Shavuot - 5777

Shavuot - 5777

Rabbi Hal Miller

Shavuot goes by many names. Why? What do the various names mean? We will

spend a little time with the Sfas Emes today.

The name Shavuot is a plural word. The root can mean either 'weeks' or 'oath', which

itself is an interesting combination. Sfas Emes says of this, "The primary name of this

festival, Shavuot, signifies not only that it is the Festival of Weeks, crowning the seven-

week counting of the Omer that began on Pesach, but also that it is the day of the Great

Oath. On this day Hashem swore eternal devotion to us, and we in turn pledged everlasting

loyalty to Him."

The next name is "zman matan torateinu", the time of the giving of our Torah. This name

obviously relies on a tie between the holiday and the revelation on Mount Sinai, a tie that

is not universally agreed upon. However, for our purpose, whether or not this holiday is

connected to the giving of the Torah, we can safely agree that it occurs at the "time of the

giving", which fits this name. Sfas Emes takes it a step further when he writes, "This phrase

can be understood to refer not only to the historical event that occurred at Mount Sinai, but

also to the re-giving of the Torah we still experience every year." Thus we are to celebrate

each Shavuot the fact that Hashem continuously supports us by renewing the Torah.

A similar name is "zman cheiruteinu," the time of our freedom. Although this phrase is

usually connected with Pesach, it applies here too as Shavuot is also a time of liberation,

meaning freedom from the mundane that enables us to study Torah.

Another that we may not often think of in conversation is "atzeret," a convocation. This

refers to the gathering of the people. True, Shavuot is one of the shalosh regalim, the

three festivals for which all of us would walk to the Temple in Yerushalayim, but here it

means something more. This is a gathering of G-d's people for the sole purpose of the

gathering. There are no attendant mitzvos as there are on Pesach and Succot. In rabbinic

literature this is the most common name, according to Sfas Emes. The name may refer to

our acknowledgement of Hashem as our Supreme Monarch on Shavuot. It also means

storehouse or treasure chest, G-d's treasured people coming to visit Him.

Next name is "etzem hayom hazeh," this very day. This phrase occurs in many places

and many contexts. Sfas Emes writes, "The common factor in the various uses of this

expression is atonement of sins to achieve purity." In the case of this holiday, we have

just spent nearly two months concentrating on exactly that, coming from Pesach to the

giving of the Torah. Shavuot is the culmination of the efforts of the counting of the Omer.

Up next is "yom habikkurim," the day of the first fruits. In Bamidbar 28:26, Rashi

understands this as referring either to the offering of leavened bread brought for the first

time on Shavuot, or to the first of the ripening crop of one of the seven species brought to

Yerushalayim.

Another 'day of' name is "yom hakahal," the day of congregational unity or achdus. As

Sfas Emes writes, "The wondrous events of Mount Sinai would not have occurred had

there not been a sense of unified purpose on the part of the entire Jewish people."

Certainly the preparations involved everyone. The actual event was in fact the only time

in all history that any religion ever claimed that every single person of its nation was

witness to the Divine, and it happened all at once, in a way that each and every person

was able to understand.

One more 'day of' name, "yom echad hu yivada la'shem," one day will be known to

Hashem. This appears in Zechariah 14:7, describing a prophecy of war over Yerushalayim

and is tied by commentators to the events on Mount Sinai.

The holiday is also named "rosh hashanah of the fruit of the trees" in Megilla 31b. Sfas

Emes describes it as, "We may understand this not only in the literal sense that many

trees blossom at this time of year, but also symbolically. The first Mishnah in Peah,

which we read every morning after reciting the blessings on the Torah, reminds us that

the principal reward for our earthly endeavors comes in Olam HaBa, and in this world we

enjoy only the fruits of our efforts. The image of fruit trees may also allude to the concept

of creativity. Hashem created the earth so that man, armed with Torah, could perfect it and

participate in the creative process. We are urged to consecrate the world we live in on

Shavuot by applying Torah insights to all situations we encounter. Thus Shavuot links the

material and spiritual worlds."

So why all the names? I heard someone once say that it is a holiday in search of an

identity, but I cannot agree. Nor for that matter, does Sfas Emes. He calls it the most

important of the three festivals, the one that ties the other two together, the one that

represents the real reason for Creation. Since we have been taught that there are 70

ways to understand the Torah, it makes sense that there are many ways to understand

the name of the holiday that marks our receiving that Torah. Each name represents a

different facet.