The holiday of Shavuot will be celebrated, G-d willing, at the conclusion of the period of the counting of the Omer this coming Friday (beginning from Thursday night), the 6th of Sivan (and outside of Israel on Shabbat, the 7th of Sivan, as well). Let us, therefore, begin to discuss some of the pertinent laws of Yom Tov (which apply to the holidays of Pesach, Rosh Hashanah, and Sukkot as well).
Food Preparation
The Torah states (Shemot 12) regarding the various holidays, i.e., the first day of Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret, the first and last days of Pesach, and the holiday of Shavuot: “No work shall be performed on them; however, any (work necessary for) food preparation eaten by all, this alone may be performed by you.” This means that any work which is forbidden on Shabbat is also forbidden on Yom Tov, besides for work needed to prepare food which is permissible on Yom Tov.
Some works pertaining to the Yom Tov food preparation which the Torah allows on the holiday itself include cooking, frying, baking, and the like.
Cessation of Work on the Holiday
The Sefer Ha’Chinuch explains that the reason the Torah forbade performing work on holidays is in order for the Jewish nation to remember the great miracles that Hashem performed for them and their ancestors and to pass this message on to their children. If work was permissible on these days, the honor of the festival and joy of the holiday would be forgotten because everyone would be busy at work; thus, due to the prohibition of working on the holidays, the Jewish people will be free to gather in synagogues and Batei Midrash to hear words of Torah and wisdom from luminaries of the generation who expound Halacha and stories of the Torah. This is based on the teaching of our Sages, “Moshe instituted that the Jewish nation expound the laws of Pesach on Pesach, the laws of Shavuot on Shavuot, and the laws of Sukkot on Sukkot, as the verse states, ‘And Moshe spoke out the festivals of Hashem to the Children of Israel.’” Similarly, our Sages taught, “Shabbat and holidays were only given to the Jewish nation so that they may delve in Torah study.” We were therefore commanded to have a complete cessation of work, excluding work needed for food preparation (for instance, preparing a dish for a holiday meal, according to the conditions and procedures we shall lay out in following Halachot). Similarly, our Sages have taught, “There is no distinction between Shabbat and Yom Tov besides for [the prohibition of] food preparation.”
Half for Hashem and Half for You
Nevertheless, one should divide the hours of the holiday with half being spent in the synagogue and Bet Midrash and half being spent eating, drinking, and enjoying the holiday.
Our Sages taught that one who ceases to work and eats and drinks on the holiday in honor of the holiday is tantamount to having built and altar and offering a sacrifice on it, as the verse states, “Bind the festal offering to the corners of the altar with cords.” Our Sages added (Betzah 15a) that one who adds copiously to one’s enjoyment of Yom Tov is granted abundant sustenance from Heaven, for our Sages taught, “All of one’s sustenance for the year is decided between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur besides for one’s Shabbat, Yom Tov, and children’s Torah expenses, for in these areas, if one skimps, Heaven will detract from him and if one increases, Heaven grants one more.” This is especially true regarding the Shavuot holiday, the day we received the holy Torah and became a nation and is worthy of being honored and enjoyed respective of one’s means. Mrs. Malka Sasson (daughter of Maran zt”l) recounted that she remembers in her youth that in the days when Maran zt”l would still go shopping himself, he would go a few days before the holiday to purchase something special for the holiday in order to make it more enjoyable.
