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RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: THEOPHANY: MA'ATEH MERKABAH: LEVIATHAN: ZIZ + BAR YOHANI BIRDS
JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL: SHAVUOT 'EXTRA': 6/8/08 EVENING UNTIL
EVENING OF 6/10/08: HEBREW COLLEGE, NEWTON CENTRE, MA, USA
Shalom:
As promised, here a special Shavuot holiday edition. I was planning on sending
this Sunday, but I am doing this pre- Erev Shabbat as the response to the
Shavuot study session late Sunday nite with dairy foods has been great and I
need to be the 'good husband' and help prepare for it Sunday daytime.
As with all holidays, our sages took the Hebrew meaning of celebrating them,
and challenged us with a Judaic spiritual way of celebrating them. In every
holiday, in one way or another, we are asked to improve as humans, to being
Homo Spiritus, from Homo Sapien.
If we acknowledge that a Creator exists, can we be like Deists and deny that
He has a specific way of living for us? Should we live as we did during the time
preceding our Judges when every man did what was right and wrong in 'his'
eyes, or should we live in a way doing what is 'right and good in God's eyes?'
One of the most important concepts of Judaism is that God communicates with
us. He did at Sinai, and as we have discussed in past classes, when we
meditate and clear our minds of our ego, resentments, selfishness and self-
seeking, He will communicate with us, today.
Judaism, and its corresponding spirituality, acknowledges not only a Creator
that exists, but that this God is a caring and loving Parent who is concerned
with us and gives us Guidance. Hence He has communicated His will to us and
given us a purpose in life. Philosophically, if God didn't give us a message
about a physically and emotionally and spiritually healthy way to live, it would
indicate that He did not care how we lived. It would be that He created us
and had no standards for us. This would logically follow that God then is
morally less than His creation, not infinitely better.
Mankind was created with free will but also with the capacity to have a
conscious contact with God.
While Sinai was a pivotal major point of God's revelation to mankind, we see in
Torah, before and after, mankind having other revelations. For those of us who
have taken steps in Spiritual Renewal via teshuvah, and through meditation,
we experience revelation every day.
Shavuot is the celebration of the public revelation of God's instructions
(Torah) to Moses and the Hebrew people at Sinai. The Midrash tells us the
soul of every Jew ever to be born was at the Revelation and accepted the
Torah. Indeed a cute tale is that all babies are born with all of Torah and
Talmudic knowledge, given to them in the womb, and that God kisses them
with the breath of life, and sucks out all of this wisdom, for us to re-learn
through living and study. The anatomical evidence of this is the indentation on
our upper lip, the philtrum. (Talmud Bavli Tractate Niddah 30b).
Spiritually, belief in revelation is in a sense more important than belief in God
Himself. We all know folks who claim to believe in God, but act toward their
fellows as if they were not His children. Belief in revelation means that we
accept that God has given us a way to behave. We fall short of this daily, but
we make amends, and ask God and ourselves how we can improve.
Judaism is the only religion I know of where God spoke to all of the people of a
nation assembled at one place. Every other religion has a prophet talking to
God, who then spoke to his flock teaching them God's word. God spoke directly
to all of the Hebrews although the Torah tells us it was too much for us.
(Ex:20:16)
"Nowhere in the entire record of ancient writings, Jewish or non-Jewish, does
anyone deny, question or doubt that the Revelation on Mt. Sinai took place",
states Rabbi Stolper. Questioning of Torah's origins first came from non-
Jewish sources. They derive from poor translations. They also come from the
lack of familiarity with the unwritten "Oral Law" ( Talmud). One cannot study
the Torah or the Tanach without a compete knowledge of Talmud.
When discussing slaughtering animals for meat, the Torah says, "You shall
slaughter as I have commanded you." The Torah does not give the details of
this mitzvah. But the Oral Law, our Talmud, does. The mitzvah to don tefillin
fringes is in the Torah, but the details are found only in the Talmud.
The Torah is brutally honest. It paints our people with our attributes but with
our warts. The sages in the Talmud say there is no one in the Torah they
would want their children to grow to be like. Moses is a murderer and a sinner.
And our people are rebellious, stubborn, ungrateful, disloyal and even
cowardly. Jews are human. As has been quipped , Jews are like everyone else,
only more so.
All other documents of a people show their leaders to be perfect and the
people to be near perfect, even descending from Gods and kings. We are
even taught the myths that George Washington was perfectly honest and the
Pilgrims were so perfectly loving they shared their harvest with the Indians.
The Torah tells us we Jews came from slaves and our ancestors were silly idol
worshippers and idol makers.
Putting aside the ritual of the cult of the priests which the rabbis in forming
Judaism no longer embraced, the man to man laws of the Torah are still apt for
today and still ignored by many nations and people. Love your neighbor. Treat
the foreigner in our land with the same rights as a citizen, and love him. Take
care of the poor, the widow, the orphan. Be rigorously honest in business. Do
not gossip. Do not hold a grudge.
As all of us know who try to live by these simple rules, they tend to go against
our base nature. They are from the spark of the Divine in us and they speak to
this spark of the Divine within us.
Seven weeks after liberation from centuries of slavery, Hebrews are being
taught not to hold a grudge and to love the foreigner that lives among them.
The Rabbis of the Talmud, months after being taken into captivity by the
Babylonians and watching their Temple burn and country destroyed, taught of
a God of love and forgiveness. They taught that when bad things happen, to
look at ourselves for the fault, and not outside. And this was after only a few
decades after, when 10 of 12 tribes, 83% of the world's Hebrews, were gone
for good, taken by the Assyrians.
Compare this to the way we have strayed from our spirituality, and damn
God,and at the same time deny Him, and not looked inward, after the WW2
Shoah when 33% of world Jewry were killed. This is not to belittle one blessed
name that died in Kiddush Ha Shem. Judaism teaches to return hate with love.
It teaches us to treat those who dislike us with love and with prayer, because
if we are all made in the image of God, anyone who dislikes a person, is
someone who is spiritually disconnected from God.
As Shavuot approaches, please take stock of yourselves with your Chesbon ha
Nefesh, your moral inventory and accounting. Make the Sinai revelation
celebrated real for yourselves. Spiritual Judaism is appealing to the mystic the
rational, the romantic and the intellectual. God speaks to us all.
Torah and Talmud with its moral ethical laws are Judaism's greatest gift to
mankind. Spiritual Jewish Renewal truly holds a key fulfillment, happiness, a life
of meaning, and achievement, in harmony with God, the universe and one
another.
A little bit about the Holiday of Shavuot:
Seven weeks of seven days plus one day equals fifty days
Fifty days after Passover comes the feast of Shavuot. This is the true
beginning of our spiritual freedom, of revelation and of receiving the Torah.
Shavuot is the second of the three major festivals during which males in The
Land of Israel were to come to Jerusalem. Passover is the first and Sukkot is
the third of the pilgrimage feasts.
Shavuot comes exactly fifty days after Passover. Hence it being known
as "Pentecost" by many. Pentecost means "fifty" in the Greek language.
Pentecost always falls on the seventh Sunday after Easter.
Shavuot is both a historical and an agricultural day. Agriculturally, it
commemorates the time when the first fruits were harvested and brought to
the Temple, and is known as Hag Ha-Bikkurim the "feast of first fruits.
Historically, this day celebrates the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai.
This day marks the end of the barley harvest and the start of the wheat
harvest in Israel.
This is a day of revelation and receiving, a day of rejoicing, and reflection.
Shavuot honors the shift from spring to summer and the reaping of the first
wheat harvest. During early Talmudic times, Shavuot was formally declared as
the anniversary of the giving of the Torah for Judaism. Up to that point it was
predominately kept as just an agricultural day of the Hebrews.
Shavuot has many names. It is also know as "Hag Matan Torateinu," meaning
the Feast of the Giving of the Torah. Some call it "Chag Shavuot" which
means the feast of weeks.
Shavuot also means "oaths", with the giving of the Torah, the Hebrews and
God exchanged oaths, forming an everlasting covenant, not to forsake one
another as a type of wedding vow. Shavuot is considered the wedding
anniversary, celebrating the time when Israel was wed to God. The events of
Mount Sinai were the marriage between God and Israel. The Torah that was
given is the wedding vows or wedding contract called the "Ketubah" in
Hebrew. I wrote of a spiritual Shavuot ceremony where congregants are called
to the Bimah to stand under a wedding Kupah and be 'married' to Torah and
God.
Finally, this day is also called "Chag HaKatzit" – the day of the cutting of the
crop. This name refers to the wheat harvest, which is the last of the crops to
be reaped. This reaping took place at this time. There is also reference in the
book of Ruth, which places the time of the events described in that book as
occurring at Shavuot. Ruth says the events of the book happened "at the
beginning of the cutting of the barley crop."
Shavuot marks the completion of the seven weeks between Pesach and
Shavuot, which are called the Sefirah Ha'Omer. Sefirah Ha'Omer means
the "Period of Counting the Omer." During these fifty days the Israelites were
to count a measure of grain each day in anticipation of the full fiftieth day,
the full harvest of Shavuot.
The counting reminds us of the important connection between Pesach and
Shavuot. Passover freed Israel physically from bondage, while the giving of the
Torah on Shavuot redeemed Israel spiritually.
As we discussed, the Talmud changed the holiday from an agricultural one to a
spiritual one, with Omer counting to be linked to spiritual growth.
Shavuot comes exactly fifty days after Pesach. Fifty in the Torah is the
number of freedom. (The Yubel, Jubilee release year is the 50th year.)
Shavuot marks the day when Moshe had his first revelation at Sinai and came
down the mountain with the Ten Words. The stone commandments came later.
Some rabbis teach that Pharaoh's daughter pulled Moshe from the Nile River on
the day of Shavuot.
A story from the Midrash says that God approached numerous nations asking
each if they would accept the Torah. They all refused or set conditions. Only
the Israelites responded that they would accept this perfect gift: "We will do
and we will obey," Ex: 24:7.
"While the giving of Torah is what God does on Shavuot, our role is to receive
it. During the omer, we prepare by forming ourselves into vessels to receive
the Torah. Each of us creates a receptacle made of our needs and questions.
This process precipitates the drawing down out of a universe saturated with
blessing just those things that your vessel requires," said Rabbi Zalman
Schachter-Shalomi.
The Torah teaches in Ex: 19:19 that a shofar was blown as the Torah was
given. The Talmud teaches that this shofar was actually the first of two, or
the left of two, ram's horns from the ram that was present when Abraham was
going to sacrifice Isaac on Mount Moriah in Genesis 22. The the other horn
from the ram will be blown at Yom Teruah at a future date. Yom Teruah is
what the Talmud renamed Rosh Ha Shanah.
On the day Moses received the Torah on the first Shavuot, three thousand
people died because of disobedience of the sin of the Golden Calf.
During Second Temple times everyone gathered in Israel for the celebration.
Those in Jerusalem would gather for a procession carrying fresh dates,
pomegranates, and grapes. Those at the back would carry dried fruit, figs, and
raisins. Each family brought two loaves of the finest bread. The men would go
out before this festival to choose the best grapes and dates to give to God.
They tied a red thread to the fruit to mark them for the offering.
"In 1967, the Six Day War ended just a few days before Shavuot. Israel had
reclaimed the Western Wall, and for the first time in 20 years Jews had access
to their holiest site. On Shavuot itself, the Western Wall became open to
visitors, and on that one memorable day, over 200,000 Jews journeyed by foot
to the Western Wall. (In Jerusalem, no cars or buses run on Biblical holidays.)
In subsequent years, this "pedestrian pilgrimage" has become a recurring
tradition. Early on Shavuot morning - after a full night of Torah learning -- the
streets of Jerusalem are filled with tens of thousands of Jews walking to the
Western Wall. This tradition has Biblical precedence. Shavuot is one of Jews'
three main pilgrimage festivals, where the entire nation would gather in
Jerusalem for celebration and study," writes Rabbi Shraga Simmons.
Shavuot is mentioned in our texts. Ex: 19:10-15, "And God said to Moses, "Go
to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash
their clothes and be ready by the third day, because on that day God will
come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. Put limits for the
people around the mountain and tell them, 'Be careful that you do not go up
the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall
surely be put to death. He shall surely be stoned or shot with arrows; not a
hand is to be laid on him. Whether man or animal, he shall not be permitted to
live.' Only when the ram's horn sounds a long blast may they go up to the
mountain." After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he
consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. Then he said to the
people, "Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain from sexual relations."
"And it was on the third day, as it became morning, and there was thunder
and lightning, and a thick cloud on the mountain, and the sound of the Shofar
was very strong, and all the people in the camp were seized with trembling,"
Ex: 19:16.
"And you shall declare on that very day, that it is a Holy Day unto you; You
shall do no manner of work; it is an Eternal statute, in all your habituations, for
all your generations," Lev: 23:21.
Lev: 23:15-22, "'From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the
sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. Count off fifty days up
to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new
grain to Yahweh. From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-
tenths of an ephah of fine flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of first
fruits to Yahweh. Present with this bread seven male lambs, each a year old
and without defect, one young bull and two rams. They will be a burnt offering
to God, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings—an offering
made by fire, an aroma pleasing to God. Then sacrifice one male goat for a sin
offering and two lambs, each a year old, for a fellowship offering. The priest is
to wave the two lambs before God as a wave offering, together with the bread
of the first fruits. They are a sacred offering to God for the priest. On that
same day you are to proclaim a sacred assembly and do no regular work. This
is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you
live. "'When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges
of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor
and the alien. I am God your Lord.'"
Ex: 32:25-29, "Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron
had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their
enemies. So he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, "Whoever is for
God, come to me." And all the Levites rallied to him." Then he said to
them, "This is what God, the God of Israel says: 'Each man strap a sword to
his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each
killing his brother and friend and neighbor.'" The Levites did as Moses
commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died. Then
Moses said, "You have been set apart to God today, for you were against your
own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day."
"Until the day after the seventh week, you shall count, fifty days; And you
shall bring a "new" grain offering to God," Lev:23:15.
"Three Regalim (pilgrimages) celebrate before Me each year. Observe the holy
day of Matzoth, Pesach, seven days shall you eat Matzah as I have
commanded you, in the month of Spring, for it was at the time that you left
Mitzrayim, and in presence I shall not be see by you empty handed," Ex:
23:14-16
Ex: 34:22-24, "Celebrate the Feast of Weeks with the first fruits of the wheat
harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year. Three times a
year all your men are to appear before the Sovereign God, the God of Israel. I
will drive out nations before you and enlarge your territory, and no one will
covet your land when you go up three times each year to appear before God
your God."
''On the day of first fruits, when you present to God an offering of new grain
during the Feast of Weeks, hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.
Present a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram and seven male lambs a
year old as an aroma pleasing to Yahweh. With each bull there is to be a grain
offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil; with the ram,
two-tenths; and with each of the seven lambs, one-tenth. Include one male
goat to make atonement for you. Prepare these together with their drink
offerings, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its grain offering. Be sure
the animals are without defect," Num. 28:26-32
Deut: 9:12, "Count off seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle
to the standing grain. Then celebrate the Feast of Weeks to God your God by
giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings God your God has given
you. And rejoice before God your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling
for his Name—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and
maidservants, the Levites in your towns, and the aliens, the fatherless and the
widows living among you. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and follow
carefully these decrees."
Because of its agricultural background, Shavuot has very few religious rituals
and symbols. What it does have is rich in tradition and brings understanding of
the day to a maximum.
The Torah commands that two loaves of bread are to be prepared for waving
on Shavuot. These loaves were baked with leaven and symbolized the two
tablets that the Ten Words were written upon. This bread sacrifice was to be
a meal offering consumed by the fire of God.
The two loaves along with seven male lambs, a young bull, and two rams were
sacrificed in the Mishkan (Tabernacle) on Shavuot. Also, a sin offering of one
male goat was presented to God.
The two loaves of bread on Shavuot are known as "Shtei HaLechem."
It is customary to invite guest, friends, and families to Shavuot celebrations as
the Torah says, "you shall rejoice before Lord your God, you, your son, and
your daughter…and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow," Deut.
16:11.
In worship centers that have a Torah scroll, one custom is to pass the Torah
scroll around the group. Instead of the service leader carrying the Torah scroll
in procession around the synagogue it can be passed so everyone gets to hold
it.
Shavuot is a Sabbath day of rest. No work is to be done on this day of
celebration.
Before sunset on the first day of the Feast of Weeks, the woman of the home
can light the Yom Tov candles and say a blessing over the day. The blessing is
as follows:
"Baruch atah Adonai Eloheynu, melek ha-olam, asher kidshanu bamitzvotav
vitzivanu l'hadleek ner shel Yom Tov."
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe Who has set us apart by
your commandments and has permitted us to light the candles of this Great
Day.
Other blessings that can be said at Shavuot are:
Baruch atah Adonia Eloheynu melech ha olam, sheh-asah nissim l'avoteynu ba-
yamim ha-haym baz'man hazeh.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, ruler of universe, who worked miracles for our
fathers in days of old, at this time.
Baruch atah Adonia Y Eloheynu melech ha olam
she-heh-chi-yanu v'key'manu v'hee-gee-anu laz'man ha-zeh.
Blessed are you, Lord our God, ruler of the Universe, who keeps us alive, who
supports the unfolding of our uniqueness, and who has enabled us to reach
this season.
The blessing that is to be spoken before eating the two loaves of bread is:
Baruch atah Adonia, Elohaynu melek ha-olam, ha motzi lechem men ha'aretz
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe Who brings forth bread
from the earth.
It is customary to adorn the place of worship with flowers, fruits, and greens
for this day. The reason is that in the time of the Temple, the first fruits of
the harvest were given on Shavuot. As well, the Sages of Judaism in the
Talmud, teach that although Mount Sinai was situated in a desert, when the
Torah was given on the mountain, the mountain bloomed and sprouted flowers.
Flower decorations also point to the area around the mountain of Sinai being
green, according to the implication of "neither let the flocks and herds graze"
found in Ex:34:3.
Tree decorations also point to the Etz Chaim – the Tree of Life – the Torah.
A favorite decoration at Shavuot is a rose. This is chosen from a play on
words found in Esther 8:14, "And the decree (dat) was proclaimed in
Shushan." This verse if playfully reinterpreted to mean that the law was given
with a rose (shoshan.) Therefore one custom is to scatter spices and rose
petals around the synagogue to create a beautiful fragrance.
It is also tradition to eat dairy foods on Shavuot. There are a number of
reasons for this custom one of which is that with the giving of the Torah the
Hebrews now became obligated to observe the laws of kosher. As the Torah
was given on Shabbat no cattle could be slaughtered nor could utensils be
koshered, and thus on that day everyone ate dairy.
Another reason is that the Torah is likened unto milk. The Hebrew word for milk
is "chalav." When the numerical value of each of the letters in the
word "chalav" are added together – 8,30,2 – the total is forty. Forty is the
number of days that Moshe was on the Mount receiving the Torah.
Some also say that this is a reminder of the promise regarding Eretz Yisra'el,
the Land of Israel, which is flowing with "milk and honey."
The Biblical book Song of Songs (4:11) refers to the sweet nourishing value of
Torah by saying: "It drips from your lips, like honey and milk under your
tongue."
When celebrating this day, note that it was not just the books of the Torah
that were given that day, but the whole Hebraic lifecycle and lifestyle.
The holy day is called the time of the giving of the Torah, rather than the time
of the receiving of the Torah. The Talmud points out that we are constantly in
the process of receiving the Torah, that we receive it everyday, but as it was
first given at this time. Thus it is the giving, not the receiving that makes this
holy day significant.
On the first night of Shavuot, Jews throughout the world observe a centuries
old custom of conducting an all-night vigil dedicated to Torah learning. This
night of dedication is called "Tikkun Leil Shavuot," which means the "Repair of
Shavuot Evening."
One explanation for this tradition is that the Hebrew people did not rise early
enough on the day God gave the Torah, and that it was necessary for God
Himself to awaken them. To compensate for their behavior, Jews have
accepted upon themselves the customs of remaining awake all night. The night
is spent in prayer and Torah study, with a short reading from each of the
books of the Tanach and each of the 63 tractates of Talmud.
During Tikkun Leil Shavuot the mystics have taught that the heavens are
literally opened for a brief instant and that the Shekinah descends upon those
waiting. At that very moment, we are told, that God will favorably answer any
prayer.
One favorite tradition on Shavuot is to visit the mikvah. A mikvah is a ritual
bath or immersion in any free flowing river, lake, or ocean. In order to
physically and spiritually cleanse and prepare for revelation on the night of
Shavuot is to immerse in the mikvah before the evening. The mikvah is to
remember how Israel was to prepare for three days in the desert before the
Torah was given.
Shavuot is the only Biblical holy day that is not tied to a particular calendar
date. Its date is determined from the counting from Pesach. Because the
length of the months used to be variable, determined by the observation of
the new moon, and there are two new moons between Pesach and Shavuot,
the day of Shavuot could occur on the 5th or the 6th of Sivan. However, the
Jewish calendar has mathematically determined that Shavuot will always fall on
the 6th of Sivan.
Outside of the Land of Israel, this holy day is two days long. This concept is
called "Yom Tov Sheni Shel Gaulyot." The reason for this is that during the
years of the Talmud, when communications were very far from what they are
now the Jews had problems spreading the word about the new months. A
second day of celebration became the solution so messengers could spread
the word of the New Moon in time. The second day was accorded the same
significance as the first day by the decree of the rabbis. Judaism still teaches
two days for most New Moons because of two reasons: The first is that there
is always an uncertainty of when the New Moon will be seen. The second is to
keep tradition – this is called the "Minhag Avoteinu B'Yadenu" or to "continue
in the custom of our ancestors."
Yes, the day after Shavuot is a special day. This day is also known as "Isru
Hag." The Talmud states that "whoever observes a continuation of a feast by
eating or drinking, the Tanach in Psalm 118:27 accounts to him as if he had
built the altar in the temple and offered sacrifice upon it, as it said: 'Bind the
feast (Isru Hag) with cords unto the horns of the altar."'
Sinai and the giving of Torah is a continuous event. It is not accidental that
originally no date was given for the Revelation of Sinai, for the voice of God
constantly speaks to us. The Revelation continues to occur as the Torah
unfolds before us, if we pay attention to it.
In many synagogues the book of Ruth is read on the second day of Shavuot.
There are several reasons for this: First, tradition says that Shavuot is the
birthday and the yahrtzeit, or day of passing, of King David. The book of Ruth
records his ancestry and Ruth and her husband Boaz were King David's great-
grandparents. Also the scenes of harvesting, described in the book of Ruth are
appropriate to the feast of Harvest. Finally, Ruth was a sincere convert who
embraced the Hebrew faith with all her heart. On Shavuot all Jews are
reminded of having accepted the Torah and all its precepts just like a convert.
It is tradition for the Ten Commandments to be recited on the first day of
Shavuot.
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in the Zohar wrote an interest Kabalistic view of
Shavuot. The Zohar explains on a deeper level that what happens on Shavuot
can be understood as a matrimony. The Kabbalists explain that there are two
main spiritual sources named The Holy One blessed be He, and his female
counterpart the Shekinah. They connect or separate depending on our spiritual
actions when we do positive spiritual actions they unite, and that union draws
Light , which then flows down to us. If we do negative actions we cause them
to separate, this reduces the amount of Light we receive. On Shavuot the
amount of Light that is revealed is tremendous, this is described as the
marriage and union of The Holy One blessed be He and the Shekinah. This is a
very beautiful and powerful time.
One of the best ways to connect to this Light is by staying up the entire night
of Shavuot and reading from the Torah. This reveals great Light in the world
more specifically through the reading we are preparing and beautifying the
Shekinah the Bride for the wedding. Rabbi Shimon in the Zohar says: "Sit
beloved, sit and lets prepare the bride on this night, for everybody who
connects to her on this night, will be protected for the entire year above and
below, and he will complete his year in peace."
Shavuot is the last of the Spring feasts mandated for all Bible believers. The
next holy day is Yom Teruah, the day of Shofar Blasts, which the Talmud
turned into Rosh ha Shanah.
There are two "pivut" or religious poems that are usually spoken at the
synagogue on Shavuot. The first is called the "Akdamut" and the second is
called the "Ketubah."
Akdamut is a poem which was composed during the First Crusade, which began
in 1096, as an effort by Christian Europe to recapture the "Holy Land" from the
Moslem "infidels" who had seized it. On their way to the Middle East, the
Christian knights would, in general, visit terror if not outright destruction upon
the Jewish communities which happened to be on their route. The Christians
tried to force their religion upon their Jewish neighbors, often at the threat of
death. Sometimes, mock "debates" were held, in which Jewish rabbis were
forced to participate, knowing that the juries, consisting of church officials,
were rigged against them, and that nothing they said would have any effect
on their listeners, or upon their own fate. Below is a translation of the poem
Akdamut:
Akdamut" - Free Translation of Content
Before I begin to read his Words (The Ten Commandments),
I will ask Permission,
Of the One Whose Might is such that -
Even if all the heavens were parchment,
And all the reeds pens,
And all the oceans ink,
And all people were scribes,
It would be impossible to record
the Greatness of the Creator,
Who Created the World with a soft utterance,
And with a single letter, the letter "heh,"
The lightest of the letters.
And Angels of Heaven of all kinds,
All full of fear and terror of their Master,
Have permission to praise him only at set times,
Some once in seven years, Others once and no more,
How beloved is Israel!
For the Holy One leaves the Angels on High,
To take the People of Israel as His lot -
And they make Him their King,
And declare, "Holy! Holy! Holy!"
Twice a day, Morning and Evening -
And all His Desire is that His Chosen People
Will study His Torah and pray to Him,
For they are inscribed in His Tefillin,
"Who is like Your People, Israel,
One nation in the World!"
Thus it is the will of the Holy One,
That I speak in praise of Israel,
And though all the nations come and ask,
Who can it Be, for Whom you give up your lives,
O most beautiful of the nations?
But come with us,
And we'll satisfy all your desires!
And Israel responds with wisdom,
Only a bit of the truth do they reveal,
What is your greatness, say they to the nations,
Compared to the reward that He has in store for us!
And when He sheds upon us His great light,
While you go, they are destroyed in darkness!
Yerushalayim will be rebuilt!
The Exiles will return,
The Gates of Gan Eden will Re-Open,
And all their Brilliance will be Revealed to us -
We will enter those Gates and take Pleasure,
In the Radiance of the Divine Presence,
Whom we will point to, and say -
Here is our God, in Whom we hoped,
He will save us!
And each righteous one under his canopy will sit,
In the Sukkah made from the skin of Leviathan,
And in the future
He will make a dance for the righteous ones,
And a banquet in Paradise,
From that Great Fish and the Wild Ox ,
And from the Wine preserved from the Creation -
Happy are those who believe and hope and
Never abandon their faith forever!
Now you my listeners,
When you hear your praise in this song,
Be strong in your faith!
And you will merit to sit in the company
Of the holy and righteous ones
In the World-to-Come!
If you've listened well to my words,
Which were uttered in holy majesty -
Great is our God
The First and the Last!
Happy are we, for He loved us,
And gave us His Torah.
Another piyut spoken at Shavuot is "Ketubah." This poem is modeled
after "Shir HaShirim" or the Song of Songs in the Bible. This poem takes on the
form of a marriage contract between Israel and the Torah, composed by Rabbi
Yisrael Najara. Provided is a shortened version of the poem:
My Beloved went down to His garden, to His bed of spices,
To delight in the princess, and to spread over her the canopy of His peace;
"King Solomon made for Himself a Palace."
Serafim and Ophanim He abandoned, and His Horsemen and Chariot,
And with the beloved doe, He observed His banquet;
"On the day of His wedding and the rejoicing of His heart."
My beloved, My doe, Come with Me to My chamber, my hall,
For your sake I have left all the legions above, and their host;
"And I have betrothed you unto Me forever."
Said the Awesome One,
You Who from the time of love I have heard Him,
And I love Him with an Eternal love,
"May He kiss me with the kisses of His Mouth!"
To go to the wedding canopy, agreed the dancer of the camps,
And for her "We will do, and then obey"
merited six hundred thousand crowns;
"In the third month, from the time
That Israel left Mitzrayim."
And the connection was strong
With this Nation, which He acquired at Sinai,
And the Deed of Purchase and the Signature
I read for My throngs,
"Behold! It is written before Me."
On the Sixth Day I will read what is written in the Letter,
A day on which to bequeath to His beloved ones the Torah,
The Living God did Intend,
"Six Days in the Month of Sivan."
The Last Segment
"…That He should not travel far away,
Or make His way in the sea,
Without the Torah placed near His heart;
"It should be with Him, and He shall read from it"
"And all these conditions are strong and stand fast,"
As the host of heaven in the sky is arrayed,
"Forever and ever, and for Eternity."
And the Groom swears to fulfill them all for His congregation,
And to bequeath "Yesh," "Substance" to those who love Him
And who do His will,
"God swore with His Right Hand."
And the Bridegroom Acquired five Possessions,
And among them were the Torah and the Testimony,
And the Treasure betrothed,
"And He laid the corner-stone."
Let the righteous see and rejoice,
And let them enjoy their reward,
Of a Testimony that is "long as the land,
And wider than the sea,"
"And all is strong, and clear, and steadfast!
And He established the Torah in Jacob with vigor,
And He commanded to erect its fences
So no one would break through!
"And I established faithful witnesses,
The Heavens and the Earth!
Let the Bridegroom rejoice with the Bride,
To take for his possession,
And let the heart of the Bride rejoice
With the husband of her youth,
And let her say to the one who sings His praises,
"Happy is the People for whom it is so!"
So, now you know more about Shavuot than you wanted.
A D'var on the Torah Readings held on this holiday are below.
Happy Shavuot!!!
Rabbi Arthur Segal
Hebrew College, Newton Centre, MA, USA
via Shamash Org on-line class.
EVENING OF 6/10/08: HEBREW COLLEGE, NEWTON CENTRE, MA, USA
Shalom:
As promised, here a special Shavuot holiday edition. I was planning on sending
this Sunday, but I am doing this pre- Erev Shabbat as the response to the
Shavuot study session late Sunday nite with dairy foods has been great and I
need to be the 'good husband' and help prepare for it Sunday daytime.
As with all holidays, our sages took the Hebrew meaning of celebrating them,
and challenged us with a Judaic spiritual way of celebrating them. In every
holiday, in one way or another, we are asked to improve as humans, to being
Homo Spiritus, from Homo Sapien.
If we acknowledge that a Creator exists, can we be like Deists and deny that
He has a specific way of living for us? Should we live as we did during the time
preceding our Judges when every man did what was right and wrong in 'his'
eyes, or should we live in a way doing what is 'right and good in God's eyes?'
One of the most important concepts of Judaism is that God communicates with
us. He did at Sinai, and as we have discussed in past classes, when we
meditate and clear our minds of our ego, resentments, selfishness and self-
seeking, He will communicate with us, today.
Judaism, and its corresponding spirituality, acknowledges not only a Creator
that exists, but that this God is a caring and loving Parent who is concerned
with us and gives us Guidance. Hence He has communicated His will to us and
given us a purpose in life. Philosophically, if God didn't give us a message
about a physically and emotionally and spiritually healthy way to live, it would
indicate that He did not care how we lived. It would be that He created us
and had no standards for us. This would logically follow that God then is
morally less than His creation, not infinitely better.
Mankind was created with free will but also with the capacity to have a
conscious contact with God.
While Sinai was a pivotal major point of God's revelation to mankind, we see in
Torah, before and after, mankind having other revelations. For those of us who
have taken steps in Spiritual Renewal via teshuvah, and through meditation,
we experience revelation every day.
Shavuot is the celebration of the public revelation of God's instructions
(Torah) to Moses and the Hebrew people at Sinai. The Midrash tells us the
soul of every Jew ever to be born was at the Revelation and accepted the
Torah. Indeed a cute tale is that all babies are born with all of Torah and
Talmudic knowledge, given to them in the womb, and that God kisses them
with the breath of life, and sucks out all of this wisdom, for us to re-learn
through living and study. The anatomical evidence of this is the indentation on
our upper lip, the philtrum. (Talmud Bavli Tractate Niddah 30b).
Spiritually, belief in revelation is in a sense more important than belief in God
Himself. We all know folks who claim to believe in God, but act toward their
fellows as if they were not His children. Belief in revelation means that we
accept that God has given us a way to behave. We fall short of this daily, but
we make amends, and ask God and ourselves how we can improve.
Judaism is the only religion I know of where God spoke to all of the people of a
nation assembled at one place. Every other religion has a prophet talking to
God, who then spoke to his flock teaching them God's word. God spoke directly
to all of the Hebrews although the Torah tells us it was too much for us.
(Ex:20:16)
"Nowhere in the entire record of ancient writings, Jewish or non-Jewish, does
anyone deny, question or doubt that the Revelation on Mt. Sinai took place",
states Rabbi Stolper. Questioning of Torah's origins first came from non-
Jewish sources. They derive from poor translations. They also come from the
lack of familiarity with the unwritten "Oral Law" ( Talmud). One cannot study
the Torah or the Tanach without a compete knowledge of Talmud.
When discussing slaughtering animals for meat, the Torah says, "You shall
slaughter as I have commanded you." The Torah does not give the details of
this mitzvah. But the Oral Law, our Talmud, does. The mitzvah to don tefillin
fringes is in the Torah, but the details are found only in the Talmud.
The Torah is brutally honest. It paints our people with our attributes but with
our warts. The sages in the Talmud say there is no one in the Torah they
would want their children to grow to be like. Moses is a murderer and a sinner.
And our people are rebellious, stubborn, ungrateful, disloyal and even
cowardly. Jews are human. As has been quipped , Jews are like everyone else,
only more so.
All other documents of a people show their leaders to be perfect and the
people to be near perfect, even descending from Gods and kings. We are
even taught the myths that George Washington was perfectly honest and the
Pilgrims were so perfectly loving they shared their harvest with the Indians.
The Torah tells us we Jews came from slaves and our ancestors were silly idol
worshippers and idol makers.
Putting aside the ritual of the cult of the priests which the rabbis in forming
Judaism no longer embraced, the man to man laws of the Torah are still apt for
today and still ignored by many nations and people. Love your neighbor. Treat
the foreigner in our land with the same rights as a citizen, and love him. Take
care of the poor, the widow, the orphan. Be rigorously honest in business. Do
not gossip. Do not hold a grudge.
As all of us know who try to live by these simple rules, they tend to go against
our base nature. They are from the spark of the Divine in us and they speak to
this spark of the Divine within us.
Seven weeks after liberation from centuries of slavery, Hebrews are being
taught not to hold a grudge and to love the foreigner that lives among them.
The Rabbis of the Talmud, months after being taken into captivity by the
Babylonians and watching their Temple burn and country destroyed, taught of
a God of love and forgiveness. They taught that when bad things happen, to
look at ourselves for the fault, and not outside. And this was after only a few
decades after, when 10 of 12 tribes, 83% of the world's Hebrews, were gone
for good, taken by the Assyrians.
Compare this to the way we have strayed from our spirituality, and damn
God,and at the same time deny Him, and not looked inward, after the WW2
Shoah when 33% of world Jewry were killed. This is not to belittle one blessed
name that died in Kiddush Ha Shem. Judaism teaches to return hate with love.
It teaches us to treat those who dislike us with love and with prayer, because
if we are all made in the image of God, anyone who dislikes a person, is
someone who is spiritually disconnected from God.
As Shavuot approaches, please take stock of yourselves with your Chesbon ha
Nefesh, your moral inventory and accounting. Make the Sinai revelation
celebrated real for yourselves. Spiritual Judaism is appealing to the mystic the
rational, the romantic and the intellectual. God speaks to us all.
Torah and Talmud with its moral ethical laws are Judaism's greatest gift to
mankind. Spiritual Jewish Renewal truly holds a key fulfillment, happiness, a life
of meaning, and achievement, in harmony with God, the universe and one
another.
A little bit about the Holiday of Shavuot:
Seven weeks of seven days plus one day equals fifty days
Fifty days after Passover comes the feast of Shavuot. This is the true
beginning of our spiritual freedom, of revelation and of receiving the Torah.
Shavuot is the second of the three major festivals during which males in The
Land of Israel were to come to Jerusalem. Passover is the first and Sukkot is
the third of the pilgrimage feasts.
Shavuot comes exactly fifty days after Passover. Hence it being known
as "Pentecost" by many. Pentecost means "fifty" in the Greek language.
Pentecost always falls on the seventh Sunday after Easter.
Shavuot is both a historical and an agricultural day. Agriculturally, it
commemorates the time when the first fruits were harvested and brought to
the Temple, and is known as Hag Ha-Bikkurim the "feast of first fruits.
Historically, this day celebrates the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai.
This day marks the end of the barley harvest and the start of the wheat
harvest in Israel.
This is a day of revelation and receiving, a day of rejoicing, and reflection.
Shavuot honors the shift from spring to summer and the reaping of the first
wheat harvest. During early Talmudic times, Shavuot was formally declared as
the anniversary of the giving of the Torah for Judaism. Up to that point it was
predominately kept as just an agricultural day of the Hebrews.
Shavuot has many names. It is also know as "Hag Matan Torateinu," meaning
the Feast of the Giving of the Torah. Some call it "Chag Shavuot" which
means the feast of weeks.
Shavuot also means "oaths", with the giving of the Torah, the Hebrews and
God exchanged oaths, forming an everlasting covenant, not to forsake one
another as a type of wedding vow. Shavuot is considered the wedding
anniversary, celebrating the time when Israel was wed to God. The events of
Mount Sinai were the marriage between God and Israel. The Torah that was
given is the wedding vows or wedding contract called the "Ketubah" in
Hebrew. I wrote of a spiritual Shavuot ceremony where congregants are called
to the Bimah to stand under a wedding Kupah and be 'married' to Torah and
God.
Finally, this day is also called "Chag HaKatzit" – the day of the cutting of the
crop. This name refers to the wheat harvest, which is the last of the crops to
be reaped. This reaping took place at this time. There is also reference in the
book of Ruth, which places the time of the events described in that book as
occurring at Shavuot. Ruth says the events of the book happened "at the
beginning of the cutting of the barley crop."
Shavuot marks the completion of the seven weeks between Pesach and
Shavuot, which are called the Sefirah Ha'Omer. Sefirah Ha'Omer means
the "Period of Counting the Omer." During these fifty days the Israelites were
to count a measure of grain each day in anticipation of the full fiftieth day,
the full harvest of Shavuot.
The counting reminds us of the important connection between Pesach and
Shavuot. Passover freed Israel physically from bondage, while the giving of the
Torah on Shavuot redeemed Israel spiritually.
As we discussed, the Talmud changed the holiday from an agricultural one to a
spiritual one, with Omer counting to be linked to spiritual growth.
Shavuot comes exactly fifty days after Pesach. Fifty in the Torah is the
number of freedom. (The Yubel, Jubilee release year is the 50th year.)
Shavuot marks the day when Moshe had his first revelation at Sinai and came
down the mountain with the Ten Words. The stone commandments came later.
Some rabbis teach that Pharaoh's daughter pulled Moshe from the Nile River on
the day of Shavuot.
A story from the Midrash says that God approached numerous nations asking
each if they would accept the Torah. They all refused or set conditions. Only
the Israelites responded that they would accept this perfect gift: "We will do
and we will obey," Ex: 24:7.
"While the giving of Torah is what God does on Shavuot, our role is to receive
it. During the omer, we prepare by forming ourselves into vessels to receive
the Torah. Each of us creates a receptacle made of our needs and questions.
This process precipitates the drawing down out of a universe saturated with
blessing just those things that your vessel requires," said Rabbi Zalman
Schachter-Shalomi.
The Torah teaches in Ex: 19:19 that a shofar was blown as the Torah was
given. The Talmud teaches that this shofar was actually the first of two, or
the left of two, ram's horns from the ram that was present when Abraham was
going to sacrifice Isaac on Mount Moriah in Genesis 22. The the other horn
from the ram will be blown at Yom Teruah at a future date. Yom Teruah is
what the Talmud renamed Rosh Ha Shanah.
On the day Moses received the Torah on the first Shavuot, three thousand
people died because of disobedience of the sin of the Golden Calf.
During Second Temple times everyone gathered in Israel for the celebration.
Those in Jerusalem would gather for a procession carrying fresh dates,
pomegranates, and grapes. Those at the back would carry dried fruit, figs, and
raisins. Each family brought two loaves of the finest bread. The men would go
out before this festival to choose the best grapes and dates to give to God.
They tied a red thread to the fruit to mark them for the offering.
"In 1967, the Six Day War ended just a few days before Shavuot. Israel had
reclaimed the Western Wall, and for the first time in 20 years Jews had access
to their holiest site. On Shavuot itself, the Western Wall became open to
visitors, and on that one memorable day, over 200,000 Jews journeyed by foot
to the Western Wall. (In Jerusalem, no cars or buses run on Biblical holidays.)
In subsequent years, this "pedestrian pilgrimage" has become a recurring
tradition. Early on Shavuot morning - after a full night of Torah learning -- the
streets of Jerusalem are filled with tens of thousands of Jews walking to the
Western Wall. This tradition has Biblical precedence. Shavuot is one of Jews'
three main pilgrimage festivals, where the entire nation would gather in
Jerusalem for celebration and study," writes Rabbi Shraga Simmons.
Shavuot is mentioned in our texts. Ex: 19:10-15, "And God said to Moses, "Go
to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash
their clothes and be ready by the third day, because on that day God will
come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. Put limits for the
people around the mountain and tell them, 'Be careful that you do not go up
the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall
surely be put to death. He shall surely be stoned or shot with arrows; not a
hand is to be laid on him. Whether man or animal, he shall not be permitted to
live.' Only when the ram's horn sounds a long blast may they go up to the
mountain." After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he
consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. Then he said to the
people, "Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain from sexual relations."
"And it was on the third day, as it became morning, and there was thunder
and lightning, and a thick cloud on the mountain, and the sound of the Shofar
was very strong, and all the people in the camp were seized with trembling,"
Ex: 19:16.
"And you shall declare on that very day, that it is a Holy Day unto you; You
shall do no manner of work; it is an Eternal statute, in all your habituations, for
all your generations," Lev: 23:21.
Lev: 23:15-22, "'From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the
sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. Count off fifty days up
to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new
grain to Yahweh. From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-
tenths of an ephah of fine flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of first
fruits to Yahweh. Present with this bread seven male lambs, each a year old
and without defect, one young bull and two rams. They will be a burnt offering
to God, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings—an offering
made by fire, an aroma pleasing to God. Then sacrifice one male goat for a sin
offering and two lambs, each a year old, for a fellowship offering. The priest is
to wave the two lambs before God as a wave offering, together with the bread
of the first fruits. They are a sacred offering to God for the priest. On that
same day you are to proclaim a sacred assembly and do no regular work. This
is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you
live. "'When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges
of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor
and the alien. I am God your Lord.'"
Ex: 32:25-29, "Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron
had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their
enemies. So he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, "Whoever is for
God, come to me." And all the Levites rallied to him." Then he said to
them, "This is what God, the God of Israel says: 'Each man strap a sword to
his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each
killing his brother and friend and neighbor.'" The Levites did as Moses
commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died. Then
Moses said, "You have been set apart to God today, for you were against your
own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day."
"Until the day after the seventh week, you shall count, fifty days; And you
shall bring a "new" grain offering to God," Lev:23:15.
"Three Regalim (pilgrimages) celebrate before Me each year. Observe the holy
day of Matzoth, Pesach, seven days shall you eat Matzah as I have
commanded you, in the month of Spring, for it was at the time that you left
Mitzrayim, and in presence I shall not be see by you empty handed," Ex:
23:14-16
Ex: 34:22-24, "Celebrate the Feast of Weeks with the first fruits of the wheat
harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year. Three times a
year all your men are to appear before the Sovereign God, the God of Israel. I
will drive out nations before you and enlarge your territory, and no one will
covet your land when you go up three times each year to appear before God
your God."
''On the day of first fruits, when you present to God an offering of new grain
during the Feast of Weeks, hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.
Present a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram and seven male lambs a
year old as an aroma pleasing to Yahweh. With each bull there is to be a grain
offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil; with the ram,
two-tenths; and with each of the seven lambs, one-tenth. Include one male
goat to make atonement for you. Prepare these together with their drink
offerings, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its grain offering. Be sure
the animals are without defect," Num. 28:26-32
Deut: 9:12, "Count off seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle
to the standing grain. Then celebrate the Feast of Weeks to God your God by
giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings God your God has given
you. And rejoice before God your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling
for his Name—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and
maidservants, the Levites in your towns, and the aliens, the fatherless and the
widows living among you. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and follow
carefully these decrees."
Because of its agricultural background, Shavuot has very few religious rituals
and symbols. What it does have is rich in tradition and brings understanding of
the day to a maximum.
The Torah commands that two loaves of bread are to be prepared for waving
on Shavuot. These loaves were baked with leaven and symbolized the two
tablets that the Ten Words were written upon. This bread sacrifice was to be
a meal offering consumed by the fire of God.
The two loaves along with seven male lambs, a young bull, and two rams were
sacrificed in the Mishkan (Tabernacle) on Shavuot. Also, a sin offering of one
male goat was presented to God.
The two loaves of bread on Shavuot are known as "Shtei HaLechem."
It is customary to invite guest, friends, and families to Shavuot celebrations as
the Torah says, "you shall rejoice before Lord your God, you, your son, and
your daughter…and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow," Deut.
16:11.
In worship centers that have a Torah scroll, one custom is to pass the Torah
scroll around the group. Instead of the service leader carrying the Torah scroll
in procession around the synagogue it can be passed so everyone gets to hold
it.
Shavuot is a Sabbath day of rest. No work is to be done on this day of
celebration.
Before sunset on the first day of the Feast of Weeks, the woman of the home
can light the Yom Tov candles and say a blessing over the day. The blessing is
as follows:
"Baruch atah Adonai Eloheynu, melek ha-olam, asher kidshanu bamitzvotav
vitzivanu l'hadleek ner shel Yom Tov."
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe Who has set us apart by
your commandments and has permitted us to light the candles of this Great
Day.
Other blessings that can be said at Shavuot are:
Baruch atah Adonia Eloheynu melech ha olam, sheh-asah nissim l'avoteynu ba-
yamim ha-haym baz'man hazeh.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, ruler of universe, who worked miracles for our
fathers in days of old, at this time.
Baruch atah Adonia Y Eloheynu melech ha olam
she-heh-chi-yanu v'key'manu v'hee-gee-anu laz'man ha-zeh.
Blessed are you, Lord our God, ruler of the Universe, who keeps us alive, who
supports the unfolding of our uniqueness, and who has enabled us to reach
this season.
The blessing that is to be spoken before eating the two loaves of bread is:
Baruch atah Adonia, Elohaynu melek ha-olam, ha motzi lechem men ha'aretz
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe Who brings forth bread
from the earth.
It is customary to adorn the place of worship with flowers, fruits, and greens
for this day. The reason is that in the time of the Temple, the first fruits of
the harvest were given on Shavuot. As well, the Sages of Judaism in the
Talmud, teach that although Mount Sinai was situated in a desert, when the
Torah was given on the mountain, the mountain bloomed and sprouted flowers.
Flower decorations also point to the area around the mountain of Sinai being
green, according to the implication of "neither let the flocks and herds graze"
found in Ex:34:3.
Tree decorations also point to the Etz Chaim – the Tree of Life – the Torah.
A favorite decoration at Shavuot is a rose. This is chosen from a play on
words found in Esther 8:14, "And the decree (dat) was proclaimed in
Shushan." This verse if playfully reinterpreted to mean that the law was given
with a rose (shoshan.) Therefore one custom is to scatter spices and rose
petals around the synagogue to create a beautiful fragrance.
It is also tradition to eat dairy foods on Shavuot. There are a number of
reasons for this custom one of which is that with the giving of the Torah the
Hebrews now became obligated to observe the laws of kosher. As the Torah
was given on Shabbat no cattle could be slaughtered nor could utensils be
koshered, and thus on that day everyone ate dairy.
Another reason is that the Torah is likened unto milk. The Hebrew word for milk
is "chalav." When the numerical value of each of the letters in the
word "chalav" are added together – 8,30,2 – the total is forty. Forty is the
number of days that Moshe was on the Mount receiving the Torah.
Some also say that this is a reminder of the promise regarding Eretz Yisra'el,
the Land of Israel, which is flowing with "milk and honey."
The Biblical book Song of Songs (4:11) refers to the sweet nourishing value of
Torah by saying: "It drips from your lips, like honey and milk under your
tongue."
When celebrating this day, note that it was not just the books of the Torah
that were given that day, but the whole Hebraic lifecycle and lifestyle.
The holy day is called the time of the giving of the Torah, rather than the time
of the receiving of the Torah. The Talmud points out that we are constantly in
the process of receiving the Torah, that we receive it everyday, but as it was
first given at this time. Thus it is the giving, not the receiving that makes this
holy day significant.
On the first night of Shavuot, Jews throughout the world observe a centuries
old custom of conducting an all-night vigil dedicated to Torah learning. This
night of dedication is called "Tikkun Leil Shavuot," which means the "Repair of
Shavuot Evening."
One explanation for this tradition is that the Hebrew people did not rise early
enough on the day God gave the Torah, and that it was necessary for God
Himself to awaken them. To compensate for their behavior, Jews have
accepted upon themselves the customs of remaining awake all night. The night
is spent in prayer and Torah study, with a short reading from each of the
books of the Tanach and each of the 63 tractates of Talmud.
During Tikkun Leil Shavuot the mystics have taught that the heavens are
literally opened for a brief instant and that the Shekinah descends upon those
waiting. At that very moment, we are told, that God will favorably answer any
prayer.
One favorite tradition on Shavuot is to visit the mikvah. A mikvah is a ritual
bath or immersion in any free flowing river, lake, or ocean. In order to
physically and spiritually cleanse and prepare for revelation on the night of
Shavuot is to immerse in the mikvah before the evening. The mikvah is to
remember how Israel was to prepare for three days in the desert before the
Torah was given.
Shavuot is the only Biblical holy day that is not tied to a particular calendar
date. Its date is determined from the counting from Pesach. Because the
length of the months used to be variable, determined by the observation of
the new moon, and there are two new moons between Pesach and Shavuot,
the day of Shavuot could occur on the 5th or the 6th of Sivan. However, the
Jewish calendar has mathematically determined that Shavuot will always fall on
the 6th of Sivan.
Outside of the Land of Israel, this holy day is two days long. This concept is
called "Yom Tov Sheni Shel Gaulyot." The reason for this is that during the
years of the Talmud, when communications were very far from what they are
now the Jews had problems spreading the word about the new months. A
second day of celebration became the solution so messengers could spread
the word of the New Moon in time. The second day was accorded the same
significance as the first day by the decree of the rabbis. Judaism still teaches
two days for most New Moons because of two reasons: The first is that there
is always an uncertainty of when the New Moon will be seen. The second is to
keep tradition – this is called the "Minhag Avoteinu B'Yadenu" or to "continue
in the custom of our ancestors."
Yes, the day after Shavuot is a special day. This day is also known as "Isru
Hag." The Talmud states that "whoever observes a continuation of a feast by
eating or drinking, the Tanach in Psalm 118:27 accounts to him as if he had
built the altar in the temple and offered sacrifice upon it, as it said: 'Bind the
feast (Isru Hag) with cords unto the horns of the altar."'
Sinai and the giving of Torah is a continuous event. It is not accidental that
originally no date was given for the Revelation of Sinai, for the voice of God
constantly speaks to us. The Revelation continues to occur as the Torah
unfolds before us, if we pay attention to it.
In many synagogues the book of Ruth is read on the second day of Shavuot.
There are several reasons for this: First, tradition says that Shavuot is the
birthday and the yahrtzeit, or day of passing, of King David. The book of Ruth
records his ancestry and Ruth and her husband Boaz were King David's great-
grandparents. Also the scenes of harvesting, described in the book of Ruth are
appropriate to the feast of Harvest. Finally, Ruth was a sincere convert who
embraced the Hebrew faith with all her heart. On Shavuot all Jews are
reminded of having accepted the Torah and all its precepts just like a convert.
It is tradition for the Ten Commandments to be recited on the first day of
Shavuot.
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in the Zohar wrote an interest Kabalistic view of
Shavuot. The Zohar explains on a deeper level that what happens on Shavuot
can be understood as a matrimony. The Kabbalists explain that there are two
main spiritual sources named The Holy One blessed be He, and his female
counterpart the Shekinah. They connect or separate depending on our spiritual
actions when we do positive spiritual actions they unite, and that union draws
Light , which then flows down to us. If we do negative actions we cause them
to separate, this reduces the amount of Light we receive. On Shavuot the
amount of Light that is revealed is tremendous, this is described as the
marriage and union of The Holy One blessed be He and the Shekinah. This is a
very beautiful and powerful time.
One of the best ways to connect to this Light is by staying up the entire night
of Shavuot and reading from the Torah. This reveals great Light in the world
more specifically through the reading we are preparing and beautifying the
Shekinah the Bride for the wedding. Rabbi Shimon in the Zohar says: "Sit
beloved, sit and lets prepare the bride on this night, for everybody who
connects to her on this night, will be protected for the entire year above and
below, and he will complete his year in peace."
Shavuot is the last of the Spring feasts mandated for all Bible believers. The
next holy day is Yom Teruah, the day of Shofar Blasts, which the Talmud
turned into Rosh ha Shanah.
There are two "pivut" or religious poems that are usually spoken at the
synagogue on Shavuot. The first is called the "Akdamut" and the second is
called the "Ketubah."
Akdamut is a poem which was composed during the First Crusade, which began
in 1096, as an effort by Christian Europe to recapture the "Holy Land" from the
Moslem "infidels" who had seized it. On their way to the Middle East, the
Christian knights would, in general, visit terror if not outright destruction upon
the Jewish communities which happened to be on their route. The Christians
tried to force their religion upon their Jewish neighbors, often at the threat of
death. Sometimes, mock "debates" were held, in which Jewish rabbis were
forced to participate, knowing that the juries, consisting of church officials,
were rigged against them, and that nothing they said would have any effect
on their listeners, or upon their own fate. Below is a translation of the poem
Akdamut:
Akdamut" - Free Translation of Content
Before I begin to read his Words (The Ten Commandments),
I will ask Permission,
Of the One Whose Might is such that -
Even if all the heavens were parchment,
And all the reeds pens,
And all the oceans ink,
And all people were scribes,
It would be impossible to record
the Greatness of the Creator,
Who Created the World with a soft utterance,
And with a single letter, the letter "heh,"
The lightest of the letters.
And Angels of Heaven of all kinds,
All full of fear and terror of their Master,
Have permission to praise him only at set times,
Some once in seven years, Others once and no more,
How beloved is Israel!
For the Holy One leaves the Angels on High,
To take the People of Israel as His lot -
And they make Him their King,
And declare, "Holy! Holy! Holy!"
Twice a day, Morning and Evening -
And all His Desire is that His Chosen People
Will study His Torah and pray to Him,
For they are inscribed in His Tefillin,
"Who is like Your People, Israel,
One nation in the World!"
Thus it is the will of the Holy One,
That I speak in praise of Israel,
And though all the nations come and ask,
Who can it Be, for Whom you give up your lives,
O most beautiful of the nations?
But come with us,
And we'll satisfy all your desires!
And Israel responds with wisdom,
Only a bit of the truth do they reveal,
What is your greatness, say they to the nations,
Compared to the reward that He has in store for us!
And when He sheds upon us His great light,
While you go, they are destroyed in darkness!
Yerushalayim will be rebuilt!
The Exiles will return,
The Gates of Gan Eden will Re-Open,
And all their Brilliance will be Revealed to us -
We will enter those Gates and take Pleasure,
In the Radiance of the Divine Presence,
Whom we will point to, and say -
Here is our God, in Whom we hoped,
He will save us!
And each righteous one under his canopy will sit,
In the Sukkah made from the skin of Leviathan,
And in the future
He will make a dance for the righteous ones,
And a banquet in Paradise,
From that Great Fish and the Wild Ox ,
And from the Wine preserved from the Creation -
Happy are those who believe and hope and
Never abandon their faith forever!
Now you my listeners,
When you hear your praise in this song,
Be strong in your faith!
And you will merit to sit in the company
Of the holy and righteous ones
In the World-to-Come!
If you've listened well to my words,
Which were uttered in holy majesty -
Great is our God
The First and the Last!
Happy are we, for He loved us,
And gave us His Torah.
Another piyut spoken at Shavuot is "Ketubah." This poem is modeled
after "Shir HaShirim" or the Song of Songs in the Bible. This poem takes on the
form of a marriage contract between Israel and the Torah, composed by Rabbi
Yisrael Najara. Provided is a shortened version of the poem:
My Beloved went down to His garden, to His bed of spices,
To delight in the princess, and to spread over her the canopy of His peace;
"King Solomon made for Himself a Palace."
Serafim and Ophanim He abandoned, and His Horsemen and Chariot,
And with the beloved doe, He observed His banquet;
"On the day of His wedding and the rejoicing of His heart."
My beloved, My doe, Come with Me to My chamber, my hall,
For your sake I have left all the legions above, and their host;
"And I have betrothed you unto Me forever."
Said the Awesome One,
You Who from the time of love I have heard Him,
And I love Him with an Eternal love,
"May He kiss me with the kisses of His Mouth!"
To go to the wedding canopy, agreed the dancer of the camps,
And for her "We will do, and then obey"
merited six hundred thousand crowns;
"In the third month, from the time
That Israel left Mitzrayim."
And the connection was strong
With this Nation, which He acquired at Sinai,
And the Deed of Purchase and the Signature
I read for My throngs,
"Behold! It is written before Me."
On the Sixth Day I will read what is written in the Letter,
A day on which to bequeath to His beloved ones the Torah,
The Living God did Intend,
"Six Days in the Month of Sivan."
The Last Segment
"…That He should not travel far away,
Or make His way in the sea,
Without the Torah placed near His heart;
"It should be with Him, and He shall read from it"
"And all these conditions are strong and stand fast,"
As the host of heaven in the sky is arrayed,
"Forever and ever, and for Eternity."
And the Groom swears to fulfill them all for His congregation,
And to bequeath "Yesh," "Substance" to those who love Him
And who do His will,
"God swore with His Right Hand."
And the Bridegroom Acquired five Possessions,
And among them were the Torah and the Testimony,
And the Treasure betrothed,
"And He laid the corner-stone."
Let the righteous see and rejoice,
And let them enjoy their reward,
Of a Testimony that is "long as the land,
And wider than the sea,"
"And all is strong, and clear, and steadfast!
And He established the Torah in Jacob with vigor,
And He commanded to erect its fences
So no one would break through!
"And I established faithful witnesses,
The Heavens and the Earth!
Let the Bridegroom rejoice with the Bride,
To take for his possession,
And let the heart of the Bride rejoice
With the husband of her youth,
And let her say to the one who sings His praises,
"Happy is the People for whom it is so!"
So, now you know more about Shavuot than you wanted.
A D'var on the Torah Readings held on this holiday are below.
Happy Shavuot!!!
Rabbi Arthur Segal
Hebrew College, Newton Centre, MA, USA
via Shamash Org on-line class.
Special Todah Rabah to Rabbi Rendelman
RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL:CHUMASH CANDESCENCE: SHAVUOT PARASHAT
RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL:CHUMASH CANDESCENCE: SHAVUOT PARASHAT
CHUMASH CANDESCENCE
SPECIAL SHAVUOT TORAH READINGS
EXODUS 19:01-20:23
NUMBERS 28:26-31
DEUTERONOMY 14:22-16:17
EZEKIEL 1:1-28,3:12
HABBAKKUK 2:20-3:19
BOOK OF RUTH
RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL
"Kosher X-Files with Jewish Men in Black"
"Ezekiel saw da wheel" is how the African American spiritual begins.
Moses saw the Burning Bush. The Children of Israel saw Mt. Sinai "smoke"
and "shudder" amidst "thunder and lightning" and "powerful shofar blasts"
(Deut. 19:16-18). The themes of the above portions of the Tanach (Holy
Scriptures), which make up this Shavuot's and Shabbat's Torah and
Haftorah readings deal with revelation and theophany. Theophany is the
appearance
of God to man. Shavuot is the holiday that celebrates God's revealing the
Torah to Moses on Mt. Sinai.
Ezekiel was a Kohan priest in Judeah who was taken into captivity by the
Babylonians in 597 BCE. He was the first prophet to preach and write
while in exile. While sitting by the river Chebar ( the canal that
joined the Tigris to the Euphrates Rivers) in the town of Tel Abib in
Babylon, Ezekiel had a vision of theophany. His fellow captives thought
that he was insane and bound him in ropes for 430 days. As we have seen
many times before, Haftarahs tend to follow themes developed in the
Torah portion. Moses had his theophany, and Ezekiel tells us about his.
While Moses's experiences have been studied openly and publicly in-depth,
Ezekiel's traditionally have not been studied. Ezekiel's vision is of the
Divine Throne and of the Holy Chariot. In Hebrew this is "Ma'ateh Merkabah"
(the
work of the chariot). Its study was reserved for men of "the highest
degree of mental and moral perfection" according to Rabbi
J. Hertz.
The Talmud in Tractate Chagigah 14B tells of what happened
when Rabbi Elazer ben Arach expounded upon this text. A fire descended
from heaven and singed all of the trees near him. Traditionally the sages
did not permit this chapter to be studied publicly. It could only be
studied individually by the most highly qualified people. When I almost
completed my d'var Torah this afternoon, my computer crashed for the
first time, losing my essay. So beware of this caveat--if you wish to
protect your soul or your laptop, do not read further.
Five years had passed since Ezekiel was taken into custody. While sitting
by the river's edge he saw in the sky a wheel within a wheel. The clouds
opened, and the wheel had a great brightness around it. It had the color
of electrum. The Hebrew for this is "chashmal," which denotes a bright
metal-like polished bronze. Four creatures came out of this bright
light. They each had four faces and four wings. They had jointless legs
and feet like calves. The four faces were of man, eagle, bull and lion.
Their bodies were humanoid. They could move in any direction without
turning. They appeared like burning coals with lightning coming from
them. They traveled in wheels within wheels. They had many eyes. When
they moved, their wings made a terrible noise like the roar of the
ocean. When the creature spoke to Ezekiel, he was certain it was God. He
felt himself being lifted up and carried away. This was Ezekiel's
theophany. Is your computer still working? Is your eternal soul still
intact?
Do we need to call Special Agent Fox Mulder to check on your landscaping?
If all is A-OK, please continue.
The figures who appeared to Ezekiel had four faces. The humanoid creature
turned of its own volition without moving. Dr. Jo Milgrom, an expert in
Near East mythology and art, writes that these faces are also apparent on
the sphinx in Egypt. They are also on the Israelite version of the
sphinx, which we call the keruvim. The keruvim guard the Holy of Holies and
face
each other.
While Ezekiel was having his vision, the keruvim were still
in the Temple in Jerusalem as it had not yet been destroyed. The
destruction took place in 586 BCE, eleven years after some Jews, like
Ezekiel, were carried away. Was this a dream with the chariot that moved
without moving and turned without turning being a symbol for the
changing yet unchanging Infinite God, who could appear in the new home of
the Jews without "moving"?
Do the four faces represent Zodiac signs? Does the human face represent
Gemini? We could say easily that the lion is Leo and the bull is Taurus.
Is the eagle a taloned higher version of the earthly clawed Scorpio? The
sign of Gemini in Hebrew is called "teumim" or twins. This is the sign
under which Torah was given. Shavuot happened on the sixth of the month
of Sivan. It is fitting that Torah was given in this month, the sages teach,
because Torah helps humankind achieve full human potential. We are to be
raised above the level of animals represented by most other
constellations.
Rabbi M. Glazerson writes that "when the Jewish people camped at the foot
of Sinai in preparation to receive the Torah they achieved a harmony and
unity which was unparalleled before or since." The scholar known as the
Or Ha Chaim, Rabbi Chaim ben Attar of eighteenth-century Livorno, Italy,
taught that Israel was united in heart and mind like a single person. "The
entire people responded together" (Ex .19:08) and agreed that "we will do
and we will listen" (Ex. 24:07). It was only in this state of unity, of
being one, that they could receive the Torah--which is from the One.
The Midrash teaches that all Jews on this day saw the Divine Chariot appear
at Sinai. Rabbi Glazerson writes that the symbol of the Twins is an
expression of oneness. Jews were all different people that day at Sinai,
each physically separate, but joined in a "spiritual kinship" that made
them resemble each other to the point that they were identical to one
another.
Ezekiel is not the only person in our Jewish literature that reports
seeing odd creatures or heavenly bodies descend to earth. Elisha saw
Elijah get taken away to the heavens in a "chariot of fire" (2 Kings
2:11). Zechariah (Zech. 5:1-2) saw a "flying roll" in the shape of what
today we would call a rocket. Isaiah (27:01) tells us of three large
creatures called Leviathan, Nehash and Bariah. Job (40:15-24) tells us
about the Behemoth. We all know of the man-angels (cherubim) that
appeared to Abraham and Lot in Genesis. Daniel's beasts seem to be
hybrids of other animals (Dan. 7:1-8). And Deuteronomy (3:11) writes to
us about giants and people with six-fingered hands.
The Pseudapocrypha's book of 3 Baruch 6:1-13 tells us of a live sphinx
and 2 Enoch's chapter six is full of tales of giant animals and other
hybrids. The Septuagint translation of the Tanach into Greek speaks of
dragons in the book of Daniel.
The Talmudic rabbis discuss two giant birds called Ziz and Bar-Yohani.
They further tell tales of seeing giant sea-dragons, giant buffalo and
unicorns in their travels. The sages also speak of a special hybrid
called a Koy or Kewi, as well as Capricorns and centaurs. The latter two
appear on walls of ancient synagogues. The rabbis also tell us of a
siren's heavenly voice whispering to them to help them reach halachic
decisions involving Jewish law.
Ezekiel and Moses were not the only biblical figures to have theophanies.
We read of many of them in Jeremiah, Zechariah, Daniel, Job, Jonah and
throughout the Chumash with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses.
All were talking to and hearing God. Even Cain, after he killed Abel,
had a theophany.
Can any of us today in this post-biblical era receive a theophany? We are
told that God speaks to each of us in our hearts. Certainly Ruth had this
type of revelation. Theophanies do not have to be theatrical. John's
vision in his book of Revelations is another example of an almost
Broadway-like produced theophany, which, if read, parallels Ezekiel's.
Ruth's theophany is much more subtle and even more wondrous in ways than
Moses, Ezekiel and others experienced. Moses, Abraham and the prophets
were hand-picked by God. Ruth arrived to love God in a different manner.
Ruth was a Moabite princess who married a Jew (Machlon) who had come to
Moab with his father and mother (Elimelech and Naomi) and then died
leaving Ruth a widow. The story of Ruth is important for Shavuot as she
was the model of Torah acceptance. Without her, Jewish history would not
continue as we have come to know it.
Judaism is not a racial trait. In a sense we were all converts at Sinai,
and we must remind ourselves everyday, and especially at Shavuot, to
re-experience the revelation. The Talmud teaches that Ruth's name
gamatrially has a numerical value of 606. Since all humans have an
obligation to observe the seven Noahide laws, Ruth as a Moabite was
responsible for them. Add these seven laws to her name's numerical value
and one arrives at 613, the number of mitzvoth in the entire Torah.
The Vilna Gaon says that Ruth sought out Torah to complete what she was
missing
spiritually. Ruth's conversion to the faith of her mother-in-law seems
simplistic enough in the book of Ruth (1:16-17). Ruth pledges, after
being rebuked by Naomi three times, to go where she goes, lodge where she
lodges, adopt her people and her God, and be buried where Naomi is
buried. She further swears that God should punish her if anything but
death separates Ruth from Naomi. The Talmud in Tractate Yevomot 47B,
however, extracts its many complex laws of conversion from these two
simple verses in the Book of Ruth.
"How does love for one's mother-in-law make a person a
good Jew?" the sages ask in the Talmud. The rabbis in Tractate Ketubot 111B
posit that one
cannot love another without knowing details about the person. Therefore
one cannot love God, which is one of the greatest of all mitzvoth, if one
has not studied God in what we call now conversion classes. However, the
rabbis posit that if one knows a Torah scholar or a righteous individual
and loves that person, one therefore can feel attached to God as well.
So Ruth cleaved herself to Naomi, who was already attached to God. Since
pure people like Naomi were rare by the time of the Talmud's writing, the
sages developed many rules for conversion to Judaism. Cleaving to another
Jew was no longer sufficient, they decided.
From reading the last few verses in the Book of Ruth we know that Ruth
was to become the grandmother of King David through marriage to her
kinsman Boaz. But let us not forget that Ruth's ancestor was Lot, who was
seduced by his own daughter. That incestuous union produced Mo-av, which
means "from my father." The Moabites are descended from this child. Lot
was Haran's son. Haran was Abraham's brother. Haran was the father of
Sarah and Milka (Gen. 11:27-28). Rebecca was Milka's granddaughter. All
of Jacob's wives were Milka's great-granddaughters. Therefore, Ruth was a
multiple great-granddaughter of Haran as well, since she was descended
from Lot, Abraham's cousin.
Now the sages teach that while Abraham may have "discovered God," it was
the Jewish women, our matriarchs that had the "binah" (wisdom) to
translate God's ideals into everyday living. Since our matriarchal line
comes from Haran, a Moabite--like Ruth--is perfectly suited to be the
grandmother of David.
This bit of genealogy steals from the beauty that we derive from the Book
of Ruth. That beauty is that anyone can be come a Jew regardless of their
bloodline. Anyone can reach his or her fullest potential. We do not need
a genealogical litmus test to determine if we, our children or our
grandchildren will do well in this world. Judaism is not based on racial
lines. It is a way of living. It is open to all who wish to follow it
sincerely.
Ruth is the epitome of a good Jewish convert not because she cleaved to
Naomi to learn Torah but because she already acted within the essence and
framework of Judaism. Her grandson King David wrote in Psalm 89:3 that
"kindness builds the world." Ruth's acts of kindness (chesed) to Naomi
and her sacrifice of her wealthy "princess way of life" in Moab were the
ultimate tests of a good Jewess. The rest of the Book of Ruth shows Ruth
doing multiple acts of loving kindness. We do not need pages of Talmud on
the proper ways of doing tevila (ritual mikva immersion) to understand
that when Ruth said she wanted Naomi's people to be her people, she
immediately became a Jew. God definitely appeared in Ruth's heart and
soul. Ruth too had her own theophany.
When Naomi first tells her two widowed daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah
to go back to Moab, she kisses them. When Orpah kisses Naomi, but decides
to return home, her kiss was no more than a gesture of affection. When
Ruth kisses Naomi her neshemah (soul) made an eternal connection with
Naomi's soul. Their two souls became bound up as one. They too became
joined teumim (twins). It is interesting to note that it is taught
traditionally that King David was not only born, but also died on Shavuot
under the Gemini zodiac sign.
In traditional congregations the Akadamus poem is read before the Shavuot
Torah reading. Every line ends with the syllable "ta," which is written
with the last and the first letters of the Aleph-Bait. This alludes to
the endlessness of the Torah and the Infinity and Oneness of God.
The Hebrew word for truth, emet, is written with the first (aleph), middle
(mem) and last (tav) letters of the Hebrew alphabet. When we reach the
final letter tav in the order of the letters, we immediately start to
dwell on the first letter aleph.
Part of this prayer is as follows:
"If all the heavens were parchment,
if all the trees of the forest were pens,
if all the waters of the sea were ink,
and if every creature was a scribe,
they would not suffice to expound the greatness of The Creator,
and the reflection of His Majesty in Heaven and on Earth,
effortlessly created with the breath of the letter Heh."
This poem was written by Rabbi Meir ben Yitchak of eleventh-century
Worms,Germany. It has ninety verses and is one of Judaism's most beloved
liturgical poem (piyut). It is written in Aramaic, not Hebrew. The first forty-
four
verses form a double acrostic of the Aleph-Bait and the remaining verses spell
out the author's name and a blessing.
Within this prayer we return to
Ezekiel's vision of strange beings. Rabbi Meir's Akadamus tells about the
Talmudic and Midrashic Leviathan and Behemoth. He writes how they will do
battle with each other (the first is a sea monster, and the second is a
land monster). Then, when the Messiah comes, God will clothe the
righteous with the skin of the Leviathan and make tents for shelter from
it as well. From both the Behemoth and the Leviathan, God will prepare a
big banquet for the righteous, who will eat "amid great joy and
merriment." Perhaps Rabbi Meir had a small theophany as well.
Do we need to call on the Jewish "Men in Black" to help us with our own
revelations? Who would play the Tommy Lee Jones and the Will Smith roles?
Perhaps when we read the above Torah and Haftorah portions this week in
our temples and synagogues we can try really hard to talk with God and
see if God answers. Perhaps we can even try to achieve this at home, or
at the beach, or in a park or by our own river. Mediation and three way
prayer, which I do daily, and which I teach, has always been a part of
Judaism, and during the Talmudic age, there were 100s of schools in Judea
that taught mediation techniques.
Crypto-Jews, who had to hide
their Judaism under penalty of death, pretended to play card games on
Shabbat while secretly discussing Torah. These card games were called
"barajas" from the Hebrew word for blessings (Barachas). One never really
knows when God will speak. "The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
and to all who call upon Him in truth." . "Where is God? Wherever you let him
in."
"To truly love God, one must first love people. If anyone tells you that he
loves God
and does not love his fellow humans, you will know that he is lying."
Worship should not be like going to the gas station where we
get tanked up spiritually for the week. It is an ongoing process of
spiritual growth.
I would like to leave you with a psalm by one of my favorite Jewish
poets, Bob Dylan. It is entitled "Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie."
"Where do you find the hope that yer seekin'?
You can either go to the church of your choice,
or you can go to the Brooklyn State Hospital.
You'll find God in the church of your choice.
You'll find Woody Guthrie in the Brooklyn State Hospital.
And although it's my opinion. I may be right or wrong.
You'll find them both in the Grand Canyon at sundown."
Chag So-may-ach!!
RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL
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RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL:CHUMASH CANDESCENCE: SHAVUOT PARASHAT
RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL:CHUMASH CANDESCENCE: SHAVUOT PARASHAT
CHUMASH CANDESCENCE
SPECIAL SHAVUOT TORAH READINGS
EXODUS 19:01-20:23
NUMBERS 28:26-31
DEUTERONOMY 14:22-16:17
EZEKIEL 1:1-28,3:12
HABBAKKUK 2:20-3:19
BOOK OF RUTH
RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL
"Kosher X-Files with Jewish Men in Black"
"Ezekiel saw da wheel" is how the African American spiritual begins.
Moses saw the Burning Bush. The Children of Israel saw Mt. Sinai "smoke"
and "shudder" amidst "thunder and lightning" and "powerful shofar blasts"
(Deut. 19:16-18). The themes of the above portions of the Tanach (Holy
Scriptures), which make up this Shavuot's and Shabbat's Torah and
Haftorah readings deal with revelation and theophany. Theophany is the
appearance
of God to man. Shavuot is the holiday that celebrates God's revealing the
Torah to Moses on Mt. Sinai.
Ezekiel was a Kohan priest in Judeah who was taken into captivity by the
Babylonians in 597 BCE. He was the first prophet to preach and write
while in exile. While sitting by the river Chebar ( the canal that
joined the Tigris to the Euphrates Rivers) in the town of Tel Abib in
Babylon, Ezekiel had a vision of theophany. His fellow captives thought
that he was insane and bound him in ropes for 430 days. As we have seen
many times before, Haftarahs tend to follow themes developed in the
Torah portion. Moses had his theophany, and Ezekiel tells us about his.
While Moses's experiences have been studied openly and publicly in-depth,
Ezekiel's traditionally have not been studied. Ezekiel's vision is of the
Divine Throne and of the Holy Chariot. In Hebrew this is "Ma'ateh Merkabah"
(the
work of the chariot). Its study was reserved for men of "the highest
degree of mental and moral perfection" according to Rabbi
J. Hertz.
The Talmud in Tractate Chagigah 14B tells of what happened
when Rabbi Elazer ben Arach expounded upon this text. A fire descended
from heaven and singed all of the trees near him. Traditionally the sages
did not permit this chapter to be studied publicly. It could only be
studied individually by the most highly qualified people. When I almost
completed my d'var Torah this afternoon, my computer crashed for the
first time, losing my essay. So beware of this caveat--if you wish to
protect your soul or your laptop, do not read further.
Five years had passed since Ezekiel was taken into custody. While sitting
by the river's edge he saw in the sky a wheel within a wheel. The clouds
opened, and the wheel had a great brightness around it. It had the color
of electrum. The Hebrew for this is "chashmal," which denotes a bright
metal-like polished bronze. Four creatures came out of this bright
light. They each had four faces and four wings. They had jointless legs
and feet like calves. The four faces were of man, eagle, bull and lion.
Their bodies were humanoid. They could move in any direction without
turning. They appeared like burning coals with lightning coming from
them. They traveled in wheels within wheels. They had many eyes. When
they moved, their wings made a terrible noise like the roar of the
ocean. When the creature spoke to Ezekiel, he was certain it was God. He
felt himself being lifted up and carried away. This was Ezekiel's
theophany. Is your computer still working? Is your eternal soul still
intact?
Do we need to call Special Agent Fox Mulder to check on your landscaping?
If all is A-OK, please continue.
The figures who appeared to Ezekiel had four faces. The humanoid creature
turned of its own volition without moving. Dr. Jo Milgrom, an expert in
Near East mythology and art, writes that these faces are also apparent on
the sphinx in Egypt. They are also on the Israelite version of the
sphinx, which we call the keruvim. The keruvim guard the Holy of Holies and
face
each other.
While Ezekiel was having his vision, the keruvim were still
in the Temple in Jerusalem as it had not yet been destroyed. The
destruction took place in 586 BCE, eleven years after some Jews, like
Ezekiel, were carried away. Was this a dream with the chariot that moved
without moving and turned without turning being a symbol for the
changing yet unchanging Infinite God, who could appear in the new home of
the Jews without "moving"?
Do the four faces represent Zodiac signs? Does the human face represent
Gemini? We could say easily that the lion is Leo and the bull is Taurus.
Is the eagle a taloned higher version of the earthly clawed Scorpio? The
sign of Gemini in Hebrew is called "teumim" or twins. This is the sign
under which Torah was given. Shavuot happened on the sixth of the month
of Sivan. It is fitting that Torah was given in this month, the sages teach,
because Torah helps humankind achieve full human potential. We are to be
raised above the level of animals represented by most other
constellations.
Rabbi M. Glazerson writes that "when the Jewish people camped at the foot
of Sinai in preparation to receive the Torah they achieved a harmony and
unity which was unparalleled before or since." The scholar known as the
Or Ha Chaim, Rabbi Chaim ben Attar of eighteenth-century Livorno, Italy,
taught that Israel was united in heart and mind like a single person. "The
entire people responded together" (Ex .19:08) and agreed that "we will do
and we will listen" (Ex. 24:07). It was only in this state of unity, of
being one, that they could receive the Torah--which is from the One.
The Midrash teaches that all Jews on this day saw the Divine Chariot appear
at Sinai. Rabbi Glazerson writes that the symbol of the Twins is an
expression of oneness. Jews were all different people that day at Sinai,
each physically separate, but joined in a "spiritual kinship" that made
them resemble each other to the point that they were identical to one
another.
Ezekiel is not the only person in our Jewish literature that reports
seeing odd creatures or heavenly bodies descend to earth. Elisha saw
Elijah get taken away to the heavens in a "chariot of fire" (2 Kings
2:11). Zechariah (Zech. 5:1-2) saw a "flying roll" in the shape of what
today we would call a rocket. Isaiah (27:01) tells us of three large
creatures called Leviathan, Nehash and Bariah. Job (40:15-24) tells us
about the Behemoth. We all know of the man-angels (cherubim) that
appeared to Abraham and Lot in Genesis. Daniel's beasts seem to be
hybrids of other animals (Dan. 7:1-8). And Deuteronomy (3:11) writes to
us about giants and people with six-fingered hands.
The Pseudapocrypha's book of 3 Baruch 6:1-13 tells us of a live sphinx
and 2 Enoch's chapter six is full of tales of giant animals and other
hybrids. The Septuagint translation of the Tanach into Greek speaks of
dragons in the book of Daniel.
The Talmudic rabbis discuss two giant birds called Ziz and Bar-Yohani.
They further tell tales of seeing giant sea-dragons, giant buffalo and
unicorns in their travels. The sages also speak of a special hybrid
called a Koy or Kewi, as well as Capricorns and centaurs. The latter two
appear on walls of ancient synagogues. The rabbis also tell us of a
siren's heavenly voice whispering to them to help them reach halachic
decisions involving Jewish law.
Ezekiel and Moses were not the only biblical figures to have theophanies.
We read of many of them in Jeremiah, Zechariah, Daniel, Job, Jonah and
throughout the Chumash with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses.
All were talking to and hearing God. Even Cain, after he killed Abel,
had a theophany.
Can any of us today in this post-biblical era receive a theophany? We are
told that God speaks to each of us in our hearts. Certainly Ruth had this
type of revelation. Theophanies do not have to be theatrical. John's
vision in his book of Revelations is another example of an almost
Broadway-like produced theophany, which, if read, parallels Ezekiel's.
Ruth's theophany is much more subtle and even more wondrous in ways than
Moses, Ezekiel and others experienced. Moses, Abraham and the prophets
were hand-picked by God. Ruth arrived to love God in a different manner.
Ruth was a Moabite princess who married a Jew (Machlon) who had come to
Moab with his father and mother (Elimelech and Naomi) and then died
leaving Ruth a widow. The story of Ruth is important for Shavuot as she
was the model of Torah acceptance. Without her, Jewish history would not
continue as we have come to know it.
Judaism is not a racial trait. In a sense we were all converts at Sinai,
and we must remind ourselves everyday, and especially at Shavuot, to
re-experience the revelation. The Talmud teaches that Ruth's name
gamatrially has a numerical value of 606. Since all humans have an
obligation to observe the seven Noahide laws, Ruth as a Moabite was
responsible for them. Add these seven laws to her name's numerical value
and one arrives at 613, the number of mitzvoth in the entire Torah.
The Vilna Gaon says that Ruth sought out Torah to complete what she was
missing
spiritually. Ruth's conversion to the faith of her mother-in-law seems
simplistic enough in the book of Ruth (1:16-17). Ruth pledges, after
being rebuked by Naomi three times, to go where she goes, lodge where she
lodges, adopt her people and her God, and be buried where Naomi is
buried. She further swears that God should punish her if anything but
death separates Ruth from Naomi. The Talmud in Tractate Yevomot 47B,
however, extracts its many complex laws of conversion from these two
simple verses in the Book of Ruth.
"How does love for one's mother-in-law make a person a
good Jew?" the sages ask in the Talmud. The rabbis in Tractate Ketubot 111B
posit that one
cannot love another without knowing details about the person. Therefore
one cannot love God, which is one of the greatest of all mitzvoth, if one
has not studied God in what we call now conversion classes. However, the
rabbis posit that if one knows a Torah scholar or a righteous individual
and loves that person, one therefore can feel attached to God as well.
So Ruth cleaved herself to Naomi, who was already attached to God. Since
pure people like Naomi were rare by the time of the Talmud's writing, the
sages developed many rules for conversion to Judaism. Cleaving to another
Jew was no longer sufficient, they decided.
From reading the last few verses in the Book of Ruth we know that Ruth
was to become the grandmother of King David through marriage to her
kinsman Boaz. But let us not forget that Ruth's ancestor was Lot, who was
seduced by his own daughter. That incestuous union produced Mo-av, which
means "from my father." The Moabites are descended from this child. Lot
was Haran's son. Haran was Abraham's brother. Haran was the father of
Sarah and Milka (Gen. 11:27-28). Rebecca was Milka's granddaughter. All
of Jacob's wives were Milka's great-granddaughters. Therefore, Ruth was a
multiple great-granddaughter of Haran as well, since she was descended
from Lot, Abraham's cousin.
Now the sages teach that while Abraham may have "discovered God," it was
the Jewish women, our matriarchs that had the "binah" (wisdom) to
translate God's ideals into everyday living. Since our matriarchal line
comes from Haran, a Moabite--like Ruth--is perfectly suited to be the
grandmother of David.
This bit of genealogy steals from the beauty that we derive from the Book
of Ruth. That beauty is that anyone can be come a Jew regardless of their
bloodline. Anyone can reach his or her fullest potential. We do not need
a genealogical litmus test to determine if we, our children or our
grandchildren will do well in this world. Judaism is not based on racial
lines. It is a way of living. It is open to all who wish to follow it
sincerely.
Ruth is the epitome of a good Jewish convert not because she cleaved to
Naomi to learn Torah but because she already acted within the essence and
framework of Judaism. Her grandson King David wrote in Psalm 89:3 that
"kindness builds the world." Ruth's acts of kindness (chesed) to Naomi
and her sacrifice of her wealthy "princess way of life" in Moab were the
ultimate tests of a good Jewess. The rest of the Book of Ruth shows Ruth
doing multiple acts of loving kindness. We do not need pages of Talmud on
the proper ways of doing tevila (ritual mikva immersion) to understand
that when Ruth said she wanted Naomi's people to be her people, she
immediately became a Jew. God definitely appeared in Ruth's heart and
soul. Ruth too had her own theophany.
When Naomi first tells her two widowed daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah
to go back to Moab, she kisses them. When Orpah kisses Naomi, but decides
to return home, her kiss was no more than a gesture of affection. When
Ruth kisses Naomi her neshemah (soul) made an eternal connection with
Naomi's soul. Their two souls became bound up as one. They too became
joined teumim (twins). It is interesting to note that it is taught
traditionally that King David was not only born, but also died on Shavuot
under the Gemini zodiac sign.
In traditional congregations the Akadamus poem is read before the Shavuot
Torah reading. Every line ends with the syllable "ta," which is written
with the last and the first letters of the Aleph-Bait. This alludes to
the endlessness of the Torah and the Infinity and Oneness of God.
The Hebrew word for truth, emet, is written with the first (aleph), middle
(mem) and last (tav) letters of the Hebrew alphabet. When we reach the
final letter tav in the order of the letters, we immediately start to
dwell on the first letter aleph.
Part of this prayer is as follows:
"If all the heavens were parchment,
if all the trees of the forest were pens,
if all the waters of the sea were ink,
and if every creature was a scribe,
they would not suffice to expound the greatness of The Creator,
and the reflection of His Majesty in Heaven and on Earth,
effortlessly created with the breath of the letter Heh."
This poem was written by Rabbi Meir ben Yitchak of eleventh-century
Worms,Germany. It has ninety verses and is one of Judaism's most beloved
liturgical poem (piyut). It is written in Aramaic, not Hebrew. The first forty-
four
verses form a double acrostic of the Aleph-Bait and the remaining verses spell
out the author's name and a blessing.
Within this prayer we return to
Ezekiel's vision of strange beings. Rabbi Meir's Akadamus tells about the
Talmudic and Midrashic Leviathan and Behemoth. He writes how they will do
battle with each other (the first is a sea monster, and the second is a
land monster). Then, when the Messiah comes, God will clothe the
righteous with the skin of the Leviathan and make tents for shelter from
it as well. From both the Behemoth and the Leviathan, God will prepare a
big banquet for the righteous, who will eat "amid great joy and
merriment." Perhaps Rabbi Meir had a small theophany as well.
Do we need to call on the Jewish "Men in Black" to help us with our own
revelations? Who would play the Tommy Lee Jones and the Will Smith roles?
Perhaps when we read the above Torah and Haftorah portions this week in
our temples and synagogues we can try really hard to talk with God and
see if God answers. Perhaps we can even try to achieve this at home, or
at the beach, or in a park or by our own river. Mediation and three way
prayer, which I do daily, and which I teach, has always been a part of
Judaism, and during the Talmudic age, there were 100s of schools in Judea
that taught mediation techniques.
Crypto-Jews, who had to hide
their Judaism under penalty of death, pretended to play card games on
Shabbat while secretly discussing Torah. These card games were called
"barajas" from the Hebrew word for blessings (Barachas). One never really
knows when God will speak. "The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
and to all who call upon Him in truth." . "Where is God? Wherever you let him
in."
"To truly love God, one must first love people. If anyone tells you that he
loves God
and does not love his fellow humans, you will know that he is lying."
Worship should not be like going to the gas station where we
get tanked up spiritually for the week. It is an ongoing process of
spiritual growth.
I would like to leave you with a psalm by one of my favorite Jewish
poets, Bob Dylan. It is entitled "Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie."
"Where do you find the hope that yer seekin'?
You can either go to the church of your choice,
or you can go to the Brooklyn State Hospital.
You'll find God in the church of your choice.
You'll find Woody Guthrie in the Brooklyn State Hospital.
And although it's my opinion. I may be right or wrong.
You'll find them both in the Grand Canyon at sundown."
Chag So-may-ach!!
RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL
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