A Day of Purification
On the 50th Day, One Can Still Rectify Everything:
The pasuk states (Vayikroh 23:16): “Until the day after the seventh Shabbos, you shall count 50 days.” The Chotkover Rebbe zy”a (Sefer Ner Yisroel) writes that the reason Sefiras Ha’Omer is for 50 days is so that a person can emerge from one of the 50 levels of tumah each day and connect to one of the 50 levels of kedusha, until he reaches a level on the 50th day of connecting to “the 50 gates of bina (understanding)”. Once one reaches this level, he is able to properly accept the Torah.
According to this, we would have to say that if someone misses a day or two of Sefiras Ha’Omer, he has missed out on the tikkun of those days and he will be unable to reach the ultimate level he is meant to attain. Thus, he won’t be able to achieve his necessary rectification. However, Hashem has mercy upon all of His children, and even if one doesn’t attain his full tikkun during the 49 days of Sefirah, He still gives him the chance to rectify everything on the 50th day and to reach his full shleimus.
This idea is hinted to in the words “until the day after the seventh Shabbos.” We see from this that even one already reached the day after the seven weeks and now finds himself on the day of Shavuos, but he has not managed to rectify himself properly during the preceding days, he can still “count 50 days” – meaning that he can still receive the full tikkun of the 50 days of Sefirah and enter the 50 gates of bina.
Everything is Contained Within This Day:
Rav Noach of Kobrin zy”a would relate the following moshol every year on erev Shavuos (as related in Sefer Maamarim Tehorim, page 73):
A king once hired four expert painters to paint the interior of the inner-chamber of his palace. He told each one to paint one wall with majestic murals, as is befitting for the king’s personal chamber. He gave them a deadline and told them to finish the job by that time.
Three of the painters got to work immediately and spent their days toiling over their labor. And, indeed, they painted beautiful pictures on the walls that enhanced the king’s palace. The fourth painter, however, was a lazy man. He procrastinated and pushed off the work. Finally, with the deadline approaching, he realized that he was up against the clock. He became very nervous when he saw that he didn’t have enough time to do an adequate job and he knew that he was in big trouble.
After much worry, he came up with a plan. He decided that he would just paint the entire wall with a reflective paint that acted like a mirror. When painted this wall, all of the pictures from the other walls would be reflected onto his wall, thus creating a beautiful scene. In fact, his wall would be the nicest of the four. The other walls would only have the nice pictures of that specific wall, while when one looked at his wall, he could see all of the beautiful paintings from all three other walls.
The nimshol is that the days of Sefiras Ha’Omer were given to us as a time to fix our middos. Each day of Sefirah is meant to be dedicated to rectifying one aspect of the middos of the “Seven Sefiros”, which are: Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferes, Netzach, Hot, Yesod, and Malchus. In this way, we go through 49 days of self-improvement until we reach Shavuos, which is the time when we are ready to enter the King’s palace.
However, if the days pass by without a person fixing his middos and he realizes that he wasted the period of Sefirah, his heart should be broken within him with anguish. If one’s heart is broken in this way, Hashem considers it as if he did, in fact, fix all of his middos, and he will be accepted by Him.
Separating from Tumah and Drawing Close to Kedusha:
Sefer Bais Avrohom explains the pasuk that states (Shemos 19:1): “In the third month from when bnei Yisroel went out of Mitzrayim, on that day they came to the Sinai desert” by saying that this teaches us that the more we go out of the depraved ways of Mitzrayim, the more we will be able to come to Sinai, i.e., to fully accept the holiness of the Torah.
Don’t Look Back to the Past:
We see from this that the more one distances himself from his past transgressions, the more he can connect to kedusha and properly accept the Torah.
How can one do teshuva from his past sins and move on to a state of holiness? The answer is found in the pasuk (Shemos 19:5): “And now (v’atah), if you surely listen to My voice and you shall be to Me as a segulah from all the other nation because the entire land is to Me.” Chazal say (Bereishis Rabbah 21:6) that the word “v’atah” always connotes teshuva. It explains that the yeitzer hara comes to a person and says, “How could you do teshuva? You are full of sins!” However, this is definitely untrue. If one genuinely desires to do teshuva, he should know that even if he is full of sins, that is all in the past. From now on, he can do good.
Therefore, the word “v’atah” – and now – refers to teshuva, as the way to do teshuva is to leave the past in the past, and to focus on rectifying oneself now.
All Sins Forgiven:
One year on Shavuos, Rav Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev zy”a said, “Ribono Shel Olam, I love the day of Shavuos more than the Rosh Hashanah! On Rosh Hashanah, You act towards us like a King and ruler, and we crown You and say that You rule over the entire world. Therefore, You do not forgive Your honor, as a king is not permitted to forego his kovod. On Shavuos, however – the day we receive the Torah – You act towards us like a rebbi. On this day, You can forego Your honor, and You can forgive us of our sins, and You can grant us a good year of ruchnius.”
Days of Forgiveness:
Sefer Chesed L’Avrohom (Radomsk) writes that the day that Klal Yisroel received the second luchos was Yom Kippur – a day of forgiveness and atonement. On this day, Hashem granted forgiveness for all generations. It is, therefore, certain that on Shavuos, one can always be forgiven of his sins.
Through Accepting Hashem’s Rulership, One’s Sins are Forgiven:
Rav Leibele Eiger of Lublin zy”a (Sefer Toras Emes) explains that there is a common custom that on the day that a new king is crowned, he grants a general amnesty and frees all of the prisoners who were jailed for their crimes. Even if the criminals didn’t express any remorse and didn’t ask for a pardon, since the king is happy on this day, he allows them to go free and to leave prison.
So too, on Shavuos, the day when Hashem “puts on His crown of Torah”, so to speak, it is certainly an auspicious time to be forgiven of our past sins. Since Hashem rejoices on this day, He will forgive us.
All Souls Rectified:
The Rebbe of Neshchiz zy”a (Sefer Toldos Yitzchok) writes that the reason Shavuos is referred to as “Atzeres” (a gathering) is because when Klal Yisroel stood at Har Sinai, the “zuhama” (spiritual filth) was removed from them. This zuhama came to rest upon mankind after the sin of the Eitz Hada’as. Once this sin was rectified by Har Sinai, this impurity was removed, and every Jewish soul was rectified and connected to the soul of Odom Harishon.
The light of purity that Klal Yisroel experienced at Har Sinai returns every year, and every soul is rectified anew and has all of its impurities removed. Thus, we are “gathered in” to Hashem on this day.
Through Torah, One Can be Forgiven:
On Shavuos, a man who had strayed from the path of Torah came to the tish of Rav Aharon of Belz zy”a. When the Rov was informed that this man was there, he called him over, gave him some wine and said, “Today is Shavuos and on this day every Jew can transform himself through the power of Torah.”
