English translation — חה"ש ב

A.

The festival of Shavuos is distinguished from the other festivals by this,

that "everyone agrees on Atzeres that we also require 'for you.'

What is the reason?

It is the day on which the Torah was given"<sup>1</sup>.

By the other festivals there is a dispute<sup>2</sup>

whether one can conduct oneself in a manner of "entirely for G‑d" or it must be "half for you"; not so by Shavuos, everyone agrees "that we also require 'for you' — that one rejoice in it with eating and drinking to show that this day is pleasant and accepted for Israel, on which the Torah was given"<sup>3</sup>.

And even according to the halachah<sup>4</sup>,

that by <b>all </b>festivals it must be "half for you"

(and one must celebrate simchas Yom Tov with food and drink)

— there is still a difference of Shavuos regarding other festivals:

By "the rest of festivals and Shabbosos"<sup>5</sup>

is the law,

that one may fast a fast of a dream.

Because although there is the obligation of oneg Shabbos and Yom Tov — however, since "his soul is distressed over his dream ...

therefore the fast is <b>oneg </b>for him"<sup>6</sup>.

But not so on the festival of Shavuot,

is since

that "one must eat and rejoice on it to show that it is pleasant and accepted by Israel, the day on which the Torah was given"⁷,

one may not fast any fast of a dream⁸.

That is,

that on the festival of Shavuot there exists

(not only the obligation of <b>delight in general</b>,

consequently it could be through the delight of "fast of a dream",

but)

an obligation of <b>eating</b>⁹

— "one must <b>eat</b> etc. to show that it is pleasant and accepted etc."

In general it is a puzzling thing:

The festivals Pesach and Sukkos are a remembrance

(mainly)

of physical kindnesses — the freedom from

(slavery)

Egypt

(on Pesach)

and "I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt"¹⁰

(the clouds of glory "which He surrounded them with for shade so that the heat and sun should not strike them"¹¹)

— and nevertheless there can be a case when their obligation of delight is fulfilled not through a physical meal,

but on the contrary through a fast;

And specifically by Chag HaShavuot,

"the day on which the Torah was given" which is entirely a matter of <b>spiritual</b> kindness,

the delight and joy of Yom Tov must <b>always</b> be connected specifically with <b>physical eating</b> and one may not fast because of it

A fast for a dream¹²

! And from this same reason,

because it is "the day on which the Torah was given"!

2.

To understand this,

one must first explain the general definition of the obligation of delighting on Shabbat and Yom Tov:

The primary obligation of delighting on Shabbat and Yom Tov is specifically through eating and drinking.

Therefore the law¹³ is,

that even though one may fast a fast for a dream on Shabbat and Yom Tov

(as above),

nevertheless,

the one who fasted,

must afterwards fast "another fast on a weekday to atone for him"¹⁴,

because with his fast for a dream — "he <b>nullified the primary delight of Shabbat</b>"¹⁵.

Further: the permission to fast on Shabbat and Yom Tov is only for a fast of a dream

(or for one for whom "eating on Shabbat is painful to him"¹⁶)

; but a fast that a Jew wants to fast for another reason,

"even out of repentance and piety" and "&lt;b&gt;he has pleasure &lt;/b&gt;in this fast" — is &lt;b&gt;forbidden&lt;/b&gt;,

because "he has no right to exchange the delight of the Sages

that they instituted with three meals for another delight that is not necessary to be on Shabbat"¹⁷.

One must understand: since the law of delight is not eating per se,

but only because of the delight in it

("The mitzvah of Shabbat meals is only for delight"&lt;sup&gt;18&lt;/sup&gt;)

— until that the delight of Shabbat and Yom Tov is considered a mitzvah that is "dependent on the mind of man"&lt;sup&gt;19&lt;/sup&gt;

(since one may fast a fast for a dream "because the fast is a delight for him")

— why did they initially establish the obligation of delight specifically through eating and drinking

(and one &lt;b&gt;may not &lt;/b&gt;replace "delight of the sages ..

with another delight")

; seemingly, there should not have been in this any condition and fixed rule for everyone,

but each one should fulfill the mitzvah of delight with that which &lt;b&gt;he &lt;/b&gt;derives delight from it&lt;sup&gt;20&lt;/sup&gt;?

the pleasure of &lt;b&gt;most &lt;/b&gt;people is from eating and drinking

(and eating meat and drinking wine&lt;sup&gt;21&lt;/sup&gt;)

; this, however, does not at all compel that for the minority a different manner of pleasure

(as for example — those who have pleasure from a fast of repentance)

should &lt;b&gt;not &lt;/b&gt;be called delight].

3.

Is the explanation in this:

Torah and mitzvos were given to Jews as they are souls <b>in bodies</b>

Specifically

(that "You have a father and a mother"²²)

; and the reason for this is,

because the "refinement that the commandments effect in the person

(as the saying of our Rabbis, of blessed memory,²³

: The commandments were given only <b>to refine</b> through them the creatures)

is not for the sake of the soul itself

(for "the soul itself does not need refinement"²⁴),

but for the sake of the body; that

the <b>body</b> of a Jew should become refined and permeated with the holiness of the commandments.

From this it is understood,

that what the Torah states,

that Shabbat

(or Yom Tov)

must be a time of delight for Jews

("<b>for you</b>"²⁵),

it does not mean,

that

(only)

the soul should have pleasure

(spiritual)

from the day of Shabbat²⁶

(and Yom Tov),

but that

(also)

(also)

the <b>body</b> should feel a delight from that which it is the day of Shabbat

(Yom Tov)²⁷.

And on the contrary: the main intention of the commandment is specifically the

(to refine the)

body.

And since the pleasure natural of a body is from eating and drinking,

therefore,

the Torah says that the obligation of pleasure is specifically through eating; because specifically in this way it is revealed that the pleasure of Shabbat is joining,

takes through the body itself.

But a fast of repentance

(and the like)

is indeed this not any

(pleasure)

pleasure

for the body

(only a pleasure

(spiritual)

for the soul)

; and even when a Jew has effected upon himself that his body should not feel any pain from the fast,

or even more: also the body feels a certain delight from that which the soul has pleasure in the manner of a &lt;b&gt;report &lt;/b&gt;good fattens the bone literally&lt;sup&gt;28&lt;/sup&gt;

— this is however not a pleasure of the body &lt;b&gt;from itself &lt;/b&gt;

(&lt;b&gt;it &lt;/b&gt;should delight itself from a &lt;b&gt;report&lt;/b&gt;,

or from a fast),

but from the &lt;b&gt;dominion &lt;/b&gt;

(by nature or through service)

of the soul over the body &lt;b&gt;contrary to &lt;/b&gt;the nature of the body,

even of a refined and holy body.

And therefore one may not fast on Shabbat and Yom Tov such a fast

(of repentance and the like)

even when "he has pleasure in this fast",

but one must delight the Shabbat specifically with eating and drinking which are a pleasure for the body.

And for this reason the law is even by a fast of a dream on Shabbat

(and Yom Tov)

— although one had &lt;b&gt;permitted &lt;/b&gt;it — that one needs an atonement for this,

since one has through this nullified "&lt;b&gt;the essence &lt;/b&gt;of the delight of Shabbat".

4.

And one can say,

that this is also the reason

(on the way of a hint)

for this,

that although in Shulchan Aruch²⁹

are brought

(in addition to a fast for a dream)

additional cases where there is a permission not to eat or to fast on Shabbos

(because this is for him a pleasure)

— as by a "person for whom eating harms him, that then pleasure is for him not to eat",

or one who is accustomed to fast "every day,

and eating on Shabbos is distress for him because of the change of routine"³⁰

Nevertheless,

is in &lt;b&gt;Shas&lt;/b&gt;&lt;sup&gt;31&lt;/sup&gt;

mentioned

(explicitly&lt;sup&gt;32&lt;/sup&gt;)

only the permission of a fast for a dream&lt;sup&gt;33&lt;/sup&gt;

; from which it is understood,

that the &lt;b&gt;foundation &lt;/b&gt;of the permission of the other cases&lt;sup&gt;34&lt;/sup&gt;

is the law of

a fast for a &lt;b&gt;dream&lt;/b&gt;: from this one learns,

that the commandment of delighting on Shabbat

(and Yom Tov)

is not an obligation of eating in itself,

but because of the delight of it,

and therefore,

when the person delights from &lt;b&gt;not &lt;/b&gt;eating,

one may fast&lt;sup&gt;35&lt;/sup&gt;.

One can say,

that the reason that Chazal chose to state the permit specifically by a fast of a dream,

in order thereby to hint,

that the reality of the permit of a fast on Shabbos

(for whatever reason it may be)

— a situation which prevents a Jew from delighting in eating and drinking — comes from this that one is in a state of "dream"

(spiritual),

sleep and concealment and exile of the soul in the body&lt;sup&gt;36&lt;/sup&gt;,

and moreover — from sleep and concealment of the exile in its simple sense

on the verse&lt;sup&gt;38&lt;/sup&gt;

"We were like dreamers",

that just as a dream connects two opposites in one subject

(because during sleep the intellect is removed and

It remains only the "power of imagination"),

so is also by Jews in the time of exile,

that because of the concealment and hiding of exile it is right that by them there should be "two opposite things": during davening one stands in a movement of <b>true</b> awakening in a good resolution etc.,

and after davening this should be forgotten to such an extent,

that he can conduct himself opposite of that which he had resolved during prayer].

Because,

how is possible by a Jew such a thing,

that on the day of Shabbat or Yom Tov which is a <b>mitzvah</b> to lengthen <b>in eating and drinking</b>,

the body should <b>prevent</b> him from this pleasure?

— and here it does not speak about one who does contrary to the Torah, G-d forbid,

but about such a one who strives to conduct himself according to Torah&lt;sup&gt;39&lt;/sup&gt;

and nevertheless his body is not suited to receive this pleasure —

this is only because he is in a state and condition of "dream"

(concealment of exile)

: he is indeed a Jew who conducts himself according to Torah but together with this there is a concealment that does not allow that the pleasure of Shabbat should permeate him,

until that also his &lt;b&gt;body &lt;/b&gt;should "hear"

(as it were)

that it is Shabbat.

If by him this concealment would not have been,

would the <b>Vayikadshehu</b>⁴⁰

of the time,

which is the day of Shabbos

(or Yom Tov)

be effected on his body,

that <b>today </b>he should <b>have </b>pleasure

from eating⁴¹

(although during the weekdays it is in the opposite manner).

Because Shabbos is a day that brings pleasure in all matters.

Only because Torah's essence is to protect and find advice even for one who finds himself in a state of "dream,"

as it is stated about Torah that its action is "to distinguish between the impure and the pure"&lt;sup&gt;42&lt;/sup&gt;

impure and pure are two opposites,

then why is it necessary to come to Torah in order to distinguish between them?

Only because the instruction and assistance of Torah is also for one who is in a state of sleep and dream and therefore can mix up two opposites like impure and pure — Torah descends&lt;sup&gt;43&lt;/sup&gt;

also to him and distinguishes between the pure and the impure]

Therefore the Torah also gives advice to the one who, because of concealment, his body prevents him from eating on Shabbos and Yom Tov — it permits him to fast,

since in his current state, <b>this</b> is his pleasure.

H.

According to the above, one will also understand the difference between Shavuos and "the rest of Yom Tov and Shabbosos":

The novelty in the G‑dly revelation at the time of the Giving of the Torah relative to the other revelations in the festivals and times is,

that at the Giving of the Torah it permeated the entire creation.

As it is stated⁴⁴

that the voice of the Giving of the Torah was heard from all four directions and from above and from below,

until that “a bird⁴⁵

did not chirp etc., an ox did not low etc., the world was silent and still.”

And even more: the voice of the Ten Commandments was absorbed even in the inanimate of the world

(as discussed once at length⁴⁶,

that therefore there was no echo from the voice of the Ten Commandments⁴⁷).

And this is because at the Giving of the Torah there was the revelation of Essence and Being itself⁴⁸,

which, as it were, “gave itself” into the Torah⁴⁹.

As our Sages, of blessed memory, said⁵⁰

that the word “Anochi”

(<b>the beginning </b>of the Ten Commandments — the Giving of the Torah)

is an acronym for “Ana nafshi ketavit yehavit” — “I, who I am”⁵¹,

Essence itself,

says,

that He gives

(“ketavit yehavit” — I wrote, I gave)

His Essence

(“nafshi” — My soul)

into the Torah.

And since he is the truly infinite,

there is no place where his revelation does not reach,

therefore

did Moshe Rabbeinu take in the <b>entire </b>creation.

And with this will also be understood the reason why one may not fast any dream fast on Chag HaShavuot because it is "the day &lt;b&gt;on which was given&lt;/b&gt;&lt;sup&gt;52&lt;/sup&gt;

on it &lt;b&gt;Torah&lt;/b&gt;"&lt;sup&gt;53&lt;/sup&gt;

Since Chag HaShavuot is the "day on which was given on it Torah",

which took in the entire creation without any limitation,

must also the joy of Chag HaShavuot be an unlimited until that there should not be any place in the person,

where it reaches not the joy of the giving of the Torah.

By other Yomim-Tovim,

since they are connected with lights and revelations⁴⁸,

can therefore be a place for the concealment of the "dream",

which prevents and hides the joy of Yom-Tov.

But on the joy of Torah, no concealment applies⁵⁴

; it goes through all levels.

Everywhere,

even in the lowest levels, one hears that the matter of Matan Torah is "pleasant and accepted".

And consequently it comes down,

even in the "world of dreams,"

in eating,

that even when one has a dream which ordinarily would not permit that his body could have pleasure from eating — the joy of Shavuot acts,

that also by him there is a joy,

because by him it is pleasant and acceptable the day on which the Torah was given.

(From the talk of the second day of Chol HaMoed Shavuot 5724)