Shavuot

Shavuot(listen, fromHebrew:שָׁבוּעוֹת,romanized:Šāvūʿōṯ,lit.'Weeks'), orShvues(listen, in someAshkenaziusage), is aJewish holiday, one of the biblically ordainedThree Pilgrimage Festivals. It occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month ofSivan; in the 21st century, it may fall anywhere between May 15 and June 14 on theGregorian calendar.
Shavuot marked the wheat harvest in theLand of Israelin theHebrew Bibleaccording toExodus 34:22. In addition, rabbinic tradition teaches that the date also marks the revelation of theTen CommandmentstoMosesand theIsraelitesatMount Sinai, which, according to the tradition ofOrthodox Judaism, occurred at this date in 1312BCE.
The wordShavuotmeans "weeks" in Hebrew, and marks the conclusion of theCounting of the Omer. Its date is directly linked to that ofPassover; the Torah mandates the seven-week Counting of the Omer, beginning on the second day of Passover, to be immediately followed by Shavuot. This counting of days and weeks is understood to express anticipation and desire for the giving of the Torah. On Passover, the people of Israel were freed from their enslavement toPharaoh; on Shavuot, they were given theTorahand became a nation committed to serving God.
While Shavuot is sometimes referred to as Pentecost (inKoinē Greek:Πεντηκοστή,romanized:Pentecostē,lit.'Fiftieth') due to its timing fifty days after the first day of Passover, it is not the same celebration as the ChristianPentecostorWhitsun, which comes fifty days afterEaster.That said, the two festivals are related, as the first Day of Pentecost, related in theActs of the Apostles, is said to have happened on Shavuot.
Shavuot is traditionally celebrated inIsraelfor one day, where it is a public holiday, andfor two days in the diaspora.
In the Bible, Shavuot is called the "Festival of Weeks" (Hebrew:חג השבועות,romanized:Ḥāġ hašŠāvuʻoṯ,Exodus34:22,Deuteronomy16:10); "Festival of Reaping" (Hebrew:חג הקציר,romanized:Ḥāġ HaqQāṣirExodus23:16),and  "Day of the First Fruits" (Hebrew:יום הבכורים,romanized:Yom habBikkurim,Numbers28:26).Shavuot, the plural of a word meaning "week" or "seven", alludes to the fact that this festival happens exactly seven weeks (i.e. "a week of weeks") after Passover.
TheTalmudrefers to Shavuot as ʻAṣeret (Hebrew:עצרת,romanized:ʻəṣereṯ,lit.'refraining, holding back') according toPesachim68b, referring to the prohibition against work on this holidayand also to the conclusion of the Passover holiday season.The other reason given is that just asShmini ʿAṣeretbringsSukkotto a close, ʿAṣeret brings Passover to a close.
Since Shavuot occurs fifty days after Passover,Hellenistic Jewsreferred to it by the Koine name "Pentecost".
Shavuot is not explicitly named in the Bible as the day on which theTorahwas revealed by God to the Israelite nation at Mount Sinai, although this is commonly considered to be its main significance.
Unlike other major holidays, the Torah does not specify the date of Shavuot, but only that it falls 50 days after Passover, placing it at the 6th of Sivan according to thecurrent fixed calendar(in earlier times when months were fixed by lunar observation, the date could vary by a day or two). The Torah states that the Israelites reached Sinai on the firstday of the third month following the Exodus, i.e. Sivan.Then several events occurred, taking a total of at least three days, before the Torah was given.Thus, it is plausible that the giving of the Torah occurred on or about Shavuot, but no exact date is mentioned.
Besides the timing, scholars have pointed to thematic connections between Shavuot and the giving of the Torah, which are indicated by the Bible itself:
Most of theTalmudic sagesagreed that the Torah was given on the 6Sivan(the date of Shavuot), butJose ben Halaftaholds that it was given on 7 Sivan.According to the classical timeline, the Israelites arrived at the wilderness of Sinai on the new moon (Exodus 19:1) and theTen Commandmentswere given on the followingShabbat(i.e., Saturday). The question of whether the new moon fell on Sunday or Monday is undecided.In practice, Shavuot is observed on 6 Sivan inIsraeland a second day is added in theJewish diaspora(in keeping with a separate rabbinical ruling that applies to all biblical holidays, calledYom tov sheni shel galuyot, Second-Day Yom Tov in the diaspora).Thus, according to Jose ben Halafta, only outside Israel does Shavuot fall out on the day the Torah was given.
What is textually connected in the Bible to the Feast of Shavuot is the season of the grain harvest, specifically of the wheat, in theLand of Israel. In ancient times, the grain harvest lasted seven weeks and was a season of gladness (Jer.5:24,Deut.16:9–11,Isa.9:2). It began with harvesting the barley during Passover and ended with harvesting the wheat at Shavuot. Shavuot was thus the concluding festival of the grain harvest, just as the eighth day of Sukkot was the concluding festival of the fruit harvest. During the existence of theTemple in Jerusalem, anofferingof two loaves of bread from the wheat harvest was made on Shavuot according to the commandment inLev.23:17.
The penultimateDead Sea textto be published has been discovered to contain two festival dates observed by the sect atQumranas part of their formally perfect 364-day calendar. It was dedicated to New Wine and New Oil, which are not mentioned in the Hebrew Bible but were known from another Qumran manuscript, theTemple Scroll. These festivals "constituted an extension of the festival of Shavuot... which celebrates the New Wheat." All three festivals are calculated starting from the first Sabbath following Passover by repeatedly adding exactly fifty days each time: first came New Wheat (Shavuot), then New Wine, and then New Oil.(See also below, at"The Book of Jubilees and the Essenes".)
Shavuot was one of theThree Pilgrimage Festivalson which Jews would visit theTemple in Jerusalem.
Shavuot was also the first day on which individuals could bring thebikkurimor "first fruits" to theTemple in Jerusalem.Bikkurim were so crucial to Shavuot that the Torah twice describes the holiday as a day of bikkurim;wheat was ready for harvest, summer fruits were beginning to ripen, and bikkurim were brought.
The Torah prescribes a unique sacrifice for Shavuot: theshtei halechemor Two Loaves, which (atypically for sacrifices) must bechametz, and which are described asbikkurimof the wheat harvest.These loaves are accompanied by a set of other sacrifices.
According toJudah Loew ben Bezalel, there is a symbolic contrast between theomer offeringof Passover and the Two Loaves. The former consists of barley, which is typically an animal food, and represents the low spiritual level of the Israelites immediately upon leaving Egypt duringthe Exodus; while the latter consists of wheat and represents the high spiritual level of the Israelites upon receiving the Torah.
Nowadays in the post-Temple era, Shavuot is the only biblically ordained holiday that has no specificlawsattached to it other than usual festival requirements of abstaining fromcreative work. The rabbinic observances for the holiday include reciting additional prayers, makingkiddush, partaking of meals and being in a state of joy. There are however manycustomswhich are observed on Shavuot.A mnemonic for the customs largely observed in Ashkenazi communities spells the Hebrew wordaḥarit(אחרית‎, "last"):
TheyahrzeitofKing Davidis traditionally observed on Shavuot.Hasidic Jewsalso observe theyahrzeitof theBaal Shem Tov.
TheAqdamut(Imperial Aramaic:אקדמות) is a liturgical poem recited by Ashkenazi Jews extolling the greatness of God, the Torah, and Israel that is read publicly in Ashkenazic synagogues in the middle of – or in some communities right before – the morningTorah readingon the first day of Shavuot. It was composed by Meir ofWorms. Meir was forced to defend the Torah and his Jewish faith in a debate with local priests and successfully conveyed his certainty of God's power, His love for the Jewish people, and the excellence of Torah. Afterwards he wrote theAqdamut, a 90-line poem inAramaicthat stresses these themes. The poem is written in a doubleacrosticpattern according to the order of theHebrew alphabet. In addition, each line ends with the syllableta(תא‎), the last and first letters of the Hebrew alphabet, alluding to the endlessness of Torah. The traditional melodies that accompanies this poem also conveys a sense of grandeur and triumph.
There is an ancient tradition to recite poems known asAzharot(אזהרותlisting the commandments. This was already considered a well-established custom in the 9th century.These piyyutim were originally recited during the chazzan's repetition of theMussafamidah, in some communities they were later moved to a different part of the service.
Some Ashkenazic communities maintain the original practice of reciting the Azharot during mussaf; they reciteAta Hinchalta[he]on the first day andAzharat Reishiton the second, both from the early Geonic period.Italian Jews do the same except that they switch the piyyutim of the two day, and in recent centuries,Ata Hinchaltahas been truncated to include only one 22-line poem instead of eight. ManySephardic Jewsrecite the Azharot ofSolomon ibn Gabirolbefore the mincha service; in many communities, the positive commandments are recited on the first day and the negative commandments on the second day.
The liturgical poemYatziv Pitgam(Imperial Aramaic:יציב פתגם) is recited by some synagogues in the diaspora on the second day of Shavuot. The author signs his name at the beginning of the poem's 15 lines – Yaakov ben Meir Levi, better knows asRabbeinu Tam.
Dairy foods such ascheesecake, cheeseblintzes,and cheesekreplachamongAshkenazi Jews;cheesesambusak,kelsonnes(raviolifilled withtzfatitcheese),andatayef(a cheese-filled pancake)amongSephardicandSyrian Jews;kahee(a dough that is buttered and sugared) amongIraqi Jews;kadeh(a cheese-filled bread) amongKurdish Jews,and a seven-layer cake calledsiete cielos(seven heavens) amongTunisianandMoroccan Jewsare traditionally consumed on the Shavuot holiday. As a dessert, Sephardic Jews traditionally consumesütlaç(a rice pudding cooked in milk) decorated with cinnamon in designs such as theStar of David, flowers, and other patterns.Yemenite Jewsdo not eat dairy foods on Shavuot.
In keeping with the observance of otherJewish holidays, there is both a nightmealand a day meal on Shavuot. Meat is usually served at night and dairy is served either for the day mealor for a morningkiddush.
Among the explanations given in rabbinic literature for the consumption of dairy foods on this holiday are:
TheFive Megillot– five books from theHebrew Bible– are traditionally read in synagogue on various Jewish holidays. Of these, theBook of Ruthis read on Shavuot. Reasons given for this custom include:
In many Jewish communities, there is a tradition to decorate homes and synagogues with plants, flowers and leafy branches on Shavuot.In fact, Persian Jews referred to the holiday as "The Mo'ed of Flowers" (موعد گل) inPersian, and never as "Shavuot".
A common reason given for this custom is the story that Mount Sinai suddenly blossomed with flowers in anticipation of the giving of the Torah on its summit. This idea is first mentioned in medieval Ashkenazi sources such asMaharil.In another interpretation, flowers represent the Jewish people, which received a covenant with God on this date.Other reasons have been suggested as well.
Some synagogues decorate thebimahwith a canopy of flowers and plants so that it resembles achuppah, as Shavuot is mystically referred to as the day the matchmaker (Moses) brought the bride (the nation of Israel) to the chuppah (Mount Sinai) to marry the bridegroom (God); theketubah(marriage contract) was the Torah. Some Eastern Sephardi communities read out aketubahbetween God and Israel, composed byIsrael ben Moses Najaraas part of the service. This custom was also adopted by some Hasidic communities, particularly fromHungary.
TheVilna Gaoncancelled the tradition of decorating with trees because it too closely resembles the Christian decorations for their holidays.
Some have the custom to learn Torah all night on the first night of Shavuot, a practice known asTiqqun Leyl Shavuot(Hebrew:תקון ליל שבועות) ("Rectification for Shavuot Night").
The custom is first recordedc.1300in theOr Zarua II[he]. According to that work, "Our righteous forebears, servants of the Most High, would never sleep on Shavuot eve—and now we do this on both nights—for all night they would read the Torah and theNevi'imand theKetuvim, and they would skip around the Talmud and theAggadot, and they would read the secret wisdoms until dawn broke, and they would hold the legacy of their fathers in their very hands".The custom was later linked to aMidrashwhich relates that the night before the Torah was given, the Israelites retired early to be well-rested for the momentous day ahead. They overslept andMoseshad to wake them up because God was already waiting on the mountaintop.To rectify this perceived flaw in the national character, many religious Jews stay up all night to learn Torah.
In 1533Joseph Caro, author of theShulchan Arukh, then living inOttomanSalonika, invitedShlomo Halevi Alkabetzand otherKabbalisticcolleagues to hold Shavuot-night study vigils for which they prepared for three days in advance, just as the Israelites had prepared for three days before the giving of the Torah. During one of those study sessions, an angel reportedly appeared and taught themJewish law.
It has been suggested that the introduction ofcoffeethroughout theOttoman empiremay have attributed to the "feasibility and popularity" of the practice of all-night Torah study.In contrast, the custom of Yemenite Jews is to ingest the fresh leaves of a stimulant herb calledKhat(containingcathinone) for the all-night ritual, an herb commonly used in that region of the world.
Any subject may be studied on Shavuot night, althoughTalmud,Mishnah, andTorahtypically top the list. People may learn alone or with achavruta(study partner), or attend late-nightshiurim(lectures) and study groups.In keeping with the custom of engaging in all-night Torah study, leading 16th-centurykabbalistIsaac Luriaarranged a recital consisting of excerpts from the beginning and end of each of the 24 books ofTanakh(including the reading in full of several key sections such asthe account of the days of creation,the Exodus, the giving of theTen Commandmentsand theShema) and the 63 tractates of Mishnah,followed by the reading ofSefer Yetzirah, the 613 commandments as enumerated byMaimonides, and excerpts from theZohar, with opening and concluding prayers. The whole reading is divided into thirteen parts, after each of which aKaddish d-Rabbananis recited when theTiqunis studied with aminyan. Today, this service is held in many communities, with the notable exception ofSpanish and Portuguese Jews. The service is printed in a book calledTiqun Leyl Shavuot.There exist similar books for the vigils before the seventh day ofPesachandHosha'ana Rabbah.
InJerusalem, at the conclusion of the night time study session, tens of thousands of people walk to theWestern Wallto pray with sunrise. A week after Israel captured theOld Cityduring theSix-Day War, more than 200,000 Jews streamed to the site on Shavuot, it having been made accessible to Jews for the first time since1948.
In secular agricultural communities in Israel, such as mostkibbutzimandmoshavim, Shavuot is celebrated as a harvest and first-fruit festival including a wider, symbolic meaning of joy over the accomplishments of the year. As such, not just agricultural produce and machinery is presented to the community, but also the babies born during the preceding twelve months.
In the 19th century several Orthodox synagogues in Britain and Australia held confirmation ceremonies for 12-year-old girls on Shavuot, a precursor to the modernBat Mitzvah.The earlyReformmovement made Shavuot into a religious school graduation day.Today, Reform synagogues in North America typically hold confirmation ceremonies on Shavuot for students aged 16 to 18 who are completing their religious studies. The graduating class stands in front of an openark, recalling the standing of the Israelites atMount Sinaifor the giving of the Torah.
The Torah states that theOmer offering(i.e., the first day of counting the Omer) is the first day of the barley harvest.The omer count should begin "on the morrow after theShabbat", and continue to be counted for seven weeks.
The Talmudic Sages determined that "Shabbat" here means a day of rest and refers to the first day of Passover. Thus, the counting of the Omer begins on the second day of Passover and continues for the next 49 days, or seven complete weeks, ending on the day before Shavuot. According to this calculation, Shavuot will fall on the day of the week after that of the first day of Passover (e.g., if Passover starts on a Thursday, Shavuot will begin on a Friday).
This literal interpretation of "Shabbat" as the weekly Shabbat was shared by the author of theBook of Jubilees, who was motivated by the priestly sabbaticalsolar calendarto have festivals and Sabbaths fall on the same day of the week every year. On this calendar (best known from the Book of Luminaries in theBook of Enoch), Shavuot fell on the 15th of Sivan, a Sunday. The date was reckoned fifty days from the first Shabbat after Passover (i.e. from the 25th of Nisan). Thus, Jub. 1:1 claims that Moses ascended Mount Sinai to receive the Torah "on the sixteenth day of the third month in the first year of the Exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt".
In Jub. 6:15–22 and 44:1–5, the holiday is traced to the appearance of the first rainbow on the 15th of Sivan, the day on which God made his covenant with Noah.
The Qumran community, commonly associated with the Essenes, held in its library several texts mentioning Shavuot, most notably a Hebrew original of theBook of Jubilees, which sought to fix the celebration of Shavuot on 15 Sivan, following their interpretation of Exodus 19:1.(See also above, at"Agricultural".)