How Do I Connect More Deeply to Shavuot?

How do I connect more deeply to Shavuot?

How do I connect more deeply to Shavuot?

TIKKUN LEIL SHAVUOT
Midrashic legends scold the Jewish people for sleeping the night before they received the Torah. Apparently God had to sound a shofar blast and bring thunder and lightning to wake them up. This is one reason why 16th century kabbalists in Safed, Israel, created Tikkun Leil Shavuot, repairing the eve of Shavuot. Originally the Tikkun consisted of readings from the bible, the talmud and the kabbalah, which would be studied all night long. From another perspective, receiving the Torah at Sinai was like a marriage between God and the Jewish people – with Moses as matchmaker and the Torah as the ketubah, marriage certificate. Like an antsy bride, we have trouble falling asleep the night before our wedding. To symbolically prepare ourselves we learn Torah to review the highlights of our sacred relationship.

EATING DAIRY
Once the Jews accepted the Torah, they became obligated in the laws of kosher. But since they were not yet familiar with the laws regarding animal slaughter, they ate dairy. * Receiving the Torah was a form of rebirth. We celebrate this newness by consuming baby food. Namely, milk. *Shavuot coincided with the time when the lambs and calves born in the spring would be suckling. Therefore an abundance of dairy products were available. *Legend has it that the Jewish people were at Sinai for so long that all their milk soured and turned into cheese. *In the Torah the Jewish people are promised a "Land flowing with milk and honey." Dairy meals recall this lyrical description of Israel. *The Hebrew word for milk, chalav, has the numerical value of 40, symbolizing the number of days Moses was on Mt. Sinai. Chalav is spelled chet (numerical value, 8), lamed (30), and vet (2).

BAKING SPECIAL CHALLAH
Shavuot’s sacrificial rites were remarkable for their inclusion of two leavened loaves along. Most other sacrifices were accompanied by matzah. This may be the seminal reason behind the various breads associated with Shavuot. Ukrainian Jews bake loaves studded with a little ladder shaped from extra dough. The ladders symbolize Moses’ ascent to Sinai. Ladders with five rungs recall the five books of the Torah: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Seven rungs on a bread ladder are symbols of the seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot. Some Sephardic Jews bake a seven layered bread called siete cielus, or seven heavens, based on the Midrash that Moses ascended to heaven to learn the Torah. Greek Jews customarily bake a honey-and-yogurt bread. Throughout the rest of the year, Jewish custom frowns on baking dairy breads because of the potential for being accidentally used with a meat meal. German Jewish specialties included kauletsch, cheese challah.

GREENING YOUR SYNAGOGUE
Decorating the synagogue and home with greenery and flowers is another Shavuot tradition. Midrashic lore describes how Mt. Sinai suddenly flowered in anticipation of the Torah’s arrival. Since Shavuot was also a harvest holiday the sheaths and boughs would be signs of a successful growing season.

READ THE BOOK OF RUTH (REMEMBERING KING DAVID)
Ruth is the most celebrated Jew-by-choice. Her story is recounted in the Scroll of Ruth. One of the reasons this story is read on Shavuot is because the day the Jewish people received the Torah was a sort of mass conversion of a People. Harvest time is the setting of the Ruth’s story – just right for reading at Shavuot which is the Chag Hakatsir, harvest festival.

Text from