Shavuot The Feast of Weeks The Feast of Harvest Pentecost Latter Firstfruits Day of Congregation Atserret Giving of the Torah You shall count for yourselves -- from the day after the Shabbat, from the day when you bring the Omer of the waving -- seven Shabbats, they shall be complete. Until the day after the seventh sabbath you shall count, fifty days... You shall convoke on this very day -- there shall be a holy convocation for yourselves -- you shall do no laborious work; it is an eternal decree in your dwelling places for your generations. Leviticus 21:15-16, 21 Shavu'ot, the Festival of Weeks, is the second of the three major festivals with both historical and agricultural significance (the other two are Passover and Sukkot). Agriculturally, it commemorates the time when the first fruits were harvested and brought to the Temple, and is known as Hag ha- Bikkurim (the Festival of the First Fruits). Historically, it celebrates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, and is also known as Hag Matan Torateinu (the Festival of the Giving of Our Torah). The period from Passover to Shavu'ot is a time of great anticipation. We count each of the days from the second day of Passover to the day before Shavu'ot, 49 days or 7 full weeks, hence the name of the festival. The Counting of the Omer reminds us of the important connection between Passover and Shavu'ot: Passover freed us physically from bondage, but the giving of the Torah on Shavu'ot redeemed us spiritually from our bondage to idolatry and immorality. Shavu'ot is also known as Pentecost, because it falls on the 50th day. It is noteworthy that the holiday is called the time of the giving of the Torah, rather than the time of the receiving of the Torah. The sages point out that we are constantly in the process of receiving the Torah, that we receive it every day, but it was first given at this time. Thus it is the giving, not the receiving, that makes this holiday significant. Shavu'ot is not tied to a particular calendar date, but to a counting from Passover. Because the length of the months used to be variable, determined by observation (see Jewish Calendar), and there are two new moons between Passover and Shavu'ot, Shavu'ot could occur on the 5th or 6th of Sivan. However, now that we have a mathematically determined calendar, and the months between Passover and Shavu'ot do not change length on the mathematical calendar, Shavu'ot is always on the 6th of Sivan (the 6th and 7th outside of Israel. See Extra Day of Holidays.) Work is not permitted during Shavu'ot. It is customary to stay up the entire first night of Shavu'ot and study Torah, then pray as early as possible in the morning. It is customary to eat a dairy meal at least once during Shavu'ot. There are varying opinions as to why this is done. Some say it is a reminder of the promise regarding the land of Israel, a land flowing with "milk and honey." According to another view, it is because our ancestors had just received the Torah (and the dietary laws therein), and did not have both meat and dairy dishes available. The book of Ruth is read at this time. Suggestions for Celebrating Shavuot Decorate Your Home Decorate your home with flowers and greens. Go out with your children and gather up some wild flowers and place them all over the house. Since it is the Harvest Festival, it is customary on Shavuot to adorn the home and synagogue with fruits, flowers and greens. Furthermore, our Sages relate that although Mount Sinai was situated in a desert, when the Torah was given the mountain bloomed and sprouted flowers. Light the Sabbath Candles Before sunset, the first day of Shavuot, the woman of the home says a blessing and lights the two Sabbath candles. Directions for Lighting the Candles First light the candles. Then spread your hands out around the candles drawing your hands inward in a circular motion three times to indicate the acceptance of the sanctity of Shabbat. You then cover your eyes and recite the following blessing: Boruch A-toh Ado-noi E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ho-olom A-sher Ki-de-sha-nu Be-mitz-vo-sov Ve-tzi-vo-nu Le- had-lik Ner Shel Sha-bos Ko-desh Translation: Blessed are You, Lord our G-d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the light of the holy Shabbat. Uncover your eyes and behold the Shabbat lights. Memorize the Ten Commandments God's Word commands us to teach the commandments to our children. Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. Deuteronomy 6:4-7 "I am the Lord your God, Who has taken you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery" "You shall have no other gods but me" "You shall not take the name of your Lord in vain" "You shall remember and keep the Sabbath day holy" "Honor your father and mother" "You shall not murder" "You shall not commit adultery" "You shall not steal" "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor" "You shall not covet your neighbor's goods. You shall not covet your neighbour's house. You shall not covet your neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his bull, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbour's." Bake Two Wave Loaves You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They are the firstfruits to the Lord. Leviticus 23:17 Break bread with your family and enjoy! Challah Bread Recipe A golden, braided egg bread made to celebrate the Sabbath and other holiday gatherings Ingredients - 2 cups warm milk - 2 packages dry active yeast - 1/2 cup warm (not hot) water - 6 cups bread flour - 1 tablespoon honey - 1 teaspoon salt - 3 tablespoons oil - 3 large eggs (reserve 2 tbsp for glazing Directions Dissolve yeast in a large mixing bowl with warm (not hot) water and let stand for 10 minutes when bubbles will begin forming. (Water that is too hot will kill the yeast, so temperatures in the range of 75°F to 120°F are best.) After yeast has dissolved for 10 minutes or so, add warm milk, salt, oil, and eggs, mixing all ingredients until well combined. (Reserve 2 tablespoons of egg for the glazing after the bread has baked.) Then add flour slowly, making sure to mix it in with the liquid ingredients. Place dough onto a surface sprinkled with flour and begin kneading dough for 5 to 10 minutes--until the dough is smooth and elastic. Then, place the dough in a large mixing bowl lightly oiled on the inside surface. Cover bowl with damp cloth and place bowl in warm area where dough can rise for almost 2 hours or until twice its original size. After rising, place dough on floured surface and punch it down; allow it to rest for several minutes. Then gently knead the dough for 2 to 3 minutes, return it to the bowl, and allow it to rise again in a warm area to double in size--which may require approximately 1 hour. Remove the dough from the bowl, punch it down again and knead it until the dough is flexible and easily worked. Divide the dough into 2 equal amounts. Then divide each loaf into 3 pieces which will become the braid. Roll each piece into a rope-like cylinder approximately 15 inches long. Place the lengths side by side, seal the individual strands by pinching the ends together, and begin to braid them, forming a long loaf of bread. Repeat the process for the second loaf. Place the braided loaves on a non-stick or greased baking sheet, 4 to 6 inches apart . Cover them with a cloth, place the loaves and baking sheet in a warm area and allow the dough to rise until it doubles in size. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375°F. In a small mixing bowl, combine remaining 3 tablespoons of egg, mix together, and brush over the loaves. If desired, sprinkle poppy or sesame seeds on top and bake loaves for 40 minutes or until golden brown. When the loaves are baked, remove them from oven and place on a cooling rack. Making the blessing over the bread ברוך אתה ײ אלהינו מלך העולם המוציא לחם מן הארץ Baruch atah Adonai, Elohaynu, melech ha-olam ha-motzi lechem min ha-aretz. Blessed are you, Lord, our God, king of the universe who brings forth bread from the earth. Do No Work Shavuot is a high Sabbath day; therefore, no business is performed. Eat Dairy It is customary to eat dairy foods on the first day of Shavuot. There are a number of reasons for this custom: On the holiday of Shavuot, a two-loaf bread offering was brought in the Temple. To commemorate this, we eat two meals on Shavuot -- first a dairy meal, and then, after a short interruption, we eat the traditional meat holiday meal. With the giving of the Torah the Jews now became obligated to observe the laws of Kosher. As the Torah was given on Shabbat no cattle could be slaughtered nor could utensils be koshered, and thus on that day they ate dairy. Another reason is that the Torah is likened to nourishing milk. Also, the Hebrew word for milk is "chalav." When the numerical value of each of the letters in the word chalav are added together - 8; 30; 2 - the total is forty. Forty is the number of days Moses spent on Mount Sinai when receiving the Torah. Bless Your Children Say a prayer over each of your children praying specifically for their needs, gifts, and talents. Learn more about the importance of imparting the blessing Plant a Fruit Tree Every year during Shavuot we have special memories of planting a fruit tree together. Stay Up All Night It is customary to stay up the entire first night of Shavuot and study the Torah, then pray as early as possible in the morning. You may not choose to stay up all night, but don't miss this excellent opportunity to spend some extra time in G-d's Word. We never make it through the entire night be we ave fun trying. Read the Book of Ruth Ruth is the classic example of one converted to Judaism out of love and responsibility |
Shavuot
June 8, 2011
Jewish Year 5771
June 8, 2011
Jewish Year 5771
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