[Avodah] RSRH on Shavuous

[Prof. Levine]

I have posted RSRH's Essay Sivan I 
at  http://www.stevens.edu/golem/llevine/rsrh/sivan_1.pdf . It comes 
from the Collected Writings of RSRH, Volume I.

This essay gives many insights into Shavuous. I recommend it highly 
to anyone who wants to gain an understanding of the significance of 
Shavuous, what Torah really is, why Judaism is not a religion, 
theology,  and many other interesting topics. This essay begins with

The Festival of Revelation and the Uniqueness of the Torah.

On the sixth and seventh of Sivan we celebrate the Festival of the 
Giving of the Law (Zman Matan Torahsainu). Where are the symbols of 
this festival? Where is the significance of Shavuoth as the Festival 
of Revelation mentioned in the Torah? Why is this festival of 
Shavuoth so short and so fleeting? Pessach has its Matzoth, the 
festival of Succoth its Tabernacle and its Lulab, Rosh Hashanah its 
Shofar, Yom Kippur its Fast. But where are the symbols of Shavuoth?

We know how clear and precise is Scripture with regard to the 
conception and significance of all the other festivals; but you will 
search the Torah in vain for a designation of Shavuoth as the 
festival of the Giving of the Law. To the redemption from Egypt we 
dedicate a festival which lasts a whole week; it takes a whole month 
for its preparation and completely transforms our domestic life. To 
the miracle of our preservation in the wilderness we dedicate another 
week, the whole of which we distinguish by our living in the Succah. 
But to the Giving of the Law, to the Revelation of the Torah, to this 
most holy transcendent event from which our whole existence derives 
its meaning and purpose, to this festival of all festivals, we devote 
only one brief and placid day! Why this brevity and quiet, why this 
lack of pomp, this paucity of symbols?

Good Yom Tov!

Yitzchok Levine
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