May 25, 2024
What is Shavuot?
Revelation at Sinai - what is Shavuot all about? Some history, interesting tidbits and more!
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Revelation at Sinai - what is Shavuot all about? Some history, interesting tidbits and more!
Shavuot (שבועות in Hebrew, also pronounced Shavuos) is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the date when G-d gifted the Jewish people with the Torah at Mount Sinai in the Hebrew year 2448 (1313 BCE).
It begins exactly 7 weeks, or 49 days, after Passover. In the Diaspora (anywhere outside of the Land of Israel) the holiday starts at sundown following the 5th of Sivan and lasts until nightfall of the 7th of Sivan. In Israel, it is a one-day holiday, ending at nightfall of the 6th of Sivan.
The 49 day countdown from Passover until Shavuot is known as the Counting of the Omer.
In 2024, the holiday of Shavuot will be June 11-13, 2024. It begins after sundown on the evening of June 11th and ends after sundown on June 13th.
Like most Jewish holidays, Shavuot is traditionally celebrated by desisting from work, special holiday prayers and festive meals. Additionally, there are several special traditions unique to the celebration of the giving of the Torah.
What's the reason behind each of the above traditions? Here's a short explanation of the significance of each one.
On the first night of Shavuot, many observant Jews remain awake and spend the night learning Torah. They often learn from a special syllabus known as Tikkun Leil Shavuot that contains excerpts of every book of the Tanach (Hebrew Bible), Mishnah, Kabbalah, as well as the 613 mitzvot.
Why? This allows the reader to skim through the entire landscape of Jewish tradition in just a few hours.
What is the source of this tradition? It is rooted in the Zohar, the chief Kabbalistic text explaining mystical aspects of the Torah. The all-night learning is considered to be a preparation for the following morning, when the 10 Commandments will be read in synagogue. It's a preparation for receiving the Torah. Allegorically, when G-d gave the Torah, He took the Jewish people as His "bride", and the night of Torah study can be compared to a bride preparing for her wedding day.
A fascinating story in the Midrash* (Shir Hashirim Rabbah, ch. 1, pg. 12b.) provides a different possible reason for this tradition. The Midrash says that the night before the giving of the Torah, the Jewish people went to bed early in order to be properly rested for the momentous event. But the next morning, when it came time for the Torah to be given, there was no one to be found at the foot of the mountain - the entire Jewish people had overslept. The Midrash tells us that Moses had to wake them, causing G-d to say “Why have I come and no one is here to receive me?”
By staying up all night on Shavuot, we are attempting to rectify the mistake of our ancestors. In this way, we demonstrate our enthusiasm and excitement for receiving the Torah.
* The Midrash is an ancient commentary on part of the Hebrew scriptures, attached to the biblical text.
In Jewish tradition, when each holiday rolls around, we aren't merely celebrating or commemorating the events of thousands of years ago. We are actually reliving the original event and experiencing it on some level. So each year on Shavuot, we aren't just remembering how G-d gave us the Torah. We are actually receiving the Torah from G-d again!
The reading of the Torah portion about the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai - including the Ten Commandments - allows us to truly feel like we are receiving the Torah anew.
King David, who was a descendant of Ruth the Moabite, passed away on Shavuot. Therefore, we read the inspiring story of how Ruth came to join the Jewish people and become the ancestor of King David and the entire Davidic House.
There are many possible explanations, however, the following is the most commonly taught reason.
G‑d warned the Jews at Sinai that “the sheep and the cattle shall not graze facing that mountain." But wait a minute. Wasn't the Torah given in the desert? If so, what would the sheep and cattle have been grazing on?
G-d's warning indicates that a miracle had occurred - the area had turned into fertile land with abundant greenery. In commemoration of this miracle, it became customary to celebrate Shavuot with greenery.
There are several possible reasons for this, but this is the most famous explanation. When the Torah was given, the Jewish people became obligated to observe the kosher dietary laws. Since the Torah was given on Shabbat, cattle could not be slaughtered and pots and utensils could not be koshered. Therefore, the Jews only ate dairy on that day.
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