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For the Talmudical tractate, see Shevu’ot.

Shavuоt
Shavuot by Moritz Daniel Oppenheim
Official name	Hebrew: שבועות or חג השבועות (Ḥag HaShavuot or Shavuos)
Also called	English: «Feast of Weeks»
Observed by	Jews and Samaritans
Type	Jewish and Samaritan
Significance	One of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals. Celebrates the revelation of the Five Books of the Torah by God to Moses and to the Israelites at Mount Sinai, 49 days (seven weeks) after the Exodus from ancient Egypt. Commemorates the wheat harvesting in the Land of Israel. Culmination of the 49 days of the Counting of the Omer.
Celebrations	Festive meals. All-night Torah study. Recital of Akdamut liturgical poem in Ashkenazic synagogues. Reading of the Book of Ruth. Eating of dairy products. Decoration of homes and synagogues with greenery (Orach Chayim, 494).
Begins	6th day of Sivan (or the Sunday following the 6th day of Sivan in Karaite Judaism)
Ends	7th (in Israel: 6th) day of Sivan
Date	6 Sivan
2022 date	Sunset, 4 June – nightfall, 6 June[1]
2023 date	Sunset, 25 May – nightfall, 27 May[1]
2024 date	Sunset, 11 June – nightfall, 13 June[1]
2025 date	Sunset, 1 June – nightfall, 3 June[1]
Related to	Passover, which precedes Shavuot

Shavuot (listen (help·info)), or Shavuos (listen (help·info)) in some Ashkenazi usage (Hebrew: שָׁבוּעוֹת‎, Šāvūʿōṯ, lit. «Weeks»), commonly known in English as the Feast of Weeks, is a Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan (in the 21st century, it may fall between May 15 and June 14 on the Gregorian calendar). In the Bible, Shavuot marked the wheat harvest in the Land of Israel (Exodus 34:22). In addition, Orthodox rabbinic traditions teach that the date also marks the revelation of the Torah to Moses and the Israelites at Mount Sinai, which, according to the tradition of Orthodox Judaism, occurred at this date in 1314 BCE.^[2]

The word Shavuot means «weeks», and it marks the conclusion of the Counting of the Omer. Its date is directly linked to that of Passover; the Torah mandates the seven-week Counting of the Omer, beginning on the second day of Passover, to be immediately followed by Shavuot. This counting of days and weeks is understood to express anticipation and desire for the giving of the Torah. On Passover, the people of Israel were freed from their enslavement to Pharaoh; on Shavuot, they were given the Torah and became a nation committed to serving God.^[3]

While it is sometimes referred to as Pentecost (in Koinē Greek: Πεντηκοστή) due to its timing after Passover, «pentecost» meaning «fifty» in Greek and Shavuot occurring fifty days after the first day of Pesach/Passover, it is not the same as the Christian Pentecost, which comes fifty days after Pascha/Easter.^{[4][Note 1][5]}

One of the biblically ordained Three Pilgrimage Festivals, Shavuot is traditionally celebrated in Israel for one day, where it is a public holiday, and for two days in the diaspora.^[6][7][8]

Significance[edit]

Agricultural (wheat harvest)[edit]

Shavuot is not explicitly named in the Bible as the day on which the Torah was revealed by God to the Israelite nation at Mount Sinai, although this is commonly considered to be its main significance.^[9][10]

What is textually connected in the Bible to the Feast of Shavuot is the season of the grain harvest, specifically of the wheat, in the Land of Israel. In ancient times, the grain harvest lasted seven weeks and was a season of gladness (Jer. 5:24, Deut. 16:9–11, Isa. 9:2). It began with the harvesting of the barley during Passover and ended with the harvesting of the wheat at Shavuot. Shavuot was thus the concluding festival of the grain harvest, just as the eighth day of Sukkot (Tabernacles) was the concluding festival of the fruit harvest. During the existence of the Temple in Jerusalem, an offering of two loaves of bread from the wheat harvest was made on Shavuot according to the commandment in Lev. 23:17.^[5]

The last but one Qumran Scroll to be published has been discovered to contain two festival dates observed by the Qumran sect as part of their formally perfect 364-day calendar, and dedicated to «New Wine» and «New Oil», neither of which is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, but were known from another Qumran manuscript, the Temple Scroll. These festivals «constituted an extension of the festival of Shavuot … which celebrates the New Wheat.» All three festivals are calculated starting from the first Sabbath following Passover, by repeatedly adding exactly fifty days each time: first came New Wheat (Shavuot), then New Wine, and then New Oil.^[11][12] (See also below, at «The Book of Jubilees and the Essenes».)

Scriptural[edit]

Names in the Torah[edit]

In the Bible, Shavuot is called the «Festival of Weeks» (Hebrew: חג השבועות, Chag HaShavuot, Exodus 34:22, Deuteronomy 16:10); «Festival of Reaping» (חג הקציר, Chag HaKatzir, Exodus 23:16),^[13] and «Day of the First Fruits» (יום הבכורים, Yom HaBikkurim, Numbers 28:26).^[14]

Shavuot, the plural of a word meaning «week» or «seven», alludes to the fact that this festival happens exactly seven weeks (i.e. «a week of weeks») after Passover.^[15]

In the Talmud[edit]

The Talmud refers to Shavuot as ʻAṣeret (Hebrew: עצרת,^[16] «refraining» or «holding back»),^[17] referring to the prohibition against work on this holiday^[17] and also to the conclusion of the Passover holiday-season.^[18] The other reason given for the reference ʻAṣeret is that just as Shemini ʻAṣeret brings the Festival of Succoth to a «close», in the same respect, Shavuot (ʻAṣeret) brings The Festival of Passover to its actual «close». Since Shavuot occurs fifty days after Passover, Hellenistic Jews gave it the name «Pentecost» (Koinē Greek: Πεντηκοστή, «fiftieth day»).^[19]

Ancient observances[edit]

Ceremony of First Fruits, Bikkurim[edit]

Shavuot was also the first day on which individuals could bring the Bikkurim (first fruits) to the Temple in Jerusalem (Mishnah Bikkurim 1:3). The Bikkurim were brought from the Seven Species for which the Land of Israel is praised: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates (Deuteronomy 8:8).^[19]

In the largely agrarian society of ancient Israel, Jewish farmers would tie a reed around the first ripening fruits from each of these species in their fields. At the time of harvest, the fruits identified by the reed would be cut and placed in baskets woven of gold and silver. The baskets would then be loaded on oxen whose horns were gilded and laced with garlands of flowers, and who were led in a grand procession to Jerusalem. As the farmer and his entourage passed through cities and towns, they would be accompanied by music and parades.^[20]

Temple in Jerusalem[edit]

At the Temple in Jerusalem, each farmer would present his Bikkurim to a Kohen in a ceremony that followed the text of Deut. 26:1–10.

This text begins by stating: «An Aramean tried to destroy my father,» referring to Laban’s efforts to weaken Jacob and rob him of his progeny (Targum Onkelos and Rashi on Deut. 26:5) – or by an alternate translation, the text states «My father was a wandering Aramean,» referring to the fact that Jacob was a penniless wanderer in the land of Aram for twenty years (Abraham ibn Ezra on Deut. 26:5).

The text proceeds to retell the history of the Jewish people as they went into exile in Ancient Egypt and were enslaved and oppressed; following which God redeemed them and brought them to the land of Israel.

The ceremony of Bikkurim conveys gratitude to God both for the first fruits of the field and for His guidance throughout Jewish history (Scherman, page 1068).

Modern religious observances[edit]

Nowadays in the post-Temple era, Shavuot is the only biblically ordained holiday that has no specific laws attached to it other than usual festival requirements of abstaining from creative work. The rabbinic observances for the holiday include reciting additional prayers, making kiddush, partaking of meals and being in a state of joy. There are however many customs which are observed on Shavuot.^[21] A mnemonic for the customs largely observed in Ashkenazi communities spells the Hebrew word aḥarit (אחרית‎, «last»):

• אקדמות‎ – Aqdamut, the reading of a piyyut (liturgical poem) during Shavuot morning synagogue services
• חלב‎ – ḥalav (milk), the consumption of dairy products like milk and cheese
• רות‎ – Rut, the reading of the Book of Ruth at morning services (outside Israel: on the second day)
• ירק‎ – Yereq (greening), the decoration of homes and synagogues with greenery
• תורה‎ – Torah, engaging in all-night Torah study.

The yahrzeit of King David is traditionally observed on Shavuot. Hasidic Jews also observe the yahrzeit of the Baal Shem Tov.^[22]

Liturgical poems[edit]

Aqdamut[edit]

The Aqdamut (Imperial Aramaic: אקדמות) is a liturgical poem recited by Ashkenazi Jews extolling the greatness of God, the Torah, and Israel that is read publicly in Ashkenazic synagogues in the middle or – or in some communities right before – the morning reading of the Torah on the first day of Shavuot. It was composed by Rabbi Meir of Worms. Rabbi Meir was forced to defend the Torah and his Jewish faith in a debate with local priests and successfully conveyed his certainty of God’s power, His love for the Jewish people, and the excellence of Torah. Afterwards he wrote the Aqdamut, a 90-line poem in Aramaic that stresses these themes. The poem is written in a double acrostic pattern according to the order of the Hebrew alphabet. In addition, each line ends with the syllable ta (תא‎), the last and first letters of the Hebrew alphabet, alluding to the endlessness of Torah. The traditional melodies that accompanies this poem also conveys a sense of grandeur and triumph.^[23]

Azharot[edit]

There is an ancient tradition to recite poems known as Azharot listing the commandments. This was already considered a well-established custom in the 9th century.^[24] These piyyutim were originally recited during the chazzan’s repetition of the Mussaf amidah, in some communities they were later moved to a different part of the service.

Some Ashkenazic communities maintain the original practice of reciting the Azharot during musaf; they recite «Ata hinchlata» on the first day and «Azharat Reishit» on the second, both from the early Geonic period. Italian Jews do the same except that they switch the piyyutim of the two day, and in recent centuries, «Ata hinchlata» has been truncated to include only one 22-line poem instead of eight. Many Sephardic Jews recite the Azharot of Solomon ibn Gabirol before the mincha service; in many communities, the positive commandments are recited on the first day and the negative commandments on the second day.

Yatziv Pitgam[edit]

The liturgical poem Yatziv Pitgam (Imperial Aramaic: יציב פתגם) is recited by some synagogues in the diaspora on the second day of Shavuot. The author signs his name at the beginning of the poem’s 15 lines – Yaakov ben Meir Levi, better knows as Rabbeinu Tam.^[25]

Dairy foods[edit]

Dairy foods such as cheesecake, cheese blintzes,^[26] and cheese kreplach among Ashkenazi Jews;^[27] cheese sambusak,^[28] kelsonnes (cheese ravioli),^[29] and atayef (a cheese-filled pancake)^[30] among Syrian Jews; kahee (a dough that is buttered and sugared) among Iraqi Jews;^[30] and a seven-layer cake called siete cielos (seven heavens) among Tunisian and Moroccan Jews^[30][31] are traditionally consumed on the Shavuot holiday. Yemenite Jews do not eat dairy foods on Shavuot.^[30]

In keeping with the observance of other Jewish holidays, there is both a night meal and a day meal on Shavuot. Meat is usually served at night and dairy is served either for the day meal^[27] or for a morning kiddush.^[32]

Among the explanations given in rabbinic literature for the consumption of dairy foods on this holiday are:^[33][34]

• Before they received the Torah, the Israelites were not obligated to follow its laws, which include shechita (ritual slaughter of animals) and kashrut. Since all their meat pots and dishes now had to be made kosher before use, they opted to eat dairy foods.
• The Torah is compared to milk by King Solomon, who wrote: «Like honey and milk, it lies under your tongue» (Song of Songs 4:11).
• The gematria of the Hebrew word ḥalav (חלב‎) is 40, corresponding to the forty days and forty nights that Moses spent on Mount Sinai before bringing down the Torah.
• According to the Zohar, each day of the year correlates to one of the Torah’s 365 negative commandments. Shavuot corresponds to the commandment «Bring the first fruits of your land to the house of God your Lord; do not cook a kid in its mother’s milk» (Exodus 34:26). Since the first day to bring Bikkurim (the first fruits) is Shavuot, the second half of the verse refers to the custom to eat two separate meals – one milk, one meat – on Shavuot.
• The Psalms call Mount Sinai Har Gavnunim (הר גבננים‎, mountain of majestic peaks, Psalm 68:16–17/15–16 ), which is etymologically similar to gevinah (גבינה‎, cheese).

Book of Ruth[edit]

There are five books in Tanakh that are known as Megillot (Hebrew: מגילות‎, «scrolls») and are publicly read in the synagogues of some Jewish communities on different Jewish holidays.^[35] The Book of Ruth (מגילת רות‎, Megillat Ruth) is read on Shavuot because:

1. King David, Ruth’s descendant, was born and died on Shavuot (Jerusalem Talmud Hagigah 2:3);
2. Shavuot is harvest time [Exodus 23:16], and the events of Book of Ruth occur at harvest time;
3. The gematria (numerical value) of Ruth is 606, the number of commandments given at Sinai in addition to the Seven Laws of Noah already given, for a total of 613;
4. Because Shavuot is traditionally cited as the day of the giving of the Torah, the entry of the entire Jewish people into the covenant of the Torah is a major theme of the day. Ruth’s conversion to Judaism, and consequent entry into that covenant, is described in the book. This theme accordingly resonates with other themes of the day;
5. Another central theme of the book is ḥesed (loving-kindness), a major theme of the Torah.^[36]

Greenery[edit]

According to the Midrash, Mount Sinai suddenly blossomed with Flowers in anticipation of the giving of the Torah on its summit. It is for this reason that, in fact, Persian Jews refer to the Holiday of Shavuot by an entirely different name, namely, «The Mo’ed of Flowers» (موعد گل) in Persian (their daily language), and never as the Hebrew word «Shavuot» (which means «weeks»).

Shavuot is one of the three Mo’edim («appointed times») in the five Books of Moses: The Mo’ed (מועד) of the first month [Nisan], (i.e. Passover), The Mo’ed of Weeks [Flowers], (i.e. Shavuot), and The Mo’ed of Sukkah (i.e., Succot). The conglomerate name for these three «Pilgrimage Festivals» amongst All Jewish communities the world over is «Shalosh Regalim» (שלוש רגלים), literally «the Three Legs» because in ancient times the way people traveled to the «appointed place» (Jerusalem) at the «appointed time» (Mo’ed) was by walking there with their «legs» (regelim). This idea is translated into English as a «pilgrimage». The text of the Kiddush recited over wine is therefore identical, except for the reference to the particular celebration.

For this reason, many Jewish families traditionally decorate their homes and synagogues with plants, flowers and leafy branches in remembrance of the «sprouting of Mount Sinai» on the day of the Giving of the Torah, namely the seeing and hearing of the 10 Commandments.^[37] Some synagogues decorate the bimah with a canopy of flowers and plants so that it resembles a chuppah, as Shavuot is mystically referred to as the day the matchmaker (Moses) brought the bride (the nation of Israel) to the chuppah (Mount Sinai) to marry the bridegroom (God); the ketubah (marriage contract) was the Torah. Some Eastern Sephardi communities read out a ketubah between God and Israel, composed by Rabbi Israel ben Moses Najara as part of the service. This custom was also adopted by some Hasidic communities, particularly from Hungary.^[38]

The Vilna Gaon cancelled the tradition of decorating with trees because it too closely resembles the Christian decorations for their holidays.^[39]

Greenery also figures in the story of the baby Moses being found among the bulrushes in a watertight cradle (Ex. 2:3) when he was three months old (Moses was born on 7 Adar and placed in the Nile River on 6 Sivan, the same day he later brought the Jewish nation to Mount Sinai to receive the Torah).^[40]

All-night Torah study[edit]

The practice of staying up all Shavuot night to study Torah – known as Tiqun Leyl Shavuot (Hebrew: תקון ליל שבועות) («Rectification for Shavuot Night») – is linked to a Midrash which relates that the night before the Torah was given, the Israelites retired early to be well-rested for the momentous day ahead. They overslept and Moses had to wake them up because God was already waiting on the mountaintop.^[41] To rectify this perceived flaw in the national character, many religious Jews stay up all night to learn Torah.^[42]

The custom of all-night Torah study goes back to 1533 when Rabbi Joseph Caro, author of the Shulchan Aruch, then living in Ottoman Salonika, invited Rabbi Shlomo Halevi Alkabetz and other Kabbalistic colleagues to hold Shavuot-night study vigils for which they prepared for three days in advance, just as the Israelites had prepared for three days before the giving of the Torah. During one of those study sessions, an angel appeared and taught them Jewish law.^[43][44][45]

It has been suggested that the introduction of coffee (containing caffeine) throughout the Ottoman empire may have attributed to the «feasibility and popularity» of the practice of all-night Torah study.^[46][47] In contrast, the custom of Yemenite Jews is to ingest the fresh leaves of a stimulant herb called Khat (containing cathinone) for the all-night ritual, an herb commonly used in that region of the world.

Any subject may be studied on Shavuot night, although Talmud, Mishnah, and Torah typically top the list. People may learn alone or with a chavruta (study partner), or attend late-night shiurim (lectures) and study groups.^[48] In keeping with the custom of engaging in all-night Torah study, leading 16th-century kabbalist Isaac Luria arranged a recital consisting of excerpts from the beginning and end of each of the 24 books of Tanakh (including the reading in full of several key sections such as the account of the days of creation, the Exodus, the giving of the Ten Commandments and the Shema) and the 63 tractates of Mishnah,^[49][50] followed by the reading of Sefer Yetzirah, the 613 commandments as enumerated by Maimonides, and excerpts from the Zohar, with opening and concluding prayers. The whole reading is divided into thirteen parts, after each of which a Kaddish d-Rabbanan is recited when the Tiqun is studied with a minyan. Today, this service is held in many communities, with the notable exception of Spanish and Portuguese Jews. The service is printed in a book called Tiqun Leyl Shavuot.^[51] There exist similar books for the vigils before the seventh day of Pesach and Hosha’ana Rabbah.

In Jerusalem, at the conclusion of the night time study session, tens of thousands of people walk to the Western Wall to pray with sunrise. A week after Israel captured the Old City during the Six-Day War, more than 200,000 Jews streamed to the site on Shavuot, it having been made accessible to Jews for the first time since 1948.^{[48][52][53][54]}

Modern secular observance[edit]

In secular agricultural communities in Israel, such as most kibbutzim and moshavim, Shavuot is celebrated as a harvest and first-fruit festival including a wider, symbolic meaning of joy over the accomplishments of the year. As such, not just agricultural produce and machinery is presented to the community, but also the babies born during the preceding twelve months.^{[55][failed verification]}

Confirmation ceremonies[edit]

In the 19th century several Orthodox synagogues in Britain and Australia held confirmation ceremonies for 12-year-old girls on Shavuot, a precursor to the modern Bat Mitzvah.^[56] The early Reform movement made Shavuot into a religious school graduation day.^[6] Today, Reform synagogues in North America typically hold confirmation ceremonies on Shavuot for students aged 16 to 18 who are completing their religious studies. The graduating class stands in front of an open ark, recalling the standing of the Israelites at Mount Sinai for the giving of the Torah.^[57]

Dates in dispute[edit]

Since the Torah does not specify the actual day on which Shavuot falls, differing interpretations of this date have arisen in both traditional and non-traditional Jewish circles. These discussions center around two ways of looking at Shavuot: the day it actually occurs (i.e., the day the Torah was given on Mount Sinai), and the day it occurs in relation to the Counting of the Omer (being the 50th day from the first day of the Counting).^[58]

Giving of the Torah[edit]

While most of the Talmudic Sages concur that the Torah was given on the sixth of Sivan in the Hebrew calendar, Rabbi Jose holds that it was given on the seventh of that month. According to the classical timeline, the Israelites arrived at the wilderness of Sinai on the new moon (Ex. 19:1) and the Ten Commandments were given on the following Shabbat (i.e., Saturday). The question of whether the new moon fell on Sunday or Monday is undecided (Talmud, tractate Shabbat 86b). In practice, Shavuot is observed on the sixth day of Sivan in Israel^[59] and a second day is added in the Jewish diaspora (in keeping with a separate rabbinical ruling that applies to all biblical holidays, called Yom tov sheni shel galuyot, Second-Day Yom Tov in the diaspora).^[60]

Counting of the Omer[edit]

The Torah states that the Omer offering (i.e., the first day of counting the Omer) is the first day of the barley harvest (Deut. 16:9). It should begin «on the morrow after the Shabbat», and continue to be counted for seven Sabbaths. (Lev. 23:11).

The Talmudic Sages determined that «Shabbat» here means a day of rest and refers to the first day of Passover. Thus, the counting of the Omer begins on the second day of Passover and continues for the next 49 days, or seven complete weeks, ending on the day before Shavuot. According to this calculation, Shavuot will fall on the day of the week after that of the first day of Passover (e.g., if Passover starts on a Thursday, Shavuot will begin on a Friday).

The Book of Jubilees and the Essenes[edit]

This literal interpretation of «Shabbat» as the weekly Shabbat was shared by the author of the Book of Jubilees, who was motivated by the priestly sabbatical solar calendar to have festivals and Sabbaths fall on the same day of the week every year. On this calendar (best known from the Book of Luminaries in the Book of Enoch), Shavuot fell on the 15th of Sivan, a Sunday. The date was reckoned fifty days from the first Shabbat after Passover (i.e. from the 25th of Nisan). Thus, Jub. 1:1 claims that Moses ascended Mount Sinai to receive the Torah «on the sixteenth day of the third month in the first year of the Exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt».

In Jub. 6:15–22 and 44:1–5, the holiday is traced to the appearance of the first rainbow on the 15th of Sivan, the day on which God made his covenant with Noah.

The Qumran community, commonly associated with the Essenes, held in its library several texts mentioning Shavuot, most notably a Hebrew original of the Book of Jubilees, which sought to fix the celebration of this Feast of Weeks on 15 of Sivan, following their interpretation of Exodus 19:1.^[61] (See also above, at «Agricultural (wheat harvest)».)

Notes and references[edit]

General sources[edit]

• Brofsky, David (2013). Hilkhot Moadim: Understanding the Laws of the Festivals. Jerusalem: Koren Publishers. ISBN 9781592643523.
• Kitov, Eliyahu (1978). The Book of Our Heritage: The Jewish Year and Its Days of Significance. Vol. 3: Iyar-Elul. Jerusalem: Feldheim Publishers. ISBN 978-0-87306-151-3.
• Scherman, Nosson, ed. (1993). The Chumash: The Torah: Haftaros and Five Megillos with a Commentary Anthologized from the Rabbinic Writings. ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications. ISBN 978-0-89906-014-9.

External links[edit]

• Shavuot at Chabad.org
• Jewish Holidays: Shavuot at the Orthodox Union
• Jewish Confirmation at My Jewish Learning
• Shavous: Themes, Torah, Videos and More Aish.com

For the Talmudical tractate, see Shevu’ot.

Shavuоt
Shavuot by Moritz Daniel Oppenheim
Official name	Hebrew: שבועות or חג השבועות (Ḥag HaShavuot or Shavuos)
Also called	English: «Feast of Weeks»
Observed by	Jews and Samaritans
Type	Jewish and Samaritan
Significance	One of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals. Celebrates the revelation of the Five Books of the Torah by God to Moses and to the Israelites at Mount Sinai, 49 days (seven weeks) after the Exodus from ancient Egypt. Commemorates the wheat harvesting in the Land of Israel. Culmination of the 49 days of the Counting of the Omer.
Celebrations	Festive meals. All-night Torah study. Recital of Akdamut liturgical poem in Ashkenazic synagogues. Reading of the Book of Ruth. Eating of dairy products. Decoration of homes and synagogues with greenery (Orach Chayim, 494).
Begins	6th day of Sivan (or the Sunday following the 6th day of Sivan in Karaite Judaism)
Ends	7th (in Israel: 6th) day of Sivan
Date	6 Sivan
2022 date	Sunset, 4 June – nightfall, 6 June[1]
2023 date	Sunset, 25 May – nightfall, 27 May[1]
2024 date	Sunset, 11 June – nightfall, 13 June[1]
2025 date	Sunset, 1 June – nightfall, 3 June[1]
Related to	Passover, which precedes Shavuot

Shavuot (listen (help·info)), or Shavuos (listen (help·info)) in some Ashkenazi usage (Hebrew: שָׁבוּעוֹת‎, Šāvūʿōṯ, lit. «Weeks»), commonly known in English as the Feast of Weeks, is a Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan (in the 21st century, it may fall between May 15 and June 14 on the Gregorian calendar). In the Bible, Shavuot marked the wheat harvest in the Land of Israel (Exodus 34:22). In addition, Orthodox rabbinic traditions teach that the date also marks the revelation of the Torah to Moses and the Israelites at Mount Sinai, which, according to the tradition of Orthodox Judaism, occurred at this date in 1314 BCE.^[2]

The word Shavuot means «weeks», and it marks the conclusion of the Counting of the Omer. Its date is directly linked to that of Passover; the Torah mandates the seven-week Counting of the Omer, beginning on the second day of Passover, to be immediately followed by Shavuot. This counting of days and weeks is understood to express anticipation and desire for the giving of the Torah. On Passover, the people of Israel were freed from their enslavement to Pharaoh; on Shavuot, they were given the Torah and became a nation committed to serving God.^[3]

While it is sometimes referred to as Pentecost (in Koinē Greek: Πεντηκοστή) due to its timing after Passover, «pentecost» meaning «fifty» in Greek and Shavuot occurring fifty days after the first day of Pesach/Passover, it is not the same as the Christian Pentecost, which comes fifty days after Pascha/Easter.^{[4][Note 1][5]}

One of the biblically ordained Three Pilgrimage Festivals, Shavuot is traditionally celebrated in Israel for one day, where it is a public holiday, and for two days in the diaspora.^[6][7][8]

Significance[edit]

Agricultural (wheat harvest)[edit]

Shavuot is not explicitly named in the Bible as the day on which the Torah was revealed by God to the Israelite nation at Mount Sinai, although this is commonly considered to be its main significance.^[9][10]

What is textually connected in the Bible to the Feast of Shavuot is the season of the grain harvest, specifically of the wheat, in the Land of Israel. In ancient times, the grain harvest lasted seven weeks and was a season of gladness (Jer. 5:24, Deut. 16:9–11, Isa. 9:2). It began with the harvesting of the barley during Passover and ended with the harvesting of the wheat at Shavuot. Shavuot was thus the concluding festival of the grain harvest, just as the eighth day of Sukkot (Tabernacles) was the concluding festival of the fruit harvest. During the existence of the Temple in Jerusalem, an offering of two loaves of bread from the wheat harvest was made on Shavuot according to the commandment in Lev. 23:17.^[5]

The last but one Qumran Scroll to be published has been discovered to contain two festival dates observed by the Qumran sect as part of their formally perfect 364-day calendar, and dedicated to «New Wine» and «New Oil», neither of which is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, but were known from another Qumran manuscript, the Temple Scroll. These festivals «constituted an extension of the festival of Shavuot … which celebrates the New Wheat.» All three festivals are calculated starting from the first Sabbath following Passover, by repeatedly adding exactly fifty days each time: first came New Wheat (Shavuot), then New Wine, and then New Oil.^[11][12] (See also below, at «The Book of Jubilees and the Essenes».)

Scriptural[edit]

Names in the Torah[edit]

In the Bible, Shavuot is called the «Festival of Weeks» (Hebrew: חג השבועות, Chag HaShavuot, Exodus 34:22, Deuteronomy 16:10); «Festival of Reaping» (חג הקציר, Chag HaKatzir, Exodus 23:16),^[13] and «Day of the First Fruits» (יום הבכורים, Yom HaBikkurim, Numbers 28:26).^[14]

Shavuot, the plural of a word meaning «week» or «seven», alludes to the fact that this festival happens exactly seven weeks (i.e. «a week of weeks») after Passover.^[15]

In the Talmud[edit]

The Talmud refers to Shavuot as ʻAṣeret (Hebrew: עצרת,^[16] «refraining» or «holding back»),^[17] referring to the prohibition against work on this holiday^[17] and also to the conclusion of the Passover holiday-season.^[18] The other reason given for the reference ʻAṣeret is that just as Shemini ʻAṣeret brings the Festival of Succoth to a «close», in the same respect, Shavuot (ʻAṣeret) brings The Festival of Passover to its actual «close». Since Shavuot occurs fifty days after Passover, Hellenistic Jews gave it the name «Pentecost» (Koinē Greek: Πεντηκοστή, «fiftieth day»).^[19]

Ancient observances[edit]

Ceremony of First Fruits, Bikkurim[edit]

Shavuot was also the first day on which individuals could bring the Bikkurim (first fruits) to the Temple in Jerusalem (Mishnah Bikkurim 1:3). The Bikkurim were brought from the Seven Species for which the Land of Israel is praised: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates (Deuteronomy 8:8).^[19]

In the largely agrarian society of ancient Israel, Jewish farmers would tie a reed around the first ripening fruits from each of these species in their fields. At the time of harvest, the fruits identified by the reed would be cut and placed in baskets woven of gold and silver. The baskets would then be loaded on oxen whose horns were gilded and laced with garlands of flowers, and who were led in a grand procession to Jerusalem. As the farmer and his entourage passed through cities and towns, they would be accompanied by music and parades.^[20]

Temple in Jerusalem[edit]

At the Temple in Jerusalem, each farmer would present his Bikkurim to a Kohen in a ceremony that followed the text of Deut. 26:1–10.

This text begins by stating: «An Aramean tried to destroy my father,» referring to Laban’s efforts to weaken Jacob and rob him of his progeny (Targum Onkelos and Rashi on Deut. 26:5) – or by an alternate translation, the text states «My father was a wandering Aramean,» referring to the fact that Jacob was a penniless wanderer in the land of Aram for twenty years (Abraham ibn Ezra on Deut. 26:5).

The text proceeds to retell the history of the Jewish people as they went into exile in Ancient Egypt and were enslaved and oppressed; following which God redeemed them and brought them to the land of Israel.

The ceremony of Bikkurim conveys gratitude to God both for the first fruits of the field and for His guidance throughout Jewish history (Scherman, page 1068).

Modern religious observances[edit]

Nowadays in the post-Temple era, Shavuot is the only biblically ordained holiday that has no specific laws attached to it other than usual festival requirements of abstaining from creative work. The rabbinic observances for the holiday include reciting additional prayers, making kiddush, partaking of meals and being in a state of joy. There are however many customs which are observed on Shavuot.^[21] A mnemonic for the customs largely observed in Ashkenazi communities spells the Hebrew word aḥarit (אחרית‎, «last»):

• אקדמות‎ – Aqdamut, the reading of a piyyut (liturgical poem) during Shavuot morning synagogue services
• חלב‎ – ḥalav (milk), the consumption of dairy products like milk and cheese
• רות‎ – Rut, the reading of the Book of Ruth at morning services (outside Israel: on the second day)
• ירק‎ – Yereq (greening), the decoration of homes and synagogues with greenery
• תורה‎ – Torah, engaging in all-night Torah study.

The yahrzeit of King David is traditionally observed on Shavuot. Hasidic Jews also observe the yahrzeit of the Baal Shem Tov.^[22]

Liturgical poems[edit]

Aqdamut[edit]

The Aqdamut (Imperial Aramaic: אקדמות) is a liturgical poem recited by Ashkenazi Jews extolling the greatness of God, the Torah, and Israel that is read publicly in Ashkenazic synagogues in the middle or – or in some communities right before – the morning reading of the Torah on the first day of Shavuot. It was composed by Rabbi Meir of Worms. Rabbi Meir was forced to defend the Torah and his Jewish faith in a debate with local priests and successfully conveyed his certainty of God’s power, His love for the Jewish people, and the excellence of Torah. Afterwards he wrote the Aqdamut, a 90-line poem in Aramaic that stresses these themes. The poem is written in a double acrostic pattern according to the order of the Hebrew alphabet. In addition, each line ends with the syllable ta (תא‎), the last and first letters of the Hebrew alphabet, alluding to the endlessness of Torah. The traditional melodies that accompanies this poem also conveys a sense of grandeur and triumph.^[23]

Azharot[edit]

There is an ancient tradition to recite poems known as Azharot listing the commandments. This was already considered a well-established custom in the 9th century.^[24] These piyyutim were originally recited during the chazzan’s repetition of the Mussaf amidah, in some communities they were later moved to a different part of the service.

Some Ashkenazic communities maintain the original practice of reciting the Azharot during musaf; they recite «Ata hinchlata» on the first day and «Azharat Reishit» on the second, both from the early Geonic period. Italian Jews do the same except that they switch the piyyutim of the two day, and in recent centuries, «Ata hinchlata» has been truncated to include only one 22-line poem instead of eight. Many Sephardic Jews recite the Azharot of Solomon ibn Gabirol before the mincha service; in many communities, the positive commandments are recited on the first day and the negative commandments on the second day.

Yatziv Pitgam[edit]

The liturgical poem Yatziv Pitgam (Imperial Aramaic: יציב פתגם) is recited by some synagogues in the diaspora on the second day of Shavuot. The author signs his name at the beginning of the poem’s 15 lines – Yaakov ben Meir Levi, better knows as Rabbeinu Tam.^[25]

Dairy foods[edit]

Dairy foods such as cheesecake, cheese blintzes,^[26] and cheese kreplach among Ashkenazi Jews;^[27] cheese sambusak,^[28] kelsonnes (cheese ravioli),^[29] and atayef (a cheese-filled pancake)^[30] among Syrian Jews; kahee (a dough that is buttered and sugared) among Iraqi Jews;^[30] and a seven-layer cake called siete cielos (seven heavens) among Tunisian and Moroccan Jews^[30][31] are traditionally consumed on the Shavuot holiday. Yemenite Jews do not eat dairy foods on Shavuot.^[30]

In keeping with the observance of other Jewish holidays, there is both a night meal and a day meal on Shavuot. Meat is usually served at night and dairy is served either for the day meal^[27] or for a morning kiddush.^[32]

Among the explanations given in rabbinic literature for the consumption of dairy foods on this holiday are:^[33][34]

• Before they received the Torah, the Israelites were not obligated to follow its laws, which include shechita (ritual slaughter of animals) and kashrut. Since all their meat pots and dishes now had to be made kosher before use, they opted to eat dairy foods.
• The Torah is compared to milk by King Solomon, who wrote: «Like honey and milk, it lies under your tongue» (Song of Songs 4:11).
• The gematria of the Hebrew word ḥalav (חלב‎) is 40, corresponding to the forty days and forty nights that Moses spent on Mount Sinai before bringing down the Torah.
• According to the Zohar, each day of the year correlates to one of the Torah’s 365 negative commandments. Shavuot corresponds to the commandment «Bring the first fruits of your land to the house of God your Lord; do not cook a kid in its mother’s milk» (Exodus 34:26). Since the first day to bring Bikkurim (the first fruits) is Shavuot, the second half of the verse refers to the custom to eat two separate meals – one milk, one meat – on Shavuot.
• The Psalms call Mount Sinai Har Gavnunim (הר גבננים‎, mountain of majestic peaks, Psalm 68:16–17/15–16 ), which is etymologically similar to gevinah (גבינה‎, cheese).

Book of Ruth[edit]

There are five books in Tanakh that are known as Megillot (Hebrew: מגילות‎, «scrolls») and are publicly read in the synagogues of some Jewish communities on different Jewish holidays.^[35] The Book of Ruth (מגילת רות‎, Megillat Ruth) is read on Shavuot because:

1. King David, Ruth’s descendant, was born and died on Shavuot (Jerusalem Talmud Hagigah 2:3);
2. Shavuot is harvest time [Exodus 23:16], and the events of Book of Ruth occur at harvest time;
3. The gematria (numerical value) of Ruth is 606, the number of commandments given at Sinai in addition to the Seven Laws of Noah already given, for a total of 613;
4. Because Shavuot is traditionally cited as the day of the giving of the Torah, the entry of the entire Jewish people into the covenant of the Torah is a major theme of the day. Ruth’s conversion to Judaism, and consequent entry into that covenant, is described in the book. This theme accordingly resonates with other themes of the day;
5. Another central theme of the book is ḥesed (loving-kindness), a major theme of the Torah.^[36]

Greenery[edit]

According to the Midrash, Mount Sinai suddenly blossomed with Flowers in anticipation of the giving of the Torah on its summit. It is for this reason that, in fact, Persian Jews refer to the Holiday of Shavuot by an entirely different name, namely, «The Mo’ed of Flowers» (موعد گل) in Persian (their daily language), and never as the Hebrew word «Shavuot» (which means «weeks»).

Shavuot is one of the three Mo’edim («appointed times») in the five Books of Moses: The Mo’ed (מועד) of the first month [Nisan], (i.e. Passover), The Mo’ed of Weeks [Flowers], (i.e. Shavuot), and The Mo’ed of Sukkah (i.e., Succot). The conglomerate name for these three «Pilgrimage Festivals» amongst All Jewish communities the world over is «Shalosh Regalim» (שלוש רגלים), literally «the Three Legs» because in ancient times the way people traveled to the «appointed place» (Jerusalem) at the «appointed time» (Mo’ed) was by walking there with their «legs» (regelim). This idea is translated into English as a «pilgrimage». The text of the Kiddush recited over wine is therefore identical, except for the reference to the particular celebration.

For this reason, many Jewish families traditionally decorate their homes and synagogues with plants, flowers and leafy branches in remembrance of the «sprouting of Mount Sinai» on the day of the Giving of the Torah, namely the seeing and hearing of the 10 Commandments.^[37] Some synagogues decorate the bimah with a canopy of flowers and plants so that it resembles a chuppah, as Shavuot is mystically referred to as the day the matchmaker (Moses) brought the bride (the nation of Israel) to the chuppah (Mount Sinai) to marry the bridegroom (God); the ketubah (marriage contract) was the Torah. Some Eastern Sephardi communities read out a ketubah between God and Israel, composed by Rabbi Israel ben Moses Najara as part of the service. This custom was also adopted by some Hasidic communities, particularly from Hungary.^[38]

The Vilna Gaon cancelled the tradition of decorating with trees because it too closely resembles the Christian decorations for their holidays.^[39]

Greenery also figures in the story of the baby Moses being found among the bulrushes in a watertight cradle (Ex. 2:3) when he was three months old (Moses was born on 7 Adar and placed in the Nile River on 6 Sivan, the same day he later brought the Jewish nation to Mount Sinai to receive the Torah).^[40]

All-night Torah study[edit]

The practice of staying up all Shavuot night to study Torah – known as Tiqun Leyl Shavuot (Hebrew: תקון ליל שבועות) («Rectification for Shavuot Night») – is linked to a Midrash which relates that the night before the Torah was given, the Israelites retired early to be well-rested for the momentous day ahead. They overslept and Moses had to wake them up because God was already waiting on the mountaintop.^[41] To rectify this perceived flaw in the national character, many religious Jews stay up all night to learn Torah.^[42]

The custom of all-night Torah study goes back to 1533 when Rabbi Joseph Caro, author of the Shulchan Aruch, then living in Ottoman Salonika, invited Rabbi Shlomo Halevi Alkabetz and other Kabbalistic colleagues to hold Shavuot-night study vigils for which they prepared for three days in advance, just as the Israelites had prepared for three days before the giving of the Torah. During one of those study sessions, an angel appeared and taught them Jewish law.^[43][44][45]

It has been suggested that the introduction of coffee (containing caffeine) throughout the Ottoman empire may have attributed to the «feasibility and popularity» of the practice of all-night Torah study.^[46][47] In contrast, the custom of Yemenite Jews is to ingest the fresh leaves of a stimulant herb called Khat (containing cathinone) for the all-night ritual, an herb commonly used in that region of the world.

Any subject may be studied on Shavuot night, although Talmud, Mishnah, and Torah typically top the list. People may learn alone or with a chavruta (study partner), or attend late-night shiurim (lectures) and study groups.^[48] In keeping with the custom of engaging in all-night Torah study, leading 16th-century kabbalist Isaac Luria arranged a recital consisting of excerpts from the beginning and end of each of the 24 books of Tanakh (including the reading in full of several key sections such as the account of the days of creation, the Exodus, the giving of the Ten Commandments and the Shema) and the 63 tractates of Mishnah,^[49][50] followed by the reading of Sefer Yetzirah, the 613 commandments as enumerated by Maimonides, and excerpts from the Zohar, with opening and concluding prayers. The whole reading is divided into thirteen parts, after each of which a Kaddish d-Rabbanan is recited when the Tiqun is studied with a minyan. Today, this service is held in many communities, with the notable exception of Spanish and Portuguese Jews. The service is printed in a book called Tiqun Leyl Shavuot.^[51] There exist similar books for the vigils before the seventh day of Pesach and Hosha’ana Rabbah.

In Jerusalem, at the conclusion of the night time study session, tens of thousands of people walk to the Western Wall to pray with sunrise. A week after Israel captured the Old City during the Six-Day War, more than 200,000 Jews streamed to the site on Shavuot, it having been made accessible to Jews for the first time since 1948.^{[48][52][53][54]}

Modern secular observance[edit]

In secular agricultural communities in Israel, such as most kibbutzim and moshavim, Shavuot is celebrated as a harvest and first-fruit festival including a wider, symbolic meaning of joy over the accomplishments of the year. As such, not just agricultural produce and machinery is presented to the community, but also the babies born during the preceding twelve months.^{[55][failed verification]}

Confirmation ceremonies[edit]

In the 19th century several Orthodox synagogues in Britain and Australia held confirmation ceremonies for 12-year-old girls on Shavuot, a precursor to the modern Bat Mitzvah.^[56] The early Reform movement made Shavuot into a religious school graduation day.^[6] Today, Reform synagogues in North America typically hold confirmation ceremonies on Shavuot for students aged 16 to 18 who are completing their religious studies. The graduating class stands in front of an open ark, recalling the standing of the Israelites at Mount Sinai for the giving of the Torah.^[57]

Dates in dispute[edit]

Since the Torah does not specify the actual day on which Shavuot falls, differing interpretations of this date have arisen in both traditional and non-traditional Jewish circles. These discussions center around two ways of looking at Shavuot: the day it actually occurs (i.e., the day the Torah was given on Mount Sinai), and the day it occurs in relation to the Counting of the Omer (being the 50th day from the first day of the Counting).^[58]

Giving of the Torah[edit]

While most of the Talmudic Sages concur that the Torah was given on the sixth of Sivan in the Hebrew calendar, Rabbi Jose holds that it was given on the seventh of that month. According to the classical timeline, the Israelites arrived at the wilderness of Sinai on the new moon (Ex. 19:1) and the Ten Commandments were given on the following Shabbat (i.e., Saturday). The question of whether the new moon fell on Sunday or Monday is undecided (Talmud, tractate Shabbat 86b). In practice, Shavuot is observed on the sixth day of Sivan in Israel^[59] and a second day is added in the Jewish diaspora (in keeping with a separate rabbinical ruling that applies to all biblical holidays, called Yom tov sheni shel galuyot, Second-Day Yom Tov in the diaspora).^[60]

Counting of the Omer[edit]

The Torah states that the Omer offering (i.e., the first day of counting the Omer) is the first day of the barley harvest (Deut. 16:9). It should begin «on the morrow after the Shabbat», and continue to be counted for seven Sabbaths. (Lev. 23:11).

The Talmudic Sages determined that «Shabbat» here means a day of rest and refers to the first day of Passover. Thus, the counting of the Omer begins on the second day of Passover and continues for the next 49 days, or seven complete weeks, ending on the day before Shavuot. According to this calculation, Shavuot will fall on the day of the week after that of the first day of Passover (e.g., if Passover starts on a Thursday, Shavuot will begin on a Friday).

The Book of Jubilees and the Essenes[edit]

This literal interpretation of «Shabbat» as the weekly Shabbat was shared by the author of the Book of Jubilees, who was motivated by the priestly sabbatical solar calendar to have festivals and Sabbaths fall on the same day of the week every year. On this calendar (best known from the Book of Luminaries in the Book of Enoch), Shavuot fell on the 15th of Sivan, a Sunday. The date was reckoned fifty days from the first Shabbat after Passover (i.e. from the 25th of Nisan). Thus, Jub. 1:1 claims that Moses ascended Mount Sinai to receive the Torah «on the sixteenth day of the third month in the first year of the Exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt».

In Jub. 6:15–22 and 44:1–5, the holiday is traced to the appearance of the first rainbow on the 15th of Sivan, the day on which God made his covenant with Noah.

The Qumran community, commonly associated with the Essenes, held in its library several texts mentioning Shavuot, most notably a Hebrew original of the Book of Jubilees, which sought to fix the celebration of this Feast of Weeks on 15 of Sivan, following their interpretation of Exodus 19:1.^[61] (See also above, at «Agricultural (wheat harvest)».)

Notes and references[edit]

General sources[edit]

• Brofsky, David (2013). Hilkhot Moadim: Understanding the Laws of the Festivals. Jerusalem: Koren Publishers. ISBN 9781592643523.
• Kitov, Eliyahu (1978). The Book of Our Heritage: The Jewish Year and Its Days of Significance. Vol. 3: Iyar-Elul. Jerusalem: Feldheim Publishers. ISBN 978-0-87306-151-3.
• Scherman, Nosson, ed. (1993). The Chumash: The Torah: Haftaros and Five Megillos with a Commentary Anthologized from the Rabbinic Writings. ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications. ISBN 978-0-89906-014-9.

External links[edit]

• Shavuot at Chabad.org
• Jewish Holidays: Shavuot at the Orthodox Union
• Jewish Confirmation at My Jewish Learning
• Shavous: Themes, Torah, Videos and More Aish.com

Праздник Шавуот имеет и другие названия. Его называют также Пятидесятница, Праздник семи седмиц, Праздник жатвы, Праздник Дарования Торы, Праздник первых плодов, ха-Ацерет.

Торжество не только тесно связано с историей еврейского народа и иудаизма, но и имеет аналоги в христианской традиции. Когда наступит Шавуот в 2023 году, какова его история и традиции — рассказываем в материале КП.

Когда отмечается Шавуот в 2023 году

Еврейский весенний праздник не столь продолжителен по времени как другие. На его отмечание отводится всего два дня. Начинается Шавуот на пятидесятый день после окончания Пасхи. Отсюда его и другие названия — Пятидесятница, или Праздник семи седмиц. В христианской традиции есть аналогичное торжество — Троица.

Как и многие праздники в иудаизме, праздник Шавуот не имеет четкой фиксированной даты и разнесен по времени на несколько дней. Он начинается на закате одних суток и завершается также по истечении дня, когда над Землей Обетованной сгущаются темные сумерки. Считается, что все праздничные события вступают в силу именно с заходом солнца, когда на небе зажигаются звезды.

Праздник приходится на третий месяц еврейского года, начинающегося с Нисана и на девятый — года, начинающегося с Тишрея. Иудеи начинают отмечать Шавуот в 2023 году на закате 25 мая и заканчивать вечером 27 мая.

История праздника Шавуот

Изначально праздник Шавуот — Праздник жатвы — имел исключительно аграрное значение. Однако с ускорением процесса урбанизации смыслы были несколько изменены. Древнейшая история, связанная с земледелием, была вытеснена историко-мифологическими значениями. На помощь пришли библейские сюжеты, написавшие для Шавуота новую основу.

Чтобы древний праздник не потерял своего значения, его тесно связали с преданиями по истории еврейского народа. По прошествии семи недель блуждающие по пустыне иудеи приближаются к горе Синай и получают от Господа свою Книгу заповедей — Тору. В библейской истории это событие трактуется как Синайское откровение, почитаемое всеми приверженцами иудейской веры. Именно в конце весны 1312 года до нашей эры, как считают евреи, им была дарована Тора и ее Десять заповедей. Именно они чтятся в качестве морально-этической основы всего иудейского мира. В честь этого события и появилось новое обоснование праздника Шавуот.

Скрижали с заповедями были переданы пророку Моисею, водившему еврейский народ по пустыне. Живший на горе Синай Моисей по преданию составил первые заповеди и записал их. Спустя полторы тысячи лет все заповеди объединили в печатный свод правовых и религиозно-этических положений иудаизма — Талмуд. Часть «устных заповедей» пророка Моисея была записана в еврейских духовно-этических книгах, объединенных под общим названием — Мидраш. Таким образом, праздник Шавуот имеет под собой как земледельческое значение, связанное с урожаем, так и внесенный позднее исторический подтекст. Евреи считают, что праздник Шавуот как никакой другой связан с их национальной идентичностью.

Традиции и правила праздника

Никакой древний еврейский праздник не может обходиться без молитвы. Шавуот — не исключение. Вечером читается специальная молитва — Маарив. Наутро произносится галель — молитва, выражающая хвалу и благодарность Богу. В этот день все синагоги украшают дарами природы или просто свежей зеленью. В синагоги приходят семьями — к празднику приобщают и детей, которые вместе со взрослыми не должны спать всю праздничную ночь. Ведь евреи чуть не проспали три тысячи лет назад момент дарования Торы. Любимой частью праздника для детей становится угощение — традиционное сладкое блюдо «Гора Синай», похожее на кулич.

Для взрослых свои угощения и свои пищевые и вкусовые традиции, связанные с древностью и современностью. Особое значение в день Шавуота придают употреблению молочной продукции — молока, сыров, творожных блинчиков. Эта традиция перекликается с библейской историей: вернувшись с горы Синай, странники также довольствовались подобной пищей. Сегодня в эти дни по всему Израилю проводятся различные фестивали молочных изделий и сыров. Можно есть в Шавуот и мясное, но важно, чтобы эти блюда не употребляли вместе с молочными.

По традиции, записанной в Библии, в эти праздничные дни совершались жертвоприношения в Иерусалимский Храм. Сохранилась она и в наше время. Верующие отправляются в Иерусалим, чтобы преподнести Господу первые урожайные дары года.

Популярные вопросы и ответы

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Четыре названия и смысл праздника

Названия праздника

Этот праздник имеет четыре названия.

Первое: «Праздник жатвы», как сказано в Торе: «И праздник жатвы первых плодов труда твоего, того, что засеял ты в поле…» (Шмот, 23, 16).

Второе: «Праздник Шавуот», как сказано в Торе: «И праздник Шавуот совершай у себя при созревании жатвы пшеницы» (Шмот, 34, 22), а также: «И совершай праздник Шавуот Г-споду, Б-гу твоему» (Дварим, 16, 10).

Третье название: «День бикурим — первых плодов», как сказано в Торе: «А в день первых плодов, когда приносите новое хлебное приношение…» (Бемидбар, 28, 26).

Четвертое название — Ацерет («Собрание»). Это название не упоминается в Танахе. Оно было введено еврейскими мудрецами, и они часто им пользовались.

«Праздником жатвы» этот праздник назван потому, что он приходится на время жатвы пшеницы. Пшеница вызревает позже всех других злаков, и с уборкой ее завершается жатва года. Этот праздник отмечается принесением нового хлебного приношения в Храме Всевышнего.

«Праздником Шавуот» (то есть «недель» или «семерок») он назван потому, что перед его наступлением мы отсчитываем семь недель, а на пятидесятый день празднуем Дарование Всевышним Торы еврейскому народу.

«Днем первых плодов» он назван потому, что в этот день мы приносим в Храм новые приношения, прежде всего — два «хлеба вознесения», после чего получаем разрешение приносить и другие хлебные жертвы из зерна нового урожая. В этот день начинается «сезон первых плодов», когда каждый еврей берет определенное количество рожденных землей плодов (из числа видов, которыми прославлена Эрец Исраэль), кладет эти плоды в корзину и приносит в Храм Всевышнего. Там коген принимает корзину из его рук и кладет на храмовый жертвенник.

Ацеретом («Собранием») он назван мудрецами потому, что он является как бы восьмым днем, завершающим семь дней праздника Песах, и тесно связан с ними. Он продолжает их и является их окончанием. Дни счета омера, что между Песахом и Шавуот, не разделяют праздники (а соединяют их). Таким образом, получается, что Шавуот играет ту же роль для праздника Песах, что Шмини Ацерет для праздника Сукот. Поэтому Шавуот и получил то же название — Ацерет, Ацерет Песаха.

В книге Ялкут Шимони отмечается, что и осенью, после праздника Сукот, Ацерет должен был бы наступить лишь через пятьдесят дней, но из-за того, что это уже сезон дождей, Всевышний не обязал еврейский народ возвращаться домой (из Иерусалима), а потом снова отправляться в Иерусалим.

Знайте, что Тора упоминает праздник Шавуот пять раз. Четыре из этих упоминаний, уже приведенные выше, входят в главы Мишпатим, Тиса, Пинхас и Реэ; пятое, еще не упомянутое — в главу Эмор книги Ваикра. Именно в главе Эмор, где рассказывается обо всех законах и заповедях праздника, он не назван ни одним из имен, которые дала Тора празднику в четырех других местах, где он упоминается лишь попутно. Дело в том, что подробный рассказ о Шавуоте в главе Эмор является как бы естественной частью и продолжением рассказа о Песахе и тесно связан с ним. Почему? Потому, что именно в этом заключается истинный смысл праздника Шавуот — завершать Песах, быть его Аце-ретом.

День собрания

Мудрецы предшествующих поколений рассказывали также, что их древние предшественники назвали Песах Ацеретом потому, что Моше в книге Дварим назвал день Дарования Торы Днем собрания. Ведь прямой смысл слова Ацерет — «День собрания». Это значит, что в этот день весь народ собирается в одном месте.

И еще одно объяснение. Шавуот назван Ацеретом потому, что с этим праздником не связана никакая особенная заповедь, не исполняемая в остальные дни года. Его праздничный характер выражается в том, что в этот день воздерживаются — нээцарим — от исполнения работы.

Лишь один праздничный день

Рабби Шимон говорил: «Песах и Сукот, празднуемые в то время, когда нет необходимости работать в поле, продолжаются семь и восемь дней соответственно. Ацерет, приходящийся на сезон полевых работ, продолжается лишь один день. Это еще раз показывает, как заботится Всевышний об интересах еврейского народа».

Как яблоня среди лесных деревьев

В главе Эмор книги Ваикра Тора говорит: «И провозглашайте в этот самый день: “Священное собрание да будет у вас”» (Ваикра, 23, 21). Речь идет о пятидесятом дне (от начала Песаха), дне, когда Израиль получил Тору. Точно так же, как на пятидесятый день после выхода из Египта наши отцы получили Тору, Всевышний назначил «День первых плодов» (бикурим) на пятидесятый день после начала праздника Песах. Поэтому пророк Гошеа и назвал Израиль «первым плодом»: «Как виноград в пустыне нашел Я Израиль, как первый плод смоковницы в начале созревания ее» (Гошеа, 9, 10). А в Песне Песней сказано: «Как яблоня среди лесных деревьев, так любимый мой среди юношей» (Шир га-ширим, 2, 3). То есть: так же как на яблоне появляется плод через пятьдесят дней после появления почки, так и Израиль получил Тору через пятьдесят дней после выхода из Египта.

В Торе сказано: «И совершай праздник Шавуот Г-споду, Б-гу своему» (Дварим, 16, 9). Чему учат нас эти слова? В другом месте Торы говорится: «И праздник жатвы первых плодов труда твоего…» (Шмот, 23, 16). Если бы не вышеприведенная цитата из книги Дварим, можно было бы сделать ошибочный вывод, что жатва является необходимым условием празднования Шавуота. Однако слова «И совершай праздник Шавуот Г-споду» указывают, что этот праздник должен праздноваться в любом случае — например, когда Израиль находится в изгнании и не может исполнить даже заповедь о сборе омера. Все равно — Тора предписывает: «И совершай праздник Шавуот Г-споду».

Ясный день праздника

Ахитофель завещал своим сыновьям три правила: не враждовать друг с другом; не восставать против власти царей из дома Давида; в случае, если небо в день праздника Шавуот было ясным — сеять пшеницу. Талмуд (Бава батра, 147а) приводит такие слова Аба Шауля: «Если праздник Шавуот приходится на ясный день (то есть на небе нет облаков) — это предвестие хорошего года».

В Иерусалимском Талмуде (Рош Гашана, гл. 4) сказано: «Говоря о жертвоприношениях (мусафах, упомянутых в главе Пинхас), Тора употребляет слово хатаат (“повинная жертва”), однако, перейдя к жертвоприношениям, приносимым в Шавуот, она опускает это слово. Всевышний как бы сказал Израилю: “Поскольку вы приняли на себя бремя Торы, Я буду относиться к вам так, как если бы вы никогда не грешили”».

Две клятвы

В книге Тур барекет рабби Хаим бен Атар делится с читателем следующей замечательной мыслью. Слово «Шавуот» может быть прочитано иначе — «Швуот» (при этом сохраняются все согласные). В таком случае оно означает не «недели», а «клятвы». Множественное число указывает, что этот праздник связан сразу с двумя клятвами. Первая клятва была дана Всевышним Израилю в том, что Он никогда не заменит нас другим народом. Второй клятвой мы поклялись Всевышнему в том, что всегда будем верны Ему и никогда не изменим Ему ради другого бога.

Еврейский праздник Шавуот (Швуэс)

Писание представляет Шавуот как сельскохозяйственный праздник, в который люди подносили Богу каравай из первой пшеницы, свежие финики и прочие плоды (бикурим), чтобы получить благословение Всевышнего на будущий урожай.

Также Шавуот – это праздник вручения евреям Торы – Божьих заповедей, которые диктуют основные постулаты и правила еврейской веры.

Когда празднуют Шавуот (Швуэс)

Еврейский праздник Шавуот – один из трех главных храмовых. Он отмечается через семь недель после еврейской Пасхи – Песаха. Собственно, и название праздника переводится как «недели».

Шавуот также называют Пятидесятницей, ведь семь недель до Песаха – это 49 дней, а Шавуот отмечают на пятидесятый. Точнее накануне пятидесятого дня с заходом солнца, именно так начинаются все еврейские праздники. В 2018 году Пятидесятницу отмечали 20 мая.

Шавуот всегда приходится на разгар сельскохозяйственных работ, поэтому отмечается только один день. В еврейских общинах за пределами Израиля он может отмечаться два дня.

История праздника Шавуот (Швуэс)

Корни этого праздника уходят во времена исхода евреев из Египта. Через два месяца странствий народ остановился у подножья горы Синай. И здесь Бог даровал евреям Десять заповедей праведной жизни – будущую основу Торы.

Каменные скрижали с заповедями были вручены Моисею, к этому времени проведшему на горе уже 40 дней. Помимо письменных заповедей на скрижалях, он получил от Бога устные и частично записал их (Письменная Тора), а остальные были записаны спустя 1,5 тысячи лет и сегодня составляют многотомный Талмуд.

Получив священную Тору, евреи поклялись неотступно исполнять Божьи заповеди, чтобы Всевышний ежегодно благословлял их урожай и народ иудейский процветал.

Наряду с празднованием важного исторического события получения Торы еврейский праздник Шавуот является и праздником жатвы. Это один из трех самых больших еврейских праздников, ведь сельское хозяйство всегда было основой экономики и богатство народа зависело от земли и урожая.

И пусть сегодня немногие евреи имеют личные подсобные хозяйства, символы этого праздника (молочные продукты, пшеница, свиток Торы) все так же популярны и почитаемы в народе. Они встречаются в быту, законах, искусстве.

Обычаи и традиции праздника

Шавуот относится к паломническим праздникам, поэтому накануне каждый еврей принимает «очищение» – погружается в ритуальную воду (микву). Некоторые люди очищаются еще и на следующее утро.

Традиционно вечером в канун праздника зажигаются свечи в домах, а в синагогах проходит торжественное богослужение, после которого евреи собираются дома за праздничным столом.

Обычаи требуют, чтобы в ночь перед Шавуотом никто не спал. Это время следует посвятить чтению и изучению законов Торы. Такова дань той далекой ночи 3000 лет назад, когда евреи не спали ни минуты, ожидая получения священных скрижалей. Наутро принято есть молочные блюда.

Как празднуют?

Шавуот – праздник, в который запрещается работать и, как и во все праздники, зажигать огонь. Пищу можно готовить на огне, зажженном накануне. Даже электрический свет включают вечером перед праздником и не выключают до его окончания. Жилища украшают цветами, зеленью, надеясь на хороший урожай.

Основное событие праздника – чтение заповедей Торы в синагоге следом за утренней молитвой. Их слушают стоя, и здесь больше имеет значение именно приобщение к священной мелодии и сокровенному смыслу заповедей, чем понимание языка.

После заповедей читается священная Книга Руфь. Руфь – прабабушка царя Давида, которая считается эталоном милосердия. И, несмотря на то, что она была моавитянкой, а иудейство приняла позже, именно Руфь помогла евреям победить духовные терзания.

Что готовят?

Главными блюдами на еврейский праздник Шавуот является пища, приготовленная из муки и молока: творог, сметана, сыры, пироги, вареники, блины и пр. Также люди делают выпечку на меду, потому что Тора – как мед для всех, кто ее читает и изучает.

Готовят в Шавуот и блюда из мяса, потому что это один из способов выполнения заповеди «радоваться в праздники свои». Но мясо не должно смешиваться с молочными продуктами как в пределах одной посуды или блюда, так и в пределах одной трапезы.

В целом, еврейский праздник Шавуот несет особое значение для иудеев. Именно в этот день детей начинают приобщать к чтению Торы, изучению письменности, и эти традиции продолжают передаваться и по сей день.

Сегодня, несмотря на меньшую по сравнению с библейскими временами важность сельского хозяйства, Шавуот не теряет своего смысла. Как и прежде, люди в этот день просят благословения Господа и надеются на счастливый год, ожидая не только щедрого урожая, но и здоровья, удачи, радости.

Желаем этого и вам!