There are two seasons in Judaism’s annual cycle noted for their opportunity to attain purity in preparation for redemptive outcomes. The first one is the season of Passover and the sefirah count, which is followed by the giving of the Torah on Shavuot. The second one is the season of the late summer month of Elul through Yom Kippur, which is followed by the forgiveness of Yom Kippur. The former is a 50 day period and the latter is a 40 day period.
These two periods are rooted in the history of the Exodus from Egypt and the events leading up to Moses descending with the second set of Tablets, after an abortive attempt, i.e. the first Yom Kippur. These historic events became part of Judaism’s annual cycle of holidays because they did not just happen “back then”. Every year, different aspects of their spiritual energies reoccur, presenting us with both their challenges and redemptive capacities, as they provide us with fresh opportunities to attain greater levels of holiness and closeness to God.
As a child, I was taught that in the 40 day period of Elul through Yom Kippur, we are given a unique opportunity to seek forgiveness and purify ourselves in preparation for the miracle of forgiveness which occurs on Yom Kippur. If this opportunity is properly treated, there’s a higher probability that we’ll be redeemed from the debt of misdeeds.
Then as a youth, I was introduced to the notion that from Passover to Shavuot is a period of purification leading up to receiving the Torah, the true final phase of the redemption from Egypt. As we wallowed for 210 years in Egypt, our souls have become encrusted with a layer of uniquely Egyptian impurity. We needed a 49 day period to detox and detach from this spiritual impurity to ready ourselves to receive the Torah. Then the awaited event, receiving the Torah, occurred on the 50th day, as a whole nation, in a state of collective prophecy.
Ever since I heard of this second season of purification, I wondered what’s the essential difference between the two of them. It’s a question I have been harboring in the recesses of my heart for quite a long time. Vaguely, I sensed the difference. However, I wasn’t able to precisely articulate it, even to myself.
Recently, it dawned on me that there are two scenarios which allow a person to acquire spiritual impurity. One is through wrongdoing. The other scenario is surprisingly by being exposed to impurity while simply going about one’s normative and expected business. It could be that the person even contracted impurity while being involved in a mitzvah. For example, King David could not build the Temple because his soul bore the taint of battle; even though what he did was a huge mitzvah, as it was necessary to defend his people from murderous enemies.
When we emerged from Egypt, our souls were encrusted with a layer of impurity; one which rubbed off on us from Egyptian society. This was not our fault. Since we were essentially blameless, we were not tasked with seeking forgiveness for our deeds. We were simply tasked with restoring our character traits to their initial state of wholesomeness, to regain the innocence of spiritual sensitivity.
On the other hand, with the “golden calf”, there was a new kind of impurity we encountered. This one was a direct consequence of wrongdoing. The only possible way out was to seek forgiveness. Therefore, Moses and the people spent time praying for forgiveness. Once forgiveness was granted the redemption came in for the form of the second set of Tablets, which Moses brought down on Yom Kippur.
So the answer to my longstanding question is that one season is for faultless impurity and the other one is for faulted impurity. The way one deals with faultless impurity is mainly by detoxing and detaching from the situation which brought it on; thereby, restoring wholesomeness. The way one deals with faulted impurity is to seek forgiveness. While this recipe may seem simple, it’s only speaking broadly. It’s describing what the primary focus of each season is.
Closer to the truth, both are somewhat intertwined. There are times when we need to face deeds to regain wholesomeness. Otherwise, we might not see the doorway opening to what needs correcting. Conversely, there are times when we need to face traits in order to ultimately change our behavior patterns. Otherwise, there’s a real risk of repetition.
It turns out that between the two seasons, the Jewish calendar has 90 days dedicated to purification. That’s a quarter of the year, which is about 360 days. Possibly, we are being mathematically advised on how to proportion our time. Perhaps, we should spend one quarter of our active hours on inner improving and three quarters on outward doing.
Also, the number 90 numerically equals the letter צ, tzadi, which in later usage has come to mean “saintly”. Accordingly, these 90 days are intended to bring a person to “saintliness”.
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