This week’s lesson is dedicated by Rabbi Gedalya & Bassie Shemtov in loving memory of Rabbi Binyomin Wolff Shliach of the Rebbe to Hanover, Germany. Yartzeit 1 Iyar 5780.
Part 1: The Post Passover Process
After Passover, Torah commands us to count seven weeks and then bring a special offering on Shavuot (source 1). This offering is specifically made of Chametz (source 2).
The Rebbe asks a basic question: If chametz was so terrible just a few weeks ago, how did it get promoted to being a sacrifice in the Holy Temple?!
Part 2: Humble Beginnings
As you surely learned over Passover, chametz represents ego while matzah represents humility (source 3). However, the Alter Rebbe adds something else: chametz represents rationalization, while matzah represents simple faith (source 4).
As the Rebbe explains in source 5, the Exodus took place as a sublime revelation which the people weren’t really ready to internalize. Therefore, as the Rebbe explains in Source 6 and in the Sicha that follows, they couldn’t consume chametz. Their ‘intellect’ wasn’t ready to agree. They needed to focus on the simple faith and observance, leaving their intellect for a later date.
Part 3: A Journey of Transformation
As the Rebbe explains, this is the basic journey of Passover to Shavuot. At the outset, we embrace G-d out of simple faith, eradicating all chametz, but after refining ourselves during the Omer Counting, we become ready to bring our intellect along, using our understanding to commit ourselves to G-d, making G-d’s will into our own.