Gamaliel’s court, we must second guess every court that has stood since the days of Moses until now, as it is said, ‘Moses and Aaron, Nadav, and Abaihu, and seventy elders of Israel (Ex. 24:9)’ Why are the names of the elders not made explicit? It is to teach you every three individuals who constitute a court of Israel have the status of the court of Moses.” He took his walking staff and his wallet in his hand and went to Yavneh to Rabban Gamaliel on the day that Yom Kippur fell according to his calculations. Rabban Gamaliel stood and kissed him on his head and said to him, “Come in peace my rabbi and my student; my rabbi in wisdom, and my student because you have accepted my words.” (Mishnah, Rosh HaShanah 2:8-9)

According to this story, the word ‘otam’ (the holidays) must be read ‘atem’ (you).  From there, Rabban Gamaliel concludes that regardless of when it is correct to commemorate Yom Kippur in terms of astronomy, if the court declared the month begun on a different day, Yom Kippur will fall on a different day.  In other words, the Hebrew calendar even if it is based on astronomic phenomena, it requires human intervention for its application.  In Talmudic times, notwithstanding the moment the phenomenon of ‘molad’ (new moon) happened and beyond the knowledge available at the time, witnesses were necessary to give testimony of how they had seen the moon, as was the trust placed in them by the rabbis of the court that decreed the new month begun.  

Today we no longer have a calendar based on observation, but we have a perpetual calendar.  We can download it from the Internet, or WIZO, KKL or another organization sends it to us.  However, the concept Rabban Gamaliel gives us from this verse in our Parashah still holds relevance in symbolic terms: the holidays in our tradition can be easily mistaken with regular days if we do not sanctify them. The holiness of these days is not ‘per se’; it requires our action, our initiative, our practice.  It is not about waiting for Shavuot to ‘arrive’ (or any other holiday), but about making something significant and relevant out of it.  May we make our days count, endow them with relevance, and allow them to transform us. 

We get the calendar by email or on our smartphones, but the challenge of transforming time into holy time is still in our hands.  

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Guido Cohen

Asociación Israelita Montefiore