Hallel: Binding

We say in Hallel: “God is The Power, He illuminated for us; bind the festival offering –isru chag- with cords until the corners of the Altar”. The day following a festival is called Isru Chag.  On the day of Yom Tov, Israel has elevated itself to a higher degree of sanctity and entertained holy

thoughts, and there is concern that after the festival, everyone will return to their mundane activities and will forget the level they were at. This is why King David directed “bind the festival with cords”, fasten the festival to the everyday, so as not to lose those holy thoughts (Yalkut Meam Loez, Tehilim 118:27).

When we experience God illuminating our life, when we are granted a moment of clarity of ‘vayaer lanu’; whether it is a Shabbat, a Yom Tov, or a personal celebration- a feeling of intimate communion with our Creator, an experience which leaves us with a sense of awe-, we must make an ‘Isru Chag’.

We can climb to great heights, but what happens the day after? How do we make sure that we can hold on to it?

Application:
Define the moment after; give it a name. Take the time to recall the intensity of your experience, think of ways to use it. Bind this offering to the four corners of your own Altar, taking the sanctity of the connection and infusing it into the mundane.