When they were circumcised, they entered into the holy portion which is called “covenant”, and thereupon the uncleanness left them as the blood of uncleanness leaves a woman. Just as a woman then has to count seven days, so now God bade the Israelites count days for purity.
The woman had to count seven days, the people seven weeks. Why seven weeks? That they might be worthy to be cleansed by the waters of that stream which is called “living waters,” and from which issue seven Sabbaths.
When Israel drew near to Mount Sinai, that dew that descends from the supemal Point came down in its fullness and purified them so that their filth left them and they became attached to the Holy King and the Community of Israel and received the Torah, as we have explained.
Observe that any man who does not count those seven complete weeks so as to qualify himself for purity is not called “pure” and is not in the class of “pure”, nor is he worthy to have a portion in the Torah. But if a man has reached this day in purity and has not lost count, then it behoves him on this night to study the Torah and to preserve the special purity to which he has attained on this night.
רִבִּי אַבָּא וְרִבִּי חִיָּיא הֲווֹ אָזְלֵי בְּאוֹרְחָא, אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא, כְּתִיב, (ויקרא כ״ג:ט״ו) וּסְפַרְתֶּם לָכֶם מִמָּחֳרָת הַשַּׁבָּת מִיּוֹם הֲבִיאֲכֶם אֶת עֹמֶר הַתְּנוּפָה. מַאי קָא מַיְירֵי. אָמַר לֵיהּ, הָא אוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּיא. אֲבָל תָּא חֲזֵי, יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּד הֲווֹ בְּמִצְרַיִם, הֲווֹ בִּרְשׁוּתָא אָחֳרָא, וַהֲווּ אֲחִידָן בִּמְסָאֲבוּתָא, כְּאִתְּתָא דָּא, כַּד הִיא יָתְבָא בְּיוֹמֵי דִּמְסָאֲבוּתָא. בָּתַר דְּאִתְגְּזָרוּ, עָאלוּ בְּחוּלָקָא קַדִּישָׁא, דְּאִקְרֵי בְּרִית. כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְאֲחָדוּ בֵּיהּ, פְּסַק מְסַאֲבוּתָא מִנַּיְיהוּ, כְּדָּא אִתְּתָא כַּד פַּסְקוּ מִנָּהּ דְּמֵי מְסַאֲבוּתָא. בָּתַר דְּאִתְפְּסָקוּ מִנָּהּ, מַה כְּתִיב. (ויקרא ט״ו:כ״ח) וְסָפְרָה לָּהּ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים. אוּף הָכָא, כֵּיוָן דְּעָאלוּ בְּחוּלָקָא קַדִּישָׁא, פָּסְקָא מְסָאֲבוּ מִנַּיְיהוּ, וְאָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה חוּשְׁבָּנָא לְדַכְיוּתָא.
When they were circumcised, they entered into the holy portion which is called “covenant”, and thereupon the uncleanness left them as the blood of uncleanness leaves a woman. Just as a woman then has to count seven days, so now God bade the Israelites count days for purity.
וּסְפַרְתֶּם לָכֶם, לָכֶם דַּיְיקָא, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר וְסָפְרָה לָּהּ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים, לָהּ: לְעַצְמָהּ. אוּף הָכָא לָכֶם: לְעַצְמְכֶם. וְלָמָּה. בְּגִין לְאִתְדַכְּאָה בְּמַיִין עִלָּאִין קַדִּישִׁין, וּלְבָתַר לְמֵיתֵי לְאִתְחַבְּרָא בֵּיהּ בְּמַלְכָּא, וּלְקַבְּלָא אוֹרַיְיתֵיהּ.
They were to count “for themselves”, so as to be purified with supernal holy waters, and then to be attached to the King and to receive the Torah.
הָתָם וְסָפְרָה לָּהּ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים, הָכָא שֶׁבַע שַׁבָּתוֹת, אֲמַאי שֶׁבַע שַׁבָּתוֹת. בְּגִין לְמִזְכֵּי לְאִתְדַכְּאָה בְּמַיִין, דְּהַהוּא נָהָר דְּנָגִיד וְנָפִיק. וְאִקְרֵי מַיִם חַיִּים. וְהַהוּא נָהָר, שֶׁבַע שַׁבָּתוֹת נָפְקוּ מִנֵּיהּ. וְעַל דָּא שֶׁבַע שַׁבָּתוֹת וַדַּאי, בְּגִין לְמִזְכֵּי בֵּיהּ, כְּמָה דְּאִתְּתָא, דַּכְיוּ דִּילָהּ בְּלֵילְיָא, לְאִשְׁתַּמְּשָׁא בְּבַעְלָהּ.
The woman had to count seven days, the people seven weeks. Why seven weeks? That they might be worthy to be cleansed by the waters of that stream which is called “living waters,” and from which issue seven Sabbaths.
כַּךְ כְּתִיב וּבְרֶדֶת הַטַּל עַל הַמַחֲנֶה לָיְלָה. עַל הַמַּחֲנֶה כְּתִיב, וְלָא כְּתִיב וּבְרֶדֶת הַטַּל לָיְלָה. אֶלָּא עַל הַמַּחֲנֶה, בְּגִין דְּיוֹרֵד מֵהַהוּא נְקוּדָה, עַל אִינּוּן יוֹמִין דְּאִתְקְרִיאוּ מַחֲנֶה. וּמִתְחַבֶּרֶת בְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא, וְאֵימָתַי נָחַת הַאי טַלָא. כַּד קְרִיבוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְטוּרָא דְּסִינַי, כְּדֵין נָחַת הַהוּא טַלָּא בִּשְׁלִימוּ, וְאִדָּכֵּי, וְאִתְפָּסְקַת זוּהֲמָתָן מִנַּיְיהוּ, וְאִתְחַבָּרוּ בֵּיהּ בְּמַלְכָּא וּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְקַבִּילוּ אוֹרַיְיתָא, וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא. וּבְהַהוּא זִמְנָא, וַדַּאי כָּל הַנְּחָלִים הוֹלְכִים אֶל הַיָּם, לְאִתְדַכְּאָה וּלְאִסְתַחֲאָה, וְכֹלָּא אִתְקָשָּׁרוּ (ס"א אתקדשו) וְאִתְחַבָּרוּ בֵּיהּ בְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא.
When Israel drew near to Mount Sinai, that dew that descends from the supemal Point came down in its fullness and purified them so that their filth left them and they became attached to the Holy King and the Community of Israel and received the Torah, as we have explained.
תָּא חֲזֵי, כָּל בַּר נָשׁ דְּלָא מָנֵּי חוּשְׁבָנָא דָּא, אִינּוּן שֶׁבַע שַׁבָּתוֹת תְּמִימוֹת, לְמִזְכֵּי לְדַכְיוּתָא דָּא. לָא אִקְרֵי טָהוֹר, וְלָאו בִּכְלָלָא דְּטָהוֹר הוּא. וְלָאו הוּא כְּדַאי לְמֶהֱוֵי לֵיהּ חוּלָקָא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וּמַאן דְּמָטֵי טָהוֹר לְהַאי יוֹמָא, וְחוּשְׁבָּנָא לָא אִתְאֲבִיד מִנֵּיהּ, כַּד מָטֵי לְהַאי לֵילְיָא, לִבְעֵי לֵיהּ לְמִלְעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וּלְאִתְחַבְּרָא בָּה, וּלְנַטְרָא דַּכְיוּ עִלָּאָה, דְּמָטֵי עָלֵיהּ בְּהַהוּא לֵילְיָא, וְאִתְדְּכֵי.
Observe that any man who does not count those seven complete weeks so as to qualify himself for purity is not called “pure” and is not in the class of “pure”, nor is he worthy to have a portion in the Torah. But if a man has reached this day in purity and has not lost count, then it behoves him on this night to study the Torah and to preserve the special purity to which he has attained on this night.