Declare the Holiday of Shavuos [and rest during the Holiday]

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SMG

[the source verse[i] for the Mitzva is וקראתם בעצם היום הזה מקרא קדש.

The SMG groups this Mitzva with the section titled Laws requiring rest during the holidays.]

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[i] Vayikra 23:21

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AMUDAY SHLOMO

[Maharshal does not have a specific comment on this Mitzva. Either his commentary was lost, or the manuscript was never completed.]

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RASHI

Rashi does not comment on these verses.

about Rashi’s lack of comment:

Interestingly, on the verse[i] וידבר ה’ אל משה בעצם היום הזה לאמר, Rashi provides the following commentary:

• בעצם היום הזה – In three (3) places the phrase בעצם היום הזה is stated:
• By Noaĉ, the verse[ii] states בעצם היום הזה בא נח וגו’ – in full daylight. As the people of his generation were swearing that ‘if they feel him [entering] we will not allow him to enter the ark. Not only that but we will take hammers and axes and split the ark.’ G-d stated, ‘I will bring him in at midday, and anyone who has the ability to protest, let him come and protest.’
• By Egypt, the verse[iii] states בעצם היום הזה הוציא ה’ – because the Egyptians were swearing that ‘if they feel them [leaving] we will not allow them to leave. Not only that but we will take swords and weapons and kill them.’ G-d stated, ‘I will bring them out at midday. And anyone who has the ability to protest, let him come and protest.’
• Also here, by the death of Moshe, the verse states בעצם היום הזה, because the Jews were swearing that ‘if they feel him … they would not let him. The man who took us out of Egypt, split the see, brought down the manna, sheared the Slav, brought up the wellspring, and gave us the Torah – we will not leave him.’ Said G-d, ‘I will bring him in at midday, etc.’

There are many questions to ask about this Rashi, for example;

• Why wait until the last of these verses to provide this comment
• Rashi had previously commented something similar regarding Noaĉ – why not quote the other verses then. Why wasn’t Rashi consistent in his description of what the people were saying.
• These aren’t the only times that the phrase בעצם היום הזה is used. There is also when Avrohom entered into the covenant through circumcision[iv], where Rashi comments that the meaning of the phrase is ‘On the day he was commanded. By day and not by night.’ In addition to commenting that ‘Avrohom did this in full view of everyone so that his enemies could not later claim that if they had seen him doing this they would not have allowed Avrohom to [enter into the covenant and] fulfill the command of the omnipresent.’
• When it comes to the exodus from Egypt, and the baking of the Matza, the verses[v] use this phrase three times – on none of which does Rashi comment with this description of what the Egyptians were saying.
• And, for the purposes of our discussion more importantly, this phrase is used four (4) times[vi] in establishing the Mitzvos related to the holidays; three (3) times related to the prohibitions for Yom Kippur and once for this holiday of Shavuos. What does this phrase teach us about Shavuos.

Perhaps the simplest answer is best. As noted in the discussion on negative Mitzva 72 – כל מלאכת עבודה לא תעשו (שבועות) – the holiday of Shavuos is only one (1) day long. Therefore, one might be tempted to push off the day of Shavuos if the holiday falls out on Shabbos. This phrasing of בעצם היום הזה would negate that. The holiday is to be observed on whatever day of the week it falls out on.

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[i] Devarim 32:48

[ii] Beraishis 7:13

[iii] Shemos 12:51

[iv] Beraishis 17:26 & 23

[v] Shemos 12:17, 41, 51

[vi] Vayikra 23:21 for Shavuos and Vayikra 23:28,29,30 for Yom Kippur

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Discussion by SMS

Since this holiday is tied to the offering of the Omer, why is it observed when the Omer is not brought?

As noted above in the introduction to this holiday, G-d establishes this holiday as the celebration of the dedication of the Jewish people by giving of their Firsts to G-d. This attitude didn’t cease with the destruction of the first and second Mikdash. Instead, the Jewish people found different firsts to donate – whether that is Rabbinic מעשר, or the dedication of the start of every day to learning Torah and Davening, or something else. The Jewish people always puts G-d first, which is why the holiday continues to be celebrated.

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