שָׁבוּעוֹת וִימֵי הַסְּפִירָה

Through strengthening oneself in joy during the days of Purim — with clapping of hands and dancing — through this one merits to fulfill the commandment of counting the Omer [מִצְוַת סְפִירַת הָעֹמֶר] in completeness. And through this one merits receiving the Torah in the revealed and the concealed — that is: both in the fulfillment of the commandments that are explicitly written and explained in the Torah, and in understanding the true views that are alluded to but not explicitly stated in the Torah.

Everything that people speak during the days of the Sefirah — they are speaking only about the matter of the counting of that day. And a person of understanding — that is, one who truly knows and genuinely understands the secrets of the Torah and the wisdom of Kabbalah, and who truly knows what each day's counting alludes to — when he listens carefully, he will hear that people are speaking only about the matter of the counting of that very day.

The forty-nine days of the Omer-counting correspond to the forty-nine gates of repentance — which correspond to the forty-nine letters in the names of the Tribes, the sons of our father Yaakov, peace be upon him. And during the forty-nine days of the counting one must engage in repentance and return to Hashem, may He be blessed, through forty-nine letters and forty-nine gates of repentance, as described above. For every person from Israel is connected and bound to a specific letter from the letters of the Tribes, and to a specific gate from the gates of repentance. And only through genuine repentance can every person merit to arrive at the letter of the Tribe and the gate of repentance that belong to him. And on the festival of Shavuos is the fiftieth gate of repentance — and through this gate Hashem, may He be blessed, draws close to His children with great mercy. And one must also know that the recitation of Psalms — and especially its recitation with composure and arousal — is very effective for arousing repentance in such a manner that the repentance leads to the letter of the Tribe belonging to this person, and to the gate belonging to him, as explained in Likutay MoHaRaN Part II in the Torah "Tehillim mesugal liTeshuvah" ["Psalms is effective for repentance"]. Therefore one must be very careful about reciting Psalms with much intention during the days of the Omer-counting — in order to merit genuine repentance and purification from all manner of impurities: from all manner of heresies and from all manner of blemishes of faith. And to return to Hashem, may He be blessed, in order that He return to us on the festival day of Shavuos with mercy, as described above.

Mikveh immersion on Shavuos is a great rectification — and through this, great knowledge is drawn down and many great kindnesses are drawn down. For the mercies correspond to the knowledge — and since on Shavuos very great knowledge is drawn down, therefore great kindnesses and many mercies descend from Above. Fortunate is the person who merits to receive Shavuos with holiness and kashrus — and especially the immersion in the mikveh, which is certainly a very great commandment, as stated at the beginning of this section. And through the immersion on Shavuos, and receiving the festival as it should be, one merits the holiness of Shavuos. The mikveh of Shavuos also alludes to the holiness of the fiftieth gate from the fifty gates of understanding [חֲמִשִּׁים שַׁעֲרֵי בִּינָה] — from which holiness and purity flow upon Israel on Shavuos.

On Shavuos one receives the Torah — that is, on this day new knowledge flows each and every year to know and understand counsels for Torah observance, which is the very essence of receiving the Torah. And in proportion to how much each person multiplies prayer to Hashem, may He be blessed, for Torah observance, and in proportion to how each person strengthens himself in will and longings — and yearns for Torah observance — so does he merit each year to receive on the festival of Shavuos the great knowledge that flows from Heaven for Torah observance, which is the very essence of its receiving. Thus is it explained in Likutay Halachos. And it is also possible to receive on the festival day of Shavuos new vitality and to draw healing to the lungs.