Tonight begins the holiday of Shavuos!
Shavuos means "weeks" and it is referred to as the Festival of Weeks, specifically the historically significant weeks from Passover through tonight. The essence of the holiday forms the basis of Judaism; it commemorates the giving of the Torah, known as the Five Books of Moses or the Old Testament, to the Jewish people on Mount Sinai.
Like any holiday, Shavuos is laden with tradition. One of them is eating dairy products. Its root goes back to when the Jews were preparing to receive the Torah and learn its contents that there was little time for obtaining and preparing meat. Dairy products won out and it is one of the favored traditions amongst our people and in my family particularly. Since last night we have been preparing. Inside our refrigerator sits homemade cheesecakes, cheese balls, chocolate cheesy muffins, lasagnas, and blintzes. Fish and salads will join these delicacies on our table during the next 24 hours. There is little doubt that no one will be going hungry at our table, but woe to the lactose intolerant on this meaningful holiday.
Another popular tradition is all night Torah learning. That's right, ALL night. After the festive evening meal men, children and many women fill synagogues and study halls into the wee hours of the morning. Before you reach for the phone to report the Jewish nation to Child Protective Services, you should know that it's not obligatory. For anyone who wishes to learn, both adults and children, it is available, and many do so because it is a special night. My teenagers will be found walking the streets of our town along with many others. All curfews will be called off tonight and an air of sleepy excitement will settle over our community. For each one of us it will be a time of renewing our vows to G-d by accepting his Torah once again, along with its restrictions, its loving guidance and its timeless knowledge.
Our first Shavuos in Israel six years ago surprised even our bunch. Our children had gone down for naps after dinner with a promise from my husband that he would wake them before going off to learn. Sure enough, he kept that promise, except to our 10 year old son who would not be roused from his slumber. After some trepidation, he left without him and with the other children in tow.
The next morning our son was inconsolable, having missed the night of learning on his first Shavuos in Israel. To calm him I explained that many children his age hadn't shown up because they too had been too tired and had succumbed to fatigue as well. When he left the room, my eldest son came to me. In a loud whisper he set me straight.
"Mama," he said, "you wouldn't believe it."
I stared at him until he continued.
"At 1 a.m. they split into learning groups so that each child in the crowd could learn at his level," he explained. "First they split into the 14-18 year age group, then the 10-13 year olds came next."
It all sounded very reasonable to me, but the best was yet to come.
"THEN they announced the 5-9 year old group......"
History tells us that many nations were offered the Torah, but it was only the Jews that were willing to adhere to its principles. If the children of the other nations had known they'd be staying up all night, sipping sodas and eating cheesecakes, it most likely would have changed history.
There is sour cream frosting to prepare and fish to cook. I am off to the kitchen again. Perhaps I will go to learn tonight as well. The excitement of matan Torah, the giving of the Torah, will set in shortly, setting off my emotions again this Shavuos. I must be ready.
Chag Sameach!
Shavuos means "weeks" and it is referred to as the Festival of Weeks, specifically the historically significant weeks from Passover through tonight. The essence of the holiday forms the basis of Judaism; it commemorates the giving of the Torah, known as the Five Books of Moses or the Old Testament, to the Jewish people on Mount Sinai.
Like any holiday, Shavuos is laden with tradition. One of them is eating dairy products. Its root goes back to when the Jews were preparing to receive the Torah and learn its contents that there was little time for obtaining and preparing meat. Dairy products won out and it is one of the favored traditions amongst our people and in my family particularly. Since last night we have been preparing. Inside our refrigerator sits homemade cheesecakes, cheese balls, chocolate cheesy muffins, lasagnas, and blintzes. Fish and salads will join these delicacies on our table during the next 24 hours. There is little doubt that no one will be going hungry at our table, but woe to the lactose intolerant on this meaningful holiday.
Another popular tradition is all night Torah learning. That's right, ALL night. After the festive evening meal men, children and many women fill synagogues and study halls into the wee hours of the morning. Before you reach for the phone to report the Jewish nation to Child Protective Services, you should know that it's not obligatory. For anyone who wishes to learn, both adults and children, it is available, and many do so because it is a special night. My teenagers will be found walking the streets of our town along with many others. All curfews will be called off tonight and an air of sleepy excitement will settle over our community. For each one of us it will be a time of renewing our vows to G-d by accepting his Torah once again, along with its restrictions, its loving guidance and its timeless knowledge.
Our first Shavuos in Israel six years ago surprised even our bunch. Our children had gone down for naps after dinner with a promise from my husband that he would wake them before going off to learn. Sure enough, he kept that promise, except to our 10 year old son who would not be roused from his slumber. After some trepidation, he left without him and with the other children in tow.
The next morning our son was inconsolable, having missed the night of learning on his first Shavuos in Israel. To calm him I explained that many children his age hadn't shown up because they too had been too tired and had succumbed to fatigue as well. When he left the room, my eldest son came to me. In a loud whisper he set me straight.
"Mama," he said, "you wouldn't believe it."
I stared at him until he continued.
"At 1 a.m. they split into learning groups so that each child in the crowd could learn at his level," he explained. "First they split into the 14-18 year age group, then the 10-13 year olds came next."
It all sounded very reasonable to me, but the best was yet to come.
"THEN they announced the 5-9 year old group......"
History tells us that many nations were offered the Torah, but it was only the Jews that were willing to adhere to its principles. If the children of the other nations had known they'd be staying up all night, sipping sodas and eating cheesecakes, it most likely would have changed history.
There is sour cream frosting to prepare and fish to cook. I am off to the kitchen again. Perhaps I will go to learn tonight as well. The excitement of matan Torah, the giving of the Torah, will set in shortly, setting off my emotions again this Shavuos. I must be ready.
Chag Sameach!
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