The Joy When the Labor is Completed

Parshat Emor

by Rabbi Avi Billet

Most of the latter half of Parshas Emor should be more familiar to us because we hear it two other times in the year – on Sukkos and on Pesach – as the Yom Tov Torah reading. 

This elaboration of the holidays is more complete than in any other segment of the Torah, as the holidays are mentioned as a group several times (in Mishpatim, in Ki Sisa, in Pinchas, and in Re’eh), while Pesach gets honorable mention even more times in the Torah. A number of things stand out regarding how the holiday of Sukkos is presented in this parsha, such as that the Mitzvah of Sukkah and the 4 Minim are mentioned here (and here only). 

We also find the word אך – a language of exclusion – “However,” which suggests that whatever follows that introductory word is unique to this situation, different from the other holidays. 

 And while the phrase שבעת ימים appears in others contexts in the Torah, it is attached to two phrases that we don’t find with Pesach ever (the other “7 day” holiday): 

 (לט) אַ֡ךְ בַּחֲמִשָּׁה֩ עָשָׂ֨ר י֜וֹם לַחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י בְּאָסְפְּכֶם֙ אֶת־תְּבוּאַ֣ת הָאָ֔רֶץ תָּחֹ֥גּוּ אֶת־חַג־יְקֹוָ֖ק שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֑ים בַּיּ֤וֹם הָֽרִאשׁוֹן֙ שַׁבָּת֔וֹן וּבַיּ֥וֹם הַשְּׁמִינִ֖י שַׁבָּתֽוֹן:

 (מ) וּלְקַחְתֶּ֨ם לָכֶ֜ם בַּיּ֣וֹם הָרִאשׁ֗וֹן פְּרִ֨י עֵ֤ץ הָדָר֙ כַּפֹּ֣ת תְּמָרִ֔ים וַעֲנַ֥ף עֵץ־עָבֹ֖ת וְעַרְבֵי־נָ֑חַל וּשְׂמַחְתֶּ֗ם לִפְנֵ֛י יְקֹוָ֥ק אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֖ם שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִֽים: 

There is a subtle difference between the phrase שבעה ימים and the phrase שבעת ימים. The former refers to 7 days, though not specifically in a row. The latter refers to 7 days in a row. For Pesach, we find the instruction to not have Chametz in the home שבעת ימים and to engage in the eating of Matzah for שבעת ימים. Obviously both of these refer to seven consecutive days. 

For Sukkos, however, the seven consecutive days references a mitzvah to celebrate and to be happy. 

Rabbi Baruch HaLevi Epstein suggests that the unique quality that Sukkos has is on account of what is written in the first pasuk quoted above – that the holiday comes at a time when you have completed your gathering of the grain of the land. Sukkos comes at the end of the summer growing season, and on the agricultural plain (as each of the three festivals has an agricultural aspect to) is a celebration of the completion of one’s work. 

Pesach is the time of the barley harvest, but there is more work to be done after the holiday. Shavuos is the time of the wheat harvest, but there is more work to be done after the holiday. Sukkos is when all the ingathering of fruit has already taken place. (Pesach and Shavuos is the harvesting of winter-grains, while Sukkos includes the harvesting of Summer grains, and also the fruit ingathering). 

 The notion that one can feel “my work is done” is a tremendous blessing. (More on this below) 

There is an additional component that may be true and unique to Sukkos. The Mishnah in Rosh Hashana (1:2) tells us that the world is judged 4 times a year – on Pesach for grain, on Shavuos for fruits, on Rosh Hashana everyone is judged, and on Chag we are judged for water. 

 “Chag” in the Talmud usually refers to Sukkos. Considering when we pray for water – Hoshana Rabba and Shmini Atzeres, the latter of which is technically after Sukkos is over – it may be possible to suggest that the reference to “Chag” in the Mishnah refers in this context to Shimini Atzeres, which is linked to Sukkos as its Yom HaShmini in the first verse quoted above, as well as in Parshas Pinchas (Bamidbar 28:35). If that is the case then Sukkos is a time free of judgment as well. (I admit this last argument is a little shaky). 

 The notion of being happy is one that challenges many people today. (Dennis Prager delivered a lecture series and wrote a book entitled “Happiness is a Serious Problem”) People generally get overwhelmed with pressures and stress, the need to be everything for everybody, and the overwhelming need to find a sense of purpose. Finding a sense of purpose is surely an important goal. And while finding happiness and experiencing happiness is certainly a goal, is it always attainable? 

Rabbi Nachman famously taught מצוה גדולה להיות בשמחה תמיד. It’s a great Mitzvah to be joyous all the time. I don’t know which count of Mitzvos Rabbi Nachman was looking to, as there isn’t an actual Mitzvah to be happy all the time. However, we do have a mitzvah to rejoice on our Festivals. We are warned in the Tokhacha of Ki Savo that the curses of the great rebuke (Devarim 28:47) come upon us for not having served God with joy. While we are meant to serve God all the time, this hardly counts as a Mitzvah to be בשמחה תמיד. 

 There are teachings in Pirkei Avos as well – Shammai taught to greet everyone with a smiling countenance (1:15), Rabbi Yishmael taught to greet everyone with joy (3:12), and Simcha is one of the 48 paths to wisdom through the study of Torah (6:5). 

 While they instruct it and advise it, there isn’t instruction in these works for how to achieve it. Money can’t buy happiness, the saying goes. And Avos also goes in that direction when it offers the teaching of Ben Zoma, “Who is wealthy? The one who is content with one’s lot” – or השמח בחלקו, one who rejoices in one’s portion. 

 There is a sense of joy that comes with being content. It’s all OK. It will be alright. Looking at the bright side. Finding the silver lining instead of focusing and harboring on the negativity only. 

 And then there’s what Rabbi Epstein noted above, the feeling that “my work is done.” 

 This is the feeling one should have when Shabbos arrives – the feeling that my work is complete, that there is nothing more that needs to be done, save for enjoying the Shabbos for which I have prepared and out of which I make the most of the time available – both in the company of others and on my own terms. 

 Sukkos serves as a model for this, because when done correctly, in the agrarian society, one’s labors are complete and the time can be dedicated to other efforts since our food is prepared for the winter by the time Sukkos rolls around in Eretz Yisrael. 

 May we be blessed to have that feeling weekly, that my labor is complete. And as other times and stages of life also lend themselves to that feeling, may that existence too be consumed with joy as we navigate day to day existence. Hopefully the teachings of Avos – greeting people with a smiling countenance or even with joy – can also help train us to focus on the positive, as we aim for greater joy and contentment in our lives. 

 Rabbi Tarfon taught in the last Mishnah of Avos Chapter 2, “It is not on you to finish the job, but neither are you free to disregard it.” This refers to the full-time job of life, which we are always aiming to improve upon and get closer to completion. Joy should carry us through it, especially when we feel mini-completions of tasks that can be deemed accomplished at varied points in our existence on this earth.