[Par-lite] For Shavuot - shiur
Menachem Leibtag
tsc at bezeqint.net
Tue May 26 15:06:30 EDT 2009
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THE TANACH STUDY CENTER [http://www.tanach.org]
In Memory of Rabbi Abraham Leibtag
Shiurim in Chumash & Navi by Menachem Leibtag
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SHAVUOT & MATAN TORAH
When the Torah wishes to inform us of the
'historical' reason for a holiday, it certainly knows how
to do so. Take for example the two other pilgrimage
holidays - "chag ha'matzot" & "succot": Even though these
holidays are also presented from their 'agricultural'
perspective (see Shmot 23:14-17), the Torah informs us of
their historical perspectives as well (see Shmot 12:17,
13:3 etc. and Vayikra 23:42-43).
Therefore, it is simply baffling that the Torah
presents Shavuot ONLY from its agricultural aspect,
without mentioning even a word about its connection to
events of MATAN TORAH!
In this week's shiur, we attempt to understand
why.
SHAVUOT IN THE BIBLE
Before we begin our shiur, let's verify our
statement that Shavuot is presented solely from its
agricultural perspective by quickly reviewing the five
'parshiot' in which it is mentioned:
I. Shmot 23:15 = "v'et chag ha'KATZIR bikurei
ma'asecha"
[the HARVEST holiday - the first fruits of
your work]
II. Shmot 34:22 = "v'chag shavuot... bikurei KTZIR
CHITIM"
[Feast of Weeks, the first fruits of the
wheat harvest]
III. Vayikra 23:15-21: "u'sfartem lachem..."
"And you shall count from the time you offer the OMER
offering (from your first harvest/ see 23:10) seven
weeks... and you shall offer a new MINCHA to God..."
IV. Bamidbar 28:26 = "u'v'yom ha'BIKURIM..."
"And on the day of the first fruit offering, when you
bring a new MINCHA to God on Shavuot..."
V. Devarim 16:9-12 = "...m'ha'chel chermesh
b'kamah..."
"Count SEVEN weeks, starting when the sickle is first put
to the standing grain, then you shall celebrate the
holiday of SHAVUOT to God..."
As you review these five sources, note how in each
instance Shavuot is presented solely as a harvest holiday,
when we must thank God for our grain crops; while its
connection MATAN TORAH is never mentioned - not even once!
However, when we study the above sources, it also
becomes quite clear that there is ample reason to
celebrate SHAVUOT, even without the events of MATAN TORAH.
Considering that grain is man's staple, it is only logical
that we are commanded to celebrate its harvest together
with God, in order to thank Him for His providence during
this most critical time of the year.
[Recall also that the custom of the nations of Canaan was
to relate the growth of grain to various local gods such
as Baal & Ashera and Dagon etc. This made it even more
important to celebrate Shavuot, to assure that Bnei
Yisrael would thank the proper God and not fall into the
traps of AVODA ZARA. For more detail, see Hoshea chapter 2
(which just so happens to be the Haftara for Parshat
Bamidbar). See especially Hoshea 2:7,10,14-18 & 23!]
Based on these sources, should we conclude that it is
only coincidental that Shavuot falls out on the date of
Matan Torah? Would that explain why Chumash makes no
connection at all between that event and this holiday?
To answer this question, we must first take issue
with our original assumption that the Biblical date of
Matan Torah indeed coincides with the holiday of Shavuot.
THE DATE OF MATAN TORAH
When the Torah wishes to inform us of the precise
date of a certain event, it certainly knows how to do so.
Once again, take for example the events of Exodus. Review
Shmot 12:6,12-14,17-18 and 13:3-8, noting how the Torah
informs us of the precise date (and even the time of day)
when the Tenth Plague struck and when Bnei Yisrael left
Egypt! Later on, the Torah even records the precise date
when Bnei Yisrael arrived at Midbar Sin (on the 15th of
Iyar, see Shmot 16:1).
However, in regard to Matan Torah, the Torah is
quite vague. Indeed we are told that Bnei Yisrael arrive
at Har Sinai in the third month (Sivan), but we are not
told on what DAY of the month they arrived:
"In the third month of Bnei Yisrael's departure from the
Egypt, ON THIS DAY, they came to Midbar Sinai." (19:1)
Not only is the phrase "on this day" ambiguous, it
is quite difficult to determine how many days actually
transpire between their arrival at Har Sinai and Matan
Torah (see Shmot 19:3 16).
Even if we assume that Bnei Yisrael arrived on the
first day of the month (see Rashi 19:1-"b'yom hazeh"), the
lack of a clear chronology in the subsequent events still
makes it impossible to pinpoint that date. Even though it
is recorded how Moshe goes up and down the mountain
several times, and that three days are required to prepare
for that special occasion; we never told how many days
elapse in the interim.
In the Mechilta (and in Mesechet Shabbat 86b),
Chazal calculate that the Torah was given on either the
sixth or seventh of Sivan (see also Rashi on 19:2->19),
yet the fact remains that the Torah clearly prefers to
obscure the precise date of this event.
CALCULATING 'BACKWARDS'
However, there is an additional manner by which it
is possible to calculate the approximate date of Ma'amad
Har Sinai. If we assume that tenth of Tishrei was chosen
as 'Yom Kippur' specifically because it marks the date
when Moshe descended from Har Sinai with the second
"luchot" [See further iyun section for a discussion of how
we can prove this.], then we can calculate 'backwards',
using the three sets of 'forty days' that are described in
the story of chet ha'egel in Devarim chapter 9.
Working 'backwards' from the tenth of TIshrei; we can
arrive at the following approximate dates of these three
sets of forty days:
The last forty days - from 1 Elul until 10
Tishrei.
[when Moshe receives the second Luchot.]
The middle forty days - 19 Tamuz until 29 Av
[when Moshe's prayer for their forgivenss.]
The first forty days - from either 6 or 7 Sivan
until 17 Tamuz.
[when Moshe receives the first Luchot.]
These calculations leads us to the conclusion that the
Torah was given on either the 6th or 7th of Sivan
(depending if the month of Sivan that year was 29 or
thirty days).
However, even if all of the above assumptions are
correct, the fact still remains that the Torah never
explicitly mentions the date of Matan Torah, even though
it has ample opportunities to do so!
Thus, we really have a double question. Not only
is it strange that Torah makes no connection between
Shavuot and Matan Torah, it doesn't even tell us WHEN
Matan Torah took place!
Again, the question remains - why?
To answer this question, we must consider a
fundamental difference between the very nature of these
two monumental events in our history: Yetziat Mitzraim and
Matan Torah.
MATAN TORAH: AN UNCOMMEMORATED EVENT
In the Torah, we find numerous mitzvot through
which we commemorate Yetziat Mitzraim, both on the:
ANNIVERSARY of the Exodus: e.g. eating matzah, telling of
the story of Yetziat Mitzraim, korban Pesach etc.; and
ALL YEAR ROUND: e.g. "mitzvat bikkurim" (bringing the
first fruits to Yerushalayim), tfillin, shabbat, and the
daily recital of "kriyat shma", etc., all of which the
Torah relates to the Exodus (i.e. "zecher l'yitziat
mitzrayim").
In contrast, in Chumash we do not find even one
specific mitzvah whose explicit purpose is to commemorate
the events of Matan Torah. [Sefer Devarim does require
that we not forget the events that transpired at Har Sinai
(see 4:9 16), but does not command us to perform any
specific positive mitzvah in order that we do not forget
that event! Certainly, those psukim do not require that we
commemorate that event on any specific day. See Further
Iyun section for additional sources on this topic.]
Why does the Torah call upon us to commemorate
these two events in such dramatically different ways?
One could suggest that by this manner of
presentation, the Torah is sending a complex message.
Even though the Torah provides us ample information to
calculate the approximate date of Ma'amad Har Sinai, its
deliberate obfuscation of that date may suggest that we
should not treat Matan Torah as a historically bound
event. Instead, from a certain perspective, each and
every day one should feel as though the Torah has just
been given.
This concept is reflected by the famous Midrash,
quoted by Rashi on 19:1:
"... it should have been written: 'ON THAT DAY'. Why does
the pasuk say: 'ON THIS DAY'? This comes to teach us that
the words of the Torah should be considered new to you -
as though they were given TODAY!" (see Rashi Shmot 19:1)
In other words, we should not view Matan Torah as
a one time event. Rather, every generation must feel as
though they have just entered into a covenant with God
(see Devarim 5:1 3). Every generation must feel that
God's words were spoken to them no less than to earlier
generations. To celebrate the anniversary of Matan Torah
as a single moment in our history could diminish from that
meta-historical dimension.
Similarly, in our study of the Mishkan, we showed
how the primary function of the Mishkan was to perpetuate
the experience at Ma'amad Har Sinai. [See Ramban on Shmot
25:1, and the TSC shiurim on Parshiot Terumah & Tezaveh.]
>From that source as well, it appears that the Torah would
rather we treat Matan Torah as an event that needs to be
perpetuated, more than commemorated.
In contrast to Matan Torah, the Exodus is not an
event that must be re-lived. Rather it is an event that
the Torah emphasizes over and over again that we must
REMEMBER. Even if we must ACT as though we went out of
Egypt on the seder night (See in the Hagada - "b'chol dor
v'dor chayav adam lirot atzmo k'ilu..."), it is in order
that we put ourselves in the proper frame of mind to
praise God and thank Him for our redemption.
Yetziat Mitzrayim was, and should remain, a one
time event in our history - our national birth. As such,
it needs to be commemorated. Matan Torah is totally
different! It is an event that must be constantly
RE-LIVED, not just remembered, for it is the essence of
our daily existence.
So is it wrong to commemorate Matan Torah on
Shavuot? Did Chazal make a 'mistake' (chas v'shalom) by
connecting a 'purely agricultural' holiday with the
historical event of Matan Torah?
Of course not! Is it possible that the most
important event in our national history not be
commemorated on its yearly anniversary?!
In this regard, Chazal strike a beautiful balance
between Torah "sh'bichtav" (the Written Law) and Torah
"sh'baal peh" (the Oral Law). Chumash emphasizes one
perspective, the inherent danger of commemorating this
event, while tradition balances this message by
emphasizing the other perspective, the historical
significance of remembering that day, by re-living that
event.
Therefore, Chazal instituted that just like on
"leil ha'seder (Passover eve), when we spend the entire
evening 're-telling' the story of Yetziat Mitzrayim, on
"leil Shavuot", we spend the entire evening engrossed in
the study of Torah, 're-living' the experience of Ma'amad
Har Sinai!
SOME BIBLICAL 'HINTS'
Even though the connection between Matan Torah and
Shavuot is not explicit in Chumash, we do find several
interesting 'hints' to their connection in Parshat Emor.
THE SHTEI HA'LECHEM
Recall how Parshat Emor is the primary source for
the specific details of the special laws of Shavuot (see
Vayikra 23:15 21). That parshia discusses the special
offering of the "shtei ha'lechem" - two loaves of bread,
baked as "chametz" from the new wheat harvest -, offered
at the conclusion of the 50 days of counting ["sefirat
ha'omer"].
As the primary reason for this holiday is to thank God
for our wheat harvest, it certainly makes sense for the
Torah to command that we offer special korban from wheat.
However, together with this "shtei ha'lechem", the Torah
also instructs the "tzibur" (the community of Israel) to
bring some additional sacrifices, including an olah,
chatat, & shlamim.
[The Olah is 7 sheep, 2 rams, and 1 bull, together with
the standard goat for the chatat offering. For the shlamim
the tzibur offers 2 sheep, whose meat is waved ('tnufa')
together with the "shtei ha'lechem". / See 23:18-20.]
Even though similar offerings are brought on every
other holiday (see Bamidbar chapters 28 thru 29), Shavuot
is unique for it is only time of the year when the
"tzibur" offers a korban shlamim!
Let's summarize these two unique laws regarding
the "shtei ha'lechem" - the special korban of Shavuot.
1) It is the only korban 'mincha' offered by the tzibur
which is baked 'chametz' (all other flour offerings must
be baked 'matzah').
2) It is the only time during the entire year when the
"tzibur" offers a korban SHLAMIM.
We will now explain how these two laws may relate
to the fact that the agricultural holiday of Shavuot
coincides with the time of year when Bnei Yisrael first
received the Torah.
1) CHAMETZ U'MATZAH
As we explained in earlier shiurim, matzah
symbolizes the initial stage of a process, whereas the
fully risen 'chametz' symbolizes its completion. Thus, the
mitzvah to bake the shtei ha'lechem as 'chametz' may
indicate that Matan Torah should be understood as the
culmination of the redemption process which began with
Yetziat Mitzrayim. Just as the "shtei ha'lechem' marks the
culmination of the wheat harvest, the staple of our
physical existence - the historical process which began
with the Exodus culminates with Matan Torah, the essence
of our spiritual existence.
In this manner, the agricultural time of year of
Shavuot alludes to an educational message that can help us
appreciate the historical event that we commemorate.
[In our shiur on Parshat Emor, we provided similar
explanations for significance of the agricultural time of
year of Pesach & Succot.]
2) KORBAN SHLAMIM
As we noted above, Shavuot is the ONLY holiday
when the "tzibur" must offer a korban SHLAMIM, i.e. the
two kvasim which are offered with the SHTEI ha'LECHEM.
To appreciate why this is significant, we must
uncover its Biblical precedent.
The FIRST instance where we find a korban SHLAMIM
is at the end of Parshat Mishpatim (Shmot 24:4 8) when the
Torah describes the special covenantal ceremony that takes
place at Ma'amad Har Sinai. At this ceremony, Bnei Yisrael
proclaim "na'aseh v'nishma" while entering into a covenant
to become God's special nation by accepting the laws of
Matan Torah.
That ceremony included the offering of special
korbanot: OLOT and SHLAMIM (see Shmot 24:5). The blood
from these korbanot, sprinkled both on the mizbayach and
on the people, symbolized Bnei Yisrael's entry into the
covenant (24:6 8). [The meat of the shlamim was eaten at
the conclusion of the ceremony (24:11).]
Thus we find that the very first korban SHLAMIM is
offered as a symbol of Bnei Yisrael's acceptance of MATAN
TORAH. Recall our explanation (see shiur on Parshat
Vayikra) of how a SHLAMIM reflects a joint feast shared by
covenantal partners. Therefore, the korban SHLAMIM, which
is presented together with the SHTEI ha'LECHEM on Shavuot,
may serve a symbolic reminder of MATAN TORAH.
In fact, we find two additional instances in
Chumash when Bnei Yisrael offer a special collective
SHLAMIM offering - and once again, both relate to Ma'amad
Har Sinai:
1) During the YOM ha'SHMINI ceremony (see Vayikra
9:1-5)
2) On Har Eival, when the generation that enters
the land re-enacts Ma'amad Har Sinai and studies its laws!
[see
Devarim 27:1-8]
1) In many ways, "Yom ha'Shmini"- the day of the
dedication ceremony of the Mishkan - can be considered as
an extension of Ma'amad Har Sinai. Considering that God's
SHCHINA, which had left Bnei Yisrael in the aftermath of
chet ha'egel, now returns to the Mishkan, and God begins
once again to teach Bnei Yisrael mitzvot - now from the
Ohel Moed instead of from Har Sinai - we can view this
event as parallel to the day of MATAN TORAH.
Furthermore, this day marks the first time that
God appears to Bnei Yisrael (see 9:4-5) since He appeared
to them on the day when they first proclaimed "na'aseh
v'nishma" (see 24:9-11).
Once again, the korban SHLAMIM offered during this
ceremony may reflect the re-establishment of the covenant
of Har Sinai, which was broken due to chet ha'egel.
2) The purpose of the ceremony which God commands Bnei
Yisrael to perform on Har Eival (to teach Bnei Yisrael the
Torah and offer korbanot OLOT & SHLAMIM) is clearly to
re-create the experience of MATAN TORAH for the new
generation (for most of them were not present at the
original event). Here once again, we find a thematic
connection between the korban SHLAMIM and MATAN TORAH.
Therefore, it is only logical to assume that
special korban SHLAMIM that the Torah obligates us to
offer with the SHTEI ha'LECHEM on Shavuot alludes to the
deeper thematic connection between SHAVUOT and MATAN
TORAH.
If so, these Biblical 'hints' remind us that
Shavuot remains as "ZMAN MATAN TORATEINU", even according
to Chumash.
chag sameyach,
menachem
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FOR FURTHER IYUN
1. Based on the above shiur, can you find a deeper meaning
to the popular phrase "im ein kemach - ein Torah" [If
there is no flour then there is no TORAH.]
2. In regard to Devarim 4:9-10. Note how these psukim
could be understood as an introduction to the prohibition
to make any image to represent God, as explained in
4:11-22. Therefore, this may not be considered as an
independent mitzvah to remember Matan Torah. Only Ramban
counts it as a mitzvah - See his pirush on 4:9 and the
Hasagot HaRamban to Sefer HaMitzvot of the Rambam- Lo
Ta'aseh #2. Note, that even if it is counted as a mitzvah,
it does not require any specific action by which we are to
commemorate that event. We are simply commanded never to
forget it.
3. Our assumption that the specific date of the tenth of
Tishrei was chosen for 'Yom Kippur' because it marks the
date when Moshe descended from Har Sinai with the second
"luchot" is based on several thematic parallels.
First and foremost, the very concept of "kappara"
was first introduced when Moshe first petitioned God to
forgive Bnei Yisrael for their behavior at chet ha'egel -
see Shmot 32:30 - "...u'lie ACHAPRA b'ad chatatchem".
Furthermore, during Moshe's forty days and nights on Har
Sinai, he did not eat or drink (see Devarim 9:9). This may
relate to our need to fast on Yom Kippur.
Finally, the specific date of the TENTH of the
month would have no logical reason, other than if it
commemorated a certain event that happened on that day.
[A holiday on the fifteenth of the month (Pesach & Succot)
would be because of full moon, or Rosh ha'shana, because
it is a new moon. However a holiday on the tenth would
require a reason for that specific day.]
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