Holiday of Weeks

Charles Flum, President

Shavuot is one of the three major pilgrimage festivals. Sukkot and Pesach are the other two. In Temple times, all men were required to go to the Temple in Jerusalem to bring sacrifice to God. For Shavuot, they were to bring the first fruit of the harvest.

Shavuot has a few other names. Chag Habikurim (Holiday of First Fruits), Chag Hashavuot (Holiday of Weeks) and Chag Hakatzir (Harvest Festival).

Shavuot was originally a harvest festival of the first of the two harvests in Israel (the second is celebrated by Sukkot). Shavuot’s association with the giving of the law to Moses on Sinai was not introduced until Talmudic times. By then, Jews were much more urban, and the holiday had lost much of its significance as a harvest festival.

It is called the Holiday of Weeks because it occurs seven weeks after Pesach. Actually, it starts 50 days after the first seder, leading some to call the holiday Pentecost, meaning 50. Today, the most significant meaning of the holiday is the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai.

It is traditional to read the Book of Ruth during Shavuot for a couple reasons. First, the story takes place in the spring, at harvest time, which is when Shavuot falls. Additionally, Ruth was the ancestor of King David. According to a tradition in the Talmud, King David was born and died during Shavuot. Ruth showed her loyalty to Torah by converting to Judaism. It is proper to read her story on Shavuot, the holiday of the Torah.

Three reasons are given for eating cheese dishes on Shavuot:

1. The Song of Songs says, “honey and milk under your lips” (4:11), which the rabbis took to imply that, like milk products and honey, the words of the Torah are pleasant and good for our spirits.

2. Exodus 23:19 says “The choicest first fruits you shall bring to the House of God. You shall not seethe a kid in its mother’s milk.” First fruits refers to Shavuot. The second sentence is taken to mean two main courses are to be served on Shavuot — dairy, then meat.

3. There is a legend that when the Israelites returned home from Mt. Sinai, they had no time to prepare a meat dish (it takes time to kosher an animal), so they had a dairy meal. In many homes, two blintzes (yum!) are served to represent the two tablets of the Ten Commandments.

Naples Jewish Congregation, the small congregation with the big heart, invites you to worship with us. During June, July and August, our services are on the last Friday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Unitarian church off Pine Ridge Road. Rabbi Herman, cantorial soloist Jane Galler and music director Alla Gorelick lead a joyous service. Why don’t you come and join us?

Thinking ahead, if you have never attended High Holiday services with us, they are free. If you have attended, but do not belong, it’s $100. The first year of membership is “pay from the heart, pay what you wish.” Come and join us. You’ll be glad you came to the hamish small congregation with the big heart.