Yom Hameyuchas

What is "Yom Hameyuchas"?

Shalom!

Thank you for your question. 

Yom Hameyuchas refers to the 2nd day of Sivan. It is considered to be distinct (“meyuchas”) because it is positioned between Rosh Chodesh Sivan and the “shloshet yemei hagbala.“ The shloshet yemei hagbala are the three days which Moshe commanded the Jewish people to use in order to prepare themselves for receiving the Torah, which happened the day after. The idea of giving the 2nd of Sivan some distinction is based on the Talmudic teaching that any day which is sandwiched between festive days is to be designated as a festive day, as well. 

Some say there is nothing inherently special about the 2nd of Sivan and the only reason it was a given the title “yom hameyechus” was so it should not feel disgraced by being sandwiched between two significant days/dates and have no dignity of it’s own. This is similar to the custom of covering the challot at the Shabbat meals lest they feel embarrassed when the blessing is recited over the wine before the bread. 

However, some say that the 2nd day of Sivan does indeed deserve it’s own measure of distinction as it is the days when God informed the Jewish people that they would become “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation”. It is also suggested that the Jewish people’s famous response of “naaseh v’nishma” when Moshe brought word that God was about to give them the Torah, was on the 2nd of Sivan as well. Hence, the 2nd of Sivan does indeed deserve some honor. It is also noted that yom hameyuchas always falls out on the same day of the week as Yom Kippur. 

Finally, there is a teaching that the name yom hameyuchas is intended to remind everyone each year prior to Shavuot that it doesn’t matter what one’s “yichus” (“pedigree” or “family prestige”) is or from where or who one descends from. Rather, it is due and through our dedication to Torah study and observance of the mitzvot that one creates one’s own yichus.