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Shavous

Shavuos has four names; three are mentioned in the Torah and one is from Chazal.

 

  1. Shavuos means weeks and refers of course to the seven weeks we counted from Pesach to Shavuos. The sefer Tur Barekes says that the word Shavuos should be read Shevuos meaning two oaths. This refers to the oath Hashem made that He would never exchange us for another nation and the oath we made that we will always remain faithful to Hashem.
  2. Chag Hakatzir – The Harvest Festival. During this time the wheat crop is harvested.
  3. Yom Habikurim — Shavuos marks the beginning of the season when klal Yisroel brought bikurim – the first of the crops of the shivas haminim.
  4. Atzeres is a name given by Chazal. Many reasons are given for this name. One reason is that Shavuos is to Pesach as Shemini Atzeres is to Succos; i.e. Shavuos is really a continuation of and conclusion to Pesach. After all the reason we were taken out of Mitzrayim was to become Hashem’s Chosen Nation and receive His Torah. The days of sefirah are like Chol Hamoed which connects the first and last days of Yom tov.

 

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