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Greetings!
In honor of the holiday tonight - Shavuot - here's a replay of "Shavuot 101" from last year's newsletter - Enjoy!
 The holiday of Shavuot commemorates the giving of the Torah on Har Sinai over 3,300 years ago. Shavuot is observed like other Torah holidays, which is basically the same way Shabbat is observed except that cooking for the holiday and carrying in public (without an eiruv) areas are both permitted on holidays, whereas that is forbidden on Shabbat.
 The main mitvot are candle-lighting, special prayer services which include Hallel during the day, and meals with Kiddush. If the Beit HaMikdash were standing - may it be speedily rebuilt! - we would also be able to bring bikkurim, our first fruits, as well as holiday offerings.
Along with the mitzvot we observe for the holiday of Shavuot, there are several customs we have for this holiday as well - here's a brief overview of the main ones:
People fill their homes and shuls with flowers and greenery to recall Har Sinai as it was on the original Shavuot day - which the Midrash says was beautifully flower-filled.
Many people eat milk products like cheesecakes and blintzes, for various reason. One practical point being that prior to receiving the Torah, we had not been instructed in the laws of kosher slaughtering of animals, nor the s eparation of milk and meat. To avoid making mistakes, it is said that our ancestors ate dairy at first until they learned how to properly observe the laws of kashrut. And metaphorically, we are called HaShem's children at the time of giving of the Torah, and just as children need milk to grow and thrive so we need Torah to grow and thrive.
Tikkun Leil Shavuot - the Night-time "Fixing" of Shavuot - is done by many people by staying up all night studying Torah. This is because we want to show that we are indeed anxiously awaiting the morning wherein we receive the Torah, although on the original Shavuot at Har Sinai, we woke up a little late. (Hence the idea of "fixing" or repairing the past.)
On Shavuot day, before Torah reading (but after Hallel) there is a special prayer of praise that is read, Akdamus Millin. We then read the portion of the Torah that includes the narrative of the Revelation at Mount Sinai and the Ten Commandments, and then we read Megillat Rut - the Book of Ruth (outside of Israel, this is read on the 2nd Day of the holiday).  There are a few reasons why we read the story of Ruth on Shavuot, which includes the fact that hers is the first fully recorded conversion story in the Bible. Since we were all like converts at Har Sinai when we accepted the Torah, we relate to Ruth's love and acceptance of the Torah. Also, she is the great-grandmother of King David, whose yahrtzeit is on Shavuot. And of course, the story of Ruth took place during the harvest season, which is this time of year and part of what we are celebrating on Shavuot.
Lastly, dear friend, as we again enjoy another holiday with our friends and family, please keep in mind our heroes, the captive Israeli soldiers who still are not free to celebrate the holiday of Shavuot with their family and friends.
Please daven for the immediate safe return of Gilad (ben Aviva) Shalit; Zachary (ben Miriam) Baumel; Tzvi (ben Penina) Feldman; Yehuda (ben Sarah) Katz; Ron (ben Batya) Arad and Guy (ben Rina) Hever; as well as for the safety and success of all of Israel's soldiers, and the immediate release of Yehonatan (ben Malka) Pollard.
May we all merit this Shavuot to accept the Torah in our hearts as we did at Har Sinai with awe and love, with unity and joy!
Good Yom Tov! - Chag Sameyach!
Rachel
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Shavuot at The Happy Minyan - Schedule |
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Tuesday 6/7
7:45pm Candle-lighting
11:00pm - (?)am Tikkun Leil Shavuot Torah Reading upstairs in the
Happy Minyan Room with Bentzion.
Recite / Hear the Torah read in its entirety!
(First 3 and Last 3 lines of each parsha)
Midnight - 5:00am All Night Learning downstairs with
Rabbi Mel Gotlieb, R' Shlomo Seidenfeld,
R' Yonah Bookstein and Reb David Sacks
Wednesday 6/8
5:00am Shacharit led by Yehudah Solomon.
Come and hear the 10 Commandments!
There will not be a second minyan on Wednesday
7:45pm (?) Mincha/Maariv
8:48pm (or 9:15pm) Candle-lighting for second night of Yomtov.
Thursday 6/9
8:30am Learning with David Sacks
9:00am Shacharit
11:15am (approx.) Yizkor
12:15pm Kiddush
7:45pm (?) Mincha/Maariv
8:48pm (or 9:15pm) End of Yomtov.
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Camping Out Together for Shavuot... An Idea...
As the Children of Israel prepared for the revelation at Mount Sinai - as they prepared to receive the Torah - a very powerful statement is made in the biblical narrative: "And they came to Sinai Desert and they camped in the desert; and *he* camped there, Israel, opposite the mountain." (Shemot 19:2) The Midrash explains that the Jewish People, Israel, shift to be referred to here in the singular "he" instead of the plural "they" because they were unified as one person with one heart.
The requisite condition for us to receive the Torah, too, is unity. Shavuot is the holiday where we celebrate receiving the Torah. We have the custom to stay up all night studying Torah to show our eagerness to receive the Torah. How about a unity custom, to show our readiness to receive the Torah? Can we all camp out together as one? Now of course I don't mean literally camping out - though roasting 'smores does sound good - I mean, can we all get together?
How? What's a unifying event practically speaking?
Well, the narrative I referenced before continues (Shemot 19: 8) "And the *entire People* answered *together* and they said 'All that G-d has spoken we will do....'" The unity came in the form of an agreement to take action and fulfill the commandments that they were about to receive.
So, great! - Let's get all Jews unified today in an agreement to observe all the Torah's commandments as we did at Har Sinai! I know, with about 90% of Jews today being non-orthodox, that's a tall order.
So how about this? - How about all Jews first getting together just for Shabbos and Yom Tov? Sharing a meal together.(Jews eating - a novel concept! Seriously though...) Sharing a Shabbos or holiday meal is a get-together much like the experience of camping, and it's in the name of observing a Torah commandment (celebrating Shabbos and Yom Tov).
Some of you may already have your good friends over as regular guests in your home for Shabbos and holidays, but what about someone new to Judaism (baalei teshuva and new converts)? Or someone new to your community? Many of you already have open homes, and invite people over all the time to experience Shabbos and Yom Tov... but do you only invite over people who are already religious, people who agree with you politically; or have you invited someone over even though they are not religious, or are not as religious as you, etc? Or... if you are the one who's not-so-religious, what would it take to get you to go to a very religious person's home and share a meal with them, get to know them?
Really I don't know how this camping-out-together custom should work - I just want it to work. Because the way I figure, it didn't matter much in that camp around Mount Sinai if you were left, right or center, modern or "ultra orthodox", Chassidic, Zionist, born religious or baal teshuva, Ashkenazi or Sefardi, etc. And certainly no one there was a Torah scholar either, at least in the usual sense, considering the Torah had yet to be revealed. What mattered is that we were unified in holy service.
Ideas, ideas.
Please G-d bless us to somehow all get together to serve You. Let the circumstances that cause our unity only be peaceful ones. "Barcheinu Avinu Kulanu K'Echad" - "Bless us, our Father, all of us as One." May we all merit to receive the Torah this Shavuot together, as One.
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MEDITATIONS, KAVANNOT AND PRAYERS FOR LEARNING TORAH
Reb Sholom Brodt, from Sefer U'sfartem Lachem
(To read the entire message, click here.)
Aleph(1). [Meditate. Kavannah-intention.] The study of Torah is veritable attachment to Hashem yisborach. Hashem please allow me and help me be conscious that in learning Your Torah You are enabling me to be attached to You.
Beis(2). Inspire yourself to learn Torah in the way it was given - [it was given] with fear, awe, shiver and perspiration - [study] with conscious Yirat Shamayim, during the time of study.
Hashem may it be Your will that I may study Your Torah and intensely experience its life energy. May my mind and heart respond [to Your words] in fear and awe; May even my body sense this intensely and respond with shiver and perspiration.
Gimmel(3). Reveal your purpose before learning by stating - "I am learning Torah, to fulfill the Mitzvah of my Creator, who commanded me to study Torah, for the sake of unification of 'Kudsha brich Hu' and His Shechinah.
Daled(4). [Tshuvah before learning.] I regret my evil deeds and I accept upon myself to improve myself in the future.
Hey(5). [Kavannah-intention.] I am learning for the sake of learning, guarding, keeping, doing and fulfilling.
Vav(6). [Kavannah-intention.] I will [attempt to] devote myself to learning consciously without interruption, and I will try not to look outside of the sefer.
Zayin(7). [Kavannah-intention.] I am learning, to seek the truth of the Torah, to understand it well and to remember everything that I learn.
Chet(8). [Reminder.] The words of Torah learning are to be verbally expressed with our mouths and heard with our ears.
Tet(9). [Kavannah-intention.] I desire to learn out of my love for Hashem yisborach, as it says, "And you shall love Hashem your G-d ... and these words ... shall be upon your heart ... and you shall speak them."
Yud(10). [Meditate.] I am preparing myself to be a vessel for receiving the holiness of the Torah.
Yud-Aleph(11). [Kavannah-intention.] I am learning in the name of All of Israel - Kol Yisrael - may it be for their merit and their salvation from all manner of harm.
Yud-Beis(12). [Kavannah-intention.] I desire and accept upon myself to study with great effort and toil - for the words of the Torah are acquired only with great effort and toil.
Yud-Gimmel(13). [Kavannah-intention.] I am learning for the sake of sanctifying His Name in His world.
Yud-Daled(14). [Prayer.] I give thanks and praise to Hashem yisborach, for His great gift of opportunity to study His holy Torah at this time.
Tet-Vav(15). [Prayer.] I pray before Hashem blessed be He, that He should help me in my learning, and that He should enlighten my eyes in His holy Torah. Amen.
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