All of our Yomim Tovim are celebrated to commemorate an important incident that happened in our rich Jewish history. In the Torah’s discussion of each Yom Tov, it mentions the words ” Zecher Liyetzias Mitzrayim” (In commemoration to our exodus from Egypt). Each Yom Tov (and Shabbos) was established to celebrate and remember one part of the exodus. For example, on Passover we remember our redemption by eating matzo, marror (bitter herbs), four cups of wine, and the recitation of the whole story of our redemption, all the way down to the seemingly insignificant details. On Succos we remember the ananei hakavod (the clouds of glory that protected the Jews in the desert), by moving out of our homes and into succos. Why is there no special mitzvah on Shavuos? It would seem to us that this holiday in particular should have a special mitzvah. After all, it is the day we received the Torah-and our identity.
Rav Ahron Kotler answers that the simple understanding of a rememberance is something that one may forget, and therefore needs to be constantly reminded. However, the Yom Tov of Shavuos wasn’t a one-off event; the giving of the Torah is constant, as it says בכל יום יהיו בעיניך כחדשים – each day, it should be as if the Torah is new to you. There is no point in doing a mitzva to commemorate the festival, since we are actually living it!
Here’s a story to illustrate this point. (more…)