Shavuot

879. "And you shall offer the burnt offering for a sweet savor to Hashem" (Bemidbar 28:27). Come and see, About Pesach it is written: "You shall offer a sacrifice made by fire for a burnt offering to Hashem" (Ibid. 19). Yet here it is not written 'a sacrifice made by fire' but "And you shall offer the burnt offering." What is the reason for this? AND HE ANSWERS, the reason is that this day OF SHAVUOT is a day on which the bride enters the wedding canopy; NAMELY, MALCHUT ENTERS THE WEDDING CANOPY WITH ZEIR ANPIN, and Yisrael COME from THE COUNTING OF the days and weeks of purity, and are taken in and enter into THESE days of purity, NAMELY, THE SECRET OF THE SEVEN DAYS CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT, IN EACH ONE OF WHICH ARE CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT, MAKING A TOTAL OF 49 DAYS. And she, MALCHUT, has emerged from the aspect of everything bad, NAMELY, THEY NO LONGER HAVE ANY HOLD OVER HER, and has observed the days of purity as fitting, NAMELY, THE 49 DAYS OF THE COUNTING. And this is the secret of the king who tasted the taste of a virgin. IN OTHER WORDS, THE SECRET OF THE VERSE "A VIRGIN, NEITHER HAD ANY MAN KNOWN HER" (BERESHEET 24:16), IF THE MATTER BE DISCLOSED, IS THAT NO ONE OF THE OTHER SIDE HAD ANY HOLD OVER HER. And this is why it is not written about it 'a sacrifice made by fire', for no other came close to the Sanctuary, WHICH IS MALCHUT, and THE OTHER PARTY has already been removed from there. Thus there are not, nor is there any need for, offerings made by fire in this case, for Yisrael have removed themselves from the Evil Side. Rabbi Aba said: We still have to open this gate.

880. Rabbi Shimon said: I lifted up my hands in prayer to Him who created the world and found this secret in the works of the early masters: Offerings made by fire are in between THE GOOD AND THE EVIL, and they come on this side and on that side, for they are attached to the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, AND ARE, THEREFORE, attached to both the bad and to the good. For this reason, on the other days, it is written: "a sacrifice made by fire for a burnt offering" FOR THEY CONTAIN JUDGMENTS AND HAVE A HOLD ON THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL. But on these days when the Tree of Life and no other is to be found, NAMELY, ON SHAVUOT, we do not need an offering made by fire, and it does not have to be there, for this day OF SHAVUOT belongs to the Tree of Life and not the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. This is why SCRIPTURE SAYS: "And you shall offer the burnt offering for a sweet savor to Hashem" (Bemidbar 28:27), and not 'a sacrifice made by fire to Hashem for a burnt offering'. And THE MEANING OF 'burnt offering' (Heb. olah) is derived from ascent, FOR IT ASCENDS (HEB. OLAH) TO THE MOST HIGH ONE, as we have learned. And we have already clarified these matters IN THE COMMENTARY about one-year old bullocks and the whole of that offering.