Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Yohanan bin-Dawidh <yohanan.bin.dawidh AT gmail.com>]

Dear James;

The reason why us practitioners of Yahaduth Qara’it keep *H*agh Shavu’oth on
the first day of the week, is the same reason the ancient movements of
Sadducees and Boethusians kept Shavu’oth on the first day of the week, which
is our understanding of “ha-Shabbath” in Sefer Wayyiqra (Deuteronomy) 23:15,
and our understanding of “ha-Shabbath” in 23:16.

Parushim and their ideological descendents claim that “ha-Shabbath” in these
verses refers to the first day of *H*ag HaMa*s*oth, but Sadducees,
Boethusians, Qara’im and a few groups see this “ha-Shabbath” as referring to
the weekly day of rest, i.e. “Yom ha-Shabbath”. The major argument in favor
of the understanding of the Sadducees, Boethusians, Qara’im and a few other
groups, is that in verse 23:16 it states, “until the day after the seventh
‘Shabbath’”, with regards to *H*agh Shavu’oth.

Since this is not a place for ideological debate, but a place to discuss
biblical Hebrew, I am merely presenting where practitioners of Yahaduth
Qara’it derive their understanding of when *H*agh Shavu’oth ought to be as
it comes from the biblical text and is based upon the language of the text.

Regards,

Yo*h*anan bin-Dawidh

Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas





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