Shavout - שבועות

Shavuot

SHAVOUT – THE GIVING OF THE TORAH / SPRING FESTIVAL

The name ‘Shavout’, means ‘weeks’ and refers to the timing of the festival, which is held exactly seven weeks after Pesach. The Torah refers to Shavout as Yom Habikkurim, which means “the day of the first fruits”. This is because farmers would set aside the first of their harvest to bring to the Temple in Jerusalem as a token of thanksgiving to G-d. Shavout also commemorates the anniversary of the Ten Commandments being given by G-d to Moses on Mount Sinai. These became the foundation of Jewish law and the moral standard of the whole world.

Along with Pesach and Sukkot, Shavout is one of the Shalosh Regalim, the three pilgrimage holidays on which in ancient times, the Jewish people would visit the Temple in Jerusalem. Nowadays, Shavout centres around the home and the synagogue

Shavout begins with a ritual lighting of the candles at home and the following blessing is recited:

Blessed are You, Eternal One Our G-d, Universal Presence, Who sancifies us with mitzvot (paths of holiness) and gives us this mitzvah of kindling the festival lights.

BA-RUCH A-TA ADO-NAI E-LO-HAY-NU ME-LECH HA-O-LAM A-SHER KI-DE-SHA-NU BE- MITZ-VO-TAV VE-TZI-VA-NU LE-HAD-LIK NER SHEL YOM TOV.

בּרוּךּ אַתָּה יְי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךּ הָעוֹלָם אַשֶׁר קְדְּשָׁנוּ בּמִצְוֹתָו וְצִוִָּנוּ להַדְלּיק נֵר שֶׁל יוֹם טוֹב

Then, people often go to a service at the synagogue, where prayers and poems are recited, such as the Akdamut, a poem that serves as an introduction to the Ten Commandments. It describes G-d’s creation of the world, the song of angels and the greatness and suffering of the Jewish people.

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