Going Up In Holiness

Pesach

by Rabbi Avi Billet

The concept of going up in holiness is one which gains prominence around Chanukah, as we light candles each night adding one. But the opinion of Beit Shammai is that we start with eight and light one less each night. 

Does Beit Shammai not believe in the idea of rising in holiness? He argues that we are mimicking the bull sacrifices of the Temple when we light those candles.

The truth is that the concept of rising in holiness is relative. For example, we start the holiday of Pesach and then we have Chol Hamoed – which is certainly a less holy time period. When there is a Shabbat Chol hamoed, we don’t even acknowledge that it’s Pesach in the Haftorah. While we may, we are not obligated to eat matzah on the last days of the holiday (unlike our obligation to eat matzah on the first night of the holiday!). Those who are strict about not eating gebrokts are often lax about eating it on the last day of the holiday. That is certainly not going up in holiness. 

A tale is told in the Talmud (Brachot), after Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya was deposed as being Nasi, there was a debate whether he could continue to lecture in the Nasi slot. They opted not to deny him the Nasi teaching slot, but to only give him less frequent opportunities to teach. Why? Because he can’t be brought down from the holiness level he had achieved. 

The Talmud in Megillah discusses three options of how people can read the minimal numbers of Torah verses – usually 10 altogether. Do we break down the 3 aliyahs to be 4,3,3, or 3,4,3 or 3,3,4? According to the view that praises the last person who reads 4, the argument is made that we go up in holiness. 

But if that is a rule, then neither 4,3,3 or 3,4,3 should be an option! 

Perhaps the principle can be applied in this way: sometimes “going up in holiness” has repercussions when we’re dealing with an individual’s honor. Sometimes it is a support to a practice, but doesn’t define the practice. 

Sefirat Ha’Omer is a great example. There is nothing inherently more holy about any day of Sefirah over another. Every day of Sefirah is the same on a holiness level. 

And yet, as we know, we count Sefirah upwards. Obviously, because we are going up in holiness. 

How, if each day’s level of holiness is the same?

If “going up in holiness” is a principle which supports our halakhic practice, we need to understand how it shapes how we observe Sefirah. 

Rabbi Soloveichik had a unique explanation for why we count Sefirat Ha’Omer “up” instead of like a countdown. Citing the Ran, he said we count the Omer today to reenact the counting of days from leaving Egypt until receiving the Torah. The people were not told on which date they’d receive the Torah, because God does not always reveal all the details of the end-game. 

Just as we don’t know when the Messiah will come, and we count years upwards, the Jews had to count upwards to the receiving of the Torah because they did not know exactly when that would take place. When we reenact our ancestors countup to Matan Torah, we also count upwards as our forefathers did after they left Egypt. There is an element of uncertainty in the religious experience. 

The Ktav V’hakabalah notes that the word used to describe the 7 weeks from Pesach to Shavuot is “Temimot,” which more often means perfect or wholesome, and not Shleimot, which would specifically mean “complete” or “full.” He defines Temimot as complete in quality, while Shleimot is a completion in quantity. 7 weeks Temimos means you haven’t missed a day of the 49. 

Quoting Rabbi Chiya in the Midrash, He says that “7 Temimot weeks are in fact temimot when the Jewish people fulfill God’s will.” 

In the end we need to recognize that holiness is less about trimmings, but about what we can achieve when we use our time well. 

Rabbi Soloveichik talked about counting up because that is how we look forward to Sinai. 

Maybe each of us can take upon ourselves a personal learning project in preparation for Shavuot. That is one way to “go up in holiness.” 

Another way to go up in holiness is through doing less judging of our fellow man, and more “putting the other person up” than “putting another person down.” 

Through this we will not only enhance our relationships, but bring holiness into our day to day encounters.