With the eruption of World War II in Elul 5699, and later, when the Russians invaded Lithuania, whoever was able to flee, did so. One of the mashgichim of Slobodke, HaRav Dov Zochovsky zt"l, who came to had come to Slobodke from Eretz Yisroel, possessed a Palestinian passport. A relative sent him an American passport, so that he could flee to that country, but he refused to use it. Instead, he decided to return to Eretz Yisroel with his family.
They traveled from Moscow to Odessa by train and from there, would connect to a boat crossing the Black Sea to Turkey and from there sailing to Eretz Yisroel. Moments before the shaky ship left the port, it was discovered that a woman was missing. Accompanying the Zochovsky family, she had been detained by the authorities.
"If that is the case," declared the Rav, "we are all remaining behind and I will do my best to straighten things out for her."
People on board tried to dissuade him. It was wartime, they said, and this was the best chance of survival for the entire family. Everyone was aware that this was the last boat to leave for Turkey and from there, to Eretz Yisroel.
But Rav Dov had already debarked and was on land. He rushed to the officials and pleaded with them. The ship's stacks were already smoking and the anchors had been lifted. The two boarded ship at the very last moment. For someone who had embraced the Mussar teachings of Slobodke of man's obligations to his fellow man, it could not have been otherwise.
We try to improve our relations to our fellow Jews during Sefiras HaOmer, to mend the lack of respect for one another which caused Rabi Akiva's disciples to die so tragically. We sought out the young son who had been present on that ship in Odessa, HaRav Nosson, and asked,
"Most of the days of Sefira are already behind us. With only two weeks remain until Shavuos, what is imperative for us to do in the realm of bein odom lechavero?"
HaRav Zochovsky: Actually this is the work required of these days. But I would like to preface my answer by explaining the nature and essence of this period.
A certain Torah scholar showed me what is written in "Tosefess Ma'ase Rav" about the Vilna Gaon. 'Immediately after Pesach, one should apply himself with special seclusion, for these days are the groundwork for the receiving of the Torah on Shavuos.'
This demands explanation. We have no inkling of the nature of the Gra's study during the rest of the year but we can infer that he understood that the days of the Sefira must be utilized for preparation for receiving the Torah on Shavuos and that Torah study must be emphasized all the more.
And why only from motzei Yom Tov when we start the counting? Perhaps because Pesach emphasizes our trust in Hashem through eating matzo. (Indeed, according to the Gaon, eating matzo is a mitzvah every day of the festival.) But only when Yom Tov was over, did he reinforce his Torah study in anticipation of receiving the Torah on Shavuos.
The period up until Lag BaOmer are days of mourning over the death of Rabi Akiva's disciples for their lack of honor for one another. This surely does not mean that they did not assist one another in deed or through food and drink, rather it refers to respect for the Torah which they studied together.
The question arises why this is pertinent at this particular time. This lack was surely extant throughout the year so why was their punishment meted precisely during this period?
It may be because this very season is conducive for preparation for receiving the Torah. Rabi Akiva's disciples were designated to transmit the Torah to the future generations. They died precisely at this time because it was not fitting that Torah be transmitted onward through students who did not sufficiently honor the Torah of one another.
HaRav Nosson continues: With your consent, I wish to explain the connection between Shavuos and the Sefira counting which precedes it.
The Netziv comments (Vayikra 23:21) on the posuk "And you shall announce on this very day..." that this comes to teach us to make the Yom Tov precisely at full night and not during end of the final day because Jews were accustomed not to pray on Shavuos at the end of the day. It is not, as the Mogen Avrohom wrote, that the reason was because the Torah specified that the counted days be complete, temimos, because if so, this should apply to every night between Pesach and Shavuos as well. In fact, the Torah specified temimos regarding days and not hours. The main thing is to understand that the Torah is referring to precisely this day."
We cannot begin celebrating Shavuos before the proper time as it says in the posuk. There is, however, a concept of adding on to Shabbos and Yom Tov prior to the time when it is rightfully ushered in. Why does this not apply to Shavuos as well?
The Arizal explained that the Jews in Egypt descended to the 49 depths of impurity, and had not Hashem taken them out at the brink of the 50th level, they could never have left Egypt. Since the days between Pesach and Shavuos are preparation for receiving the Torah, each day requires us to sever ourselves from the impurity of Egypt and advance upward from one gateway to the next until by Shavuos we are completely purified. This also applies every year, as is written in the Ramchal's Derech Hashem, that a yearly cycle is repeated annually.
This is why each day of the Sefira is an entity of its own, each requiring toil and progress respectively, and awareness of where we stand at each point.
(The author of 'Dvar Avrohom', Rav of Kovno, my birth city, who was a good friend of my father, was asked about a person who was uncertain if a day was the fourth or the fifth of the Sefira — if he could count two days together and suffice his obligation. The answer was that the mere counting was not a verbal act alone but had to be a certainty in his mind.)
One should feel that he is progressing towards Shavuos. So many and so many days have elapsed, and you should have utilized them and progressed accordingly. So long as you have not reached the 49th day, you have not completed your preparation for the receiving of the Torah.
Furthermore, the Maharsha (Rosh Hashanah 16) says that the Jews when they left Egypt had not yet reached the level of 'man'. This is why the sacrifice of the Omer was of barley, which is animal feed.
Only after having counted 49 days were they able to bring the sacrifice of shtei halechem, from wheat, which represents the capacity of knowledge and the wisdom of Torah. So long as the preparation of the 49th day has not been completed, one is incapable of receiving the wisdom of the Torah and sanctifying the Yom Tov of Shavuos.
This is why this festival cannot abide the extra supplement before ushering it in, like with Shabbos and other yomim tovim. The self-preparation and progress of the last day must be completed because each separate day requires completion and advancement of its own.
