The festival of Shavuot
The festival of Shavuot
When the Children of Israel left Egypt they walked towards Mount Sinai where 50 days after they had fled from slavery, they received the Torah -- The Five Books of Moses - from G-d, and the stone tablets of The Ten Commandments. We remember and celebrate this as we Count the Omer -- 50 days from Passover until we reach Shavuot, the 6th day of Sivan.
It is traditional to eat dairy foods on Shavuot as the Children of Israel did not eat meat until they received the Torah and understood wholy the complete laws of kashrut. Cheesecake and blintzes are popular things to eat at this time -- delicious!! Homes and synagogues are filled with fresh flowers, plants, greenery and fruit to welcome the first harvest. Some synagogues decorate the bimah to resemble a chupah. Shavuot is like Shabbat, restricting work and eating festive meals with wine and challah combined with prayer and study. The traditional greeting is 'chag sameach' meaning happy holiday.
The book of Ruth, which is read at this time, is indeed set in the ripened wheat fields of Shavuot. The Ten Commandments gave this new nation its moral code which families still strive to follow, to be honest, appreciate your friends, to use kind words and avoid violence. Shavuot commemorates the giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai, together with the harvesting of the first wheat and also of the first fruits in Israel.
