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Pirkei Avos Pirkei Avos

Taste of Sinai

By Rabbi Heschel GreenbergApril 20, 201712 min read

Between Pesach and Shavuos

One of the reasons given for the study of Avos after Passover1 is that the study and implementation of the ideals of Avos serves as a preparation for the receiving of the Torah on Shavuos.2 One may add the following point: This function of the study of Avos as a preparation for the giving of the Torah is analogous to that of the Counting of the Omer.3 Avos has been characterized as a tractate that teaches and cultivates proper ethics and good character traits.4 Likewise, the Counting of the Omer is intended as a means to refine all the character traits of our animal souls.5 This explanation, however, begs a question. Why would the study of Avos, which commences on the very first Sabbath that follows the Festival of Passover, focus primarily on the preparations for Mattan Torah? Moreo- “From Chesed ShebeChesed (the attribute of kindness within kindness), to Malchus ShebeMalchus (the attribute of leadership within leadership). [There are a total of seven character traits that are listed in Kabbalah. Each one of the seven comprises all the other attributes, so that there are a total of 49 attributes of the animal soul as well as of the G-dly soul, corresponding to the 49 days between Passover and Shavuos. The implication of this point is that these days of counting are geared towards refining every nuance of the animal soul. – Translator’s note].

ver, Avos actually begins, not with directives of how to prepare for Mattan Torah, but rather with Mattan Torah itself: “Moses received6 the Torah at Sinai,” followed by the chain of tradition, as the Torah was transmitted from one generation to the other. This compels to conclude that the study of Avos focuses not only on how to prepare for the giving of the Torah, but actually contains within it a potential aspect of the actual receiving of the Torah.

The question thus is: Why, immediately following Passover, do we focus our attention— when commencing the study of Avos—on the process of receiving the Torah and the preparations for it? Should not our study of Avos right after Passover be primarily a continuation of the Passover festival? Why then is the emphasis placed on the preparation for Mattan Torah?

The Soul of the Exodus

The Exodus from Egypt that we celebrate on Passover was not an end. It was a prelude to Mattan Torah. Thus the Torah states: “When you shall take this nation out of Egypt they will serve G-d on this mountain.”7 Before G-d gave and before the Jewish nation received the Torah there had to be the Exodus from Egypt, because this liberation came as a result of a Divine revelation that empowered us: “The supreme King of kings, the Holy One, blessed is He, revealed Himself to them—in His essence and glory—and re- deemed them.”8 In Chassidic parlance this is known as an Isarusa d’l’eila, the “the effusion of an independent arousal from Above.”9 The G-dly revelation introduced during Passover, empowered us to respond by “Counting the Omer” with its spiritual connotation of self-refinement.10 By virtue of our own efforts at self-refinement—involving all of the 49 attributes and characteristics, we can then be receptive to the revelation from above that occurred on the 50th day—the day on which G-d gave us the Torah. What this entailed was that in addition to the elicitation of 49 “gates of holiness,”11 we could access even the most sublime and transcendent level that is referred to as the “fiftieth gate.”12 Indeed, we can even access the aspect of G-d that defies any and all categorization, level or modality.

The fact that this revelation from above comes after our own efforts during the days of Sefirah-(Counting) assures us that whatev- er it is that is revealed on Shavuos, can be internalized and integrated within our own personalities. If we trace the spiritual dynamic of Mattan Torah (and its concomitant revelation of the “Fiftieth Portal”) back to its genesis,13 it is clear that it began with the initial revelation of “the Holy One blessed is He” during Passover. For it was this initial awakening from [The Rebbe is responding to the obvious question: If we cannot on our own access these sublime revelations, why do we need the preparation before Shavuos? The answer is that our preparation enables us to internalize that which is given to us. – Translator’s note.] above that inspired us to engage in selfrefinement, which, in turn, led to Mattan Torah.

In effect, the revelation of Shavuos, essentially, already existed during Passover. The difference being that when this Divine energy was generated on Passover, it was only of a temporary and fleeting duration insofar as the recipients were concerned. To be capable of making this revelation permanent by internalizing it required a step-by-step effort— albeit aided by the inspiration of the initial Divine revelation from Above. Finally, when G-d actually gave the Torah to the Jewish people, the initial revelation of the Exodus (the revelation of “The Supreme King of kings, the Holy One Blessed is he, in his own honor and glory”) was made permanently and inwardly manifest down here below.14 In this post Mattan Torah era, this revelation that exists in potentia during Passover is even more obvious. In the present day and age one can gain access to the revelation of Mattan Torah even during Passover.1516 Where it All Begins We can now appreciate why we learn Pirkei Avos in each of the Sabbaths between Passover and Shavuos, and why we commence that study—on the very first Sabbath after Passover—with “Moses received the Torah at Sinai etc.”

No sooner that one enters into Passover, one already possesses the potential for and the means to realize all that will follow until and including the revelation of “Moses received the Torah at Sinai”—Mattan Torah. This is particularly true on the first Sabbath following Passover, for the Sabbath is an extension of the preceding days. The Sabbath is when all of the preceding days are elevated and assume a higher character.17 One therefore studies Avos—with its opening reference to Moses receiving the Torah at Sinai—during the very first Sabbath that fol- lows Passover (despite the fact that the actual revelation of Mattan Torah will not happen until after the forty-nine days of counting), because that is when the revelation of Mattan Torah really begins. Realizing that we already have the potential for this matter and even its beginning, equips us with the knowledge of what is incumbent upon us during the days of Sefirah, to elicit the process of the giving of the Torah (“Moses received the Torah at Sinai”) from its potential state to actuality.

However, to help manifest this openly, one must first learn about “ethics and morality” See also Chasam Sofer on tractate Pesachim (at the end) and in his commentary to the Shulchan Aruch (end of sec. 430:5) where he states how from the Exodus from Egypt the process of Mattan Torah began, in reference to which it is stated: “There he placed for him a statute and a judgment,” and “This is the month for you” which is the first Mitzvah…We therefore engage in the study of Avos during this period because it provides us with the chain of tradition from Moses, peace be unto him, as well as the protective fences that surround the Torah and the custom of those who engage in its study and its honor.

and implement these teachings into practice, which is what Sefiras Ha’omer”—Counting of the Omer is all about.

A New dimension of Torah

To translate the above concept—i.e., that the process of Mattan Torah is there in potentia and has already begun—into practice: When we speak of the study of Avos as a preparation for Mattan Torah, it is not only because it refines our nature, but primarily because it constitutes a new dimension of Torah study18 that was introduced when “Moses received the Torah from Sinai.” This includes Torah Shebiksav and Torah Sheb’al Peh, the Written and Oral Torah, as Rambam writes: “All of the commandments that were given to Moses at Sinai were given with their commentary.”19 Thus, the statement that “Moses received the Torah from Sinai” refers to both the Written Torah as well as the Oral Torah, which he received simultaneously with the Written Torah.20 And the practical application of the study of these words and the entire tractate is the need to introduce a new dimension of Torah study on the very first Sabbath that follows Passover- the time that the process of Sinai actually commences.21

From the book Introduction to Pirkei Avos (Biurim L’Pirkei Avos) by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, adapted from the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe and published by the Jewish Discovery Center.

Footnotes

  1. Abudraham, Seder Y’mei Ha’omer. Siddur Admur Hazaken, and other sources – cited in Bein Pesach Lishavuos, (Chapter 5, sec. 28:b, p. 159). See also preceding essay. ↩

  2. “One who learns Torah must first know the approach to its study and the way one must conduct oneself after learning it. They therefore instituted to study it [Avos] before the Festival of Shavuos so that the hearts of each and every Jew should be receptive to accept the Torah with a complete heart and to conduct themselves properly, in complete accord with its teachings.” (Midrash Shmuel ibid). Abudraham there adds: “Because they (i.e., the Sabbaths between Passover and Shavuos) are days that are counted towards the Giving of the Torah, we therefore count these days, as a loving friend who waits for the arrival of his loving friend from a journey and counts the days and nights until he arrives. Most matters contained within this tractate are geared to encourage us to read the Torah and observe its precepts.” ↩

  3. [The Torah commands us to count for forty nine days after the “omer offering has been brought in the Temple on the second day of Passover. The counting ends on the eve of Shavuos. (Vayikra ). See also introduction to Midrash Shmuel who draws an analogy between counting of the omer and the recitation of Avos. – Translator’s note.] ↩

  4. Bartenura, beginning of Avos. ↩

  5. This is symbolized by the fact that the Omer offering consisted of barley, rather than wheat that is used for all other flour offerings in the Temple. Barley was used primarily as fodder for animals and not for humans. Hence, the symbolism of this offering that was brought on Passover was the need to refine the animal souls. (See Likkutei Torah, Emor 36a ff. Shir HaShirim 24c and other references.) ↩

  6. Indeed, the terminology employed here is: “Moses received,” in the past tense, suggesting that we are in a state of having already received the Torah. To be sure, relative to this year’s revelation of Mattan Torah (Giving of the Torah), we are still in the pre-Mattan Torah mode. We therefore need to refine our nature (by Counting of the Omer and the study of tractate Avos), to make us receptive to the revelation of this year’s Mattan Torah. The above concept is even more pronounced in light of the well-known exposition that Mattan Torah actually innovated the entire concept of the synthesis between the “upper” spiritual realms and the “lower” physical realm (Tanchuma, Va’eira 15. Shemos Rabbah 12:3 and other sources). ↩

  7. Shemos 3:12. ↩

  8. Haggadah Shel Pesach, s.v. Matzah zu and s.v. Vayotzi’einu. ↩

  9. See Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 1c. Shir Hashirim, 24c. [There are generally two forms Divine forces are generated into this world. The first is when G-d, initiates a spiritual awakening in the world. The second is G-d’s response to an awakening that we initiate. The Rebbe is explaining that if we were not first “jolted” by the spiritual awakening that occurred during Passover because of G-d’s initiative, we would not have dome anything meaningful to prepare for the receiving of the Torah. – Translator’s note.] ↩

  10. [This response that involves our initiative and effort at self-refinement is known as: isarusa d’lisata, an arousal from below. – Translator’s note.] ↩

  11. [The Talmud states that “fifty gates of holiness were introduced to the world,” Moses was only able to fathom forty-nine of these gates. This suggests that there is something transcendent about the fiftieth gate and cannot be accessed by anyone, including Moses, with their own initiative, and must therefore be revealed to us by G- d Himself. That He does on Shavuos. – Translator’s note.] ↩

  12. See at length Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar, 12a ff. There it is explained how there are actually two levels within the “fiftieth gate.” The first and lower level is within range of the 49 levels, whereas the higher level is completely above and beyond the 49 levels. Both of these levels are generated on Shavuos. ↩

  13. Whereas—“down below”—in our finite experience, a potential state lacks actualization, in the spiritual realms—“above”—potential does not lack actualization. (See Pardes, Portal 11, Chapter 3, cited and expounded on in Sefer Hamitzvos of the Tzemach Tzedek, Mitzvas He’emanas Elokus, Chapter 11. Hemshech 5666, p. 5ff. 139 ff. S.v. Shuva and V’lakachtem 5671.) [Thus, from G-d’s vantage point all of the revelations that are elicited on Shavuos are actually present—in their entirety—during Passover, the time when the potential for these revelations originated – Translator’s note.] ↩

  14. In addition, the revelation of Mattan Torah is truly of a more sublime nature than that of the Exodus. ↩

  15. This concept is analogous to the spiritual dimension of eating Matzah. [There were two levels of eating Matzah on the night of the Exodus: The Matzah that was eaten before mid-night and the Matzah that was to be eaten after mid-night, when the revelation first occurred. The latter was of a much higher spiritual nature.] Despite the fact that we now eat Matzah before midnight, nevertheless, because we are living in a post-Mattan Torah era, our pre-mid-night Matzah enjoys the same exalted status of the revelation of the “Supreme King of Kings etc.” that was originally generated after mid-night. In truth, it even goes beyond that because this revelation that is generated by the Matzah we eat subsequent to Mattan Torah, is enhanced by virtue of the observance of Torah and Mitzvos throughput the year, before Passover. See s.v. Matzah zu, 5749 for a lengthy exposition on this matter, and see there for cross-references. ↩

  16. Although, relative to Mattan Torah of each new year, it is regarded as being before Mattan Torah, as stated above n. 7. ↩

  17. This perfection and enhancement that the preceding days attain on the Sabbath is expressed by the word(s): “Va’yechulu (And he completed)”. (Genesis 2:1. See Or Hatorah on this verse (P. 42b ff. Chukas 508a ff., and other sources.) ↩

  18. Obviously this new dimension of Torah study includes the actual study of Pirkei Avos, one of the tractates that contain teachings of Torah Sheb’al Peh, the Oral Torah. ↩

  19. Beginning of his introduction to his Yad as well as in the introduction to his Commentary on the Mishnah. There he adds: “He [G-d] would first state the Mitzvah to him [Moses] and then He would tell him what it meant and its idea.” Rambam cites (Exodus 24:12): “And I shall give you the tablets of stone, the Torah and the commandments.” Rambam comments: “[The word] Torah refers to the Written Torah. Mitzvah refers to its commentary. He thus commanded us to fulfill the Torah according to its commentary. This term Mitzvah refers to the Oral Torah.” ↩

  20. This can be adduced also from the words of the Midrash (Midrash Tehillim 19:3. See Pirkei d’R. Eliezer Chapter 46. See Or HaTorah (Yahel Or) ibid. sec. 3, end of p. 61): “Concerning Moses our Teacher it is written (Exodus 34:28): ‘And he was there with G-d forty days and forty nights… When the Holy One, Blessed is He taught him Torah he knew that it was day, when he taught him Mishnah he knew that it was night.” Thus it is clear that during his very first night (of the forty days and forty nights) of his stay on Mount Sinai he learned Mishnah (the Oral Torah). On the very next day, he continued to learn the Written Torah. It should be noted that the language employed by Rambam implies that the commentary was said after each and every statement. He did not have to wait until that night. This matter requires further research. It is noteworthy that the Midrash Shmuel ibid states that the “mem” of the word MiSinai (“from Sinai”) alludes to the 40 days that Moses was on the mountain to receive the Torah (since the letter “mem” is numerically equivalent to the number 40). ↩

  21. Adapted from Sefer HaSichos, 5749, volume 2, p. 405ff. ↩

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Rabbi Heschel Greenberg Teacher, scholar and author of Tefillin — Judaism’s Crown. About the Rabbi

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