The holiday of Shavuos is called Atzeres, Bikurim, and Matan Torah, among others. What are the meanings of each name and how can we apply their secrets to our upcoming celebration of this Yom Tov? Speaker: R’ Nasan Maimon. Shiur given at the Shaarei Chesed Breslov Shul on 2018-05-07.
03:54 – Shavuos is compared to a wedding and the seven weeks of counting the Omer is compared to the bride’s counting of sheva nekiim – seven pure days.
04:48 – The title Shavuos is related to the Hebrew word for oath. Hashem promised not to exchange us for any other nation, and we promised Him that we would keep His Torah.
06:07 – Yom HaBikurim – the day when first fruits are offered in the Beis HaMikdash – Holy Temple.
07:31 – Atzeres – completion or end. Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev gives three reasons for this name for Shavuos.
15:26 – The only special mitzvah specific to Shavuos is HaShem’s command for the People of Israel to “stand back.” This hints at the need for a person to approach holiness with boundaries set by the rabbis. Rebbe Nachman of Breslov warns that becoming religious too quickly can cause a person to fall. Emunas Chochomim – faith in one’s rabbi – prevents this error.
17:31 – On Shavuos we eat dairy because, among other reasons, we are like babies who can only be nourished by milk. We begin serving HaShem anew.
18:43 – Thunder and lightning at Har Sinai – why all the frightening “special effects”? HaShem was teaching us that there are two aspects of every lasting relationship between people: respect and love.
22:20 – We don’t know the exact day or the exact place the Torah was given. Why does HaShem keep this a secret?
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