Today we celebrate the holiday of Shavuot, the holiday of the receiving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. It comes 49 days after Passover, each day counted. Those 49 days are called the Omer, and begin the first full day of Passover.
The holiday of Shavuot is celebrated by staying up all night learning Torah, listening to the Ten Commandments read in synagogue, eating dairy foods just to name a few!
Let’s talk about some of these customs!
Staying up all night to learn Torah
There are several sources for why we stay up all night learning Torah on the holiday of Shavuot
- In the Zohar, a Kabbalistic work, it says that Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai would stay up all night learning Torah on Shavuot. It was a preparation for the “brides” upcoming marriage to the “groom” Who are the bride and the groom? The bride is the Jewish People and the groom is G-d, the Torah.
- In the mid- 1500’s Rabbi Joseph Caro (who wrote the Code of Jewish Law/ Shulhan Aruch) invited Rabbi Shlomo Alkabetz to learn on Shavuot night. As they started to learn Rabbi Caro’s voice turned powerful and loud. The people nearby understood that it wasn’t him speaking. The voices praised for learning throughout the night, and told them that their learning had reached the Heavens and even G-d. Some of the angles stood still, others cried!
- According to Rabbi Isaac Luria, or the Ari, those who stayed up learning all night on Shavuot, without a wink of sleep, would be protected from harm for the following year.
- Magen Avraham, an authority on Jewish law from 1935 to 1682, suggests that when the Jews arrived to Mount Sinai the night before receiving the Torah, they were very excited. They went to bed early so they can wake up on time for the big event. But then something strange happens. The next morning the Jewish people slept in! When G-d was ready to give the Torah, the Jews were still in bed! So today we stay up all night to fix their mistakes.
What do we read during this long night of learning?
Many read chapters of the Torah. Many others read the Book of Ruth. The Book of Ruth tells the story of a kind woman named Ruth who will become the ancestor of King David. Whatever you read, just make sure you learn something the text.
Hearing the Ten Commandments in Synagogue
This practice makes sense. We didn’t just receive the Torah at Mount Sinai, but also the Ten Commandments, the very basis of Judaism. So, we remember that as well.
Need a quick review of what the Ten Commandments are?
- I am the Lord thy G-d, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
- Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.
- Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy G-d in vain.
- Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.
- Honor thy father and thy mother.
- Thou shalt not murder.
- Thou shalt not commit adultery.
- Thou shalt not steal.
- Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
- Thou shalt not covet anything that belongs to thy neighbor.
Eating Dairy Food
Just as other customs in Judaism there are several reasons for eating dairy on the holiday of Shavuot.
During the time of the Temple, an offering of two loaves of bread was made. We, therefore, eat two meals: a dairy meal and then a meat meal.
Once the Jewish People received the Torah it became obligatory to keep kosher. They couldn’t slaughter the cattle or kosher the utensils for a meal, because it was Shabbat. So they had to eat dairy. We eat dairy to remember the first meal after receiving the Torah.
The Torah is the nourishing milk to the Jewish People. There is a practice in Judaism that Hebrew letters have a numerical value. The numerical value of the Hebrew word for milk is forty. It took Moses forty days on Mount Sinai to receive the Torah.
The angels urged G-d not to give the Torah to human beings, for it was too holy to give to the Jewish People. G-d did not listen to them because the Jews followed the law of Torah, unlike the angels who ate butter and milk with meat (Genesis 18:8). We eat dairy, taking a break from meat, to show our commitment to keeping kosher.
Shavuot as a Harvest Holiday
The holiday of Shavuot once marked the end of the harvest of spring barley and the beginning of the harvest of the summer wheat. Celebrations were held to commemorate this time.
During the times of the 1st and 2nd Temple, Jews would make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem to make an offering from their harvested crops.
Today, many schools in Israel have celebrations with themes of harvest, fruits, etc. Israelis also eat a lot of fruits during the holiday as well.
There are a lot of amazing things about the holiday of Shavuot….
Some of us have practices that are unique. Share them in the comments below. My favorite part is reading the Book of Ruth, the story of a strong woman who knows and loves what she believes in! In conclusion, may we all have a wonderful holiday, and eat a lot of tasty cheesecake!
