Shavuot

Shavuot – Feast of Weeks – that is its meaning and commemorates many things in Jewish life they are all connected because they deal with time and commitment.

Time is counted from Passover to Shavuot – it is called counting of the Omer and relates to the harvest being ready for gleaning. On the fiftieth day the holiday of Shavuot is celebrated.

Shavuot has many names – “The Harvest Holiday” – “Feast of Weeks” because of the seven weeks that separates both holidays – “The Holiday of First Fruits” pertaining to the practice of bringing fruits to the Temple on Shavuot. Each of these names indicates various aspects of our lives: Harvest represents the ability to make our lives meaningful and productive; Weeks indicate to us the value of time and how precious time is to our existence and survival; Fruits remind us that our lives can be filled with excitement and completion and includes rejoicing with each milestone achieved.

But there is much more to this holiday than just enjoying the fruits of our labor. Shavuot, after the destruction of the Temple in 70CE was connected by the rabbis to the Revelation at Mt. Sinai, where the Israelites received the Ten Commandments and their religious maturity. It was the glue that bound them together for eternity.

There are many customs attributed to Shavuot. For example: Reading the Ten Commandments in the Synagogue; Studying the Book of Ruth which describes the story of two women: a Jewish woman named Naomi and her non-Jewish daughter-in-law Ruth. From here we learn of the classic commitment made by Ruth when her husband dies and Naomi encourages her to return to her people: “Whither thou goest I will go, they people will be my people.” This book is read during Shavuot because the episode occurred during the harvest season and her conversion reflects our acceptance of the Torah on Shavuot. We are also taught that Ruth’s great-great grandson, King David, was born and died on Shavuot.

Another custom that has no explanation as to its origin is the eating of dairy products on Shavuot. There are some scholars who suggest that this tradition began because of a particular poem found in the Song of Songs – “Honey and milk are under your tongue” – thereby connecting the sweetness of milk and honey to the Torah.

Finally there is the concept of all-night study. Many Yeshivas and Synagogues hold study programs that continue throughout the night until the morning when it is time to recite the morning prayers. This is a Kabalistic – mystical custom and is rather new and is used to instill in us the need for study to understand Torah.

Regardless of how the holiday is celebrated it is the significance that remains the important aspect of this eventful period in Jewish life. Life is a celebration and we are obligated to a commitment of survival because life is to live. Our concentration is not on where we go when our time has ended but rather where we are now in the journey each of us takes as we continue to encounter the goodness of that life as well as learning to endure the agonies associated with the journey as well. We need Shavuot to remind us of the gifts we enjoy and rejoice in the understanding that time is a reward.

And we end the holiday with the recitation of Yizkor – the memorial prayer for those we loved and lost. We do this because their time with us gave us the time we now have and will be the time we leave those who follow.

If we had to ‘bring the lesson of Shavuot into a single theme, it would be: Time is a friend if we make it so and we should be grateful to God for the time we have.

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