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Holiday

Shavuot

Feast of Weeks
Jewish Calendar
  • Major Holidays
Shavuot

Shavuot

שבועו×Ŗ

Sha-voo-OT

ā€œ[Feast of] Weeksā€

What is Shavuot

This holiday is celebrated upon the culmination of counting the ā€œomerā€ offering from the second night of Passover. It commemorates the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. In the Bible it is also called the Holiday of Bikkurim (first fruits). During Temple times, people would bring the first of their harvests to the Temple on Shavuot.

When is Shavuot

Sivan 6

Outside of Israel this holiday is celebrated for an extra day

No results found.

Source and Origin of Shavuot
וְחַג הַקּÖøצ֓י×Ø ×‘Ö¼Ö“×›Ö¼×•Ö¼×Øֵי מַעֲשֶׂיךÖø אֲשֶׁ×Ø ×ŖÖ¼Ö“×–Ö°×ØÖ·×¢ בַּשּׂÖøדֶה וְחַג הÖøאÖø×”Ö“×£ בְּצֵא×Ŗ הַשּׁÖø× Öøה בְּאÖøהְפְּךÖø אֶ×Ŗ־מַעֲשֶׂיךÖø מ֓ן־הַשּׂÖøדֶה׃
and the Feast of the Harvest, of the first fruits of your work, of what you sow in the field; and the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in the results of your work from the field.
Exodus 23:16
וְחַג שׁÖøבֻעֹ×Ŗ ×Ŗַּעֲשֶׂה לְךÖø בּ֓כּוּ×Øֵי קְצ֓י×Ø ×—Ö“×˜Ö¼Ö“×™× וְחַג הÖøאÖø×”Ö“×™×£ ×Ŗְּקוּפַ×Ŗ הַשּׁÖø× Öøה׃
You shall observe the festival of Shavuot, of the first fruits of the wheat harvest; and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year.
Exodus 34:22
וּהְפַ×ØÖ°×Ŗֶּם לÖøכֶם מ֓מּÖøחֳ×ØÖ·×Ŗ הַשַּׁבּÖø×Ŗ מ֓יּוֹם הֲב֓יאֲכֶם אֶ×Ŗ־עֹמֶ×Ø ×”Ö·×ŖְּנוּפÖøה שֶׁבַע שַׁבּÖø×Ŗוֹ×Ŗ ×Ŗְּמ֓ימֹ×Ŗ ×Ŗּ֓הְיֶינÖøה׃
And from the day on which you bring the sheaf of elevation offeringā€”the day after the Shabbatā€”you shall count off seven weeks. They must be complete:
Leviticus 23:15
וּבְיוֹם הַבּ֓כּוּ×Ø֓ים בְּהַקְ×Ø֓יבְכֶם מ֓נְחÖøה חֲדÖøשׁÖøה לַיהֹוÖøה בְּשׁÖøבֻעֹ×Ŗֵיכֶם מ֓קְ×ØÖøא־קֹדֶשׁ י֓הְיֶה לÖøכֶם כּÖøל־מְלֶאכֶ×Ŗ עֲבֹדÖøה לֹא ×Ŗַעֲשׂוּ׃
On the day of the first fruits, your festival of Shavuot, when you bring an offering of new grain to Hashem, you shall observe a sacred occasion: you shall not work at your occupations.
Numbers 28:26
וְעÖøשׂ֓י×ŖÖø חַג שׁÖøבֻעוֹ×Ŗ לַיהֹוÖøה אֱלֹהֶיךÖø מ֓הַּ×Ŗ נ֓דְבַ×Ŗ יÖøדְךÖø אֲשֶׁ×Ø ×ŖÖ¼Ö“×Ŗֵּן כַּאֲשֶׁ×Ø ×™Ö°×‘Öø×ØֶכְךÖø יְהֹוÖøה אֱלֹהֶיךÖø׃
Then you shall observe the festival of Shavuot for Hashem your God, offering your freewill contribution according as Hashem your God has blessed you.
Deuteronomy 16:10

Alternate Names for Shavuot
  • Chag HaKatzir – ā€œThe Festival of the Harvestā€
  • Zman Matan Torateinu – ā€œThe Time of the Giving of Our Torahā€
  • Yom HaBikkurim – ā€œThe Day of the First Fruitsā€
  • Atzeret – ā€œThe Stoppageā€ (refers to the prohibition to work on the holiday)

Commandments (Mitzvot) of Shavuot
  • There are no specific commandments relating to the holiday other than abstaining from work

Customs of Shavuot
  • Staying up all night learning Torah – to remedy the shameful mistake of all the Jews who overslept the morning that the Torah was given at Mount Sinai, it is customary to stay up all night learning Torah on the first night of Shavuot until daybreak the next morning.
  • Eating dairy products – Jewish holiday meals are normally full of meat, which is seen as a delicacy and fit for a holiday. However, on Shavuot, it is customary to eat dairy products, like cheesecake and cheese blintzes, instead. One of the many reasons for this custom is that the Jewish people received the laws of keeping Kosher on Shavuot, which included the commandments to separate between meat and milk and to slaughter animals in a particular way before eating them. The Jews were unable to make their utensils kosher based on these new laws or to slaughter any animals on the holiday, so they just ate dairy instead.
  • Decorating the synagogue with greenery – in many synagogues, it is customary to decorate the sanctuary, and sometimes other parts of the synagogue as well, with greenery. This is to remind people of the miracle that occurred when the Torah was given on a mountain covered in greenery and flowers in the middle of the desert.
  • Reading the Ten Commandments – these are read in the synagogue on the morning of Shavuot as part of the ritual of reading from the Torah. It is considered very important for everyone to come and hear this part of the reading.
  • Reading the Book of Ruth – it is customary to read the Book of Ruth before the prescribed Torah reading on the morning of Shavuot. King David was a descendant of Ruth, and Shavuot was the day of his death.

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