Parashat
Emor includes the most concentrated
list of festivals in the Torah. Despite its length, it lacks some details
regarding Shavuot. First, the Torah does not set a date for holiday; it does
not say, “In the third month on the sixth day of the month,” or anything
similar. Second, there is no mention, neither here nor anywhere else in the
Bible, of Shavuot as the holiday of Matan Torah.
The Torah does
not set a date for Shavuot because it can’t. In ancient times, the calendar was
not predetermined according to astronomical data. Rather, the beginning of each
month was determined by a court, on the basis of testimony given by people who
had actually seen the new crescent moon. Therefore, the months did not have a
fixed number of days, and the 50th day after Passover could have
been on the fifth, sixth of seventh day of the third month.
This ambiguity
is especially well-suited to the connection between Shavuot and the giving of
the Torah. If we read Exodus 19 carefully – only the text, not in the commentaries
– it’s actually unclear on when the revelation at Mount Sinai occurred. The
text says: “In the third month after the Israelites had gone forth from the
land of Egypt, on that very day, they entered the wilderness of Sinai” but it
doesn’t state on what day of the month. Moreover, it’s not exactly clear how
many times Moshe ascends and descends the mountain, and how long he remained
where he was each time.
The number of
preparatory days also changes. In Exodus 19:10, the Eternal
says: “Go to the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow.”
But Moses says, “Let them be ready for the third day” (verse 15). The Talmud
(Shabbat 86b-87a) suggests, “Moses added a day of his own accord.” Apparently,
Moses felt that the people needed a little more time to get ready and delayed
revelation by a day. God accepted his decision and waited. According to this
understanding, presented by Rabbi Yossi, the sixth of Sivan is “the day of the
giving of our Torah,” the day designated for revelation, but the seventh was “the
day of our receiving Torah.”
This situation
is very different from the Exodus from Egypt which occurred according to
schedule (perhaps even a little before), whether or not the Israelites were
ready. Could this be because the Exodus was a process of physical redemption? It is
a much more challenging process to “move” an unprepared soul, than an unwilling
body.
The rapid exit
of Egypt did not yield the expected result. The people continued to complain
and revolt. It is possible that the purpose of waiting before the giving of the
Torah was to ensure greater success. If so, it’s far certain that the goal was
achieved. Shortly after Sinai, came the golden calf.
Let us return
for a moment to the words “on that very day” in Exodus 19. On this verse Rashi
explains: “It ought to have said only ‘on that day.’ What does ‘that very day’
mean? That the words of Torah should be new to as they were given today.”
Acceptance of Torah is a continuous action that requires us to learn, teach, interpret
and observe.
This coming week is Lag BaOmer, a day our national memory connects people to Rabbi Akiva,
his students, and their role in the Bar Kokhba revolt. However, we should also
remember Rabbi Akiva as a person who began his studies at an advanced age.[*]
If we want to
be an active part of the Jewish tradition, to renew it and pass it on to future
generations, we need to turn the holiday of giving the Torah into a holiday of
receiving Torah. We must take our Torah study seriously, and remember that it
is never too late to begin.
[*] How did Rabbi Akiva begin? He was 40 years old and an
ignoramus. One day he was standing by a well and he saw a stone with grooves in
it. When he asked who had made the grooves, he was told that it was the water
that fell on it day after day. He thought for a while and asked himself: “Is my
heart harder than a stone? If water can make grooves in this stone, the words
of the Torah can surely inscribe themselves on my heart.” Immediately he began
to learn. – Avot deRabbi Natan 6
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