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A man asked his Rabbi, "Why is it that the non-Jews can do whatever they want, while the Jews have so many restrictions?" The Rabbi answered, "It all goes back to Sinai. When Moses came down the mountain holding the sapphire tablets in his hands, he saw the terrible atrocity of the golden calf, and threw down the tablets, smashing them to pieces. That's when people from around the world started flocking to the Desert-to get a piece of the rock. Everyone grabbed pieces of sapphire. When the non-Jews returned home with their pieces, they looked at them found on them the words, "murder…, steal…, commit adultery…, covet…." When the Jews returned home, they looked and found, "Don't…, Don't…, Don't…." On the holy day of Shavuos we read a special Torah portion for the day: "On the day of the first fruits…on your (festival for) Shavuos…you shall offer an olah offering to G-d."[1]
QUESTIONS 1) In the Holy Temple, the olah sacrifice was offered
on a daily basis. When the Torah mentions this sacrifice in our
verse regarding Shavuos, the word olah is spelled 2) The Torah mentions specific calendar dates for the observance of each of the holy days-except Shavuos. Why doesn't the Torah give Shavuos an explicit date? 3) We commemorate each of the holy days with the observance of a unique mitzvah. During Pesach we should eat matzah; during Sukkos we should dwell in a sukkah; on Rosh Hashanah we should blow a shofar. What is the unique mitzvah for Shavuos?
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED In order to answer these questions, first we need to understand what really happened on Shavuos. On this day we officially received the Torah from G-d: the Ten Commandments, as well as all of the 613 mitzvos with all of their details as enumerated in the Five Books of Moses, the six books of the Mishna and Talmud. Still, the Talmud states that Abraham our father fulfilled the entire Torah, including the Rabbinic laws, over 400 years before the giving of the Torah on Sinai. If so, what's the big deal about Shavuos? The Torah was already given-it's old news. The teachings of Chassidus explain that the event at Sinai was in fact revolutionary. Sinai accomplished a fusion of Heaven and earth. Until Sinai, no one could bring Heaven down to earth or elevate earth to heaven. Before Sinai, a person could do a mitzvah, yet the object with which the mitzvah was performed remained mundane. On Shavuos, G-d came down upon Mt. Sinai, and Moses-representing the people of Israel in particular and the mundane world in general-went up to Mount Sinai. This encounter empowered the Chosen People with a golden touch, a power to transform mundane physical matter into something truly holy.
THE MEANING OF 'VAV' Design: The letter Vav is like a chute, alluding to G-d's descent upon Mount Sinai. It is also like a ladder, alluding to Moses' ascent into the Divine Presence. Gematria: Vav = 6, alluding to the Sixth of Sivan, the actual date of the giving of the Torah. This numeric value also alludes to the Six Books of the Mishnah and the six hundred (and thirteen) mitzvos. Meaning: Vav means a 'connecting hook'. This alludes to the power of Torah to connect G-dliness with space and time, and to connect previous generations with present and future generations. This is why olah has the extra Vav-to hint that on the sixth of Sivan, G-d came down and gave us the Torah so that we, and all future generations, could connect with Him. |
PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS
The mitzvah of Shavuos is Torah-study. If the Torah would say outright, "On the sixth day of the third month (Sivan) of the year, G-d gave us the Torah; therefore, you shall perform the mitzvah of Torah-study," one could mistakenly think that on Shavuos study is compulsory, while it's not required the rest of the year. To remove all preconceived notions, Torah omits the date and specific mitzvah of Shavuos.
LIFT UP YOUR HEAD
This is also the connection to the portion of Naso read the Shabbos after Shavuos. Ibn Ezra [2] says the word naso means 'lift up the head'. How do you elevate your head? Through Torah-study.[3]
THE GREAT WEDDING
Although the revelation at Mount Sinai radically changed the nature of the universe, to this day the connection between Heaven and earth remains largely concealed. Due perhaps to 'preconceived notions', humanity still perceives the 'Vav of connection' in an external way. The event of Shavuos was like a betrothal, and we are still awaiting the great wedding, when the connection between G-d and the Jewish People will finally be consummated. This wedding will occur with the coming of Mashiach, whose pristine golden touch will reveal our connection with G-d. He will reveal the deepest levels of Torah, allowing us not only to connect with, but to internalize, G-dliness. This will be the ultimate olah or elevation; the ultimate naso, or lifting of our heads. May we merit to see it with our own eyes, very soon.
A STORY
In 1909, Rabbi Yechezkel Abramsky [4] visited the Lubavitch yeshiva in Russia to give a Talmudic discourse. After his lecture, he fielded many questions from the students, defending his arguments brilliantly. On his way back to the train station, one of the young students, the future Rabbi Avram Elya Plotkin,[5] tagged along. As they conversed, Rabbi Abramsky became aware of Avram Elya's broad knowledge and yiras shamayim-awe of Heaven. Finally, as the train approached, Avram Elya turned to him, and with great respect and humility, asked a few pointed questions on the basis of his lecture. Rabbi Abramsky searched his mind for the answers. He realized, to his amazement, that the boy had overturned his entire thesis.
Later, Rabbi Abramsky remarked, "Avram Elya's scholarship is impressive, but his derech eretz (fine etiquette) and ahavas yisroel (brotherly love), I will never forget." Avram Elya could have asked his question in front of his classmates, yet he asked in private to spare Rabbi Abramsky any embarrassment.
This is the meaning of the saying, "If there is no fear (of Heaven), there is no (Torah) wisdom."[6] On Shavuos we commit ourselves to the study of Torah. However we must combine our study with yiras shamayim and humility.
| ACTION: Be careful to avoid condescension when you speak with your spouse, peers, and even children. |
FOOTNOTES
[1] From the maftir reading, Numbers, 28:27
[2] Numbers, 4:22. See also Hayom Yom, 2nd of Sivan.
[3] Likkutei Torah, Parshas Naso, p. 21b
[4] Later became Head of the London Beis Din and, ultimately,
a Rosh Yeshiva in Israel
[5] Rabbi Avram Elya Plotkin was my wife Shternie's grandfather.
[6] Ethics of our Fathers, Chapter 3, Mishna 21
, Ayin-Vav-Lamed-Hei.
Everywhere else, however, olah is spelled 
,
Ayin-Lamed-Hei-without a Vav. Why does the olah of Shavuos
have an extra Vav?