5783/2023

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.