The Omer is counted for the final time on the 49th night. The following evening, the festival of Shavuot begins at sundown. Shavuot is the anniversary of the Revelation on Mount Sinai, when God communicated the Torah to the entire Jewish people and in so doing, revealed to them their national mission and purpose. In…
Rabbi Mordchai Becher notes that during Shavuot we read Megillat Rut, which tells the story of the convert Rut. Perhaps even people born Jewish should approach Judaism with the same will and desire as Rut the Convert? View this video directly on Vimeo.
The revelation and giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai was an overwhelming experience for the Jewish people. The Torah describes in great detail how every man, woman and child experienced the word of God with all of their senses. The uniqueness of this account cannot be emphasized enough. God did not whisper to a…
Once a year we get a chance to wipe the slate clean when we reaccept the Torah. View this video directly on VIMEO
Question: Why was the Torah given to us on Shavuot and not right after leaving Egypt or some other day of the year? Thank you. AskTheRabbi.org answered: Good question. There was a key ingredient that was still missing after the Exodus to merit being given the Torah — complete “unity” amongst the Jewish People. Let…
Well, since it is summer, I feel obligated to mow the lawn today so that the kids can actually play there without stumbling over abandoned vehicles. The grass was unbelievable; it was so high it was just ridiculous. So I mowed the lawn, quite successfully I think, and I started thinking about the fact that…
Milk and Honey It is customary to eat dairy foods on Shavuot. Some explain this as one component in re-enacting Sinai. Having just received the laws about kosher food, the Jewish people had no choice but to limit themselves to easily prepared dairy or plant based foods, as opposed to meat that would require kosher…
Countdown to Sinai The Jewish people’s journey toward nationhood began on Passover. The Exodus redeemed us from physical slavery and subjugation but the people still lacked a national identity and purpose. This was conferred upon them only later when the Jewish people both heard and saw the words of God at Mt. Sinai. In those…
We will be celebrating the giving of the Torah this coming Sunday and Monday on Shavuos. So, here a few words about the actual physical artifact of the revelation, the Torah Scroll. Forty years after the Exodus from Egypt, when the Jewish people were finally preparing to enter the Land of Israel, Moses wrote down…
There is more than meets the eye when we sit down to eat on Shabbat afternoon. View this video directly on Vimeo