Every Moed has its own unique mitzvah. For example, on Pesach we eat matzah, and on Sukkos we shake the arbah minim and sit in the sukkah. Yet what about Shavuos? There are many beautiful minhagim, such as eating dairy or staying up all night to learn Torah, yet why don’t we find that it has its own unique mitzvah?
One answer is as follows. The mitzvos associated with the Chagim serve as mediums that enable us access the spiritual essence of the day. For example, dwelling in the sukkah reminds us of the unique protection that Klal Yisrael had in the wilderness. Eating matzah on Pesach triggers us to remember how we were redeemed from slavery, and Hashem rescued us so speedily that even our bread didn’t have time to rise.
On Shavuos, we celebrate the fact that we were given the greatest gift to mankind, the Torah. Our Rabbis teach that the Torah and Hashem are really one: therefore, the Torah is the ultimate way of clinging to Hashem. For this reason, we don’t need any unique mitzvos to serve as mediums to get to the essence of this day. It is a day of receiving the Torah and there is no greater closeness to Hashem than that! So, this is a day where its essence is entirely Torah, the unbreakable bond between Hashem and the Jewish people. (Rav Elya Boruch Finkel in the name of the Gra)
For this reason, Chazal teach that all opinions agree that one should have a festive meal on Shavuos, even though this is disputed by the other Moadim. This is because the day when we received the Torah, which gives us the ability to cling to Hashem, is the ultimate happiness. Eating a delicious meal displays how delighted we are with this priceless gift.
We see that on Shavuos, there is actually a greater obligation to rejoice, more than the other Moadim, since we merited the Torah. However, since the gift of Torah is spiritual, why do we rejoice by having a festive meal? Surely, we should spend the entire day in Shul learning and davening?
When the Torah was given, the malachim claimed that they should receive it instead of humans. However, Moshe interceded stating that the malachim are not physical, so how can they fulfil mitzvos such as Tefillin, or kibud av va’eim? Therefore, Moshe claimed before Hashem that humans are the most fitting, since we have a body. So, the fact that this holy day also has a great physical aspect is a way of displaying how we are the most deserving of all beings to receive the Torah. We have a body and can fulfil so many mitzvos which the malachim simply cannot perform! (Beis Halevi)
Chazal recount that on Shavuos Rav Yosef would ask to be served one of the finest meat delicacies. He exclaimed, “Were it not for this day how many Yosefs would there be in the marketplace?” Rav Yosef used Shavuos as a day to express his appreciation for the incredible impact that the Torah had on his life. This is in fact a key aspect of Shavuos.
We should try and reflect upon how much the Torah impacts our life and to express our appreciation for this. Although we praise Hashem for this gift daily in birkas Hatorah, “Blessed are You Hashem Who gives us the Torah,” there is a unique obligation to appreciate this on Shavuos.
The rewards for learning Torah are above our comprehension. Each word we learn is equivalent to the 613 Mitzvos! (The Gra) Furthermore, when we learn Torah, our sins will be forgiven and we will be saved from misfortunes, and will merit a unique Divine protection. Also, when we learn Torah, we are considered especially beloved, friends of Hashem, and our prayers will be much more powerful (The Zohar).
In addition to the great reward which we will receive in the next world, there is so much we can gain from Torah in this world. For example, observing the Torah helps us live a meaningful spiritual life with healthy boundaries. This is why Shavuos is considered to be even happier than the other Moadim. Let’s look at the words of Rav Avigdor Miller.
“In the Yeshivos in Europe, Shavuos was considered to be the happiest day of the year, even more than Simchas Torah. It became wild on Shavuos because they understood אשרנו מה טוב הלקנו, how fortunate we are to receive this special privilege. Not only to be amongst the fortunate ones who sit and learn Torah, but because Torah is what gives us eternal life.”
For this reason, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach taught that it is a beautiful practice of the Yeshivos to dance on Shavuos. Even though there is a halachic discussion by the Moadim as to whether lively dancing is permitted, on Shavuos this is completely permissible since it is such an exceedingly happy day since we received the Torah. After all, the day the Torah was given was so joyous that not only Klal Yisrael danced but even the mountains got up to dance! So dancing and rejoicing heartily on this day is in fact most appropriate.
The Chafetz Chaim had such a tremendous love and thirst for Torah, and he would speak about the greatness of Torah with great delight. Shavuos was especially beloved to him and was celebrated in his Yeshivah with great excitement and rejoicing. On Erev Shavuos, the benches and desks in his Yeshivah were moved aside and when the Yom Tov arrived the students used to dance with such enthusiasm. The dancing was ever so lively and the talmidim would dance round and round, singing praises of the Torah. When observing his students dance with such passion, the Chafetz Chaim’s face radiated pure joy.
