“And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks…” (Shemos 34:22)

The Yom Tov of Pesach is named “Pesach” for the korbon Pesach. Sukkos is named “Sukkos” for the mitzvah of sukkah. But the name “Shavuos” seems, at first glance, to have little connection to the Torah, the bikurim, or the two loaves of bread which were specially brought in the Beis Hamikdash. Why this unusual name?

The classic explanation is that we are celebrating the seven weeks of preparation that culminate in Kabalas Hatorah. Shavuos marks the fulfillment of those weeks of spiritual work. Our sages teach that the primary focus during sefira are the mitzvos bein adam l’chaveiro – improving our relationships with others. That growth is truly worth celebrating.

Yet there is a subtle danger in this celebration. It is easy to become self-satisfied, thinking that we actually achieved this on our own when, in truth, this is only attainable via a gift from Hashem. The world after receiving the Torah was different than the world that preceded it.

A striking proof appears in the gemara (Yoma 39b). King Shlomo planted golden trees in the Beis Hamikdash that miraculously produced actual fruit. The kohanim would sell the fruit for their livelihood. When the gentiles invaded and defiled the Temple, those plants dried up.

We know the four basic categories: inanimate, plants, animals, and humans. Each has its own boundaries. In the physical world, those boundaries are firm. But in the world of spirituality – specifically in the Beis Hamikdash – these boundaries can dissolve. An inanimate object can bear fruit. This was the elevated reality of the Temple.

As Shavuos approaches, our task is to perfect ourselves to the level that we can once again receive the Torah. In our generation especially, one of the greatest challenges is giving legitimacy and respect to our fellow Jew. We must work on this, as every Jew has their own unique portion of the Torah that belongs only to them. When we genuinely appreciate one another, each person’s success in Torah enhances our own – because we are all connected, as is our Torah.

This year, Shabbos Parshas Nasso follows immediately after Shavuos. Nasso is the longest parsha in the torah with 176 verses. Almost half of it is about the princes of the twelve tribes, and their special offerings. The Torah repeats the exact same list of offerings twelve times, changing only the name of the Nasi. Why didn’t the Torah list the first one’s offering and then say that the other 11 brought the same? The commentators explain that each prince deserved to be recognized in his own right. Even though the offerings were identical, in order to not diminish the individual credit due to each Prince, the Torah repeated the entire section.

This principle applies to every single Jew. Each of us deserves recognition for our own irreplaceable contribution to the service of Hashem.

My uncle, who taught in a day school for decades, was once asked; “Don’t you get tired of teaching Bava Kama year after year?” He replied, “Every year I have 20 new mesechtas” – referring to his students, “And I learn those new mesechtos together with Bava Kama.” That attitude forged a very special bond with each student.

The same is true for us. Every time we review the Torah, even though it may seem like there is nothing new, we are deepening our relationship with those holy words, and we ourselves are transformed and made more worthy of kabalas hatorah. When we also recognize this in others, and look up to them for it, we can help recreate the unity Bnei Yisrael had when accepting the Torah at Har Sinai “ki’ish echad bi’lev echad”.