Shavuot Walkthrough 2020 V3

Shavuot Walkthrough 2020 This Yom Tov celebrates the receiving of the Torah by the Jewish People. It lasts for two days in the Diaspora. This year, sadly, our communities remain closed but Shavuot can still be fully celebrated at home with festive meals, prayers, reading and relaxing as much as is possible. Below is a brief walk through Shavuot. Times and dates are for London in 2020. Page numbers refer to the green siddur. Thursday Night 28th May As Shavuot begins on a Thursday night, an Eruv Tavshilin should be made, such as with a hard- boiled egg and challah roll, to facilitate preparation of food on Friday for Shabbat. See page 642. The earliest time for lighting Yom Tov candles is 7:26pm. Light a long-lasting candle prior to lighting Yom Tov candles, to use for candle lighting on Friday. The latest time for lighting candles is 8:49pm. The blessings are on page 644. Nightfall is at 10:00pm. In normal circumstances, many communities maintain the practice of ‘Tikkun Leil Shavuot’, providing study opportunities on the night of Shavuot. This practice can also be fulfilled by reading a Jewish book at home. Friday 29th May - First Day Shavuot Morning Services include the reading detailing the giving and contents of Ten Commandments, recorded in Parashat Yitro (Shemot/Exodus chapters 19 and 20). This can be read from a chumash or machzor. Friday Evening 29th May Candle lighting is for Shabbat and the concurrent second night of Shavuot from a long-lasting candle. Candles should be lit from 7:26pm at the earliest and by 8:51pm at the latest. Saturday 30th May - Shabbat & Second Day Shavuot Morning services include Yizkor – the prayer for remembering loved ones who have passed away – and reading the book of Ruth. Both of these can be recited at home Yom Tov concludes on Saturday night at 10:09pm with Havdallah (see page 608). May God bless you, all of the Jewish people and the whole world with health and safety. We wish you Chag Sameach, as joyous a Shavuot as possible even in our current circumstances. One of the best-loved Shavuot customs is to eat dairy foods in honour of this Yom Tov. Overleaf, Rabbi Dr Moshe Freedman of the New West End Synagogue explains some of the background to this custom. Shavuot – the Milk of Chesed Rabbi Dr Moshe Freedman New West End Synagogue There are a variety of explanations regarding the tradition to enjoy dairy foods on Shavuot. Perhaps the most familiar idea is that after the laws of kashrut were given at Mount Sinai, when the Jewish people returned to their homes they were unable to eat meat, as it would now require shechita (kosher slaughter), removal of the sciatic nerve and the forbidden fats (porging) and the removal of blood through salting (melicha). Their utensils would also have to be kashered (purged), having been used for non-kosher meat. Until the people were able to meet all of these requirements, they were only able to eat dairy foods. Other explanations relate the tradition to eat dairy products more directly to Shavuot being the time of the giving of our Torah (zman matan Torateinu). The Jewish mystical tradition relates milk and meat to two metaphysical concepts – chesed (loving- kindness) and din (judgement). Many kabbalistic sources (including Rabbi Yaakov Tzvi Yalish, d. 1825) explain that the reason we may not mix meat and milk together is that the mixture of chesed and din would be spiritually damaging to us. The link between the two concepts can be explained in the following way: milk is made by the mother and given freely to nourish her child. The production of milk is a pure act of chesed on the mother’s part whilst the child is completely dependent on the supply of milk for its survival. Meat, on the other hand, must be produced by the slaughter of an animal. Its death represents the ultimate judgement, which corresponds to din. The Talmud (Eruvin 54b) expands on this analogy by citing a verse in Proverbs (Mishlei 5:9) which compares the study of Torah to a suckling child. As long as the child is able to suckle, the mother will continue to make milk. As soon as the child stops, the milk dries up. The Talmud explains that when someone engages in learning Torah, they will always find nourishment and spiritual sustenance. If we carry the analogy further, it is interesting to note that milk is produced by small sacs in the mammary glands called alveoli which extract proteins, sugars and fat from the mother’s blood. The levels of these nutrients are controlled to provide the most appropriate mixture at each stage of the baby’s development. The initial milk (colostrum) is high in protein and low in fat so that is easily digested by the newborn. As the baby grows, the fat content increases to help the baby gain weight. The analogy exposes perhaps the most beautiful aspect of learning Torah. The same Torah which teaches and nourishes the minds of young children is also studied by the greatest scholars and rabbis. From beginner to expert, the study of Torah always has the power to inspire and stimulate. The lesson of milk on Shavuot enlightens us to the greatest act of chesed which G-d bestowed upon his people – the potential for growth by means of the most inclusive and yet comprehensive didactic system ever..

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