Adapted from Likkutei Sichos, Vol. III, p.995ff.; Vol. IV, p. 1030

A Unique Holiday

Shavuos differs from every other Jewish holiday. The Torah mentions the specific dates on which the holidays of Pesach, Sukkos, Rosh HaShanah, and Yom Kippur should be celebrated. With regard to the holiday of Shavuos, by contrast, no date is given. Instead the Torah states:[1]

You shall count seven perfect weeks... From the day you brought the omer as a wave offering... you shall count fifty days. [On that fiftieth day,] you shall present a meal offering of new [grain].... This very day shall be proclaimed as a sacred holiday.

Thus the observance of the holiday of Shavuos is not dependent on a particular day of the month, but on the conclusion of the Counting of the Omer. Although at present Shavuos is always celebrated on the sixth of Sivan, this is because in the present era, we follow a fixed calendar. In the era when the monthly calendar was established by the testimony of witnesses with regard to the sighting of the moon, however, Shavuos, the fiftieth day of the Omer, could also fall on the fifth of Sivan (if both Nissan and Iyar were months of 30 days) or on the seventh of that month (if both Nissan and Iyar were months of 29 days).[2]

The sixth of Sivan is the anniversary of the giving of the Torah,[3] and our celebration of the holiday commemorates this event. This concept is also echoed in our prayers which describe the holiday as "the season of the giving of our Torah."[4] Nevertheless, the Alter Rebbe rules[5] that this description is appropriate only when the holiday of Shavuos is celebrated on the sixth of Sivan, the anniversary of the giving of the Torah. In the previous era, when Shavuos was celebrated on dates other than the sixth of Sivan, it was not referred to as "the season of the giving of our Torah."[6]

When Past And Present Meet

The possibility that the holiday of Shavuos will be celebrated on a day other than the sixth of Sivan applies in the present era as well. According to the fixed calendar we follow, Nissan always has 30 days, and Iyar, 29; thus, Shavuos will always fall on the sixth of Sivan. Nevertheless, there are situations in which an individual person is required to celebrate Shavuos on a different date.

To understand this concept, one premise must be established. Based on the phrase,[7] "And you shall count for yourselves...," our Sages emphasize[8] that the mitzvah of the Counting of the Omer is incumbent on every single person as an individual (in contrast to the Counting of the Shemitah and Yovel[9] years which are counted by the Jewish court[10]). The Jewish people do not count the Omer as a collective entity; instead the reckoning must be individual in nature.

Taking this concept a step further, it follows that the date on which Shavuos is observed is also a personal matter. For as stated above, Shavuos is not associated with any particular date on the calendar, but instead, depends on the completion of the Counting of the Omer.[11]

As such, even when a person's Counting of the Omer concludes before or after the Counting of the Omer of others, it is then that he is required to observe Shavuos.[12] We cannot say that with regard to the Counting of the Omer, the person should follow an individual reckoning but with regard to the observance of Shavuos he should observe the holiday with the others around him, for the sole determinant of when Shavuos should be observed is the Counting of the Omer. And the Counting of the Omer is given over to each individual as an individual, not to the Jewish people as a collective.[13]

The observance of Shabbos and other festivals depends on the local practice as defined by the calendar dates which are determined by the rising and setting of the sun in that locale.[14] Shavuos, by contrast, depends not on the calendar, but on the Counting of the Omer, and that is an individual matter.

The Beat Of A Different Drum

In previous generations, the above issue was largely theoretical in nature. At present, however, the advances in technology and the dispersion of the Jews throughout the world have made the matter a question of practical relevance.

To explain: Since the earth is shaped like a globe,[15] and the sun (upon whose movement the determination of the days depends) travels across the earth's horizon, there must be a line on the earth (the international dateline) at which the days differ. A person standing on one side of that line is in the midst of a different day than the person on the other side of the line. By crossing that line, a person skips a day, as it were. Thus if a person goes from east to west, he will proceed from Sunday to Tuesday, skipping Monday. Conversely, when a person goes from west to east, moving opposite to the sun's pattern, he will repeat a day, e.g., he will have two Sundays.

Ordinarily, these concepts do not affect our ritual observance. With regard to the Counting of the Omer, however, the crossing of the dateline makes a significant difference. As mentioned above, the counting of the Omer is a mitzvah which is dependent on every person as an individual. Thus when a person crosses the dateline in the middle of counting the Omer, he must continue according to his own personal reckoning although everyone around him is counting a different day.

For example, Pesach falls on Shabbos. On Monday, the second day of the Counting of the Omer, a person travels from east to west [e.g., from the U.S. to Australia]. Although he left on Monday, when he crosses the dateline, it will be Tuesday. That night [the night between Tuesday and Wednesday], he is required to count the third day of the Omer, while the local people will be counting the fourth day.

Conversely, if a person crosses the dateline while traveling from west to east, leaving Monday and arriving on Monday, on the night between Monday and Tuesday, he must count the third day of the Omer, although the local people will be counting the second day.

Celebrating Shavuos On A Different Day Than Everyone Else

As mentioned above, the holiday of Shavuos is not dependent on a particular day of the month, but on the conclusion of the Counting of the Omer, and, moreover, that reckoning is individual in nature. Accordingly, when someone crosses the dateline from west to east, the fifth of Sivan is the fiftieth day of his Counting of the Omer. He must observe Shavuos on that day with regard to all matters except the reference to the holiday as "the season of the giving of our Torah."[16] If he lives in the diaspora, he should observe the sixth of Sivan as the second day of the holiday.

Conversely, if someone crosses the dateline from east to west, he should observe Shavuos on the seventh of Sivan. If he lives in the diaspora, he should observe the eighth of Sivan as the second day of the holiday.

The Second Day Is Also Different

The concept that the observance of Shavuos depends on the conclusion of the Counting of the Omer and not on a particular calendar date also has ramifications with regard to the second day of the holiday. With regard to the holidays of Pesach and Sukkos (both the first and last days), in the era when the sanctification of the moon was established according to the testimony of witnesses, the observance of a second day was instituted in the outlying areas of the diaspora[17] because of a doubt concerning the day on which the holiday was to be observed. If messengers from Jerusalem were not able to reach these communities and inform them when the new moon had been consecrated, they would have to observe the holidays for two days, because they did not know which day was the fifteenth of the month. Even after the new moon was no longer sanctified on the basis of the testimony of witnesses, and instead, a fixed calendar was adopted, these communities continued observing the second day of the festivals in respect for the custom practiced by their ancestors.[18]

The above concepts do not apply with regard to the holiday of Shavuos. Since the observance of the holiday is not associated with a particular day of the month, but is instead dependent on the Counting of the Omer, there was never any doubt regarding the day of its observance. Even in the era when the new moon was consecrated according to the testimony of witnesses, by the sixth of Sivan, the Jews living in the most distant diaspora had been informed when the month of Nissan had been consecrated, and thus when Pesach and the Counting of the Omer had begun.

Why then was Shavuos observed for two days? In order not to make a distinction between one festival and another.[19] Were the second day of this festival not to be observed in the diaspora, the Jews living there might have treated the observance of the second day of other festivals lightly. To prevent that from happening, our Sages ordained that the second day of Shavuos be observed as a festival, despite the fact that there was never a doubt regarding the day the holiday was to be observed.

This conveys a more severe status upon the second day of Shavuos than that of the second day of other festivals. For as mentioned above, the observance of the second day of other festivals is associated with doubt, while the observance of the second day of Shavuos is a decree of our Sages regarding which doubt never existed.[20]

The Spiritual Dimension Of The Sequence

The connection between the individual nature of the Counting of the Omer and Shavuos has ramifications with regard to the inner dimensions of our Divine service. The Divine service appropriate for the Counting of the Omer is the refinement of our emotional qualities. We count seven weeks corresponding to the seven emotional qualities, and 49 days (7x7), for each of these qualities is interrelated with the others. The objective is to make these weeks - and the corresponding emotional qualities - "perfect."

When a Jew finishes the refinement of his emotional qualities, he is granted the Torah as a gift from above. This is totally dependent on him; it makes no difference what is happening with the people around him. When he has refined his 49 emotional qualities, he is granted the Torah, the fiftieth Gate of Knowledge, even though the others around him may not have reached that degree of preparation.

Conversely, if his personal process of refinement is slower and he has not refined his emotional characteristics, he must wait until he has completed his task of refinement, although those around him are being granted the Torah.

   

Notes:

1. (Back to text) Vayikra 23:15-21.

2. (Back to text) Rosh HaShanah 6b.

3. (Back to text) For the halachah follows the opinion of the Sages and not of Rabbi Yossi (Shabbos 86b).

   This explanation does not follow the approach of the Divrei Nechemiah (Hashlamus LiShulchan HaRav, sec. 581, Kuntres Acharon), which states that the Torah was given on the seventh of Sivan. This hypothesis is refuted by the ruling of the Shulchan Aruch HaRav 494:1 which states that even the Sages maintain that the Jews left Egypt on a Thursday. In that year, both Nissan and Iyar contained 30 days. Thus although there were 51 days between Pesach and the giving of the Torah, the Torah was given on the sixth of Sivan.

4. (Back to text) Siddur Tehillat HaShem, pp. 250, 253, 258.

5. (Back to text) Shulchan Aruch HaRav 494:1.

6. (Back to text) This ruling differs from the conclusion of the Divrei Nechemiah (loc. cit.), who maintains that even when Shavuos was observed on a day other than the sixth of Sivan, it was referred to as "the season of the giving of our Torah," because at that time the fiftieth Gate of Wisdom is revealed.

7. (Back to text) Vayikra 23:15. The word lechem, "for yourselves," appears superfluous. Hence, our Sages conclude that it alludes to this concept.

8. (Back to text) Menachos 65b; Shulchan Aruch HaRav 489:1.

9. (Back to text) Sabbatical and Jubilee.

10. (Back to text) Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Shemitah VeYovel 10:1.

11. (Back to text) The intent is not that the Counting of the Omer (or the obligation to count the Omer) brings about the holiday of Shavuos. For even individuals who were not obligated to count the entire Omer, for example, a minor who came of age or a person who converted during the Counting of the Omer, are obligated to observe the holiday of Shavuos on the fiftieth day after Pesach according to Scriptural law.

    Were the holiday of Shavuos to be totally dependent on the Counting of the Omer, the question would arise: How is it possible for these individuals to observe Shavuos when they did not count the Omer previously?

    The explanation that the holiday is brought about by the Counting of the Omer by the Jewish people as a whole is unacceptable. For as mentioned above, there is no such concept as the Counting of the Omer by the Jewish people as a whole. Our Sages define the Counting of the Omer as a mitzvah which relates to the individual, and not to the collective.

    Therefore, we must conclude that the holiday of Shavuos is not brought about by the Counting of the Omer. Instead, the explanation must be that the need to observe the holiday is mandated by Scriptural law, the time when that holiday is observed, however, is determined by the Counting of the Omer. And as stated above, the Counting of the Omer serves as an indicator on an individual basis; when each person completes his Counting of the Omer, on the following day, he observes Shavuos.

12. (Back to text) It is improper to say that, although he counted the 49 days of the Omer, since the total of these 49 days did not include (or included more than) 49 times 24 hours, the weeks of the Omer are not considered "perfect weeks," and therefore, he should not observe Shavuos at this time. This is evidenced by the fact that all agree that when a person travels from west to east without crossing the dateline, he must begin observing Shavuos as soon as the sun sets after the fifth of Sivan despite the fact that his 49 days of counting the Omer did not include 49 times 24 hours.

13. (Back to text) Nevertheless, from the Counting of the Omer of the Jews as individuals result certain obligations, e.g., the additional offerings sacrificed on Shavuos, which are incumbent on our people as a collective.

    To cite a parallel: Although there are different principles regarding monetary law (dinei memonos) and laws regarding capital punishment (dinei nefashos), at times a decision regarding monetary law will have repercussions with regard to the laws regarding capital punishment, and vice versa.

14. (Back to text) There is a slight question with regard to the Seventh Day of Pesach and Shemini Atzeres, for the observance of these holidays is generally not associated with a specific date (although Shmos 12:18 mentions the date of the Seventh Day of Pesach), but rather is determined by the first day of Pesach, and the first day of the holiday of Sukkos.

    There is, however, a distinction between these holidays and Shavuos. For as mentioned, the Counting of the Omer, on which Shavuos depends, is an individual manner, and its seven weeks must be "perfect." With regard to these holidays, by contrast, the obligation is to observe the seventh day or the eighth day of the festival as it is observed in one's immediate locale. The fact that by doing so, one will have skipped a day of the holiday is not significant. See Likkutei Sichos, Vol. VII, p. 287.

15. (Back to text) The Jerusalem Talmud (Avodah Zarah 3:1, cited by Tosafos, Avodah Zarah 41a); Bamidbar Rabbah 13:14; Zohar, Vol. III, p. 10a.

16. (Back to text) For, as above, that is only appropriate when Shavuos is observed on the sixth of Sivan.

17. (Back to text) See Rambam, loc. cit. 3:11, 5:9-12.

18. (Back to text) Beitzah 4b; Rambam, op. cit. 5:5.

    At present, because we follow a fixed calendar, there is no doubt concerning the day on which these holidays are to be observed. Nevertheless, there are still certain leniencies that are followed because originally, these days were instituted because of a doubt. See Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 393:1, 527:22.

19. (Back to text) See Rambam, loc. cit. 3:12.

20. (Back to text) See the Responsa of the Chasam Sofer, Orach Chayim, Responsum 145, which establishes an equivalence between the second day of Shavuos and the second day of Rosh HaShanah.