Why Does the Feast of Shavuot [Weeks] Always Fall Out on a Sunday? by Hacham Mordecai Alfandari

Because the Torah commanded us to start the counting of the Omer "on the morrow after the Sabbath" and there is no "Sabbath" other than the Sabbath of Genesis [i.e. the 7th Day of the week]. Additionally, the Torah mentioned "Seven complete Sabbaths" and what Sabbath occurs seven times during seven weeks other than [the actual] Sabbath, the Seventh Day? The Rabbanites say that the morrow after the Sabbath is the morrow after the First Yom Tov [Holy Day on which work is forbidden] of Pessach, but they have no proof whatsoever from the Torah that a Yom Tov can be called "Sabbath".¹

Note 1: Indeed, it is permissible to cook and have fire on a Yom Tov, both of which are strictly forbidden on a Sabbath! [NG] Back

This article was originally published in Hebrew in the Karaite Journal Ha'Or, Year 1 Volume 5 (Av) [July-August 1956] p.2 as part of the article "Lamah?" [4 Common Questions About Karaism]. Translated from the Hebrew by Nehemia Gordon (May 2000).