Shavuos renews creation's root through Torah

איתא במס' ראש השנה בעצרת על פירות האילן הביאו לפני שתי הלחם בעצרת שיתברכו לכם פירות האילן ע"ש דאיתא גדולה התורה שנותנת חיים לעושיה בעוה"ז ובעוה"ב.

It is brought in Maseches Rosh Hashanah: on Atzeres (Shavuos) the fruit of the tree is judged — "Bring before Me the two loaves on Atzeres, so that the fruit of the tree may be blessed for you"; as it is taught, great is the Torah, for it gives life to those who fulfill it in this world and in the World to Come.

The Mishnah (Rosh Hashanah 16a) teaches that on Shavuos the world is judged regarding tree-fruit, and the shtei ha-lechem are brought to secure that blessing. The Sefas Emes links this to the teaching (Avos 6:7) that Torah grants life in both worlds.

וזהו שניתנה תורה לבנ"י להמשיך הארת התורה לכל הבריאה גם בעוה"ז.

And this is why the Torah was given to Bnei Yisrael — to draw the illumination of the Torah into all of creation, even in this world.

Torah was entrusted to Bnei Yisrael so that they would channel its light into the whole physical world, not merely the spiritual realm.

ועי"ז ממשיכין חיות מהתורה מחדש בכל עת.

And through this they draw down vitality from the Torah anew at every moment.

By this avodah, fresh life-force from the Torah is continually drawn into creation.

ולא לחנם אמרה תורה להניף שתי הלחם רק שיש בכח בני ישראל להעלות ולהרים כל העולם להדביקם בעץ החיים שהוא התורה.

And it is not for naught that the Torah commanded to wave the two loaves — rather, it is because Bnei Yisrael have the power to elevate and lift up the entire world, to cleave it to the Tree of Life, which is the Torah.

The waving (tenufah) of the shtei ha-lechem expresses Bnei Yisrael's power to raise all of creation and bind it to the Torah, the true Eitz HaChaim.

ואמרו מוליך ומביא למי שד' רוחות שלו.

And they said: one waves back and forth, to the One to whom the four directions belong.

Chazal explain the waving motion as a declaration that all four directions of the world belong to Hashem.

שמעלין הכל להשורש.

For one raises everything up to its Root.

The waving lifts all of creation back toward its Source in Hashem.

ועי"ז לעצור טללים רעים כו'.

And through this, to hold back harmful dews, and so on.

The up-and-down waving (also done to restrain harmful winds and dews) protects the world's produce.

וזהו נק' פירות האילן כי הקרן קיימת לעוה"ב ועיקר התורה כתיב בה ונעלמה מעיני כל.

And this is called "the fruit of the tree," for the principal remains for the World to Come; and of the essence of the Torah it is written, "it is hidden from the eyes of all living."

The "fruit" is what we enjoy now, while the "principal" of Torah's reward endures for Olam Haba. The core of the Torah itself remains concealed (Iyov 28:21).

רק מהפירות יכולין להרגיש גם בעוה"ז.

Only from the "fruits" can one perceive it even in this world.

Though Torah's essence is hidden, its "fruits" let us taste something of it already in this world.

ואמרו הכל מודים בעצרת דבעינן לכם.

And they said: all agree that on Atzeres we require "for you (lachem)."

The Gemara (Pesachim 68b) states that all opinions agree Shavuos must include physical enjoyment "for you" — its day belongs in part to man.

כי יום זה מיוחד להתקשרות התחתונים בעליונים.

For this day is uniquely set aside for the binding of the lower worlds to the upper.

Shavuos is the day designed to connect the physical, lower realms with the spiritual, upper ones — hence the "lachem."

ועליו נאמר יום אחד יודע לה' כמ"ש בזוה"ק אמור.

And of it is said, "one day that shall be known to Hashem," as is written in the Zohar HaKadosh, Emor.

He applies the pasuk in Zechariah (14:7) about a unique "one day" to Shavuos, as the Zohar (Emor) expounds.

דכתיב ואהי' אצלו אמון דרשו חז"ל אומן שבתורה ברא הקב"ה העולם ובקבלת התורה נתברר זה.

As it is written, "and I was beside Him as a nursling (amon)" — Chazal expounded "uman" (craftsman): with the Torah Hashem created the world; and at the receiving of the Torah this became manifest.

The Torah (Mishlei 8:30) calls itself Hashem's "craftsman's tool" of creation (Bereishis Rabbah). At Matan Torah this hidden truth — that the world was built with Torah — became revealed.

וכן בכל שנה בשבועות.

And so it is every year on Shavuos.

Each year on Shavuos this revelation is renewed.

ולכן נקרא יום הביכורים שמתחדש שורש הבריאה.

And therefore it is called "the day of the first-fruits (Bikkurim)," for the root of creation is renewed.

Shavuos is "Yom HaBikkurim" because on it the very root of creation is renewed — a "first" beginning.

לכן כתיב ואהיה לשון עתיד הגם שגם בכל יום יש מזה כמ"ש במ"א.

Therefore it is written "va'ehyeh (and I shall be)" in the future tense, even though there is something of this every day, as discussed elsewhere.

The future-tense "I shall be" signals an ongoing renewal; though a measure of this creative renewal occurs daily, on Shavuos it is fully revealed.

אבל ביום זה הוא בהתגלות.

But on this day it is in a state of revelation.

On Shavuos the daily-hidden renewal of creation comes out into the open.

וכתיב ימים יצרו ולו אחד בהם י"ל על יום השבועות שנק' אחד.

And it is written, "days were formed, and one of them is His" — this may be said of Shavuos, which is called "one."

The pasuk (Tehillim 139:16) speaks of "one" special day belonging to Hashem; the Sefas Emes reads this as Shavuos, the singular "one" day.

ואהי' שעשועים יום יום הוא יום זה שניתן בו תורה ויום שמיני עצרת שהוא שמחת התורה.

"And I was a delight day by day" — this refers to this day, on which the Torah was given, and to Shemini Atzeres, which is the rejoicing of the Torah.

The Torah's words "a delight, day by day" (Mishlei 8:30) allude to the two days of Torah-joy: Shavuos (Matan Torah) and Shemini Atzeres (Simchas Torah).

ושניהם נקראו עצרת ובתורה שבכתב נק' שמ"ע עצרת.

And both are called "Atzeres" — and in the Written Torah, Shemini Atzeres is called "Atzeres."

Both festivals bear the name Atzeres. In the Written Torah, that name is given explicitly to Shemini Atzeres.

ובתורה שבע"פ נק' זה החג עצרת.

And in the Oral Torah, this festival (Shavuos) is called "Atzeres."

In the Oral Torah, it is Shavuos that carries the name Atzeres.

והענין (אחד) הוא עפ"י מ"ש חז"ל בפסוק את ה' האמרת עשינו אותו חטיבה אחת.

And the matter of "one" is based on what Chazal said on the pasuk "You have declared Hashem (this day)" — "We have made Him a single, unique entity."

Chazal (Berachos / Chagigah 3a) explain "es Hashem he'emarta" (Devarim 26:17–18): Bnei Yisrael proclaim Hashem the one and only, a "chativah achas."

וה' האמירך עשה אותנו חטיבה אחת.

"And Hashem has declared you" — He has made us a single, unique entity.

In turn, Hashem declares Bnei Yisrael His one unique people.

והקב"ה מסר האחדות בזה העולם לבנ"י ומבטל כל הברואים אל בנ"י כמ"ש והייתם לי סגולה.

And Hashem entrusted the unity within this world to Bnei Yisrael, and He nullifies all creatures toward Bnei Yisrael, as it is written, "and you shall be My treasure."

Hashem placed the task of revealing His oneness in the world into the hands of Bnei Yisrael, and subordinates all of creation to them, His segulah (treasured nation).

וז"ש עצרת תהי' לכם כדכ' בזוה"ק אמור ע"ש היטב.

And this is the meaning of "it shall be an Atzeres for you," as is written in the Zohar HaKadosh, Emor — study it well there.

"Atzeres tihyeh lachem" — "for you" — expresses that the day, and through it the unity of creation, is given over to Bnei Yisrael, as the Zohar elaborates.

ובשבועות נק' עצרת בתורה שבע"פ שבני ישראל מעידין כי הקב"ה אחד בשמים כמ"ש אתה הראת לדעת שפתח להם הרקיע כו'.

And Shavuos is called "Atzeres" in the Oral Torah, because Bnei Yisrael testify that Hashem is One in the heavens, as it is written, "You have been shown, to know" — that He opened the heavens for them.

At Matan Torah Hashem split open the heavens (the pasuk in Va'eschanan, Devarim 4:35) so Bnei Yisrael could see and bear witness that He alone is God, in heaven and earth.

וזזהו את ה' האמרת.

And this is "You have declared Hashem."

This testimony is the meaning of "es Hashem he'emarta" — Bnei Yisrael proclaim His oneness.

ועמ"ש באבן עזרא שגרמת שיאמר הקב"ה אנכי ה' אלקיך ובמ"א הארכנו בזה.

And see what the Ibn Ezra wrote — that you caused Hashem to say, "I am Hashem your God"; and elsewhere we have elaborated on this.

The Ibn Ezra explains that "he'emarta" means Bnei Yisrael "brought about" Hashem's declaration of "Anochi Hashem" — they evoked the revelation. The Sefas Emes notes he has expanded on this elsewhere.

ובנ"י מעידין בשמים אין כאל.

And Bnei Yisrael testify, "in the heavens there is none like God."

Bnei Yisrael serve as witnesses to Hashem's absolute oneness, that none compares to Him.

ולכן קראוהו עצרת ליום מתן תורה לומר שהכל בטל להקב"ה בכח התורה.

And therefore they called the day of Matan Torah "Atzeres," to say that everything is nullified to Hashem through the power of the Torah.

The name Atzeres ("gathering/holding-in") expresses bittul — that through the Torah all of creation is drawn in and nullified before Hashem.

וזהו תנופת ב' הלחם על ב' התורות כמ"ש חז"ל ע"ש לכו לחמו בלחמי:

And this is the waving of the two loaves, corresponding to the two Torahs, as Chazal said, regarding "Come, eat of My bread."

The two waved loaves represent the Written and Oral Torah; Chazal (on Mishlei 9:5, "lechu lachamu be-lachmi") read "My bread" as the Torah, the true sustenance Bnei Yisrael lift up to Hashem.

Summary: Shavuos, "Yom HaBikkurim" and "Atzeres," is the day on which the root of creation is renewed and made manifest — for the world was created with the Torah, and at Matan Torah this is revealed. Through the waving of the two loaves (the Written and Oral Torah), Bnei Yisrael lift up all of creation, binding it to the Eitz HaChaim and nullifying it before Hashem, thereby testifying to His absolute oneness.