SHAVUOTSHAVUOTSHAVUOT SHAVUOT SHAVUOT

WHAT DOES THE NAME MEAN?

SHAVUOT LITERALLY MEANS WEEKS, BECAUSE WE COUNT THE SEVEN WEEKS FROM PASSOVER TO SHAVUOT. THIS IS CALLED “THE COUNTING OF THE OMER”. WHO KNOWS 49?

WHO KNOWS 49? THE COUNTING OF THE OMER SAW YOU AT SINAI? SHAVUOT ALWAYS FALLS ON THE 50TH DAY REMEMBER MOSES AND AFTER THE FIRST DAY OF PASSOVER. 7 X 7 = 49 THE 10 COMMANDMENTS? SHAVUOT IS ALSO CALLED THE HOLIDAY OF THE GIVING OF THE TORAH, COMMEMORATING THE REVELATION OF THE TORAH ON MT. SINAI, DESCRIBED IN TIKKUN LITERALLY MEANS “TO REPAIR” LEYL MEANS “NIGHT“ * * EXODUS CHAPTERS 19 & 20. SEPHARDI AND EASTERN COMMUNITIES CHANT A MARRIAGE CONTRACT ON SHAVUOT, REPRESENTING THE SYMBOLIC MARRIAGE BETWEEN THE JEWISH YOU’VE HEARD OF TIKKUN OLAM, PEOPLE AND THE TORAH. BUT HAVE YOU HEARD OF TIKKUN LEYL SHAVUOT? THE TIKKUN OF THE NIGHT OF SHAVUOT IS BASED ON AN ANCIENT KABBALISTIC CUSTOM TO STAY UP THE ENTIRE NIGHT AND LEARN WHO WHAT WHERE WHEN TORAH. WHEREAS TIKKUN OLAM IS ABOUT REPAIRING THE PHYSICAL WORLD, THE TIKKUN LEYL SHAVUOT EXPRESSES THE HOPE THAT THERE WILL BE A SPIRITUAL REPAIRING THROUGH THE STUDY OF TORAH. IN MANY MOSES AND THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL COMMUNITIES, THIS NIGHT HAS BECOME SYNONYMOUS WITH A CELEBRATION RECEIVING THE TORAH OF JEWISH LEARNING. MT. SINAI IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CREATE YOUR OWN TIKKUN LEYL SHAVUOT YOU CAN SHAVUOT!!! DOWNLOAD THIS STUDY SHEET RESOURCE FROM OUR FRIENDS AT LIMMUD.

HARVEST OF THE WHEAT AND FIRST FRUITS LET’S CELEBRATE!

CELEBRATED IN LATE SPRING, SHAVUOT IS ALSO THE HOLIDAY OF THE WHEAT HARVEST. IN BIBLICAL DAYS, IT WAS ONE OF THE THREE TIMES A YEAR THAT THE ISRAELITES MADE A PILGRIMAGE TO THE TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM. AMID ELABORATE PARADES, PILGRIMS BROUGHT OFFERINGS OF BIKKURIM, THE FIRST FRUITS OF THE YEAR. OF BIKKURIM PARADES, REJOICING IN THE BOUNTY OF THE LAND AND EMPHASIZING THE RENEWED BOND BETWEEN THE JEWISH PEOPLE AND THE LAND OF ISRAEL.

FEMALE HEROINE: RUTH!

IT IS CUSTOMARY TO READ THE SCROLL OF RUTH, WHICH TELLS HOW THE BIBLICAL RUTH, A MOABITE YOUNG WOMAN, LOYALLY FOLLOWED HER JEWISH MOTHER-IN-LAW, NAOMI, BACK TO BETHLEHEM. SHE GATHERED WHEAT IN THE FIELDS, REBUILT HER LIFE, AND LATER BECAME THE GREAT-GRANDMOTHER OF KING DAVID ! RUTH IS SEEN AS THE ULTIMATE ROLE MODEL OF HESSED - KINDNESS AND GOOD DEEDS.

SAY CHEESE! THE CUSTOM IS TO EAT DAIRY FOODS ON SHAVUOT. AND LOTS OF THEM.

BUT WHY DAIRY?

1 AFTER RECEIVING THE TORAH, THE JEWISH PEOPLE RECEIVED THE DIETARY LAWS OF KEEPING KOSHER, AND SEPARATING MILK AND MEAT. THEY REALIZED THEY COULD NOT USE THEIR UTENSILS, SO THEY MADE DO WITH EATING ONLY DAIRY FOODS.

2 THE BIKKURIM (FIRST FRUITS) ARE FROM THE SEVEN SPECIES OF THE LAND OF ISRAEL, WHICH IS DESCRIBED AS “FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY”.

3 MILK IS A SYMBOL OF FERTILITY AND SHAVUOT IS A SYMBOLIC WEDDING BETWEEN THE JEWISH PEOPLE AND THE TORAH. THEREFORE, WE GREET THE TORAH WITH DAIRY FOODS, AS A SYMBOL THAT TORAH LEARNING WILL INCREASE. WHAT FORM YOUR DAIRY FOOD TAKES DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU’RE FROM: {SHAVUOT FASHION { CZECH REPUBLIC, AND SLOVAKIA: CHEESE-FILLED PASTRIES SUCH AS KNISHES AND PIROGI, CREPES AND BLINTZES

PERSIA: HALVA BURMA, A SEMOLINA-BASED CONFECTION MADE WITH DATES THERE’S A TRADITION TO WEAR GREECE: SUTLAG, A DAIRY WHITE CLOTHES ON SHAVUOT, PORRIDGE WITH CINNAMON SYMBOLIZING THE PURITY AND BULGARIA: SYTU SYLUS, A FRUIT- CLEANLINESS OF THE PEOPLE AND-NUT FILLED CHALLAH (REPRESENTING THE SEVENTH WHEN THEY RECEIVED THE TORAH, HEAVEN WHERE MOSES WENT TO RECEIVE THE TORAH) OR PERHAPS REPRESENTING THE WEDDING THEME.

ETHIOPIA: GRAINS AND POLAND, HUNGARY, IRAQ: INJERA, ETHIOPIAN BREAD ROMANIA, AND GERMANY: SAMBUSAK, A SAVORY PASTRY CHEESECAKE, FILLED WITH CHEESE; AND KAHI, BLINTZES, QUICHES FRIED DOUGH AND BUTTER PANCAKES LIBYA: COOKIES SHAPED WITH A HOLE IN THEM, STRUNG ON A NECKLACE. THE SHAPES RELATE TO THE SYMBOLS OF THE FESTIVAL, SUCH AS THE TABLETS OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, A LADDER WATER FIGHTS SYMBOLIZING MOSES GOING UP TO HEAVEN, OR A PRAYER SHAWL. IN MOROCCO, NORTH AFRICAN AND EASTERN COMMUNITIES, IT IS CUSTOMARY TO SPRITZ WATER ON EACH OTHER ON SHAVUOT. KIDS WOULD GO UP ON ROOFS AND SPRAY ROSES ARE RED, AND BRANCHES ARE GREEN WATER ON PASSERSBY; TODAY, THEY IN THE BUKHARAN TRADITION, THE SYNAGOGUE IS DECORATED WITH RED ROSES, USE WATER BALLOONS AND WATER HENCE THE NAME OF THE HOLIDAY: GOLI SURCHI, “HOLIDAY OF THE RED ROSE”. GUNS. MOST OF THE EXPLANATIONS PERSIAN JEWS CALL IT THE “HOLIDAY OF FLOWERS” AND FILL THE HOUSE WITH FOR THIS CUSTOM CONNECT WATER TO LILIES AND ROSES. GERMAN JEWS DECORATE THE SYNAGOGUE AND THE ARK TORAH: JUST AS A PERSON CANNOT WITH GREEN BRANCHES FROM TREES, BECAUSE THE TORAH IS SEEN AS THE “TREE SURVIVE WITHOUT WATER, SO TOO, A OF LIFE”. SOME EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES DECORATE THE SYNAGOGUE WINDOWS JEW CANNOT SURVIVE WITHOUT THE WITH PAPER CUTS, CALLED RAIZELACH (FROM THE YIDDISH WORD FOR “ROSE”). TORAH ! WHEN IS IT?

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PRODUCED BY KOL HAOT - ILLUMINATING JEWISH LIFE THROUGH ART, FOR THE CHARLES AND LYNN SCHUSTERMAN FAMILY FOUNDATION. DESIGN: DOV ABRAMSON STUDIO