Small Shares: The Spiritual Power of the Korban Omer

Emor

Small Shares

וַהֲבֵאתֶם אֶת־עֹמֶר רֵאשִׁית קְצִירְכֶם אֶל־הַכֹּהֵן

שֶׁעַל יְדֵי מִצְוַת הָעֹמֶר זָכָה אַבְרָהָם לִירַשׁ אֶת אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן

Much of Parshas Emor is given to the Pessukim that discuss the Moadei Hashana, the various Yomim Tovim and the Mitzvos that come along with them. Included in these Pessukim is the Tzivuy of the Korban Omer as well as the Mitzvah of Sefiras HaOmer . That this Parsha, and therefore these Pessukim, falls out during the period of Sefirah each year gives us the opportunity to contemplate the period in which we find ourselves, and its meaning.

The Pessukim describe the Korban in simple terms: דַּבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם כִּי־תָבֹאוּ אֶל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי נֹתֵן לָכֶם וּקְצַרְתֶּם אֶת־קְצִירָהּ וַהֲבֵאתֶם אֶת־עֹמֶר רֵאשִׁית קְצִירְכֶם אֶל־הַכֹּהֵן. Once we were settled in Eretz Yisroel, there was a Mitzvah to bring a special Korban Mincha at the time of the harvest, known as the Korban Omer. The Torah adds but one more detail to the Mitzvah: וְהֵנִיף אֶת־הָעֹמֶר לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה לִרְצֹנְכֶם מִמׇּחֳרַת הַשַּׁבָּת יְנִיפֶנּוּ הַכֹּהֵן, the Omer required Tenufah , or waving.

Although the Torah does not speak at length about this Korban, and indeed it seems to be a minor part of the Avodah—taking place on Chol HaMoed rather than Yom Tov itself—the Medrash speaks about this Korban in a perhaps surprising manner: לְעוֹלָם אַל תְּהִי מִצְוַת הָעֹמֶר קַלָּה בְּעֵינֶיךָ שֶׁעַל יְדֵי מִצְוַת הָעֹמֶר זָכָה אַבְרָהָם לִירַשׁ אֶת אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן. One should not diminish the importance of the Korban Omer, says the Medrash, for it is because of this Mitzvah that Avrohom Avinu was Zoche to Eretz Yisroel.

Why is this true? What connection does Avrohom Avinu have to the Korban Omer, which was not brought until so many years later? Why did this Korban specifically provide the Zechus that Avhorom Avinu needed to receive Eretz Yisroel?

While this alone is a somewhat startling statement, the Medrash continues, speaking about the Korban Omer in very stark terms. For example: לְעוֹלָם אַל תְּהִי מִצְוַת הָעֹמֶר קַלָּה בְּעֵינֶיךָ, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי מִצְוַת הָעֹמֶר עָשָׂה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שָׁלוֹם בֵּין אִישׁ לְאִשְׁתּוֹ. Some Meforshim explain that this Memra relates the the Minchas Sotah , which also comes from barley, but the Medrash isn’t clear: all we know is that the Korban Omer is somehow related to שָׁלוֹם בֵּין אִישׁ לְאִשְׁתּוֹ. How? What is the connection between this Korban and the peace that exists between a husband and wife?

If these two Memros don’t go far enough in reinforcing the words אַל תְּהִי מִצְוַת הָעֹמֶר קַלָּה בְּעֵינֶיךָ, the Medrash continues, speaking about other ways that the Zechus of the Korban Omer had an outsized impact, lists four different times in our history that the Korban Omer provided the Zechus that was needed to protect Klal Yisroel.

First, the Medrash tells us הִיא שֶׁעָמְדָה לָהֶם בִּימֵי גִדְעוֹן, relating that Gideon overheard his enemies talking about לֶחֶם שְׂעֹרִים and was later victorious over that army. The Medrash explains: צָּלַל עֲלֵיהֶם אוֹתוֹ הַדּוֹר מִן הַצַּדִּיקִים, that generation was bereft of Tzaddikim and therefore did not have adequate Zechusim , but was saved בִּזְכוּת לֶחֶם שְׂעוֹרִים.

The Medrash make two more similar statements about the Korban Omer, and its Koach to help Klal Yisroel: הִיא שֶׁעָמְדָה לָהֶם בִּימֵי חִזְקִיָּהוּ and הִיא שֶׁעָמְדָה לָהֶם בִּימֵי יְחֶזְקֵאל. The Medrash brings Pessukim in both cases where reference is made to the Koban Omer at times of danger to Klal Yisroel: during the times of Chizkiyahu the Zechus of the Korban Omer protected us from the threat of Sancherev , and in the days of Yechezkel it was the source of Kaparah for our Aveiros .

The final example brought by the Medrash is a more familiar story, told slightly differently than in other Mamarei Chazal.

The Medrash tells us: הִיא שֶׁעָמְדָה לָהֶם בִּימֵי הָמָן, it was the Zechus of the Korban Omer that protected us in the says of Haman. The Medrash explains: כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאָה מָרְדְּכַי אֶת הָמָן בָּא כְּנֶגְדוֹ וְהַסּוּס בְּיָדוֹ, אָמַר דּוֹמֶה אֲנִי שֶׁאֵין רָשָׁע זֶה בָּא אֶלָּא לְהָרְגֵנִי. Although Haman was coming to execute the instructions given to him by Achashverosh, אַל־תַּפֵּל דָּבָר מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתָּ, Mordechai assumed that his life was in danger. He was with his Talmidim at the time, and instructed them to flee lest they become victims as well, but they refused. Fearing for his life, the Medrash tells us that Mordechai acted as one might expect, נִתְעַטֵּף בְּטַלִּיתוֹ וְעָמַד בִּתְפִלָּה לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, while his Talmidim continued to learn.

When Haman arrived, relates the Medrash, he was not taken by the fervor of Mordechai’s Teffilos , but turned immediately to the Talmidim , asking: בַּמֶּה אַתֶּם עוֹסְקִים. The told him that they were discussing the מִצְוַת הָעֹמֶר שֶׁהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מַקְרִיבִין בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ בַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה. As we know, these events took place on the second night of Pesach, and so the Talmidim were learning Inyanei D’Yoma : the Halachos of the Korban HaOmer . Haman began to ask about the nature of the Korban, learning that it was not made of gold and silver, but of mere barley. He then asked about the size of the Korban as was told סַגִּין בְּעַשְׂרָה מָנִין, the measure of flour was quite small, the equivalent value of ten small coins.

When Haman heard this from the Talmidim of Mordechai, his response was fatalistic: קוּמוּ דְּנִצְחוּ עֲשֶׂרֶת מִנְּכוֹן לַעֲשֶׂרֶת אֲלָפִים קַנְטַרְיָא דְכַסְפָּא . The small Korban, worth only ten small coins, would ultimately defeat the ten thousand silver bars he had given Achashverosh in return for the right to annihilate Klal Yisroel. In this way, the Korban Omer is said to have stood for us בִּימֵי הָמָן.

How can we understand these Memros ? What is the Koach of the Korban Omer that creates Zechuyos that stand for us at the most desperate times? The siege of Sancherev and the plot of Haman were both existential threats, and we would assume that the Zechusim of a more prominent or common Mitzvah would be needed, but we are told by the Medrash that it was the Korban Omer that protected us at those junctures.

These Medrashim are even more difficult to understand when we take into account the fact that there was no Korban Omer at the time of Haman, as the Bais HaMikdash lay in ruins, and Avrohom Avinu lived many years before the advent of the Korban. How then are we to understand the words of Chazal, that הִיא שֶׁעָמְדָה לָהֶם בִּימֵי הָמָן and עַל יְדֵי מִצְוַת הָעֹמֶר זָכָה אַבְרָהָם לִירַשׁ אֶת אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן?

Regarding the Medrash about the conversation between the Talmidim of Mordchai and Haman, there is another point that must be clarified. Haman did not seem impressed, or threatened, by the fact that the Korban Omer is brought from barley—which is a low-grade grain—and it was only when the size of the Korban was mentioned that he became agitated. Why? What is it about the size of the Korban Omer that caused Haman to say קוּמוּ דְּנִצְחוּ עֲשֶׂרֶת מִנְּכוֹן לַעֲשֶׂרֶת אֲלָפִים קַנְטַרְיָא דְכַסְפָּא?

The truth is that the size of the Korban Omer seems to be one of its features. The Medrash, earlier in this Parsha, relates that Hashem told Moshe to give Bnei Yisroel a message: שֶׁהָיִיתִי נוֹתֵן לָכֶם אֶת הַמָּן הָיִיתִי נוֹתֵן עֹמֶר לְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מִכֶּם וְעַכְשָׁיו שֶׁאַתֶּם נוֹתְנִים לִי אֶת הָעֹמֶר אֵין לִי אֶלָּא עֹמֶר אֶחָד מִכֻּלְּכֶם The amount of Monn that was given to each person was one Omer measure per day, and HKBH compared this to the one Omer measure that comprised the Korban Omer.

How can we understand this Medrash? what is the connection between the עֹמֶר לְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד of the Monn and the עֹמֶר אֶחָד מִכֻּלְּכֶם of the Korban Omer? We know that HKBH does not require recompense for the Monn, or any other Nes, what then does this Medrash teach us? Why did Hashem point this discrepancy out to Moshe Rabbeinu , and why was it necessary for this lesson to be given over to Bnei Yisroel, as the Medrash says לֵךְ אֱמֹר לָהֶם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל?

There is another Mamar Chazal that conveys a similar message and may help clarify the essence of the Korban Omer.

The Medrash Rabba in Parhas Pinchas brings two Pessukim in Iyov that seem to be in conflict. Both Pessukim speak about Hashem, but one says לֹא־מְצָאנֻהוּ שַׂגִּיא־כֹחַ, which means that we do not find that Hashem does acts of great Koach, while the other says יַשְׂגִּיב בְּכֹחוֹ מִי כָמֹהוּ מוֹרֶה, which means that the Koach of Hashem is plainly seen. This apparent contraction is resolved by a Klal: כְּשֶׁהוּא נוֹתֵן לָהֶם, נוֹתֵן לָהֶם לְפִי כֹּחוֹ, וּכְשֶׁהוּא מְבַקֵּשׁ אֵינוֹ מְבַקֵּשׁ אֶלָּא לְפִי כֹּחָן. When HKBH gives to us, it is done לְפִי כֹּחוֹ but we are only expected to give back לְפִי כֹּחָן, according to our ability. The Medrash continues, bringing various examples of this Klal.

The Medrash Agaddah in Parshas Behar brings this idea, and says: כְּשֶׁנָּתַן לָהֶם תְּבוּאָה לְפִי כּוֹחוֹ וּכְשֶׁשָּׁאַל מֵהֶם לְפִי כּוֹחָם. We receive our produce in abundance, according to the Koach of HKBH, but are asked only to return a small amount, as the Passuk says וּקְצַרְתֶּם אֶת־קְצִירָהּ וַהֲבֵאתֶם אֶת־עֹמֶר רֵאשִׁית קְצִירְכֶם.

We see, then, that the Korban Omer is an example of the Klal taught by the Medrash in Bamidbar Rabbah: although Hashem is נוֹתֵן לָהֶם לְפִי כֹּחוֹ, he is only מְבַקֵּשׁ לְפִי כֹּחָן. This would seem to merge well with the words brought by the Medrash here that contrasts the Omer of the Monn with that of the Korban Omer, but some explanation is required.

Why do Chazal need to tell us כְּשֶׁהוּא נוֹתֵן לָהֶם, נוֹתֵן לָהֶם לְפִי כֹּחוֹ, וּכְשֶׁהוּא מְבַקֵּשׁ אֵינוֹ מְבַקֵּשׁ אֶלָּא לְפִי כֹּחָן, and bring multiple examples of this Middah ? Why would we expect otherwise? We know that HKBH is the ultimate Mativ, and in anyway there is no way for us to repay him—why is it noteworthy that we are not expected to match the largesse of HKBH?

R’ Chatzkel Sarna, in the Delios Yechezkel on Yomim Noraim , points out that the second Bracha in שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה is known as בִּרְכַּת גְּבוּרוֹת, but its words do not reflect this name: מְכַלְכֵּל חַיִּים בְּחֶסֶד מְחַיֵּה מֵתִים בְּרַחֲמִים רַבִּים. At the same time, the Bracha ends with the words מִי כָמוֹךָ בַּעַל גְּבוּרוֹת. How can we understand this? Why does the Bracha that is meant to speak about גְּבוּרוֹת speak almost exclusively about חֶסֶד and then conclude using the words בַּעַל גְּבוּרוֹת?

The Rosh Hayeshiva answers this question with the words of the Medrash: יַשְׂגִּיב בְּכֹחוֹ refer to the fact that כְּשֶׁהוּא נוֹתֵן לָהֶם, נוֹתֵן לָהֶם לְפִי כֹּחוֹ, וּכְשֶׁהוּא מְבַקֵּשׁ אֵינוֹ מְבַקֵּשׁ אֶלָּא לְפִי כֹּחָן. The greatest expression of גְּבוּרוֹת ה' is found in the Chessed that Hashem does for us, לְפִי כֹּחוֹ. When it comes to the Mitzvos , however, there is no Koach at all—we are expected to give back only לְפִי כֹּחָן. What we might instinctively think of as גְּבוּרוֹת, great wonderous Nissim, pale in comparison to the מְכַלְכֵּל חַיִּים בְּחֶסֶד who asks only that we give back in the way that we can.

This is the message of the Korban Omer: כְּשֶׁנָּתַן לָהֶם תְּבוּאָה לְפִי כּוֹחוֹ וּכְשֶׁשָּׁאַל מֵהֶם לְפִי כּוֹחָם. On Pesach, as we complete the harvest season, we are told to take just one Omer, a small measure of the least desirable grain, and give it back to Hashem. This act allows us to realize that the מְכַלְכֵּל חַיִּים בְּחֶסֶד is in fact the בַּעַל גְּבוּרוֹת.

It is not the Mitzvah itself of the Korban Omer that gives us such Koach—it is the mindset that it engenders. When one thinks about the Korban Omer, and realizes כְּשֶׁנָּתַן לָהֶם תְּבוּאָה לְפִי כּוֹחוֹ וּכְשֶׁשָּׁאַל מֵהֶם לְפִי כּוֹחָם his relationship with HKBH changes. When we understand that the true expression of מִי כָמוֹךָ בַּעַל גְּבוּרוֹת is מְכַלְכֵּל חַיִּים בְּחֶסֶד our perception of the world is altered, leading to true growth in areas of Emunah and Bitachon .

Avorohom Avinu had the mindset of the Korban Omer—he understood that the greatest expression of גְּבוּרוֹת ה' is found in the Chessed that we receive, and it was in this Zechus that he was Zoche to Eretz Yisroel, as the Medrash explains. Generations later, in the times of Gideon, Chizkiyahu and Yechezkel, it was this relationship with HKBH that stood for us as well: we were able to tap into the mindset of כְּשֶׁנָּתַן לָהֶם תְּבוּאָה לְפִי כּוֹחוֹ וּכְשֶׁשָּׁאַל מֵהֶם לְפִי כּוֹחָם, and it was this appreciation of the Chessed Hashem that stood for us at those critical junctures.

This is why Haman became concerned when the Talmidim of Mordechai told him that they were learning about the מִצְוַת הָעֹמֶר שֶׁהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מַקְרִיבִין בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ בַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה, and that the Korban Omer is so diminutive in size. He understood from this that, far removed as they may have been from the Mikdash, the Yidden may still be able to connect with Hashem with a mindset of כְּשֶׁנָּתַן לָהֶם תְּבוּאָה לְפִי כּוֹחוֹ וּכְשֶׁשָּׁאַל מֵהֶם לְפִי כּוֹחָם, and knew this would be his undoing.

It is this message tha the Korban Omer carries to this day, and as we count each day of Sefirah we can connect to this idea, growing closer to Hashem with each passing day and week, remembering the ultimate truth: the בַּעַל גְּבוּרוֹת is the מְכַלְכֵּל חַיִּים בְּחֶסֶד , and כְּשֶׁהוּא נוֹתֵן , נוֹתֵן לָהֶם לְפִי כֹּחוֹ, וּכְשֶׁהוּא מְבַקֵּשׁ אֵינוֹ מְבַקֵּשׁ אֶלָּא לְפִי כֹּחָן.