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Home , Shavuot

5780/2020

SHAVUOT GUIDE

6-7 Thursday evening, May 28 until nightfall, May 30

CHAG SAMEACH! SEE BACK PAGE HAPPY SHAVUOT! SPECIAL MESSAGE IN LIGHT OF COVID 19 SHAVUOT INSIGHTS

MONTREAL CENTER What is Shavuot? There are . The positive command- ments (‘do’), numbering 248, are equivalent to the BAIS MENACHEM Shavuot is the second of the three major festivals CHABAD LUBAVITCH number of organs in the human body. The 365 negative ( being the first and the third) and commandments (‘don’t do’) are equivalent to the Joanne and Jonathan Gurman comes exactly fifty days after Passover. The Torah was Community Center number of blood vessels in the human body. given by G-d to the Jewish people on Lou Adler Shul 3,332 years ago. Every year on this day we renew our Through the study of Torah and fulfillment of Marcia Gillman & Michael Flinker Early Childhood Center acceptance of G-d’s gift. we connect ourselves and our environment to G-d. G-d’s purpose in creating the world is that we sanctify The Kenny Chankowsky The word Shavuot means ‘weeks’. It marks the com- Memorial Torah Library all of creation, imbuing it with holiness and spirituality. q pletion of the seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot (the ‘’ period) during which the Jewish Moishe New people prepared themselves for the giving of the Why was the Torah given Rabbi Itchy Treitel Torah. During this time they cleansed themselves of in the wilderness and not Executive Commitee the scars of slavery and became a holy nation ready to Yossi Kessler, Moishe New, in the land of ? enter into an eternal covenant with G-d with the giving Pesach Sperlin, Itchy Treitel The Torah was given freely, in of the Torah. Nechama New an ownerless public place. If it Pre-School / Day Camp had been given in the land of Zeldie Treitel The Giving of the Torah Program Director Israel, the nations of the world The giving of the Torah was a Rabbi Levi New would say that they have no Kollel / Youth Action Movement far-reaching spiritual event – portion in it. Anyone who wish- Rabbi Getzy Markowitz one that touched the essence es to properly accept it is wel- TFS Young Leadership of the Jewish soul then and for come to do so. Why was Mount Velvel Minkowitz all time. Our Sages have com- Sinai chosen to be the site for the giving of the Torah? Administrator pared it to a wedding between The conventional answer is that the choice of Mount Ita New G-d and the Jewish people. Bat Club Sinai was to teach us humility, since Mount Sinai is One of the many names of Rosie Treitel a small and, therefore, ‘humble’ mountain. However, if Youth Programming Shavuot is the Day of the Great so, why was it not given in a low lying valley? Surely Chanie Teitlebaum Rochi Yarmush Oath, (the word ‘shavuah’ also means oath). On this that would have been a stronger lesson in humility? Administration day G-d swore eternal devotion to us, and we in turn Yehuda Gottesman Shaya Zirkind pledged everlasting loyalty to Him. Hence we learn, that a must be able to distinguish Accounting between being proud and being arrogant. Arrogance On this day we received a gift from Above which is distasteful. Being proud of one’s Jewishness is a we could not have achieved with our own limited virtue and necessary. The Torah therefore, was given Publication Mail Agreement faculties. We received the ability to reach and touch on a humble mountain. No. #40030976 Questions or return undeliverable the Divine; to be not only cultivated human beings, Canadian addresses to: but human beings connected to G-d, above and beyond What are the other names The Montreal Torah Center the limitations of nature. 28 Cleve Rd Hampstead PQ H3X 1A6 of Shavuot? Tel. 514-739-0770 Fax 514-739-5925 Email: [email protected] www.themtc.com What is the Torah? Atzeret "The Completion" This Shavuot Edition The Torah is composed of two parts: the Written Law Together with Passover, this forms the comple- of the MOSAIC is distributed to: and the Oral Law. The written Torah contains the Five tion of a unit. We gained our freedom on Passover Akiva School, Batshaw Foster Care Department, Batshaw Youth & Family Books of , the Prophets and the Writings. in order to receive the Torah Services, Bialik High School, B'nai B'rith Together with the Written Torah, Moses was also on Shavuot. House, Free Hebrew for Juniors, Jewish given the Oral Law which explains and clarifies the General Hospital, Jewish People’s & Peretz Chag Habikurim "Festival School, Geriatric Centre, Written law. It was transmitted orally from generation Maimonides Hospital, Merton Jewish of the " Studies Pelo Program, Residence , to generation and eventually transcribed in the , Solomon Schecter, Sunshine Club, United and . In an expression of thanks to Talmud , Waldorf Residence Home G-d as commanded in the Torah, Our thanks and appreciation to The word Torah means instruction or guide. The word Ponctuation Grafix mitzvah means both commandment and connection. beginning on Shavuot, each far -

2 mer in the brought to the Holy Temple in forty. Forty is the number of days Moses was on the first wheat, , grapes, figs, pome- Mount Sinai receiving the Torah. Candle Lighting granates, and dates that grew in his fields. Times and Blessings The Book of Chag HaKotzir "Festival of the Harvest" In many the book Thursday, May 28 Wheat, the last of the grains to be ready to be cut, was Sivan 5 of Ruth is read on the second harvested at this time of the year. Light candles at 8:14 pm day of Shavuot. There are sev- Blessing 1 & 3 eral reasons for this custom: A) All night long... Friday, May 29 Shavuot is the birthday and Sivan 6 On the first night of Shavuot yarzeit (day of passing) of King Light candles at 8:15 pm* throughout the world, , and the records his ancestry. Ruth Blessing 2 & 3 observe the centuries-old cus- and her husband were King David’s great-grand- Saturday, May 30 tom of conducting an all-night parents. B) The scenes of harvesting, des cribed in the Sivan 7 • Yizkor vigil dedicated to Torah learning. book of Ruth are appropriate to the Festival of Harvest. Yom Tov and Shabbat ends 9:31 pm One explanation for this tradition C) Ruth was a sincere convert who embraced is that the Jewish people did not with all her heart. On Shavuot all Jews formally Blessings rise early on the day G-d gave the Torah, and that it entered into the covenant with G-d by accepting to was necessary for G-d Himself to awaken them. To ob serve the Torah and all of its precepts. 1 Baruch Atah Ado-nai compensate for their behavior, Jews have accepted upon Elo-heinu Melech Haolam Asher Kiddishanu themselves the custom of remaining awake all night. What is the significance of Bemitzvotav Vetzivanu Lehadlik Ner Shel Yom Tov. flowers and greenery on Shavuot? Why is it customary to eat a Blessed are You, G-d our L-rd, It is customary on Shavuot to Sovereign of the universe, dairy meal on Shavuot? adorn the home and who has sanctified us with There are a number of reasons for the custom of eating with fruits, flowers and greens. His commandments, and commanded us to kindle a dairy meal on Shavuot: The reason is that in the time of the Yom Tov lights. With the giving of the Torah the Jews now become the Holy Temple, the first fruits of harvest were brought to the 2 Baruch Atah Ado-nai. obligated to observe the laws of Kashruth. As the Torah Elo-heinu. Melech Haolam was given on Shabbat no cattle could be slaughtered Temple on Shavuot. As well, our Asher Kiddishanu Bemitzvotav. Vetzivanu Lehadlik Ner Shel nor could utensils be koshered, and thus on that day Sages related that although Mount Sinai was situated in a Shabbat Veshel Yom Tov. they ate dairy. desert, when the Torah was given the mountain Blessed are You, G-d our Lord, Another reason that the Torah is likened to milk. The bloomed and sprouted flowers. Sovereign of the universe, BMI who has sanctified us with word in Hebrew for milk is ‘cholov’ – . When the His commandments, and number value of each of the letters in the word cholov commanded us to kindle the are added together – I =8; M =30; B =2; – the total is lights of Shabbat and Yom Tov.

3 Baruch Atah Ado-nai Elo-heinu Melech Haolam She-heh-cheh-yanu ‘ERUV TAVSHILLIN’ Ve-kee-ma-nu Ve-he-geyanu Lizman Hazeh.

This year, the second day of Shavuot occurs on If, for whatever reason, this ritual was not performed, Blessed are You, G-d our L-rd, Shabbat. In order to be able to prepare the Shabbat it is still permissible to prepare (cook, etc. on a flame/ Sovereign of the universe, who food on Friday – which this year is Yom Tov – (inas- burner that has been on since before the onset of the has granted us life, sustained us and enabled us to reach much that we do not cook etc. on Shabbat) a special Yom Tov) for Shabbat on Friday, as the Eruv Tavshillin this occasion. ritual and blessing, involving the designation of two can be performed by any one individual on behalf of prepared foods for Shabbat, called ‘Eruv Tavshillin’ is the community. *Light from a pre-existing flame. (A pre-existing flame is a flame burning required to be performed during the day of erev Yom continuously since the onset of the Tov, on Thursday, May 28. Please consult your festival, such as a pilot light, gas or on how to do the ‘Eruv Tavshillin’. candle flame.)

3 S P E C IA We wouldliketosuggesttherefore,thatthisyear,especiallythoseofyouwhohave This year,asthingsstand,thismaynotbepossible. Synagogue. the TorahisgiventousanewbyG-d,itchildreninparticularthatG-dwantssee i.e. thepromisetoprovidethemwithaToraheducation.HenceeveryyearonShavuot,when Commandments they furnish Our SagestellusthatG-dagreedtogivetheJewishpeopleHisholyTorahoncondition home, thatthe Synagogue In the Dear Friend, Additionally, weencourageyoutosaythefollowing all goodthings. The TenCommandments: Moshiach without delay,amen. peace inIsraelandtheworld over,inaworldperfectedandredeemedwith the comingof May Hashemblessusall with goodhealth,growthinallthingsand,above all,with 0 Donotcovet. 10. Donotbearfalsewitness. 9. Donotsteal. 8. Donotcom 7. Donotmurder. 6. Honoryourfatherandmother. 5. RemembertheSabbathtokeepitholy. 4. DonottakethenameofG-dyourL-rdinvain. 3. Youshallhavenoothergodsbeforeme. 2. IamG-dyourL-rdwhotookyououtof 1. L M the landofEgypt. past ESSAGE onthefirstdayof , onthisbackpage,youwouldfindaposterencouraging guarantors mit adultery.

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whenthe thatG-dfoundsatisfactorywastheofferof O Shavuot day,Fridaythe29 F C OVID prayers the uprightwilldwellsecurely inYourpresence. Indeed, therighteouswillextolYourName; et panecha. Ach tzadikimyodulishmechayeshvuyisharim of thecongregationJacob. The TorahthatMosescommandedusistheheritage Torah tzivahlanuMoshe,morashahkehilatYaakov. for everandever. Blessed bethenameofgloryHiskingdom Baruch shemk'vodmalchutol'olamva’ed. Hear OIsrael,G-disourL-rd,One. Shema YisraelAdonaiEloheinuEchad. The prayers:

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