I heard a shiur this week on a tape by Rav Ginsburg. He brings Meforshim who say that Matan Torah is for everyday, not just shavous!!
1.Rav Yisroel Salanter points out that there is no specific date in the Torah for Shavous. The Torah just says it falls out on the 50th day of the omer. So depending on how many days Nissan and Iyar are that year is when Shavous falls out! There is a Machlokes in the Gemora as to when it falls out, it could fall out on the 6th or 7th of Sivan. Rav Salanter points out that this hazy timing of the Yom Tov is to teach us that Torah is not dependant on time!!
The idea is that we should not focus on one day, one time when we received the Torah. Matan Torah is every day!!!
2.Along the same lines Rav Yisroel notes that noone knows where the Torah was given, where is Mount Sinai?? Also why in Chutz La’aretz why in the midbar at all??
We have lost The Mesorah as to where Har Sinai actually is. The most important event in world History, 3 million people saw it and yet we don’t know where it is?? Why would Hashem make that Happen??
The answer is the same!! Matan Torah Happened in the midbar to show that the Torah is for everyone!! Just like the Desert is Hefker (ownerless) so is the Torah. Also the Torah is not just for the Land of Israel but the whole world can enjoy it!!
3.This proof is to do with the name. In Torah Shavous is never called Yom Matan Torah. Why??
The Akeidas Yitschok answers with this analogy:
What comes to mind when you think of Matzah? Pesach
Lulav? Sukkos
Shofer, Rosh Hashanna
Etc.
But what are we supposed to think about when we think of Matan Torah?? EVERYDAY!!
He goes on to say, Hashem downplays the connection of Matan Torah to shavous for this very reason!!
In Shavous Davening we say Zman Matan Torateinu, why not Zman Kabolas Torateinu??
The Gerer Rebbe says that Hashem Giving us the Torah happened on Shavous, however we receive the Torah as Rashi says Everyday!!
4.Rav Hirsch gives this last insight, from which we see our fourth proof that Matan Torah is an everyday thing!!
Rav Hirsch says that there is no Mitzvah D’Oraiso specific to Shavous. Ok we say kiddish and other things we do on other Yomim tovim, however we don’t have a specific mitzvah like to eat matzah or to eat in a sukkah, etc.
Rav Hirsch says this is because we don’t want to link anything specific to matan Torah.
Other miracles other events have this link, Pesach and matzah, sukkos and lulav, rosh hashannah and shofar etc.
When there is a mitzvah associated with the day we naturally focus our thoughts on performing that mitzvah. Shavous is supposed to be a regular day when we are mekabel the Torah and just like a regular day doesn’t have specific mitzvos so too Shavous doesn’t.
Our focus on Matan torah is all our lives, everyday, not just on shavous itself!!
