The biblical word for holiday is moed, which means “appointed time” as well as “meeting.” Holidays are “appointed times” set aside for us to “meet,” for on the holiday we have the space to meet with G‑d and with the parts of ourselves that we sometimes overlook due to the demands and distractions of everyday life.
Each of the holidays has a unique theme and energy. Each holiday gives us the opportunity to experience and internalize the inspiration of the time: exodus and freedom on Passover, Torah and spiritual enlightenment on Shavuot, holiness and atonement on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and joy on Sukkot.
Our weekly portion, Pinchas, lists the offerings we are commanded to offer at the Holy Temple on each of these moadim. Yet, in what seems to be a departure from the overall theme, the Torah also describes the daily communal offerings. The daily offerings were mentioned earlier in the Torah, so why are they reiterated here, and more specifically, why are they reiterated in the context of the extraordinary holidays?
We tend to view our lives as divided between the ordinary and extraordinary, between the usual routine and the excitement of the novel experience, between habit and inspiration.
Indeed, there are times that feel like holidays. The hand of G‑d that took our ancestors out of Egypt feels once again present in our life. We feel the light from above shining brightly upon us, the wind of inspiration under our wings, and enthusiasm for life pervading our entire body. Yet there are also days that feel unremarkable and monotonous, times when we feel sapped of energy, devoid of excitement and purpose.
The Torah seeks to teach us that, in truth, every moment is a miracle and every day a holiday. There is no such thing as an ordinary day. The magnificent sunrise, the beautiful sunset, is no less an expression of Divine power than the Exodus from Egypt.
When referring to the daily offerings, the Torah says:
The L‑rd spoke to Moses, saying: Command the children of Israel and say to them: My offering, My food for My fire offerings, a spirit of satisfaction for Me, you shall take care to offer to Me at its appointed time. The one lamb you shall offer up in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer up in the afternoon.1
The Torah refers to each and every day as a moed, a unique appointed time. As Rashi puts it:
At its appointed time: Each day is the appointed time prescribed for the continual offerings.
Rashi is telling us that each and every ordinary day can indeed become a moed, a holiday, a day filled with enthusiasm, holiness and joy. If we take the time to experience the blessing of life G‑d gifted us with, if we designate a portion of each day to fulfill the purpose of our creation, then, indeed, each and every day is a holiday.2
-adapted from www.chabad.org
