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Shavuos: Are we just Red Sea Pedestrians?

Written by Michael Rainsbury

Why does the Torah not tell us the date we should celebrate Shavuot? Instead we have a date for Pesach and an assumption that we have basic arithmatic (not always a good assumption!).

If you look at the story of Yetziat Mitzrayim you will notice one thing missing – Bnei Yisrael. Events are played out by Hashem, Moshe and Pharaoh but the Jewish people were just passers by, or \’Red Sea Pedestrians\’. Pesach was all about the kindness that Hashem did to us – but we were very PASSIVE.

However immediately after 1st day Yomtov we count the Omer – each day being a mitzvah, we work on ourselves and start being ACTIVE. Then by Shavuotwe have reached the 50th level and are ready to receive the Torah. But the fact that we have got there is down to us – WE make the festival, and that’s why the Torah doesn’t tell us a specific date for Shavuot – rather it tells us how to make it ourselves.

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