<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">Shavuos is mentioned in the Torah five times, perhaps to allude to the<br>giving of the five books of the Torah on that day. In Shmos 23:16 it is<br>called "chag hakotzir," in Shmos 34:22 and D'vorim 16:10 "chag Shavuos," in<br>Bmidbar 28:26 "yom habikurim," and most interestingly in Vayikra 23 Shavuos<br>is discussed from verse 16 through verse 21, yet no name is mentioned here<br>and no calendar date is given for the holiday anywhere in the Torah. It is<br>written in the name of the GR"A that the letters of Shavuos, Shin-Beis-Ayin-Tof </span></font><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">when spelled defectively, are an acronym for the names of<br>Shavuos. Shin = Shavuos; Beis = Bikurim; Ayin = Atzerres; Tof = (Matan)<br>Torah. Actually the Torah also calls Shavuos "chag haKotzir" in Shmos 23:16<br>and "yom hakohol" in Dvorim 9:10. <br><br>The Ram'o in O.Ch. #490:9 says that we have the custom to read Rus on<br>Shavuos.<br>1) The Yalkut Shimoni Rus #601 says that Rabbi Z'eiro says, "This megilla<br>does not contain laws of purity and impurity, nor laws of what is permitted<br>and what is prohibited. It only contains the lesson of the reward for those<br>who do acts of KINDNESS." Since the main thrust of the Torah is to teach us<br>to refine our characters and be kind, as is stated in Mishlei 31:26,<br>"V'soras CHESED al l'shonoh," we therefore read it on Shavuos. (Rokei'ach<br>and Medrash Lekach Tov).</span></font><br></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><br></span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">Chag Sameach.</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">ri</span></font></div></body></html>