Standing Together and Learning
Today is perhaps the most important, least celebrated day in the Jewish calendar – Shavuot. It is one of the three pilgrimage holidays – the days that ancient Israelites would travel to the Temple in Jerusalem with bounty of their harvest. Shavuot marks the barley harvest and has the same status as Passover and Sukkot in the Jewish calendar.
Each of the pilgrimage celebrations, in addition to their agricultural meaning, also commemorates a “historical” moment. Passover, of course, marks the Exodus from Egypt. Sukkot marks the Israelite’s desert wanderings. And Shavuot marks the receiving the Torah at Mt. Sinai from God.
So, what purpose can an ancient agricultural festival that celebrates divine revelation have for us – modern, humanist, progressive Jews? We aren’t farmers harvesting barley (at least not most of us). The Temple is long gone. And we don’t accept the concept of divine revelation, the crux of the historical meaning of the holiday. Should we just let it pass by as antiquated and not relevant?
As you can probably guess, my answer is “No.” There are still meaning in Shavuot for us today.
The emphasis on Shavuot is learning. According to the Midrash (rabbinic stories inspired by the Biblical text), when the ancient Israelites received the Torah, all of Mt. Sinai broke out in flowers. What a beautiful image to describe learning! A desert mountain covered in wild flowers. For us, too, learning is key. And we find beauty in it.
The emphasis on Shavuot is also community. According to rabbinic interpretations, every member of the Jewish community – from the ancient Israelites to us today – stood together at Mt. Sinai. We were there! Along with Maimonides, Rashi, Emma Lazurus, Albert Einstein, Golda Meir, and Sherwin Wine! This symbolic image of the whole Jewish community throughout history standing together holds resonance. We modern humanist Jews have our spot at the mountain.
In conclusion, a fun Shavuot fact: Every Jewish holiday has its foods. On Shavuot, we eat sweet dairy foods as homage to a “land flowing with milk and honey.”
So, this Shavuot, take time for learning, take time for community, and, well, take a few minutes for cheesecake. Chag Sama’ach! Happy Holiday!
