Parashat Emor 5786

by Rabbi Margie Cella

The fourth aliyah of this week’s parashah is one of three places in the Torah where we learn about the cycle of holidays that we are to celebrate throughout the year. God tells Moses to tell the people, “These are My fixed times . . . which you shall proclaim as sacred occasions.” [Leviticus 23:2] The dates of their observance are established by God. The first of these is Shabbat, which is to be observed on the seventh day of every week [23:3].

Next the dates of the holidays are listed, beginning with Pesach. The sacrifice is to be brought on the 14th of Nisan, then the holiday is to be observed for seven days, beginning on the 15th day; the first and seventh days are holy days [23:4-8]. Beginning with the second day of the holiday, each person was to bring an omer (sheaf) of barley for 49 consecutive days [23:15-16]. The 50th day was a sacred occasion; though it is unnamed in the Torah, this is the holiday of Shavuot [23:21]. This seven-week period is “the counting of the omer”, which we are in the midst of doing right now.

Finally, Moses instructs that we are not to “reap [the harvest] all the way to the edges of the land”, and we must leave the gleanings for the poor [23:22]. In this way, those in need were able to gather food for themselves without having to beg for it.

The story of Ruth took place during the barley harvest; through her gleanings, she was able to support herself and her mother-in-law. We celebrate the woman who came to join our people by reading her book on Shavuot.

Oseh Shalom, Maker of Peace, may we, too, reach out to help those among us who are in need, just as Boaz provided for Ruth and Naomi.