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The “Shtei HaLechem” are brought on Shavuos accompanied by 1 bull, 2 ram, 9 sheep and a goat.

In the prayers for Shavuos (excluding piyyutim) the only mention of any of that is in the verse introducing the Musaf offering - וביום הבכורים בהקריבכם מנחה חדשה לה׳ בשבעתיכם מקרא קדש יהיה לכם כל מלאכת עבדה לא תעשו .

Why do the “Shtei HaLechem” not play a prominent part in the prayers for Shavuos?

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  • How many times is the korban haomer mentioned on pesach? Commented Jun 12, 2019 at 11:46
  • And anyways, where else would you expect it to be featured? Commented Jun 12, 2019 at 11:59
  • @רבותמחשבות It's in the leining for the second day, as expected. (In some old customs the Shtei Halechem was in the leining for Shavuot too.)
    – Double AA
    Commented Jun 12, 2019 at 12:14
  • @רבותמחשבות Explicitly in Musaf would make the most sense. But at least one should read it with the Korbanot section with the Tamid (or later with the Ketoret) since ונשלמה פרים שפתנו (that's what I do)
    – Double AA
    Commented Jun 12, 2019 at 12:14
  • 1
    Similar: judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/57008/…
    – Joel K
    Commented Jun 12, 2019 at 12:18

1 Answer 1

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This question is discussed in Chevel Nachalato 8:13, where a number of contemporary Rabbis' approaches are presented.

R. Avigdor Nebenzahl writes that he knows of no good answer to the question, but does note some hints to the shtei halechem, such as Chabad's text of ושני שעירים לכפר as part of musaf.

R. Ya'akov Epstein suggests that there is a hesitance to include any reference to sin on Shavu'ot (based on Yerushalmi Rosh HaShanah 4:8). If we were to mention the shtei halechem we would also necessarily need to mention the sin-offering that accompanied it; therefore we refrain from mentioning it explicitly at all.

He also quotes a Da'at Zekeinim miBa'alei HaTosafot (Bamidbar 28:25) who write that the phrase בהקריבכם מנחה חדשה which you note in your question is a reference to the shtei halechem as well as its accompanying korbanot.

Finally, R. Ya'akov Ariel argues that we only mention in our tefillot korbanot that are brought due to the festival itself, but not korbanot brought because of a different reason which happen to always occur on Yom Tov (such as the 'omer, the shtei halechem and certain korbanot brought on Yom Kippur).

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  • hebrewbooks.org/…
    – Double AA
    Commented Apr 21, 2020 at 19:24
  • Of all these answers, only R' Ariel's works for the second day of Pesach.
    – Heshy
    Commented Apr 18, 2022 at 19:48

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