Sunday, April 28, 2019

Neilas hachag

If the answer to "What did you gain over Yom Tov?" is "5 pounds," then there is something wrong, and not just with your weight.

Sefas Emes writes that "shalosh pe'amim ba'shana yeira'eh kol zechurcha es pnei Hashem" is not just a mitzvah -- it's a bracha.  How incredible is it that 3 times a year the simplest Jew can come to Yerushalayim and experience seeing Hashem's presence!

It's true, we have no mikdash.  Nonetheless, the Tiferes Shlomo derech derush writes that "makrivim af al pi she'ain bayis" means that the service in our hearts triggers the same avodah in beis hamikdash shel maalah that would have taken place here.  "Se'irei izim naaseh b' ratzon" -- with our ratzon, our desire to do avodah, we can offer korbanos even if we are not yet capable b'poel of doing so.

After every chag (esp pesach - see gra in maaseh rav) there is an idea of neilas hachag.  Neilah here is like "barzel u'nechoshes minalecha" -- it means a lock.  As Yom Tov departs, we have to lock in our spiritual gains and not let them escape or evaporate.

2 comments:

  1. "esp pesach"

    and so we find 'return to your tents; but you stand here with Me' (Devarim 5:27-28)-- return to your tents, you 7 lower sefirot, but you 3 upper sefirot stay here with Me for instruction about the others... the educated assembly of 49, plus one, Shavous itself, is mi(=50)/who will assure the "spiritual gains" of the subjugated liberated heart (5:26).

    might the individual consider himself something of a resurrected corpse at isru chag, and study the laws of korban pesach again until pesach sheni, to secure the resuscitation of his heart? (or does it take 600,000 men* improving their footwork together, to make a habit/hergel of the very latest marching orders?)

    *Shemos 12:37

    ReplyDelete
  2. When discussing Neilas.Shearim of Yom.Kipurrim the Tikunei.Zohar (I believe Tikun 29) makes mention of chalitza and chalutz hANUAL.The Zoharwaso associating the word nual-shoe, with neila. My father suggested that when a door is about to be closed on you, one instinctively puts his shoe in the way to keep it open. He was saying that Neilas.Shearim and Neilas.Hachag were not just the last moments of connection but the opportunity to "shove our foot/shoe in the shaar" to keep it open. While approached from another perspective, thank you for sharing such a meaningful message.

    ReplyDelete