Dear GYE-mates,

Some Torah about the essence of Shavuos:

Rebbe Nachman of Breslov says (Likutei Moharan Tanina 1:5) that the 3 regalim (festivals) are a tikkun for the 3 desires we have that can be destructive. Pesach is a tikkun for the desire for money, Sukkos is a tikkun for the desire for food, and Shavuos is a tikkun for the desire for sex. He says that on Pesach we were given money and possessions even against our will by the Egyptians (and we slaughtered sheep which represents wealth), Sukkos is the festival of the ingathering of our crops (food), and Shavuos is related to a mysterious Gemora about “blood changing and becoming milk.”

The Maharal (Derech Hachayim 1:2) discusses the Mishna in Pirkei Avos which says there are 3 pillars which the world stands on – Torah, Avoda, and Gemilus Chassadim. He explains that there are 3 relationships in this world; Between man and himself, between man and G-d, and between man and other people. Torah relates to “between man and himself” (he explains that through the Torah a person is lifted from physicality and becomes a rational “whole” being), Avoda relates to “between man and G-d”, and Gemilus Chassadim relates to “between man and others”. He links the 3 pillars which the world stands on to the 3 opposite sins which we’re obligated to let ourselves be killed rather than transgress. Torah is opposite to sexual immorality, Avoda is opposite to idol worship, and Gemilus Chassadim is opposite to Murder. He also links our 3 forefathers to these 3 pillars, and air fire and water. Here’s a summary of his words:

Torah = Relationship to self, Yaakov Avinu, Air, opposite of sexual immorality
Avoda = Relationship to G-d, Yitzchak Avinu, Fire, opposite of idol worship
Gemilus Chassadim = Relationship to others, Avrohom Avinu, Water, opposite of murder

So let’s try to tie together this Rebbe Nachman and Maharal. If we combine everything we get:

Shavuos / tikkun of the Bris = Torah = Relationship to self, Yaakov Avinu, Air, opposite of immorality
Sukkos / tikkun of eating= Avoda = Relationship to G-d, Yitzchak Avinu, Fire, opposite of idol worship
Pesach / tikkun of money = Gemilus Chassadim = Relationship to others, Avrohom Avinu, Water, opposite of murder
(But I may be wrong in this combination because I always thought that Sukkos corresponds to Yaakov.)

And maybe we can say that Shmini Atzeres, which is compared to Shavuos in name (Atzeres), also relates to the Bris Milah. Shmini is the 8th day (same as Milah) and that day is also Simchas Torah (at least in Eretz Yisroel), so it relates to the Torah.

Back to Shavuos. It’s on the 50th day of the Omer. I saw somewhere that just like Milah is on the 8th day which is beyond nature (beyond 7), also 50 is a number beyond nature (7 x 7 = 49). Also 50 is the same Gematria of the word “Kol”, and Kol is sometimes used as another word for the midda of Yesod (like when we say the 7 middos every day in Shacharis in Va’yevareich Dovid). Also many people stay awake all night long on Shavuos which in itself seems to me to be the opposite of any possible aveira associated with a bed (just like the Kohein Gadol who used to stay awake all night Yom Kippur to avoid keri).

One final thought on this topic. Rebbe Nachman quoted the Gemora about “blood changing and becoming milk.” In Nidda 9a the Gemora brings a source for this idea from the possuk in Iyov 14:4 “Who can bring forth what is pure from what is impure ? Is it not the one [G-d]?” It sounds like this possuk has to do with the very essence of Tikkun Habris, where Hashem changes us from impure to pure.

Wow, this is beautiful.

The only problem is, like you said, I believe that the zohar says that Sukkos is kineged Yaakov, Pesach kineged Yitzchak (who was born then) and Shavuos kineged Avraham (?)

Thanks ! And yes, my association about which of the Avos are linked to each of the 3 regalim was theoretical and may not be accurate. I just did a web search and found here www.torah.org/learning/parsha-insights/5759/sukkos.html#  which says that Avrohom is Pesach, Yitzchak is Shavuous, Yaakov is Sukkos, and Yosef is Shmini Atzeres ! (The Shmini Atzeres part works beautifully because Shmini Atzeres is perceived as part of Sukkos but it's really a separate Chag, just like Yosef was perceived as a Shevet (tribe) but then became elevated like an Av and that's why his 2 children were counted as Shevatim).

In any event, all of the Avos are associated with the Bris. Avrohom was the first one to ever have a Bris, Yitzchak was the first to have a Bris on the 8th day, and Yaakov has the logical connection to the Bris as I quoted from the Maharal of Prague above.

Maybe it's a Machlokes (argument) about how the Avos are linked to the 3 regalim ? Does anyone have a source that would link Yaakov to Shavuos ? That would seem logical because Yaakov was described as "Yosheiv Ohalim - sitting in tents" which refers to the tents of Shem and Aiver, and then learned 14 years at the Yeshiva of Aiver, so he could represent Torah which is synonymous with Shavuos.

commando wrote on 27 Apr 2010 16:17:


i hear my name. i come running!  - Oh! You were not referring to me? I am just a little i. You were talking about the Great Big original Yosef Hatzadik?!?!




I am here already, I will add a though too, if you don't mind. OK?

May I?

I didn't hear your answer. A bit louder, please?

Hey, I am not gonna wait all day. I will lay out my wares. If you don't like it, have one of the moderators delete it. Deal?

Well, here goes:

Shevuos is also called Chag Habekurim. It is the start of the season in which we may bring bikurim. Yaakov Avinu vowed to Hashem, "V'chol asher titein li aseir a'asrenu lach".

Now, you will ask Avroham Avinu gave to Malki Tzedek Melech Shaleim ma'aser from everything that he had? Avraham gave after-the fact maaser. He met Malki Tzedek & decided to give him a tithe. Yaakov had nothing yet, he promised to give to Hashem in the future. The mishna says that Bikurim was designated as soon as the man spotted a ripe fruit on the tree. He immediately wound a thread (from this forum maybe) around it. Then, at a later date, it was brought up to the Beis Hamikdash in Yerushalayim.


So, do we have a connection between Shavuos & Yaakov? (and for R' Guard: Between Shavuos & Avraham?)

Yosef H,

I like your sense of humor, you're hysterical ! 

Thanks for your input, it's a very nice Dvar Torah. What you say makes sense. I'd still feel better if we found a source in a sefer where someone specifically says that Shavuos corresponds to Yaakov, because so far the only textual source we have is the Tur who says that Shavuos corresponds to Yitzchok. It sounds like Guard wasn't sure about the Zohar, so we also need to verify that. I'll keep looking.