308. Take the Day Off: The obligation to rest on Shavuos

In Mitzvah #297, we discussed the obligation to rest – that is, to refrain from performing acts of constructive labor – on the first day of Passover. There, we said that the term “mikra kodesh,” a holy gathering, means to sanctify the day through such restraint. The same is true here, regarding the holiday of Shavuos.

The reason for this mitzvah is that the Festival days should not be like regular days. If we were to spend the day watching TV or doing our taxes, how would it be special? Rather, we should take the opportunity to celebrate and to focus on the meaning of the holidays. In the case of Shavuos, this means thinking about how God gave us the great gift of His Torah on that day.

This mitzvah applies to both men and women in all times and places. It is discussed in the Talmud throughout the tractate of Beitza and in Makkos on pages 21b-22a. It is codified in the Shulchan Aruch in Orach Chaim 495. This mitzvah is #162 of the 248 positive mitzvos in the Rambam’s Sefer HaMitzvos and #28 of the 77 positive mitzvos that can be observed today in the Chofetz Chaim’s Sefer HaMitzvos HaKatzar.