Shavuot

Shavuot 5784-2024
“Abba’s Final Shavuot”
(updated and revised from Shavuot 5765-2005)

My father, Moshe Buchwald taught us how to appreciate and beautify the holidays. Of all the holidays, Shavuot was the most engaging of all.

"The Concept of the Chosen People"

It was on Shavuot that the Jewish people received the Torah at Sinai and formally became Am Yisrael, the people of Israel. It was at that moment that the appellation "the Chosen People" was applied for the first time. This concept has caused the Jewish people much grief. It needs to be elucidated and clarified.

“The Anonymous Holiday”
(updated and revised from Shavuot 5760-2000)

Despite the tradition that the Torah was given on the holiday of Shavuot, nowhere in the Torah is there any mention that the Torah was given on that particular date. Why then are the Jewish people so keen on observing this day as the holiday of the giving of the Torah?

“Counting a Very Special People"

The counting of the Children of Israel in ancient times did not seek to identify the skills or aptitudes of those who were counted. It was a survey of those who had a genuine connection to G-d. On the festival of Shavuot we all seek to assert our special relationship with the Al-mighty.

"The Invaluable Legacy of the Ancient Camp of Israel"

The counting of the People of Israel and the establishment of the tribal camps is one of the most important achievements in the long history of Judaism.

"Techelet--Genuine Sincerity in Faith"

The Torah delineates very specific procedures for preparing the Tabernacle furnishings before the camp of Israel travels in the wilderness. From the priestly procedures to cover the holy furnishings of the Tabernacle, we learn a profound lesson regarding the primacy of faith.

"The Gift that Keeps on Giving"

How fortunate are we, Israel, to have received the gift of Torah, from the Al-mighty. Shavuot is the holiday on which we embrace Torah, as if we are receiving it for the very first time.

"Mother of Royalty"

In the book of Kings, it is stated that King Solomon, set a chair for the "king's mother." In the Talmud, Rav Elazar explains that this referred not to Bathsheba, but rather to the "Mother of Royalty," Ruth. It was the Moabite princess, Ruth, who preserved the quality of loving-kindness that had been long lost amongst the children of Abraham, and reintroduced loving-kindness to the world. We now pray that salvation in our time shall also come from an unexpected and remote source, to enlighten us and redeem our world as well.

"Honey and Milk Under Your Tongue"

Based on a verse in the book of Song of Songs, the rabbis compare the Torah to honey and milk. What is the source of the great love affair that the Jewish people have with Torah?

"Appreciating Shavuot"

Of all the major holidays of Judaism, Shavuot is the least known and the least observed. Shavuot is known by many different names and has a rich message for all the Jewish people. Most of all, Shavuot commemorates the greatest moment of Jewish unity when the Torah was given by the Al-mighty at Mount Sinai. It is a festival that needs to be better understood, and celebrated more broadly.

"Abba's Final Shavuot"

My father, Moshe Buchwald taught us how to appreciate and beautify the holidays. Of all the holidays, Shavuot was the most engaging of all.

"The Remarkable Legacy of Ruth, The Righteous Convert"

The Book of Ruth could easily pass for a stirring love story. However, the Book of Ruth is far more. It is, in fact, the volume that introduces some of the most exalted philosophical and theological concepts known to humankind. It was Ruth the Moabite who restored the virtue of chessed, loving-kindness, to the people of Israel.

"Beyond the Book of Ruth: The Untold Story"

Why is it that we recall King David through the reading of the story of Ruth on Shavuot, asks Rabbi Eliyahu KiTov? To teach that a person can become a tool for the purpose of heaven on this earth only through affliction and suffering. This is the message that Eliyahu KiTov finds embedded throughout the Book of Ruth.

"The Concept of the Chosen People"

It was on Shavuot that the Jewish people received the Torah at Sinai and formally became Am Yisrael, the people of Israel. It was at that moment that the appellation "the Chosen People" was applied for the first time. This concept has caused the Jewish people much grief. It needs to be elucidated and clarified.

"The Anonymous Holiday"

Despite the tradition that the Torah was given on the holiday of Shavuot, nowhere in the Torah is there any mention that the Torah was given on that day. Why then are the Jewish people so keen on observing this day as the holiday of giving the Torah?