Each Person as an Individual

As has been mentioned,1 the counting of the omer is a preparation for the giving of the Torah. Therefore, directly after the 49 days of the omer, we celebrate Shavuos, the festival commemorating the event on Mount Sinai.

The connection between Shavuos and the counting of the omer is underscored by the fact that both relate to every Jew individually. The Talmud2 emphasizes that the counting of the omer is incumbent on every Jew as an individual (in contrast to the Shemitah and Yovel3 years, which are counted by the Jewish court4).

Similarly, with regard to the giving of the Torah, the revelation was not merely for the Jewish people as a whole, but for every individual Jew. This is reflected in the phrase:5 "I am G‑d, your L-rd," which uses the singular form of the term "your ," for G‑d grants the Torah to every Jew individually, as it were. He conveys to each person the obligation to study Torah, and to observe the 613 mitzvos,6 and empowers each one (as implied by the term e-lohecha7) to fulfill that obligation.

What We Can Do andWhat Is above Our Capabilities

Based on the connection between the counting of the omer and Shavuos , the Alter Rebbe explains8 the apparent contradiction between the command:9 "And you shall count 50 days," and the fact that in practice we count only 49. By counting the 49 days, and in this manner drawing down 49 Gates of Understanding (Binah), we prepare for the opening of the fiftieth gate the revelation that came with the giving of the Torah.10

On each day of the counting of the omer , a different Gate of Understanding is drawn down. This enables us to understand the wording used when counting: "one day…, two days…, three days…", rather than "the first day, the second day, the third day." For every day includes the previous days and the Divine energy which they drew down. On the first day, we have access to the first Gate of Understanding, on the second day, we have access to two gates, etc.

The fiftieth gate, however, cannot be opened by our own initiative, for it represents a potential which cannot be attained by the Divine service of created beings. Nevertheless, our endeavor to draw down the 49 Gates of Understanding creates a setting in which the fiftieth is drawn down on its own initiative. For this reason, it is considered as if we have counted 50 days, for the fiftieth gate is made accessible by our counting of "seven perfect weeks."11

Two Dimensions OF Shavuos

The fiftieth Gate of Understanding, drawn down on the fiftieth day of the counting of the omer , shares a connection to the giving of the Torah. But there is a distinction between them. Thus the Alter Rebbe rules12 that the description of Shavuos as "the season of the giving of our Torah,"13 is appropriate only in the present era, when we follow a fixed calendar and Shavuos is always celebrated on the sixth of Sivan, the anniversary of the giving of the Torah.14 When, however, the monthly calendar was established by the testimony of witnesses who had sighted the new moon, Shavuos, the fiftieth day of the omer, could also fall on the fifth of Sivan (if both Nissan and Iyar were months of 30 days) or on the seventh of the month (if both Nissan and Iyar were months of 29 days).15

For as reflected in this week's Torah reading, the observance of Shavuos is not dependent on a particular day of the month (as is the case with the other holidays), but on the conclusion of the counting of the omer. In previous eras, when Shavuos fell on a day other than the sixth of Sivan, it was not referred to as "the season of the giving of our Torah."16

From the above, two things are evident:

a) The giving of the Torah is associated with the fiftieth day of the omer, the day on which the fiftieth Gate of Understanding is drawn down;

b) The giving of the Torah is associated with the sixth of Sivan,17 and this is why we refer to Shavuos as "the season of the giving of our Torah."

The difference between these two dimensions of the holiday can be explained as follows: The aspect of the giving of the Torah which is associated with the fiftieth day of the omer comes after man's Divine service. It is true that our Divine service is not sufficient to draw down the fiftieth Gate of Understanding; that comes as a result of G‑d's initiative. Nevertheless, G‑d acts after man has completed his Divine service to the fullest extent of his capacity.18 After counting 49 days, man has created a vessel fit to receive the influence of the giving of the Torah.

The aspect of the giving of the Torah which is connected to the sixth of Sivan, by contrast, is not at all connected with man's service. It refers to an initiative that stems from the Torah itself. The time for this initiative is the sixth of Sivan.19

When Past and Present Meet

The fact that the two dimensions of Shavuos the fiftieth day of the omer and the sixth of Sivan are not necessarily dependent on each other is relevant also at present, not only in the era when the calendar was established according to the testimony of witnesses. According to the fixed calendar we follow, Nissan always has 30 days, and Iyar, 29; thus Shavuos will always fall on the sixth of Sivan. But there are still situations in which an individual is required to celebrate Shavuos on the fifth or seventh of Sivan.20

To explain: Since the earth is shaped like a ball21 and the sun travels across its horizon, there must be a line on the earth (the international dateline) at which the days differ. The date for a person standing on one side of the international dateline is different from the date for a person standing on the other side. By crossing that line, a person can "skip" a day. Thus if someone steps from east to west, he could for example proceed from Sunday to Tuesday. Conversely, by stepping from west to east, he will "repeat" a day, e.g., he will have two Sundays.

These concepts do not usually affect our ritual observance. With regard to the counting of the omer, however, the international dateline can make a significant difference.

As mentioned above, the counting of the omer is a mitzvah incumbent upon every individual. Thus when a person crosses the dateline in the middle of the counting, he must continue according to his own reckoning, although everyone around him is counting a different day.

For example, Pesach falls on Shabbos. On Monday, the second day of the counting of the omer , a person travels from east to west [e.g., from U.S. to Australia]. Although he leaves on Monday, when he crosses the dateline, Monday becomes Tuesday. That night [the night between Tuesday and Wednesday], he is required to count the third day of the omer, while the local people will be counting the fourth day.

Conversely, if a person crosses the dateline from west to east [e.g., from Australia to U.S.], leaving Monday and arriving on Monday, on the night between Monday and Tuesday, he must count the third day of the omer, although the local people will be counting the second day.22

The rationale is that, as explained above, the counting of the omer is not incumbent on the Jewish people as a collective entity, but upon every individual as an individual. Everyone must count the days of the omer which he has experienced.23

An individual must observe the Shabbos and other festivals according to the reckoning of the locale in which he finds himself. The fact that he may have crossed the dateline is not significant. The seventh day of the week is the same for all, for the determination of that day is not dependent on an individual's reckoning,24 but on the passage of the days of week. Similarly, the observance of Pesach, Sukkos, Rosh HaShanah, and Yom Kippur depends on the calendar established by the Sanhedrin for all Jews (or, today, on the fixed calendar.)

With regard to the counting of the omer , however, since this mitzvah is incumbent on every individual, a person must count the days which he himself experiences.25

Celebrating Shavuos on a Different Day

As the Torah relates,26 the holiday of Shavuos is not dependent on a particular day of the month, but on the counting of the omer. The fiftieth day of the omer is celebrated as Shavuos. For this reason, as mentioned previously, when the calendar was established according to the testimony of witnesses, it was possible for Shavuos to fall on the fifth, the sixth or the seventh of Sivan.

The intent is not that the counting of the omer (or the obligation to count the omer) should bring about the holiday of Shavuos. For even individuals who were not obliged to count the entire Omer for example, a minor who came of age or a person who converted during the counting are obligated to celebrate Shavuos on the fiftieth day after Pesach according to Scriptural Law. (Moreover, there are opinions and indeed, these are accepted as halachah27 which maintain that, in the present era, the counting of the omer is merely a Rabbinic obligation. The holiday of Shavuos , by contrast, is according to all opinions mandated by Scriptural Law.) Were Shavuos to be totally dependent on the counting of the omer, the question would arise: How is it possible for individuals who had not counted to celebrate Shavuos ?

The explanation that the holiday is brought about by the Jewish nation's counting of the omer is unacceptable; as mentioned above, our Sages define the counting as a mitzvah which relates to the individual, and not to the collective. Therefore we must conclude that Shavuos is not brought about by the counting of the omer. Instead, the explanation must be that although the need to observe the holiday is mandated by Scriptural Law, the time when that holiday is observed is determined by the counting of the omer , and as stated above, the counting serves as an indicator on an individual basis.

Thus, whenever a person finishes his counting of the omer even if if is before or after the conclusion of the counting in his present locale he should celebrate Shavuos.28 We cannot say that the person should follow his own reckoning with regard to the counting, but with regard to the celebration of Shavuos he should celebrate with those around him, for the date on which Shavuos should be celebrated depends entirely on the counting of the omer. And the counting of the omer is given over to each individual as an individual , and not to the Jewish people as a collective.29

Nevertheless, if a person celebrates the holiday on a date other than the sixth of Sivan, he should not refer to it as "the season of the giving of our Torah," for this description is appropriate only to the sixth of Sivan.

This applies even when a person crosses the dateline after Rosh Chodesh Sivan and thus celebrates Shavuos on the sixth day after he celebrated Rosh Chodesh, for the fixation of the calendar is not an individual matter.

The Halachic Ruling

Based on the above, the following conclusions can be reached: When someone crosses the dateline from west to east, the fifth of Sivan is the fiftieth day of his counting of the omer. As such, he must observe Shavuos on that day with regard to all matters except the reference to the holiday as "the season of the giving of our Torah." If he lives in the Diaspora, he should observe the sixth of Sivan as the second day of the holiday.

Conversely, if someone crosses the dateline from east to west, he should observe Shavuos on the seventh of Sivan. If he lives in the Diaspora, such a person should observe the eighth of Sivan as the second day of the holiday.

From the Material to the Spiritual

The above concepts are reflected in our Divine service. The service appropriate for the counting of the omer is the refinement of our emotional qualities. We count seven weeks, corresponding to the seven emotional qualities, and also 49 days (7x7), for each of these qualities is related to the others. The objective is to make these weeks and the corresponding emotional qualities "perfect."

When a Jew finishes refining his emotional qualities, he is granted the Torah as a gift from above. This is totally dependent on him; it makes no difference what is happening with the people around him. When he has refined his 49 emotional qualities, he is granted the Torah, the fiftieth Gate of Understanding, even if those around him have not yet reached this degree of preparation.

Conversely, if his process of personal refinement is slower, he must wait until he has completed the task, even if those around him have already been granted the Torah.

But this refers only to the dimension of the giving of the Torah which is dependent on man's Divine service. The ultimate aspect of the giving of the Torah transcends any connection to man's service. This level is revealed for everyone on the sixth of Sivan, "the season of the giving of our Torah."30

(Adapted from Sichos Chag HaShavuos, 5717 and 5721)