6301 —שבועות, זמן מתן תורה, ותזמון החג

B"H, 9 Sivan, 5718. Brooklyn.

Shaul Yissachar Bik.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

After a long pause, your letter from Yom HaMeyuchas was received. At an auspicious time I will mention you and your wife at the holy resting place of my father-in-law, the Rebbe, of blessed memory, regarding the content of your letter. May you have good news in this matter.

We have just come from Shavuos, the time of the giving of our Torah, about which it is said: 'engraved on the tablets'—do not read 'engraved' but 'freedom,' freedom from all distracting matters. May you have visibly good news both materially and spiritually.

Blessings for good news.

P.S. Regarding what you noted about the Alter Rebbe's holy table at the end of Siman 394 in his commentary on why we say on Shavuos 'the time of the giving of our Torah,' since our calendar is fixed by calculation and Shavuos always falls on 6 Sivan—the time of Matan Torah—he asks that in Yerushalmi at the end of Tractate Rosh Hashanah they interpret a verse in the Torah as an allusion to Shavuos being Zman Matan Torah. It is understood that his question is not on the Alter Rebbe but on reality itself, as Chazal explicitly say that sometimes Shavuos falls on 5 Sivan; then it is obvious there is no reason to say 'Zman Matan Torah,' even according to what Maharal of Prague writes (in Tiferes Yisrael ch. 27), which you quoted in your letter—since according to all opinions, if it falls on 5 Sivan, that day is not Matan Torah. And Chazal explicitly say that sometimes it falls on 5 Sivan; therefore we must say that the Yerushalmi's statement is only an asmachta (a supportive hint), as nothing is not hinted at in the Torah. Similarly, we must answer a stronger question than you brought: it is mentioned in many places that bringing two loaves (Shtei HaLechem) on Shavuos represents 'Come eat my bread,' i.e., Matan Torah; yet these two loaves are brought even when Shavuos falls on 5 Sivan.

Summary

The Rebbe clarifies complex issues regarding Shavuos and its association with Matan Torah despite calendar variations and encourages seeking both material and spiritual goodness through connection to these teachings.