Shavuos 5786

Every holiday in the Jewish calendar is associated with a specific date, with one exception: Shavuot, which begins this Thursday evening and ends Saturday night. Today, with the fixed Jewish calendar, Shavuot is always celebrated on the 6th of Sivan, but according to Scriptural Law, the holiday is tied not to a date, but to counting 49 days from the second night of Pesach and celebrating on the fiftieth day. Originally, the calendar depended on the sighting of the moon, so Shavuot could fall on the 5th, 6th, or 7th of Sivan.

This is not merely a historical detail. It teaches a lesson in spiritual growth. Shavuot completes a process that begins on Pesach and continues through the Counting of the Omer. Pesach marks our departure from Egypt, transcending the limitations that confine spiritual life.

That is why, even after being granted permission to leave, the Jewish people fled Egypt. They feared that if they delayed, they would become too immersed in Egypt to leave spiritually.

During their journey through the desert, they prepared to receive the Torah by refining their character. We relive this process each year during the Counting of the Omer. Each day corresponds to another dimension of our personalities, and through self-refinement we become fitting vessels to receive the Torah.

Still, no matter how much we refine ourselves, we can only prepare to receive the Torah. Man is a created being and therefore inherently limited, while G-d is entirely beyond all limitation.

That is why the Giving of the Torah marked a turning point in spiritual history. G-d not only chose the Jewish people and gave them a mission, He also enabled human beings to connect with the Divine.

When a person studies Torah, his mortal mind grasps eternal Divine truth. When he performs a mitzvah, even a simple physical act becomes an expression of G-d’s will.

Chag Sameach and Shabbat Shalom!

Shavuot Candle lighting times for NYC: 

Thursday, 7:54 PM

Friday, 7:55 PM (from a pre-existing flame)