In the first Aliyah of Parashat BeHar, the Torah discusses the counting of the years until the Yovel year. Pasuk Chet says: “VeSafarta Lecha Sheva Shabetot Shanim Sheva Shanim Sheva Pe’amim VeHayu Lecha Yemei Sheva Shabetot HaShanim Teisha Ve’Arba’im Shanah,” “And you should count for yourselves seven weeks of years, seven years seven times, and those seven weeks of years will be 49 years.” Then, in Pasuk Tet, the Torah tells us: “VeHa’avarta Shofar Teru’ah BaChodesh HaShvi’i Be’Asor LaChodesh BeYom HaKippurim Ta’aviru Shofar BeChol Artzechem,” “And you shall blow the horn in the seventh month on the tenth day of the month on Yom Kippur, and the horn will pass through all your land.” The Torah then tells us that the fiftieth year will be “sanctified” for all of the residents of the land.
However, when the Torah talks about the counting of the Omer in Parashat Emor, it states “USfartem Lachem MiMachorat HaShabbat MiYom Havi’achem Et Omer HaTenufah Sheva Shabatot Temimot Tihyenah,” “And count for yourselves from the day after the holiday, from the day you bring the Omer HaTenufah, they will be seven full weeks” (VaYikra 23:15). At a quick glance the commandments in Emor and BeHar seem to be nearly the same, besides what is being counted. However, there’s one key difference between the countings. The counting of the Omer is in plural, “USfartem Lachem,” while the counting of the years until Yovel is in singular, “VeSafarta Lecha.” The Gemara (Menachot 65b) states that the Mitzvah of counting the Omer is a Mitzvah for every person, not a Mitzvah on the community: “‘USfartem Lachem,’ Shetehei Sefirah LeChol Echad Ve’Echad.” However, in the context of counting to the Yovel, the Sifra and Rambam in Mishneh Torah say that the counting is a responsibility of the Sanhedrin. We are told that the Sanhedrin is carrying out this Mitzvah on behalf of all the Jewish people, explaining why the Torah writes in BeHar, “Lecha” in the singular.
This key difference teaches us an important concept in leadership. On our own, we simply count day by day, but to be a leader, we need to count by years. On our own, we are able to think about tomorrow or next week, but to be a leader, we need to think long term and focus on the future, ie. count by years. The Gemarain Masechet Tamid states that Alexander of Macedon said to the Chachamim that a smart person is someone who sees and anticipates the consequences of his actions. Wise leaders will always think about how their actions will impact others not tomorrow, but for many years to come. Everyone should strive to be like this. It can be as simple as our interactions with friends and parents or being careful with regard to COVID-19 as we count down the days until the virus is gone. As Jewish people we need to be the leaders that count by the years and think about the future.