Community Magazine May 2013

1 WHY IS THIS HOLIDAY CALLED SHAVUOT? Shavuot, the holiday when we celebrate our receiving the Torah on Mount Sinai, is called by this name, which means ‘weeks´, in reference to the seven weeks of preparation for this day which begin on the second night of Pesah. It is so named because it is important during these seven weeks of preparation to learn Torah and work on acquiring the 49 attributes listed in the sixth chapter of Pirkei Avot ( mishnayot 5-6). 2 WHY DO SOME PEOPLE HAVE THE CUSTOM TO WAIT UNTIL AFTER DARK ON SHAVUOT NIGHT TO PRAY, AS OPPOSED TO SHABBAT, WHEN MANY PEOPLE PRAY ARVIT AND BEGIN SHABBAT BEFORE SUNDOWN DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS? Generally, there is a mitzvah to add onto the holiness of Shabbat or holiday by beginning the day early and ending it late. However, since the Torah commands us to observe Shavuot after counting seven complete weeks, many have the custom not to begin Shavuot until after sundown of the 49 th day. Others, however, do begin Shavuot before sundown, and they have halachic authorities on whom to rely ( Magen Avraham 494; Yalkut Yosef ). Even they, however, should not recite Kiddush before dark ( Shelah Hakadosh ), or, at very least, should eat at least one kezayit of bread (1 oz. of bread) after the stars are visible (Hacham Ovadia Yosef). 3 WHICH TORAH PORTION WAS SELECTED TO BE READ ON SHAVUOT, AND WHY? On both days of Shavuot, we take two Torah scrolls from the ark, one from which we read five aliyot , and from the other we read the maftir . On the first day, we read the Torah’s account of Matan Torah (our receiving the Torah) and the Ten Commandments, in Parashat Yitro. On the second day, we read from the section of “ Kol habechor ” in Parashat Re’eh, which discusses the mitzvah of going to Bet Hamikdash on the three regalim (Pesah, Shavuot, Sukkot). If the second day of Shavuot falls on Shabbat, we begin the reading earlier, from the verse of “ Aser te’aser ,” and make seven aliyot (not including maftir ). The maftir reading for both days is the brief section of “ Uvyom habikkurim ” in Parashat Pinhas, which describes the special musaf offering brought on Shavuot. The haftarah for the first day of Shavuot is from Yehezkel, and the haftarah on the second day is from Habakuk. 4 WHEN SHOULD ONE RECITE THE AZHAROT – THE HYMN CUSTOMARILY RECITED ON SHAVUOT? Many congregations have the custom of reading the first three and last three stanzas of the Azharot after the Torah reading on Shavuot, and it is customary to read the entire hymn at home on both days of Shavuot. 5 WHY IS IT CUSTOMARY TO EAT DAIRY ON SHAVUOT? Numerous reasons are given for this custom. One reason is that the Torah is compared to milk and honey, as the verse says, “Honey and milk under your tongue” ( Shulchan Aruch and Mishnah Berurah 494). Additionally, after Bene Yisrael received the Torah, they were bound by the new laws of kashrut . When they wanted to eat their first meal after receiving the Torah, they did not have time to make the extensive preparations necessary for a meat meal, like koshering their pots, checking the knife before slaughtering the animal, salting it to remove the blood, and so on. They therefore ate dairy foods, and we commemorate their meal by eating diary on Shavuot (Mishnah Berurah 494:12). Thirdly, when we eat dairy foods followed by meat, we must use two separate loaves of bread, as it is forbidden to eat the same loaf with meat and with dairy, and these two loaves commemorate the two loaves that would brought as an offering on Shavuot in the Bet Hamikdash (Rama 494:3, Mishnah Berurah 494:14). It is important to remember that there is an obligation to eat meat meals on the holiday, as part of the mitzvah of rejoicing on Yom Tov. 6 WHY IS THE TAHANUN PRAYER OMITTED FROM ROSH HODESH SIVAN UNTIL A WEEK AFTER SHAVUOT? On Rosh Hodesh Sivan we omit tahanun just as we do on every Rosh Hodesh, and the three days preceding Shavuot – the 3 rd , 4 th and 5 th days of Sivan – are the days when Bene Yisrael prepared for receiving the Torah, and we therefore omit tahanun on these days, as well. The holiday of Shavuot is observed on the 6 th and 7 th of Sivan, and we thus obviously omit tahanun on these days. And in the times of the Bet Hamikdash , one who was unable to bring the holiday korban (sacrifice) on the holiday itself was able to bring it within the week following the holiday, which was an extension, of sorts, of the celebration. We commemorate this “extension” by omitting the solemn tahanun prayer for a full week after Shavuot. Since tahanun is omitted throughout virtually the entire period from the first to the 13 th day of Sivan, the rabbis decided that it should be omitted on the second day, as well. The Top 10 Questions & Answers on Customs and Laws oF Shavuot RABBI DANIEL D. LEVY D dicated oving emo y Hac a N i Ma a . 60 Community magazine