Our Gemara on Amud Aleph continues its discussion of what takes precedence — the more holy (mekudash) sacrifice or the one that is brought more often (tadir)?

The Gemara attempts to bring a proof from the beraisa which rules that the Musaf sacrifices of Shabbos precede the Musaf sacrifices of Rosh Chodesh. If we are to assume the Musfei Rosh Chodesh are more sanctified than the Musfei Shabbos, but the Musfei Shabbos are tadir (frequent and continuous), then this proves that tadir takes precedence over holiness.

The Gemara refutes this proof, which we will not discuss right now. What is interesting, though, is the assumption that the Rosh Chodesh offering is holier than Shabbos. Most people would assume that Shabbos is the holiest day — perhaps second to Yom Kippur, which even overrides Shabbos. How can Rosh Chodesh, which hardly has any observances or prohibitions, be holier than Shabbos?

Rashi cryptically explains: Rosh Chodesh is called a moed, an “appointed time.” Even so — how does that boost it above Shabbos?

Peri Tzaddik (Rosh Chodesh Av 2.1) offers an explanation that also provides an amazing insight on the value of steady consistency versus the value of holiness. Constancy and consistency — tadir — represent the heavenly emanations. God does not change His mind nor does He get tired. Since He is perfectly wise, what He sees fit to do now is something He always did and always will do. Kedusha, holiness, while it is a recognition of ways in which the world becomes filled with Godly manifestations, is based on human declaration and human perception.

Shabbos represents the creation of the world, which is God’s emanation. However, Rosh Chodesh is man’s domain — the declaration of the new month pronounced by the Sanhedrin, which establishes all of the holidays. Rosh Chodesh is holy because it represents human initiation and sanctification. This is what Rashi meant by moed — appointed time.

Peri Tzaddik brilliantly finds a hint for this in a well-known adage from the Gemara, Bava Metzia (38a): “A person prefers a Kav (a measure) of his own produce over nine Kav of his friend’s produce.”

This has applications where a watchperson has an opportunity to save someone’s produce that is beginning to spoil by preemptively selling it. There is an argument that he should leave it alone because the owner would still prefer his produce, even if inferior, over somebody else’s. Psychologically speaking, we understand the pride of ownership and the meaning of eating from produce that one toiled to grow.

Peri Tzaddik wonders about the language of nine to one. The aphorism simply means that a person prefers his own produce over a much larger amount of someone else’s. It is true that aphorisms may contain exaggeration, but usually exaggeration uses round numbers like 10, 50, 100, etc. Why use the number nine? 

Rather, this is hinting at the spiritual emanations. Mystically speaking, the 10th is the combination of all the preceding emanations that become manifest in the physical world to produce the final desired outcome. This desired outcome comes from human beings reaching upward toward the spiritual — which is another way of saying that holiness is made by human declaration.

The aphorism is both literal and metaphoric. It is saying that the final 10th emanation is the last ingredient — the human recognition that activates everything prior. And why is it so sweet and significant? Because it comes from us, which is a spiritual enactment of the same psychological principle that makes the work of one’s own hands more dear than a much larger work done by someone else.

Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation

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Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, LCSW-R, LMFT, DHL is a psychotherapist who works with high conflict couples and families. He can be reached via email at simchafeuerman@gmail.com