ICJudaism: A Teacher’s Guide to Judaism
Hosted by ICTeachers Formerly: Mike’s Rough Guide to Judaism
Disclaimer:
The contents of these pages represent the author’s personal views, experience and
understanding.
There are bound to be some things here that some Jews would disagree
with.
Shavuot
Shavuot means Weeks. This 2 day festival begins on the 50th day after the the second day of Pesach. On the second night of Pesach Jews begin Counting the Omer (an omer was a measure of barley). In temple times the offering at Pesach was an omer of barley. In the Torah it is commanded to count 49 days (ie 7 weeks) before bringing a meal offering (two loaves of wheat bread) to the temple on the 50th day.
The period of counting the Omer is a time of partial mourning, in memory of a plague in the time of Rabbi Akiba (1st century CE). During this time weddings, parties and dances are not held and haircuts are forbidden. On the 33rd day of counting the Omer these restrictions are lifted to commemorate a temporary break in the plague.
The day after completing counting the Omer is Shavuot. As well as celebrating the beginning of the wheat harvest it also celebrates the harvest of the first fruits of the year (Shavuot is also called Chag HaBikkurim, the Festival of First Fruits). More importantly Shavuot is when Jews celebrate God’s gift of the Torah, given to Moses on Mt.Sinai. Counting the days of the Omer makes a link between freedom from slavery (Pesach) and the joy of receiving Torah after long desert wanderings.
On Shavuot, work is not permitted. It is customary to stay up late on the first night to study Torah. It is also customary to eat at least one wholly dairy meal during Shavuot, perhaps in memory of the promise of a land “flowing with milk and honey”, or perhaps because of initial uncertainty about how to interpret the newly received Torah’s rules about not eating milk and meat together.
Synagogues are decorated with flowers and the Book of Ruth is read during the morning service.
In Israel and in Progressive communities outside Israel Shavuot is celebrated for one day; elsewhere it lasts 2 days.
Shavuot is sometimes called Pentecost (The name derives from the Greek word meaning 50 days), the same name used by Christians for their festival 7 weeks after Easter. (As Shavuot is one of Judaism’s 3 Pilgrim festivals, at the time of the first Easter, Jerusalem would have been packed with pilgrims).
