Day 48 of the Omer

חַג הַשָּׁבוּעוֹת הוּא זְמַן הַמּוּכְשָׁר לַעֲשׂוֹת הַכּׂל לְטוֹבַת לִמּוּד הַתּוֹרָה וְהָעֲבוֹדָה בְּיִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם, וְכֵן לְהִתְעַסֵּק בִּתְשׁוּבָה בְּהַנּוֹגֵעַ לְתּוֹרָה בְּאֵין מַפְרִיעַ מִשָּׂטָן הַמְקַטְרֵג, כְּדוּגְמַת זְמַן הַתְּקִיעוֹת בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה וְיוֹם הַקָּדוֹשׁ דְּצוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים.

The festival of Shavuos is the perfect time to do everything possible to advance one’s Torah study and one’s service of G‑d with awe. Similarly, it is an appropriate time to repent for [failing to study] Torah, since [at that time] the accusing influence of Satan does not interfere — similar to the time of the sounding of the shofar on Rosh HaShanah and to the day of Yom Kippur.

Probing Beneath the Surface

The Rebbe points out a difference between Yom Kippur and Shavuos.1 The Hebrew term השטן (Satan — lit., “the Accuser”) has a numerical value of 364.2 The solar calendar has 365 days. This implies that there is one day a year on which Satan is powerless over us — Yom Kippur. On Shavuos, by contrast, Satan does have power. The above teaching therefore highlights the “service of G‑d,” for it is the Jewish people’s Divine service that re-creates the Giving of the Torah — and that is what disarms Satan.