JCC Association's Early Childhood Curriculum Project 'This New Month'

Receiving the Torah
To most of us, the holiday of Shavuot unquestionably commemorates the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. According to tradition, it is the single moment when the People of Israel unanimously accepted the Torah and committed themselves to it. "Na’aseh vaNishma,"-- "We will do and we will hear"-- they said at the foot of Mount Sinai. An odd saying, to be sure. How can they "do" before they’ve "heard" what they are to do? The concept, though, is a central one of Judaism: we are a people of action first, and study later. First we act, and then we delve into the complexities of the reasons and the methods for acting. The symbolism of Sinai is the central symbol of Judaism, a religion of law and of action. And for all of us, the holiday of Shavuot represents that symbol.

Sacrificing the First Fruits

However, if we examine the description of the holiday in the Torah itself, we have no reference to its being the anniversary of Sinai. All of the specific references to the holiday describe it as an agricultural one - a holiday of the sacrifice of the first fruits. Descriptions of it in the Talmud are remarkable. We are told that the people from all over the land of Israel would bring their first fruits in baskets to the Temple in Jerusalem walking or even dancing to the accompaniment of musical instruments. They would lead a bull to be sacrificed decorated with golden ribbons on its horns. Like many holidays, it celebrated nature and God’s gifts to us through the first harvest. It was a time of joy, and a time to celebrate our dependence on nature.

Redefining the Holiday

It probably was after the destruction of the Temple in the year 70 by the Romans that the Rabbis, tried to find new meaning in a holiday that could no longer be celebrated with the agricultural customs of the Temple sacrifices. Realizing that the Revelation at Mount Sinai happened "in the third month" after the Children of Israel left Egypt (Exodus 9:1), they found Shavuot to be the perfect holiday to commemorate that pivotal historical event. And today, even though there are some remnants of the original agricultural celebration of the holiday, we celebrate it primarily as a holiday that reaffirms and strengthens our commitment to the Torah.

Customs of Shavuot

Eating Dairy - According to Jewish tradition, the Jewish people knew that they would be receiving the laws of eating Kosher from G-D, which included not mixing meat and dairy foods. Three days prior to Shavuot, Moses instructed the Jewish people to prepare to receive the laws from G-D. Since they didn't yet know the Kosher ways of slaughtering and preparing meat, they chose to eat only dairy food during this three-day period. It is, therefore, a tradition to eat dairy foods during Shavuot in commemoration of the dedication that the Jewish people had to keep the rules of the Torah even before they knew exactly what they were.
Decorating the synagogue with greens - It is tradition to decorate the synagogue with branches or potted plants. The reason for this is that since G-D told the Children of Israel not to allow their flocks to graze on Mt. Sinai, it is assumed that Mt. Sinai must have been rich and green with vegetation.
Reading the book of Ruth - The story of the book takes place during the barley harvest - the Shavuot season. And the story is about Ruth, who accepts the Torah and the religion of Israel in order to support and care for the mother of her deceased husband.
Confirmation - During Shavuot many congregations hold "Confirmation" - a ceremony in which 16 year-olds affirm their commitment to Jewish life.
Tikkun Leil Shavuot - Many communities have a "Tikkun Leil Shavuot" - an all night study session. According to the sages, the Children of Israel fell asleep and had to be awoken by G-D in order to witness the revelation at Sinai. In order to make up for that event, many Jews today show their eagerness to accept G-D's laws by staying up the whole night of Shavuot studying the Torah.