Shavuot: Why Does It Have So Many Names?

Shavuot Sparks for Discussion on Important Jewish Questions Why Does it Have So Many Names?

DEVARIM (DEUTERONOMY), 16:9-11

ִשׁ ְב ָעה ָשׁ ֻבע ֹת ִתּ ְס ָפּר ָלך: ֵמ ָה ֵחל ֶח ְר ֵמשׁ ַבּ ָקּ ָמה ָתּ ֵחל ִל ְספּ ֹר ִשׁ ְב ָעה ָשׁ ֻבעוֹת: וְ ָע ִשׂי ָת ַחג ָשׁ ֻבעוֹת ַלה' ֱאל ֶהיך ִמ ַסּת נִ ְד ַבת יָ ְדך ֲא ֶשׁר ִתּ ֵתּן ַכּ ֲא ֶשׁר יְ ָב ֶר ְכך ה' ֱאל ֶהיך: וְ ָשׂ ַמ ְח ָתּ ִל ְפנֵי ה' ֱאל ֶהיך...

You shall count seven weeks for yourselves; from when the sickle is first put to the standing crop shall you begin counting seven weeks. Then you shall observe the festival of Shavuot for the Lord, your God; the voluntary offerings that you give should be commensurate with how much the Lord, your God, will have blessed you. You shall rejoice before the Lord, your God …

SEFER HACHINUCH, MITZVAH #306

Because the Torah is the essence of the Jewish people and we were redeemed on Pesach in order for us to accept and keep the Torah, we are commanded to count from Pesach until Shavuot in order to demonstrate our great desire for it.

RABBI YISROEL MILLER, A GIFT FOR YOM TOV, P. 109

The period of the Omer is a time of spiritual preparation for the revelation of the Torah that takes place on Shavuot. Even nowadays, the forty-nine days between Pesach and Shavuot are meant to be days of spiritual preparation. After the first Pesach, our ancestors prepared to receive the Torah directly from God. And we, in each generation, should also use these days to prepare for Shavuot, to personally accept the Torah upon ourselves, each year anew.

RABBI AKIVA TATZ LIVING INSPIRED, PP. 158-160

The counting of the Omer represents the intense effort that is invested in our efforts toward self-perfection. Let us understand. The chiddush (novel idea) to grasp here is that counting, in Torah terms, is not a sentimental marking of the passage of time until a goal; it is the building of that goal. Counting is work. Counting means accounting for and developing each component of a process fully, responsibly, and in correct sequence. Only when each detail is painstakingly created and assembled into the process can the goal be reached; Sefirat HaOmer is such a counting. The great act of receiving the Torah, is reached not by a single act which builds it, but by a deliberate painstaking building of each of the seven days of the seven weeks which leads to it. When that is done, Shavuot is the result.

SIDDUR

.את יום חג השבעות הזה, זמן מתן תורתנו This day of the festival of Shavuot, the time of the Giving of the Torah.

Shavuos 2014

RABBI ELIYAHU DESSLER, STRIVE FOR TRUTH, VOL. IV, P. 49

Each Shavuot we spiritually arrive at that same point of sanctity experienced by our forefathers at Mount Sinai. It is, once again, in a real sense, “The time of the Giving of our Torah,” and we are invited to accept it anew, as they did 3,300 years ago. On Shavuot we have to work in order to receive the Torah. We have to struggle to acquire it in our hearts. When it came time to accept the Torah, Bnai Yisroel had their doubts however, when they heard God’s voice at Sinai all doubt was replaced by absolute certainty. So too, when we learn Torah today, and especially on Shavuot, we can, if we wish, still hear that same voice.

RABBI CHAIM FRIEDLANDER, SIFSEI CHAIM, VOL. III, P. 65

During these days in which we celebrate the Revelation at Sinai, it is essential to awaken in ourselves the idea that the opportunity to receive this influence occurs during this time. Just as one must see himself as if he left Egypt [the entire Passover Seder was instituted in order to stimulate these feelings], likewise it is vital to relive the extraordinary Revelation at Sinai and the giving of the Torah.

BAMIDBAR 28:26

וביום הביכורים בהקריבכם מנחה חדשה לה On the day of the first fruit when you bring a new offering for G-d

MISHNAH, BIKURIM 1:3

Bikurim may not be brought before Shavuot. The residents of Mount Tzvoim brought their bikurim before Shavuot and they were not accepted because the Torah says, “The festival of harvesting of the first fruits of your produce that you planted in the field.”

RAV YISSACHAR FRAND

Bikkurim come to teach that it is G-d's land, it is G-d's sustenance, and it is G-d's Hand that has given us the power to gain wealth. A person must appreciate this and recognize the favor. Bikkurim is about appreciating who everything really belongs to and about appreciating who really gives us our sustenance. These concepts are foundations and fundamentals of the Torah. That is why this mitzvah of Bikkurim is so special. A person must realize that it is not his brains, talents, or cleverness that help him acquire wealth. Rather it is his "Siyata D'shmaya" (help from Heaven). It is his "Mazal" (fortune) that G-d decides to be kind to him.

Shavuos 2014

SHEMOT (EXODUS), 23:16

ו ְ ַחג ַה ָקּ ִציר ִבּכּוּ ֵרי ַמ ֲע ֶשׂיך. The festival of harvesting of the first fruits of your produce that you planted in the field

BARTENURA ROSH HASHANAH 1:2

The Torah says to bring two loaves of bread [Shtei Halechem] on Shavuot in order that God will bless you for the fruit of the trees. [The Two Loaves allude to the fruit of the tree because] wheat is called a tree by the Torah, as it says, “From the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil,” according to the opinion that the tree they ate from [in the Garden of Eden] was wheat. RABBI ZVI SOBOLOFSKY The korbanos of the omer and shtei halechem reflect the dual aspects of man. The omer was brought from barley, which is a very basic food, primarily eaten by animals. The barley was not improved by becoming chametz. In contrast, the shtei halechem were brought from the finest wheat flour baked as chametz. These elegant loaves of bread were the antithesis of the plain barley. By offering the omer on Pesach, and then the shtei halechem on Shavuos, we are demonstrating vividly the two parts of our existence. On Pesach we have not yet received the Torah and we have not begun the process of elevating our thought and speech by using them for the purpose for which they were given. Therefore, we are still part of the animal kingdom, and our korban reflects this. It is only through our preparation for kabolas haTorah, and our commitment to it, that grant us the privilege of offering a korban on Shavuos that reflects our unique status as humans.

MISHNAH, ROSH HASHANAH 1:2

.בארבעה פרקים העולם נידון... בעצרת על פרות האילן

There are four times [each year] that the world is judged … on Atzeret for the fruit of the trees.

RABBI LEVI YITZCHACK OF BARDICHOV, KIDDUSHAS LEVI

1. On all the other holidays there is a mitzvah of the day. On Pesach we bring the Korbon Pesach and eat Matzah, therefor it is called Pesah and Chag HaMatzot (The Holiday of Matzah). On Sukkot we eat in the Sukkah and hence it’s called Sukkot. On Shavuot there is no positive commandment, there is only the commandment not to do work, therefore it is referred to as Atzeret, the commandment not to do work.

2. The Ramban teaches that when one gets inspired they should immediately do a mitzvah so that the mitzvah can be a “vessel” to materialize the inspiration so that it does not go to waste. At the time the Torah was given there was a great amount of inspiration, but the only commandment they had been commanded was not to go on to Har Sinai, the Jewish people materialized their inspiration by not going on to Har Sinai. On Shavuot, we commemorate this by calling the holiday Atzeret , the stoppage, to stress the importance of materializing our spiritual desires.

Shavuos 2014