The nickname given to the Yom Tov of Shavuos, as mentioned in the Kiddush, in the Shemoneh Esrei and in Birchas HaMazon is Zman Mattan Toraseinu, "The Time of the Giving of our Torah". If, however, we focus, as we tend to do, upon our role in the events highlighted by the this Yom Tov, and the impact on us of those events, it may perhaps have made more sense to refer to the holiday as "Zman Kabballas Toraseinu", "The Time of the Receiving, (or the Acceptance), of our Torah". After all, it would seem that the essence of the Har Sinai experience is the fact that we accepted the Torah, unlike the other nations to whom it was offered, as stressed by the Chazal in a number of places.

The Kotzker Rebbe explained, quite simply, that in actuality, Shavuos indeed celebrates the giving of the Torah, which was a one time occurrence, affecting all Jews in an identical fashion. Not so, however, regarding the acceptance of the Torah. Every person accepts the Torah in his own way and in accordance with his own ability; HaShem has given the Torah and made it available to all. But each person receives it his own way. And this acceptance of the Torah is not limited to any one day of the year, but is applicable at any time and in any place. Shavuos is thus not the holiday of the acceptance of our Torah but of the giving of it, because the acceptance can - and does - take place anywhere and anytime, and by each person according to his own level.

Each person therefore has his own share in the Torah and it is up to him to pursue that share. Dovid HaMelech describes the Torah as "Temimah", perfect and complete; this is the way HaShem gave it to us. We each then learn it, extrapolate from it, derive lessons from it, interpret it and build our lives around it. Nevertheless, though, as the Baal Shem Tov pointed our, the Torah remains complete and unchanged, as though it has never been touched. On Shavuos, then, we celebrate the giving of the Torah, Mattan Toraseinu, in its perfect and complete state with, it is hoped, an eye towards accepting the Torah, Kabballas Toraseinu, which we each do in our own way throughout the entire year.