Shavuot

The Torah was given to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai over 3,300 years ago. Each year, on the festival of Shavuot, we renew our acceptance of this Divine gift, and God "gives" the Torah again. The word Shavuot means "weeks." It marks the end of the seven-week count between Passover and Shavuot.

The Giving of the Torah was a far-reaching event that touched the very essence of the Jewish soul throughout history. Our sages liken it to a marriage between God and the Jewish people. Shavuot could also be translated as "oaths," since on that day God swore eternal devotion to us, and we, in turn, swore loyalty to Him.

In the days of the Temple in Jerusalem, two loaves of bread were offered at the festival of Shavuot, representing the first wheat offering of the year (counting from the month of Nisan). In addition, people brought their Bicurim, first fruits to the Temple, to thank God for the year's harvest.

The festival lasts two days (outside the Land of Israel), and women and girls light candles both nights. It is customary to stay awake all night on the first night studying Torah.

Everyone—men, women, and children—should go to the synagogue at least on the first day to hear the reading of the Ten Commandments from the Torah. It is also customary to eat a dairy meal on the first day of Shavuot, after the Kiddush. Among other reasons, this serves as a reminder that when the Jewish people received the Torah, they did not cook meat in their utensils because they had not yet been koshered.