The Torah tells us the date for every festival except for Shavuot. Why isn’t the time of Shavuot clearly stated?
In Leviticus chapter 23 God tells Moses some details of the Jewish festivals. In these verses we are told the date and number of days of every festival except for one.
- Passover – month 1 day 15, for 7 days
- Shavuot – ?
- Rosh HaShanah – month 7 day 1, for 1 day
- Yom Kippur – month 7 day 10, for 1 day
- Sukkot & Shemini Atzeret – month 7 day 15, for 8 days
Counting to 50
In Leviticus 23:15-16 we are told when to celebrate Shavuot:
15. And you shall count from the next day after the sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete;
16. To the next day after the seventh sabbath shall you count fifty days; and you shall offer a new meal offering to the Lord.
However, we’re not told that the 50th day is a festival until a few verses later:
21. And you shall proclaim on the same day, that it may be a holy gathering to you; you shall do no labor in it; it shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.
The phrases “holy gatherings” and “do no labor” indicate that this day is a festival just like Passover and Sukkot.
Now let’s look more closely at our verses and what they teach us about Shavuot.
Leviticus 23:15
And you shall count from the next day after the sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete;
you shall count – The word “you” is used for both singular and plural. In the Hebrew of this verse it’s clear that “you” plural. We could translate it as “you all shall count.” The command is to the entire Jewish nation; everyone is to count.
from the next day after the sabbath – Rashi: the day after the festival [of Passover].
According to Jewish tradition, the first occurrence of “sabbath” in this verse means “festival.” Many commentators strive to prove that it must mean festival and not the 7th day of the week.
For our purposes, we will just accept the traditional understanding.
seven sabbaths shall be complete – Rashi: this means that the counting must start at night, otherwise, they will not be complete weeks
Daat Mikra: “sabbath” in this phrase at the end of the verse means “week.”
Leviticus 23:16
To the next day after the seventh sabbath shall you count fifty days; and you shall offer a new meal offering to the Lord.
To the next day after the seventh sabbath shall you count – Rashi: but not including the last day so they are 49 days.
Malbim: the verse teaches us that Shavuot is not on day 49 and not on day 51, only on day 50.
fifty days – Rashi: Bring the offering on day 50.
Daat Mikra: Day 50 is not counted. If it were counted, then you haven’t counted 7 complete weeks, rather you’ve counted 7 weeks and an additional day!
Rabbi Sorotzkin: This counting is a hint to the 50 levels of understanding. However, it is not possible for any person to actually achieve the 50th level. The best any of us can do it reach the 49th level. That is why we count up to but not including 50.
a new meal offering – Rashi: This is the first meal offering brought from the new wheat crop. The omer offering isn’t considered the first offering since it was brought from barley, but this offering is from wheat.
Leviticus 23:21
And you shall proclaim on the same day, that it may be a holy gathering to you; you shall do no labor in it; it shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.
in all your dwellings throughout your generations – R. Sorotzkin: Shavuot is to be celebrated a certain number of days after the Omer offering. Some might conclude that the festival is only celebrated when there is an Omer offering. Therefore the verse ends “throughout your generations” to teach even without the Omer we still celebrate Shavuot.
Passover and Omer in the Temple
Passover is celebrated on the 15th of Nisan, the first month.
10. Speak to the people of Israel, and say to them, When you come to the land which I give to you, and shall reap its harvest, then you shall bring an omer of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest;
11. And he shall wave the omer before the Lord, to be accepted for you; on the next day after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.
Based on Jewish tradition, “sabbath” in verse 23:11 means “festival” and this reaping and waving took place on the 16th of Nisan.
When is Shavuot?
Shavuot is to be celebrated 50 days after Passover. Before our fixed calendar was introduced, there was no fixed date for Shavuot.
Shavuot is sometimes on the fifth of the [third] month [Sivan], sometimes on the sixth, and sometimes on the seventh. For instance, if both of them [the months Nisan and Iyar] are full [30 days long], it is on the fifth; if both of them are defective [29 days long], it is on the seventh; if one is full and the other defective, it is on the sixth.
The above image illustrates the 3 scenarios in the Gemara.
The months of the Jewish calendar are either 30 days long (a full month) or 29 days long (a defective month).
Before the calendar was fixed the determination of the beginning of each month was based on sighting the new moon and the Jewish court announcing that the new month had begun.
With our fixed calendar, Nisan is always 30 days long and Iyar is always 29 days long. Therefore, Shavuot is always celebrated on the 6th of Sivan.
It’s clear from the verses we’ve looked at and the Gemara that it’s more important to link Shavuot to Passover than to specify a date for Shavuot.
Why Isn’t the Date of Shavuot Fixed?
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch concludes from the Gemara (Shabbat 86b-87b), that the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai was on the 51st day after the first Passover. However, for the coming generations, that specific date is not so important.
He has an extended discussion of the counting and spiritual preparations for Shavuot. I will only quote a few lines here [emphasis in the original]:
Had scripture intended for us to celebrate the day of the month on which the Torah was given, it would have given us the exact historical date …
Thus, the day that is elevated to a festival is not the day of the revelation on Sinai, but the final day of counting leading up to that great day. …
The festival of the Giving of the Torah does not relate to the fact of the giving of the Torah. Rather, it celebrates our making ourselves worthy of receiving the Torah.
One of our goals during the period between Passover and Shavuot is to make ourselves more worthy of receiving the Torah. One way we do this is by counting the days and weeks between the festivals.
Rabbi Hirsch also points out that the giving of the Torah was not limited to one day. Rather, it was spread out over the 40 years the Jewish people were in the wilderness.
Other commentators point out that receiving the Torah is not the main thing. The main thing is to be involved with and study the Torah every day. Hence, the Torah itself downplays the date on which it was given.
Further Reading
Rabbi Hirsch’s discussion of the counting and spiritual preparations for Shavuot is from his commentary on Leviticus 23:16 and 21. It’s worth reading all of it.