And On Shavuot
Shavuot is associated with Gevurah (strict justice, judgment, discipline, self-control, Yitzchak) in the counting of the yom tovim as we find it in The Ten S’firot in Sacred Time available from Aleph. Blessings to you on this special day. Gabbai Seth Fishman, BLOG Editor
And On Shavuot
excerpt from Yishmiru Daat
by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi
And on Shavuot, the Sefirah of Binah is illuminated in 50 portals within the attribute of the Gevurah giving Torah – from the mouth of the Gevurah / Almighty we heard, (Eruvin 54b), b’Tzimtzum / with contraction of the divine light from the central point of perfection outwards onto stone tablets upon which were tzamzem / condensed ten commandments, (tanchuma vayakhel 7), and tzamtzem / condensed His Shechina / in-dwelling between the two staves of the ark. And also the expression “atzeret,” (meaning both concluding feast, i.e. Shavuot and also he squeezed), points to the tzimtzum / contraction and the limiting of this yom tov to only one day – and two in the diaspora – (and there are hidden expansions [on this day] up to a full week’s worth, but you will have to look to find them). And we who stood together, (Exodus 19:17, and cf. Yalkut Shimoni, B’reishit chapter 22 remez 101), at the foot of the mountain, like Yitzchak, our father, in his bindings, we with our cautions, (Shabbos 88:) and our souls flew out of our bodies with each and every utterance. And they are united with the souls of King David may he rest in peace, and with the Baal Shem tov, his soul is in Eden, and with the ger tzedek of Vilna, may God avenge his murder, having publicly sanctified God’s name, whose souls were drawn back on Shavuot into the body of the King with the kiss of Hir mouth, May S/He be blessed.
And so, one can say, “I believe with perfect faith, that Hashem Yitbarach is beyond the beyond of time and space in the eternal present, that S/He gives the Torah and still is saying both ‘anochi’ and ‘you shall have no other gods beside’ in a single utterance, (Yalkut Shimoni, Shemot chapter 20 cf., remez 284), in such a way that every single generation can hear God’s word anew according to now and here, and we accept upon ourselves the limits that come from ‘the sacred spices,’ the Torah, so we can overcome our natures and give our Creator naches / delight.”
