We have just completed counting the Sefira. 49 days, every night for 7 weeks. Why have we and what have we been counting for?

This really is a simple question. All you have to do is look in the Torah and it is obvious as it explicitly states the reason. We count 50 days from the bringing of the Korbon Omer on the 2nd day Pesach until the bringing of the Shtei Halechem on Shavoes. That is the purpose of the counting. As the very name suggests, Sefiras Haomer is to count until we bring the Shtei Halechem.

So we clearly see that the Sefira is wholly & singularly an agricultural event. This 50 day period between Pesach and Shavoes is the harvest season in Eretz Yisroel . Barely was the 1st grain ripe for harvesting and was brought on Pesach and wheat the last, brought on Shavoues. In between all 5 grains and the Sheva Minim of Eretz Yisroel would ripen.

The Torah when discussing Shavoes commands the bringing of two loaves of bread, known as the "Shtei HaLechem," as a Korbon. The Sefer Ha'Chinuch describes the process. Three ‘se'ah’ of wheat, the first of the new crop, were harvested and ground into 2 issaron of flour. A chalah was made from each issaron, which unlike all other Mincha offerings, was actually chametz. They were then baked and brought together with a bull, two rams, and seven lambs, as a Korbon Olah, a goat as a chatas and two lambs as a shelamim. These Shlomim were eaten together with the Sh'tei HaLechem. But before they were eaten, the Shtei Halechem and the Shlomim were waved by the Kohen in a process called "tenufah."

Continuing the agricultural theme associated with Shavoes, Bicurim were also brought on Shavoes.

This again was an elaborate process. In the fields as each fruit ripened during this harvest period between Pesach & Shavoes, the first fruits had a ribbon tied around them. This signified that these were Bikkurim and were not to be eaten. The farmers would then gather these Bikkurim and bring them to Yerushalayim when he came for Shavoes and he would eat them there.

Regarding the Biccurim, In Parshas Devarim it says 26: 2 “You shall take from the first of the fruit of the ground, which you shall bring from your land, which Hashem your G-d is giving you; you shall put it into a basket, and you shall go to the place which Hashem your G-d will choose”

The description of the process of bringing Bikkurim is given in the Mishnah of Bikkurim.

Perek 3; Mishnah 3 "An ox went before them with its horns covered with gold, and a crown of olive leaves n its head. The flute was played before them until they approached Yerushalayim."

"The governors, the chiefs and the treasurers went out to meet them. According to the rank of the arrivals, was the rank of those who came out to greet them. And all the craftsmen of Yerushalayim would stand before them and inquire concerning their welfare.”

Mishnah 4: "The flute was played before them until they reached Har HaBayis. Once they reached Har HaBayis, even Agrippas the King would carry the basket on his shoulder and go in as far as the Azarah. Once they reached the Azarah, the Leviim would sing.

This was the Mitzvah and grand ceremony of the Yom Tov of Shavoues. This is what the Yom Tov was all about. As it can be seen, it was a time of great joy and happiness. The grand pomp and ceremony of the Shtei Hlechem and Biccurim and the realisation that all is from Hashem and thanking Him for the bountiful crop. A new season, a new beginning. Freshly harvested grains and ripe new fruits. This is what Shavoes was.

However, despite all of this being explicitly stated in the Torah and all these grand processions elaborated in the Mishna and Gemora, there is a common and major misconception that Shavoes is the ‘poor cousin’ of the Sholesh Regolim. People think that Shavoues doesn’t have its own particular mitzvah or its own character. They associate cheesecake and blintzes with Shavoes but none of its original or authentic ritual – the Shtei Halechem, Chodosh or Bicurim. These were all exclusive to Shavoes - special and unique miztvoes for Shavoes that were greatly treasured and enjoyed by Bnei Yisroel.

Accordingly, Sefira was likewise a period of much joy and happiness as we counted down in anticipation of the Shtei Halechem and Biccurim and all the associated pomp and ceremony. Every day during this period the farmer would be harvesting his crop, awaiting the wheat to ripen, surrounded by his orchards with the biccurim marked with the ribbon tied around them.

However, Sefira is now associated with a period of mourning. A time of sadness, death & destruction. Sefira is now only second to the 3 weeks in restrictions. This was mainly due to the death of 24,000 students of R Akiva and was reinforced as a time of mourning with the first Crusades in 1096 in Germany and the Chelmnicki pogroms in 1648 in Russia &Poland. These events, particularly in Eastern Europe with the lack of visible new grains and Sheva Minim of Eretz Yisroel reinforced the dark, sad, aura surrounding the Sefira..

Just diverging for second.

It is interesting to note, the parallel btw the story of R’Akiva – a leading figure in the context of Sefira and the days of Sefira.

Sefira begins from Pesach when we got our freedom, likewise Rabbi Akiva originally was unobservant and ignorant in the ways of the Torah who got his freedom when he became frum. He then spent time preparing himself until he reached the level of Kabbolus Hatorah like the Bnei Yisroel did until they received the Torah. Even further, R Akiva suffered and failed in his first attempt as we know that his 24,000 students died. These were the leaders of the next generations, the torch bearers of the Torah for the future. Similarly the B”Y straight after Matan Torah had the Egel Hazav with the Luchos being smashed and Hashem wanting to destroy all of Israel. Yet despite both tragedies both times the chain of Torah continued and survived with the 5 remaining students of Rabbi Akiva and the remnants of Bnei Yisroel after the plague of the Egel.

In fact, if you look closely you will find that all Torah compiled after R' Akiva, actually originated from him. In Sanhedrin 86a the Talmud says "Stam" (a saying without mentioning the specific author, indicating him to be the main contributor and therefore no need to mention him) Mishna is R' Meir: Stam Safra, R' Yehuda, & Stam Sifri R' Shimon. As we know these were 3 of the 5 students of R' Akiva;-. R’ Meir, Yehuda, Yossi, Shimon & Elazor ben Shimon. These 5 were responsible for spreading forth and establishing their own Yeshivos and continuing the chain of torah.

So we can see that they story of Rabbi Akiva and his life can be seen as a microcosmic personification of the story of Bnei Yisroel between Pesach & Shavoes.

Now back to the Sefira.

This transformation of Sefira from days of unrestrained joy, happiness and anticipation into days of mourning, has a dramatic and ever lasting affect.

Sefira, thought of in a negative sense, has caused us to forget its original purpose. By not counting in anticipation of the Shtei Halechem, the end result of our counting –the 50th day necessarily changes as well. Instead of counting 50 days to reach the goal of Shtei Halechem we are now counting towards another goal.

The Aruch HaSholchan, in Orach Chaim, says “although nowadays we cannot bring the Shtei Halechem offering. Even in our era, when we have no omer and no sacrifices, we should still count these days in joyful anticipation, for it was the day the Torah was given".

Here we see a startling thing. The whole reason and purpose of the mitzvah has changed. No longer do we count the omer for the period between the bringing of the omer and the Shtei Halechem. And even more than just changing the reason for counting the omer, even more fundamentally it consequently changes the whole concept of the Yom Tov of Shavoes. Instead of counting the days of the harvest period culminating in the Shtei Halechem and the Bicurrim we now count in anticipation of Zman Matan Toresanu. This is now the focus of our counting and of the Yom Tov of Shavoes.

This changes Shavoes from being a unique Yom Tov in that it is not a ‘Zecher’ rememberance, of an historical event but rather a ‘live’ Yom Tov regarding the crops and sustenance from Hashem to a Yom Tov just like the other 2 – recording an historical event. Shavoues was the most relevant of all the Yomim Tovim as it didn’t celebrate the crops and fruits that their ancestors brought but rather their very own produce. They ate and celebrated fruits and grains that were in their fields and on their tables. Shavoes was the Yom Tov that they had the most direct relationship with. However, now Shavous becomes just like the other Yommim Tovim commemorating an historical event that occurred thousands of years ago.

Even more startling is that the Torah itself doesn’t tell us the specific date of Matan Torah. Not only that but it doesn’t even make any connection whatsoever between Shavoes & Matan Torah. The Torah gives more names to Shavoes than any other Yom Tov – but not one of them is Zman Matan Torasanu. It is called Yom Habiccurim, Chag Hakatzir, Shavoes &Atzeras – but not once Zman Matan Torosanu. We only know it occurred on Shavoes through tradition as the Gemora tells us it was 50 days after Yetzias Mitzrayim.

According to the Aruch HaShulchan, the reason why the giving of the Torah is not associated with Shavu'os, while Yetzias Mitzrayim is clearly stated as the reason for Pesach and our journey in the desert with Succos is because there is a major difference in what is being commemorated. Yetzias Mitzrayim was a single specific event. Our travels in the desert with ‘Ananei Hakoved’ happened in a specific period. These events do not happen any more. We therefore set a day to commemorate it as we need the symbolic commemoration to maintain its relevance in our lives.

But the Torah was given for eternity. We do not celebrate the miraculous events that occurred specifically at Har Sinai but rather all the laws and learning that we were given. It is therefore unnecessary to establish a specific day to remember the giving of the Torah as the Torah and its laws affects us all day, every day. We actually celebrate the Torah itself on Simchas Torah when we dance with all the Sefrei Torah and hold them up and revel in them. But Matan Torah is not a day for jumping around and celebration, but rather a day of awe and responsibility required to live our lives according to the Torah.

This aspect of Shoveos, in that it was originally totally an agricultural festival and has no biblical correlation with the Matan Torah is an answer to one of the very fundamental questions regarding Matan Torah. Why it was given 51 days after 2nd day Pesach and not 50, like we celebrate now.

As we know, Paesach took place on the 15th of Nisan. We know that the 10th of Nisan was Shabbat HaGadol. Therefore five days later, the 15th, was Thursday. Given that Shavuot is 49 days "Mochorus Hashabbos" the 50th day - Shavuot - had to have been Thursday night / Friday. However, everyone agrees that Matan Torah at Har Sinai was Shabbas and not Friday.

Therefore how can Shavuos, which comes exactly fifty days after the first day of Pesach, be celebrating Matan Torah which was in fact given on the fifty-first day? Not only have we corrupted Sefira, we have also changed the Yom Tov of Shavoes from the Shtei Halechem and Bicurim to remembering Matan Torah- but we got it wrong and are 1 day out.

So that is the very answer, Shavoes was not intended to celebrate Matan Torah. It is solely an agricultural Yom Tov about the Shtei Halechem and the Bicurrim. But we have transformed it from that – as it is no longer relevant to our modern city lives – to celebrate an historical event and the closest historical event is Matan Torah . That is why we have made Shavoes a commemoration of Matan Torah.

The Magen Avraham on Shulchan Aruch (Siman 263), explains that this discrepancy between the 50th and 51st days is our source for 'yom tov sheni shel galus'. He contends that as in Chhutz laretz we have a second day of Shavuos - the seventh of Sivan, the 51st day. As the Torah was given in the desert, Chuts L’Aretz, and not in Israel, by seeing that we received it on the second day, the Magan Anrohom uses this as his source for Yom Tov Sheini.

Another reason why the exact date for Matan Torah is not revealed - and not even celebrated -is in order to save us embarrassment. We know that only 40 days after Har Sinai, the B”Y served the Egel Hazav. Therefore, the torah does not wish to eternalize the day and Shavuot is solely an agricultural Yom Tov with nothing to do with matan Torah- and only coincidentally falls on the day before Matan torah – which is a day we do not want to remind ourselves about.

I would like to end off with one final thought about Shavoes being intrinsically connected to Pesach, both by the Sefira and also being referred to as Atzeras to Pesach. We know that it says “Chayav Adom Lerios Es Atzmoi Keiloo Who Yatzah M’mitzrayim” – That a person is obligated to feel as if he if himself personally participated in the exodus from Egypt. We go to great pains and lengths to convey this at the Seder. But we also know that that wasn’t the end of the story. The whole purpose of Yetzias Mitzrayim wasn’t just to wander around the desert, it was to ultimately get the Torah. So similarly we must feel it personally, as if ‘Chayav Adom Lerios Es Atzmoi Keiloo Ho Haya Bhar Sinai’. That personally we feel that we receive the Torah from Hashem and He personally gives it to us to keep. This link and idea is strengthened by a Gemora in Menochois 65b that states that, as it says ‘Usfartem lochem’ – ‘Count for Yourself’ that you can’t be Yoitzeh counting Sefira through someone else by answering amen to the brocho. Even though it is not a Mitzvah B’Goofoy and you should be able to be Yoitzeh through someone else, you yourself, each person, individually has to count for themselves. This is because in order to be able to feel as if you were at Har Sinai, you need to remind yourself everyday where you came from, Pesach, and where you are going and only then will you be ready to receive the Torah.

I would just like to wish that next year we should all celebrate Shavoes in its original format and intention through the bringing of the Shtei Halechem and the Bicurim in Yerosholayim.

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