SHAVUOT 5770 (05-19-20 2010)

SHAVUOT 5770 (05-19-20 2010)
In Bible times, this holiday was an agricultural festival-a time for our people to present the firstfruits of the crops to God, gratefully giving back to the Lord that which He had given to us.

A firstfruits offering was actually presented at the end of Passover (Leviticus 23:9-14). Then, seven weeks after Passover came Shavuot. This feast literally means "weeks." Shavuot fell fifty days after the Sabbath which came during Passover (Leviticus 23:15, 16), thus in Greek it was called Pentecost, or "fiftieth."

After the Temple was destroyed in A.D. 70, the agricultural rites associated with the biblical feasts could no longer be observed. Jewish tradition made a connection between Shavuot and the giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai, which was understood to be the fiftieth day after the Israelites came out of Egypt. The holiday also came to be called, "The Season of the Giving of the Law." To this day, it has become traditional to observe Shavuot by staying up all night and studying Torah.

In Acts 2 and 3, the New Covenant records that the Holy Spirit was poured out at Shavuot. As a result, 3,000 Jewish people recognized that Y'shua was indeed the Messiah, and they turned to God. These souls were the firstfruits of God's gospel harvest. Today, Jewish believers in Jesus participate in Shavuot in various ways, as you'll see in this section.



http://www.jewsforjesus.org/judaica/shavuot

SHAVUOTH

Shavuot
Shavuot, Festival of Weeks * Chag Ha'Bikurim, Holiday of the First Fruit * Z'man Matan Torateinu, Time of the Giving of the Torah

May 29-30 2009
Shavuot, the Festival of Weeks, corresponds to the 6th and 7th of Sivan. The many names of the holiday best describe exactly what is celebrated:

Shavuot, Festival of Weeks - Shavuot is the only holiday not listed in the Torah by the day and month on which it is to be observed. Rather, the Torah instructed that this festival take place the 49th day after the second day of Passover, the day on which the Omer Sacrifice was offered. The name, therefore, reflects the fact that this holiday occurs seven complete weeks (shavuot) after Passover. In mystical terms, the number 7 represents the natural order of things, and so a complete, natural cycle has occurred.

Chag Ha'Bikurim, Holiday of the First Fruit - The natural cycle that has been completed is agricultural. On Chag Ha'Bikurim, the offering of the First Fruit of the harvest was brought to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem as a gesture of thanksgiving for the successful yield.

Z'man Matan Torateinu, Time of the Giving of the Torah - But Shavuot takes place one day after the seven weeks, which is one step beyond the natural cycle and is, therefore, also representative of a supernatural event as well. On Passover, we celebrate the miraculous Exodus of the People of Israel from Egypt. The Israelites at the time, however, were, at best, a family, a loose assortment of cousins bonded together by their mutual misery. At the end of seven weeks, however, at the base of Mount Sinai, the former slaves rose above their human limitations and, by accepting the Torah, took upon themselves a total commitment to G-d, thus creating the Nation of Israel. Shavuot is therefore also known as Z'man Matan Torateinu, the celebration of the giving of the Torah

LAWS AND CUSTOMS Shavuot is a low-key, pensive holiday, unlike Passover with its long Seder nights and crunchy, matzah-filled days. The following are the general laws and customs for the holiday of Shavuot:


I. FESTIVAL LAWS



Candle lighting

Shabbat and all Jewish holidays always begin at sunset of the evening before. On the Sabbath and Yom Tov [festival] candles are lit 18 minutes before sunset to welcome the holiday.

Two candles (minimum) are lit, then both hands are waved towards the face, symbolically drawing in the light of the candles and the sanctity of the Sabbath/Yom Tov. The eyes are covered and the blessing is recited.



Baruch atah Ado-nai, Ehlo-haynu Melech Ha-olam, asher kideshanu b'mitzvotav v'tzeevanu l'hadlik ner shel Yom Tov.
Blessed are you L-rd, our G-d, Ruler of the world, who sanctified us through His commandments and commanded us to kindle the lights of Yom Tov (festival).

An additional blessing, Sheh'heh'cheh'yanu, is pronounced to acknowledge the good fortune of being able to experience the holiday:



Baruch atah Ado-nai, Ehlo-haynu Melech Ha-olam, sheh'heh'cheh'yanu v'kee'manu v'hee'gee'anu la'zman ha'zeh

Blessed are you L-rd, our G-d, Ruler of the world, Who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this season..



Evening services are held in the synagogue.

A festive meal is eaten, preceded by the Festival Kiddush, ritual washing of the hands and Ha'Motzee, which is made over two whole challot. The meal is followed by the Grace After Meals with the addition of Y'aleh V'Yavo, "May there rise and come...", in honor of the holiday, and the Harachamon for the festival.

Changes in the morning synagogue service

During Shacharit, the morning service, the Festival Amidah is recited.
Hallel
Hallel is a collection of Psalms that are recited on the festivals and Rosh Chodesh (the new month).
Hallel can be found in the siddur (Jewish prayerbook).
The Book of Ruth is read on the last day of the holiday (see below for details).
The Torah Reading
On the first day of Shavuot, Exodus 19:1-20:23 is read in synagogue.
On the second day of Shavuot, Deuteronomy 14:22-16:17 is read in synagogue.
The maftir (additional reading) on both days is Numbers 28:26-31.
The haftorah (prophetic message) on the first day is from the Ezekiel 1:1-28, 3:12.
The haftorah on the second day is from Habakuk 2:20-3:19.
Yizkor - The Memorial Service
The Yizkor Memorial Service is recited on the last day of all festivals -- Passover, Shavuot, Sukkot and on Yom Kippur.
While those who have passed away are no longer able to effect their own spiritual growth, the deeds of their children may result in additional merit for their souls.
) According to some Ashkenazic customs, those whose parents are both living leave the sanctuary during Yizkor. In Sephardic custom, everyone remains in the sanctuary while the cantor recites Yizkor.
E) A festive meal is eaten, preceded by the daytime festival Kiddush, ritual washing of the hands and HaMotzee, which is made over two whole challot. The meal is followed by the Grace After Meals with the addition of Y'aleh V'Yavo, "May there rise and come...", in honor of the holiday and the Harachamon for the festival.

F) Mincha, the afternoon service is recited with the special Festival Amidah (and the special insertions for Shabbat, as well as including the weekly Torah reading for Shabbat Mincha, when applicable).

G) Havdalah - At the conclusion of the second day of Yom Tov, Havdalah, separating holy days from week days, is recited in the evening Amidah. This Havdalah is followed by the formal Havdalah, which consists of only the blessing over grape juice (HaGafen) and the Havdalah blessing (HaMavdil), which can be found in the prayer book


II. The Book of Ruth is read during the morning service prior to the Torah reading (On the first day of Shavuot in Israel, and on the second day in the diaspora). The reasons that we read the Book of Ruth are:


A) Acceptance of the Torah - The Book of Ruth is the story of a courageous Moabite woman who took upon herself the laws of the Torah. Since Shavuot commemorates the receiving of the Torah by Israel, the story of Ruth's journey from Moabite princess to the wife of one of Judea's leading citizens, is an inspiration for all.

B) The Harvest Time - The story of Ruth takes place during the period of the Counting of the Omer and culminates at the time of the wheat harvest, which is the time of Shavuot.

C) King David - According to tradition, King David, the great-grandson of Ruth, was born and died on Shavuot

III. Customs:

A) All-Nighters: To demonstrate our love for the Torah and our appreciation for G-d's revelation on Mount Sinai, it is customary to stay up all night either learning, listening to lectures, or simply discussing Jewish matters.

B) Decorating the Synagogue with greens: There are several reasons given for this custom:


1) More than just a recognition that Shavuot takes place at the blossoming time of spring, the custom of decorating synagogues is related to the Talmudic description of Mount Sinai when the Torah was given. Although located in the wilderness, Mount Sinai blossomed with flowers

2) When the Holy Temple in Jerusalem was standing, Shavuot was the time when Jewish farmers brought their first fruit offerings. To enhance the beauty of the mitzvah, the baskets containing the fruit were usually decorated with flowers and greenery. Thus, one of the names for the holiday of Shavuot is Chag Ha'Bikurim, the holiday of the first fruits.

C) Dairy Foods: On Shavuot, it is customary to eat dairy foods – cheesecake and blintzes being particular favorites! Those who have the custom to specifically eat meat meals on festivals as a sign of joy, usually have a small dairy kiddush and then, after rinsing their mouths, have a meat meal. Again, numerous reasons are suggested for eating dairy on Shavuot:


1) Prior to receiving the Torah, the Jews did not know the dietary laws. Among the first laws that were taught to the Jews were those of kosher slaughtering. The Jews refrained from meat at that time until they were able to properly prepare the utensils and learn, with precision, the laws of shechita, ritual kosher slaughter.

2) In the times of the Temple, Jews celebrated the bounty of the land on this holiday of the first fruits. Dairy foods represent the fulfillment of G-d's promise to bring the Israelites to a land "flowing with milk and honey."

3) The Song of Songs, written by King Solomon, has been interpreted as a love song between G-d and the Jewish people. Chapter 4, verse 11 reads: "...honey and milk are under thy tongue," an allegory for the sweetness of learning Torah.

4) On more mystical level, the gematria (numeric value of the letters) of the word chalav, milk, is 40, which corresponds to the forty days and nights that Moses spent on Mount Sinai learning the Torah.



http://njop.org/html/Shavuot.html

SHAVUOTH 5769

SHAVUOT 5769

evening May 29 through night May 30 of 2009

The Festival of Shavuoth celebrated on the 6th and 7th days of Sivan, begins this year on evening May 29, May 30.

This Holiday is known by several names: It is called Chag Shavuot, Festival of Weeks, concluding 7 weeks since Passover, and the Giving of Torah (Z'man Matan Torateinu), Festival of the First-Fruits (Chag HaBikurim), and Festival of the Harvest (Chag Hakazir).

Shavuot commemorates the Revelation at Mount Sinai 3,314 years ago when G-d gave Israel the Holy Torah, including the Ten Commandments and the 613 Mitzvah Observances.

At Sinai, the Jewish people were charged with the privilege and responsibility to be a "Light to the World." The Shavuot holiday is alive with flowers and greenery, highlighted by Torah study, and flavored with the taste of milk and honey.

Timeless Torah

The Torah is not a mere collection of human knowledge that is subject to revision. The Torah represents Divine laws and immutable universal guidelines that have been tested by the Jewish people over several millennia in every country and culture throughout the world.

Torah provides a framework for daily living based upon the most authoritative moral code. The Torah is a precise and eternal yardstick against which to measure our deeds and lifestyles.

Hearing the Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments combine two sets of relationships: Duties between man and G-d, and our duties from person to person.

Even children and infants should be brought to the Synagogue to hear the Ten Commandments. Although they may not yet understand the words, yet their souls hear the message. It also demonstrates that the children are our Torah Guarantors.

The Children As Guarantors

Before G-d consented to give the Torah to the Jewish people, He demanded guarantors, who would assure and guarantee the Torah's continuity over the ages.

Initially, the Jews suggested other possible guarantors, from the patriarchs to the prophets, but G-d was not satisfied, until the little children were offered as the guarantors. Only Torah educated children serve as the true guarantors and transmitters of Torah for all time.

Floral Decorations

It is a Shavuot tradition to adorn the synagogue and the home with greenery, fragrant flowers, leaves, boughs and trees.

The greenery recalls the grass on Mount Sinai, when the Jewish people were commanded, "the flocks shall not graze at the foot of this mountain" (Exodus 34:3). Trees and branches also recall that Shavuot is a Day of Judgment of fruit trees, which we mention in our prayers.

During the offering of the "Bikurim" First Fruit in the Holy Temple on Shavuot, the horns of the leading ox were wreathed with luxuriant olive leaves, and the first fruit baskets were ornamented with wreaths.

The greenery also recalls how Moses was saved when his mother hid him in a wicker basket among the reeds by the Nile to escape Pharaoh's decree to drown Hebrew children (Exodus 2:1-3). This occurred on Shavuot, for Moses was born on the 7th day of Adar and three months later is the 7th of Sivan.

Roses are Shavuot favorites. The verse "The decree (dat) was proclaimed in Shushan (Esther 8:14) is interpreted 'the Law was given with a rose (shoshan).

A medieval book of customs states: "It is customary to scatter spices and roses on the synagogue floor to celebrate the festival." Beautiful paper flower cutouts called 'shevuoslekh,' 'reizelekh' or' shoshanta' were pasted on windowpanes facing the streets. Among the intricate designs of folk art creations were motifs and patterns relating to Shavuot and the Torah.

Milk and Honey

Certain Shavuot dairy culinary customs have evolved over the generations, and various reasons have been advanced for this tradition.

Dairy Foods

It is customary to eat dairy foods such as blintzes and cheesecake (why not some Kosher Pizza?) on Shavouth. Full Dairy courses can be served as the main holiday meal, or as a light snack followed by a traditional meat holiday dinner.

One explanation for eating dairy is that when the Jews received the Torah on Shavuot, they were not ready with utensils for kosher meat preparation, so they ate dairy, which is relatively easy to prepare instead of meat.

The Torah is compared to milk and honey. The verse "honey and milk shall be under your tongue" (Song of Songs 4:11) implies that the words of the Torah shall be as dulcet to your heart and as milk and honey are sweet to your tongue. David, King of Israel, declares "G-d's precepts Lord are sweeter than honey and the honeycomb" (Psalms 19.9-11).

Shavuot Holiday Customs

* On all Friday evenings and the evening preceding a Jewish holiday, women and girls usher in Shabbat and the holiday by lighting candles, and saying the proper blessing.

* All people, especially children, should hear the Torah reading of the Ten Commandments in the Synagogue on the first day of Shavuot (Friday, May 17).

* The Yizkor memorial prayer is recited for departed family members on the second day of Shavuot (Shabbat May 18) and charity is contributed (before or after the holiday).

* It is customary to stay awake on the first night of Shavuot. We read an anthology called "Tikkun Lail Shavuot" of selections from the full range of the Written and Oral Torah. On Shavuot we dedicate ourselves to increase our Torah study throughout the year.

Ladies First!

To assure that the Torah would be well received and perpetuated, G-d told Moses to first address the women: "Say to the House of Jacob" (referring to the women) was followed by "Tell the sons of Israel" (Exodus 19:3) (referring to the men).

Torah knowledge is also obligatory for women, so they can learn to know how to fulfill the Mitzvot and live a full Jewish life.

The woman influences her home and environment. It is the mother who primarily instills values in her children, encourages her husband to observe and study Torah, and affects others through her hospitality, warmth and teaching.

The Book of Ruth

Some communities read the Book of Ruth on the second day of Shavuot.

Ruth was a righteous convert to Judaism, who became the grandmother of David, King of Israel. Like Ruth, all of Israel underwent conversion when they received the Torah on Shavuot.

In the exceptional story of love, faith, dedication and devotion, Ruth says to her mother-in-law Naomi: "Where You go, I go...Your people are my people, Your G-d is my G-d" (Ruth 1:16).

King David

Shavuot is the Yartzeit of King David, composer of the Book of Psalms. The line of descent from King David will ultimately lead to the righteous Moshiach who will redeem us from exile.

The Baal Shem Tov

On Shavuot we also observe the Yartzeit of Rabbi Yisroel Baal Shem Tov, founder of the Chasidic movement, who revealed the inner secrets of the Torah. His teachings draw us closer to achieving the unity with G-d initiated at Mount Sinai, which will culminate in the final and complete Redemption, soon in our days!

Yizkor

On the second day of Shavuot,(May 30) as on Passover and Sukkoth, it is customary to recite Yizkor, a prayer in memory of a departed rel ative.

Keeping alive the memory of a beloved is a hallowed Jewish tradition. It reminds the living to reflect on the meaning of life, particularly Jewish life. We unite with the soul and spirit of our heritage, and strive to come closer.

During Yizkor we pause to look back to the past, and ahead to the future. We are links in a historic chain going back to Sinai. A chain is as strong as its weakest link. Are we holding on?

Yizkor focuses our attention on beloved parents and grandparents, not to their death, but to what they lived for. We don't want Judaism to die with them. Yizkor brings back memories of home. We remember good times and hard times, pain and struggle, love and faith.

The light of the Yizkor candle is more than a 24-hour flame in a glass. Its flicker expresses a verse in Proverbs: "The soul of man is the candle of G-d." As the flame reaches upward, so does the soul rise higher.

We want the warmth and spark of Judaism to remain alive in our hearts. When saying Yizkor we pledge money to charity - Tzedaka, affirming our love and bond through a Mitzvah. All of physical life is temporary.

Only a Mitzvah is eternal and lives on forever.



http://www.jewish-holiday.com/shavuos62.html