Jewish holidays

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2013

JEWISH HOLIDAYS

REV. ED SARNELLA

1. WORK FORBIDDEN ONLY ON THE FIRST DAY IN ISRAEL, OR THE FIRST TWO ELSEWHERE.

2.       IN ISRAEL, AND FOR REFORM CONGREGATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES, SIMCHAT TORAH IS ON THE SAME DAY AS SHEMINI ATZERET.

3.       WORK IS FORBIDDEN ONLY ON THE FIRST AND SEVENTH DAYS IN ISRAEL, AND ELSEWHERE ALSO ON THE SECOND AND EIGHTH.

4.      CELEBRATED ON 27 NISAN. IF THIS DATE FALLS ON A FRIDAY, THE OBSERVANCE IS MOVED TO THE PREVIOUS THURSDAY. IF IT FALLS ON A SUNDAY, OBSERVANCE IS MOVED TO THE FOLLOWING MONDAY.

 

ROSH HASHANAH (HEBREW: ראש השנה‎, LITERALLY "HEAD [OF] THE YEAR"), IS THE JEWISH NEW YEAR ALTHOUGH THE REAL NAME FOR THIS FEAST OF THE LORD IS CALLED YOM TERUAH (HEBREW: יום תרועה‎, LITERALLY "DAY [OF] SHOUTING/RAISING A NOISE") OR THE FEAST OF TRUMPETS ACCORDING TO THE CORRECT BIBLICAL CALENDAR OF THE 1ST AND 2ND TEMPLE PERIOD, NOT ROSH HASHANAH. IT IS THE FIRST OF THE HIGH HOLY DAYS OR YAMIM NORA'IM ("DAYS OF AWE") WHICH USUALLY OCCUR IN THE EARLY AUTUMN OF THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE. ROSH HASHANAH IS A TWO-DAY CELEBRATION, WHICH BEGINS ON THE FIRST DAY OF TISHREI. THE DAY IS BELIEVED TO BE THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE CREATION OF ADAM AND EVE, THE FIRST MAN AND WOMAN, AND THEIR FIRST ACTIONS TOWARD THE REALIZATION OF MANKIND'S ROLE IN GOD'S WORLD. ROSH HASHANAH CUSTOMS INCLUDE SOUNDING THE SHOFAR (A HOLLOWED-OUT RAM'S HORN) AND EATING SYMBOLIC FOODS SUCH AS APPLES DIPPED IN HONEY TO EVOKE A "SWEET NEW YEAR".

YOM KIPPUR (HEBREW: יוֹם כִּפּוּר, IPA: [ˈJOM KIˈPUʁ], OR יום הכיפורים), ALSO KNOWN AS DAY OF ATONEMENT, IS THE HOLIEST DAY OF THE YEAR FOR THE JEWISH PEOPLE.[1] ITS CENTRAL THEMES ARE ATONEMENT AND REPENTANCE. JEWISH PEOPLE TRADITIONALLY OBSERVE THIS HOLY DAY WITH AN APPROXIMATE 25-HOUR PERIOD OF FASTING AND INTENSIVE PRAYER, OFTEN SPENDING MOST OF THE DAY IN SYNAGOGUE SERVICES.

SUKKOT, SUCCOT OR SUKKOS (HEBREW: סוכות‎OR סֻכּוֹת SUKKŌT OR SUKKOS, FEAST OF BOOTHS, FEAST OF TABERNACLES) IS A BIBLICAL JEWISH HOLIDAY CELEBRATED ON THE 15TH DAY OF THE MONTH OF TISHREI (VARIES FROM LATE SEPTEMBER TO LATE OCTOBER). IT IS ONE OF THE THREE BIBLICALLY MANDATED FESTIVALS SHALOSH REGALIM ON WHICH HEBREWS WERE COMMANDED TO MAKE A PILGRIMAGE TO THE TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM. IT FOLLOWS THE SOLEMN HOLIDAY OF YOM KIPPUR, OR THE DAY OF ATONEMENT.

THE HOLIDAY LASTS SEVEN DAYS (EIGHT IN THE DIASPORA). THE FIRST DAY (AND SECOND IN THE DIASPORA) IS A SABBATH-LIKE YOM TOV (HOLIDAY) WHEN WORK IS FORBIDDEN, FOLLOWED BY THE INTERMEDIATE CHOL HAMOED AND SHEMINI ATZERET. THE HEBREW WORD SUKKŌT IS THE PLURAL OF SUKKAH, "BOOTH OR TABERNACLE", WHICH IS A WALLED STRUCTURE COVERED WITH SCHACH (PLANT MATERIAL SUCH AS LEAFY TREE OVERGROWTH OR PALM LEAVES).

THE SUKKAH IS INTENDED AS A REMINISCENCE OF THE TYPE OF FRAGILE DWELLINGS IN WHICH THE ISRAELITES DWELT DURING THEIR 40 YEARS OF TRAVEL IN THE DESERT AFTER THE EXODUS FROM SLAVERY IN EGYPT. THROUGHOUT THE HOLIDAY, MEALS ARE EATEN INSIDE THE SUKKAH AND SOME PEOPLE SLEEP THERE AS WELL. ON EACH DAY OF THE HOLIDAY, MEMBERS OF THE HOUSEHOLD RECITE A BLESSING OVER THE LULAV (CLOSED FROND OF THE DATE PALM TREE, BOUND WITH BOUGHS AND BRANCHES OF THE WILLOW AND MYRTLE TREES) AND ETROG (YELLOW CITRON) (FOUR SPECIES).

ACCORDING TO THE PROPHET ZECHARIAH, IN THE MESSIANIC ERA SUKKOT WILL BECOME A UNIVERSAL FESTIVAL AND ALL NATIONS WILL MAKE PILGRIMAGES ANNUALLY TO JERUSALEM TO CELEBRATE THE FEAST THERE.(ZECH 14:16-19)

SHEMINI ATZERET (שְׁמִינִי עֲצֶֽרֶת – "EIGHTH [DAY OF] ASSEMBLY"; SEFARDIC/ISRAELI PRON. SHƏMINI ATZÈRET; ASHKENAZIC PRON. SHMINI-ATSÈRES) IS A JEWISH HOLIDAY. IT IS CELEBRATED ON THE 22ND DAY OF THE HEBREW MONTH OF TISHREI IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL, AND ON THE 22ND AND 23RD OUTSIDE THE LAND, THAT USUALLY COINCIDES WITH LATE SEPTEMBER AND/OR EARLY OCTOBER EACH YEAR. THE FESTIVAL OF SUKKOT IS CELEBRATED FOR SEVEN DAYS AND THUS SHEMINI ATZERET IS LITERALLY THE EIGHTH DAY, BUT IT IS A SEPARATE YET CONNECTED HOLY DAY DEVOTED TO THE SPIRITUAL ASPECTS OF THE JEWISH FESTIVAL OF SUKKOT, WHICH IT DIRECTLY FOLLOWS. PART OF ITS DUALITY AS A HOLY DAY IS THAT IT IS SIMULTANEOUSLY CONSIDERED TO BE AND CELEBRATED AS BEING BOTH CONNECTED TO SUKKOT, YET ALSO BEING A SEPARATE FESTIVAL IN ITS OWN RIGHT.

OUTSIDE THE LAND OF ISRAEL, THIS IS FURTHER COMPLICATED BY THE ADDITIONAL DAY ADDED TO ALL BIBLICAL HOLIDAYS EXCEPT YOM KIPPUR. THE FIRST DAY OF SHEMINI ATZERET THEREFORE COINCIDES WITH THE EIGHTH DAY OF SUKKOT OUTSIDE OF ISRAEL, LEADING TO SOMETIMES INVOLVED ANALYSIS AS TO WHICH PRACTICES OF EACH HOLIDAY ARE TO APPLY.

THE CELEBRATION OF SIMCHAT TORAH IS THE MOST DISTINCTIVE FEATURE OF THE HOLIDAY, BUT IT IS A LATER RABBINICAL INNOVATION. IN ISRAEL, THE CELEBRATIONS OF SHEMINI ATZERET AND SIMCHAT TORAH ARE COMBINED ON A SINGLE DAY, AND THE NAMES ARE USED INTERCHANGEABLY. IN THE DIASPORA, THE CELEBRATION OF SIMCHAT TORAH IS DEFERRED TO THE SECOND DAY OF THE HOLIDAY. COMMONLY, ONLY THE FIRST DAY IS REFERRED TO AS SHEMINI ATZERET, WHILE THE SECOND IS CALLED SIMCHAT TORAH.

KARAITES AND SAMARITANS ALSO OBSERVE SHEMINI ATZERET, AS THEY DO ALL BIBLICAL HOLIDAYS. HOWEVER, IT MAY OCCUR ON A DIFFERENT DAY FROM THE CONVENTIONAL JEWISH CELEBRATION, DUE TO DIFFERENCES IN CALENDAR CALCULATIONS. KARAITES AND SAMARITANS DO NOT INCLUDE THE RABBINICAL INNOVATION OF SIMCHAT TORAH IN THEIR OBSERVANCE OF THE DAY.

SIMCHAT TORAH OR BETTER SIMḤATH TORAH (ALSO SIMKHES TOREH, HEBREW: שִׂמְחַת תּוֹרָה, LIT., "REJOICING OF/[WITH THE] TORAH") IS A JEWISH HOLIDAY THAT CELEBRATES AND MARKS THE CONCLUSION OF THE ANNUAL CYCLE OF PUBLIC TORAH READINGS, AND THE BEGINNING OF A NEW CYCLE. SIMHAT TORAH IS A COMPONENT OF THE BIBLICAL JEWISH HOLIDAY OF SHEMINI ATZERET ("EIGHTH DAY OF ASSEMBLY"), WHICH FOLLOWS IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE FESTIVAL OF SUKKOT IN THE MONTH OF TISHREI (OCCURRING IN MID-SEPTEMBER TO EARLY OCTOBER ON THE GREGORIAN CALENDAR).

THE MAIN CELEBRATION OF SIMHAT TORAH TAKES PLACE IN THE SYNAGOGUE DURING EVENING AND MORNING SERVICES. IN ORTHODOX AS WELL AS MANY CONSERVATIVE CONGREGATIONS, THIS IS THE ONLY TIME OF YEAR ON WHICH THE TORAH SCROLLS ARE TAKEN OUT OF THE ARKAND READ AT NIGHT. IN THE MORNING, THE LAST PARASHAH OF DEUTERONOMY AND THE FIRST PARASHAH OF GENESIS ARE READ IN THE SYNAGOGUE. ON EACH OCCASION, WHEN THE ARK IS OPENED, THE WORSHIPPERS LEAVE THEIR SEATS TO DANCE AND SING WITH THE TORAH SCROLLS IN A JOYOUS CELEBRATION THAT CAN LAST FOR SEVERAL HOURS.

THE MORNING SERVICE IS ALSO UNIQUELY CHARACTERIZED BY THE CALLING UP OF EACH MALE MEMBER (IN SOME ORTHODOX, AND IN THE MAJORITY OF NON-ORTHODOX CONGREGATIONS, MALE AND FEMALE MEMBERS) OF THE CONGREGATION FOR AN ALIYAH THERE IS ALSO A SPECIAL ALIYAH FOR ALL THE CHILDREN (UNDER 13 OR 12 FOR BOYS AND GIRLS)

HANUKKAH (/ˈHⱭːNƏKƏ/ HAH-NƏ-KƏ; HEBREW: חֲנֻכָּה, TIBERIAN: ḤĂNUKKĀH, USUALLY SPELLED חנוכה, PRONOUNCED [CHANUˈKAH] IN MODERN HEBREW; A TRANSLITERATION ALSO ROMANIZED AS CHANUKAH, CHANUKKAH OR CHANUKA), ALSO KNOWN AS THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS AND FEAST OF DEDICATION, IS AN EIGHT-DAY JEWISH HOLIDAY COMMEMORATING THE REDEDICATION OF THE HOLY TEMPLE (THE SECOND TEMPLE) IN JERUSALEM AT THE TIME OF THE MACCABEAN REVOLT AGAINST THE GREEKS OF THE 2ND CENTURY BCE. HANUKKAH IS OBSERVED FOR EIGHT NIGHTS AND DAYS, STARTING ON THE 25TH DAY OF KISLEV ACCORDING TO THE HEBREW CALENDAR, WHICH MAY OCCUR AT ANY TIME FROM LATE NOVEMBER TO LATE DECEMBER IN THE GREGORIAN CALENDAR.

THE FESTIVAL IS OBSERVED BY THE KINDLING OF THE LIGHTS OF A UNIQUE CANDELABRUM, THE NINE-BRANCHED MENORAH OR HANUKIAH, ONE ADDITIONAL LIGHT ON EACH NIGHT OF THE HOLIDAY, PROGRESSING TO EIGHT ON THE FINAL NIGHT. THE TYPICAL MENORAH CONSISTS OF EIGHT BRANCHES WITH AN ADDITIONAL RAISED BRANCH. THE EXTRA LIGHT IS CALLED A SHAMASH (HEBREW: שמש‎, "ATTENDANT") AND IS GIVEN A DISTINCT LOCATION, USUALLY ABOVE OR BELOW THE REST. THE PURPOSE OF THE SHAMASH IS TO HAVE A LIGHT AVAILABLE FOR PRACTICAL USE, AS USING THE HANUKKAH LIGHTS THEMSELVES FOR PURPOSES OTHER THAN PUBLICIZING AND MEDITATING ON THE HANUKKAH IS FORBIDDEN.

TU BISHVAT (HEBREW: טו בשבט‎) IS A MINOR JEWISH HOLIDAY, OCCURRING ON THE 15TH DAY OF THE HEBREW MONTH OF SHEVAT (IN 2013, TU BISHVAT STARTED FROM SUNSET ON 25 JANUARY AND FINISHED AT NIGHTFALL ON 26 JANUARY). IT IS ALSO CALLED "ROSH HASHANAH LA'ILANOT" (HEBREW: ראש השנה לאילנות‎), LITERALLY "NEW YEAR OF THE TREES." IN CONTEMPORARY ISRAEL THE DAY IS CELEBRATED AS AN ECOLOGICAL AWARENESS DAY AND TREES ARE PLANTED IN CELEBRATION.

PURIM (HEBREW:  PÛRÎM "LOTS", FROM THE WORD PUR, RELATED TO AKKADIAN PŪRU) IS A JEWISH HOLIDAY THAT COMMEMORATES THE DELIVERANCE OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE IN THE ANCIENT PERSIAN EMPIRE FROM A PLOT TO DESTROY THEM. THE STORY IS RECORDED IN THE BIBLICAL BOOK OF ESTHER (MEGILLAT ESTHER).

ACCORDING TO THE BOOK OF ESTHER, HAMAN, ROYAL VIZIER TO KING AHASUERUS (PRESUMED TO BE XERXES I OF PERSIA), PLANNED TO KILL ALL THE JEWS IN THE EMPIRE, BUT HIS PLANS WERE FOILED BY MORDECAI AND HIS ADOPTED DAUGHTER QUEEN ESTHER. THE DAY OF DELIVERANCE BECAME A DAY OF FEASTING AND REJOICING.

PURIM IS CELEBRATED BY GIVING RECIPROCAL GIFTS OF FOOD AND DRINK (MISHLOACH MANOT), GIVING CHARITY TO THE POOR (MATTANOT LA-EVYONIM), A CELEBRATORY MEAL (SE'UDAT PURIM), AND PUBLIC RECITATION OF THE SCROLL OF ESTHER (KRIAT HA-MEGILLAH), ADDITIONS TO THE PRAYERS AND THE GRACE AFTER MEALS (AL HANNISIM). OTHER CUSTOMS INCLUDE DRINKING WINE, WEARING OF MASKS AND COSTUMES, AND PUBLIC CELEBRATION.

PURIM IS CELEBRATED ANNUALLY ACCORDING TO THE HEBREW CALENDAR ON THE 14TH DAY OF THE HEBREW MONTH OF ADAR (ADAR II IN LEAP YEARS), THE DAY FOLLOWING THE VICTORY OF THE JEWS OVER THEIR ENEMIES. IN CITIES THAT WERE PROTECTED BY A SURROUNDING WALL AT THE TIME OF JOSHUA, PURIM IS INSTEAD CELEBRATED ON THE 15TH OF THE MONTH ON WHAT IS KNOWN AS SHUSHAN PURIM, SINCE FIGHTING IN THE WALLED CITY OF SHUSHAN CONTINUED THROUGH THE 14TH. TODAY, ONLY JERUSALEM CELEBRATES PURIM ON THE 15TH.

PASSOVER, OR PESACH (FROM: פֶּסַח IN HEBREW, YIDDISH), TIBERIAN: [PƐSAĦ] , MODERN HEBREW: /ˈPESAΧ/ PESAH, PESAKH, YIDDISH: PEYSEKH, PAYSAKH, PAYSOKH) IS AN IMPORTANT BIBLICALLY-DERIVED JEWISH FESTIVAL. THE JEWISH PEOPLE CELEBRATE PASSOVER AS A COMMEMORATION OF THEIR LIBERATION OVER 3,300 YEARS AGO BY GOD FROM SLAVERY IN ANCIENT EGYPT THAT WAS RULED BY THE PHARAOHS, AND THEIR BIRTH AS A NATION UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF MOSES. IT COMMEMORATES THE STORY OF THE EXODUS AS DESCRIBED IN THE HEBREW BIBLE ESPECIALLY IN THE BOOK OF EXODUS, IN WHICH THE ISRAELITES WERE FREED FROM SLAVERY IN EGYPT.

PASSOVER COMMENCES ON THE 15TH OF THE HEBREW MONTH OF NISAN AND LASTS FOR EITHER SEVEN DAYS (IN ISRAEL) OR EIGHT DAYS (IN THE DIASPORA). IN JUDAISM, A DAY COMMENCES AT DUSK AND LASTS UNTIL THE FOLLOWING DUSK, THUS THE FIRST DAY OF PASSOVER ONLY BEGINS AFTER DUSK OF THE 14TH OF NISAN AND ENDS AT DUSK OF THE 15TH DAY OF THE MONTH OF NISAN. THE RITUALS UNIQUE TO THE PASSOVER CELEBRATIONS COMMENCE WITH THE PASSOVER SEDER WHEN THE 15TH OF NISAN HAS BEGUN. IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE PASSOVER TAKES PLACE IN SPRING AS THE TORAH PRESCRIBES IT: "IN THE MONTH OF [THE] SPRING" (בחדשהאביב EXODUS 23:15). IT IS ONE OF THE MOST WIDELY OBSERVED JEWISH HOLIDAYS.

IN THE NARRATIVE OF THE EXODUS, THE BIBLE TELLS THAT GOD HELPED THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL ESCAPE FROM THEIR SLAVERY IN EGYPT BY INFLICTING TEN PLAGUES UPON THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS BEFORE THE PHARAOH WOULD RELEASE HIS ISRAELITE SLAVES; THE TENTH AND WORST OF THE PLAGUES WAS THE DEATH OF THE EGYPTIAN FIRST-BORN.

THE ISRAELITES WERE INSTRUCTED TO MARK THE DOORPOSTS OF THEIR HOMES WITH THE BLOOD OF A SLAUGHTERED SPRING LAMB AND, UPON SEEING THIS, THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD KNEW TO PASS OVER THE FIRST-BORN IN THESE HOMES, HENCE THE NAME OF THE HOLIDAY. THERE IS SOME DEBATE OVER WHERE THE TERM IS ACTUALLY DERIVED FROM. WHEN THE PHARAOH FREED THE ISRAELITES, IT IS SAID THAT THEY LEFT IN SUCH A HURRY THAT THEY COULD NOT WAIT FOR BREAD DOUGH TO RISE (LEAVEN). IN COMMEMORATION, FOR THE DURATION OF PASSOVER NO LEAVENED BREAD IS EATEN, FOR WHICH REASON IT IS CALLED "THE FESTIVAL OF THE UNLEAVENED BREAD". THUS MATZO (FLAT UNLEAVENED BREAD) IS EATEN DURING PASSOVER AND IT IS A SYMBOL OF THE HOLIDAY.

HISTORICALLY, TOGETHER WITH SHAVUOT ("PENTECOST") AND SUKKOT ("TABERNACLES"), PASSOVER IS ONE OF THE THREE PILGRIMAGE FESTIVALS (SHALOSH REGALIM) DURING WHICH THE ENTIRE POPULATION OF THE KINGDOM OF JUDAH MADE A PILGRIMAGE TO THE TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM. SAMARITANS STILL MAKE THIS PILGRIMAGE TO MOUNT GERIZIM, BUT ONLY MEN PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC WORSHIP.[

YOM HAZIKARON LASHOAH VE-LAG'VURAH (יום הזיכרון לשואה ולגבורה; "HOLOCAUST AND HEROISM REMEMBRANCE DAY"), KNOWN COLLOQUIALLY IN ISRAEL AND ABROAD AS YOM HASHOAH (יום השואה) AND IN ENGLISH AS HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY, ORHOLOCAUST DAY, IS OBSERVED AS ISRAEL'S DAY OF COMMEMORATION FOR THE APPROXIMATELY SIX MILLION JEWS WHO PERISHED IN THE HOLOCAUST AS A RESULT OF THE ACTIONS CARRIED OUT BY NAZI GERMANY AND ITS ACCESSORIES, AND FOR THE JEWISH RESISTANCE IN THAT PERIOD. IN ISRAEL, IT IS A NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY. IT WAS INAUGURATED IN 1953, ANCHORED BY A LAW SIGNED BY THE PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL DAVID BEN-GURION AND THE PRESIDENT OF ISRAEL YITZHAK BEN-ZVI. IT IS HELD ON THE 27TH OF NISAN (APRIL/MAY), UNLESS THE 27TH WOULD BE ADJACENT TO SHABBAT, IN WHICH CASE THE DATE IS SHIFTED BY A DAY. IN OTHER COUNTRIES THERE ARE DIFFERENT COMMEMORATIVE DAYS—SEE HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY.

YOM HA'ATZMAUT (HEBREW: יום העצמאות‎ YŌM HĀ-ʿAṢMĀʾŪṮ   LIT. "INDEPENDENCE DAY") IS THE NATIONAL DAY OF ISRAEL, COMMEMORATING THE ISRAELI DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE IN 1948. IT IS CELEBRATED ON 5TH OF IYAR ACCORDING TO THE HEBREW CALENDAR. YOM HA'ATZMAUT IS PRECEDED BY YOM HAZIKARON, THE ISRAELI FALLEN SOLDIERS AND VICTIMS OF TERRORISM REMEMBRANCE DAY.

LAG BAOMER (HEBREW: ל״ג בעומר‎), ALSO KNOWN AS LAG LAOMER, IS A JEWISH HOLIDAY CELEBRATED ON THE 33RD DAY OF THE COUNTING OF THE OMER, WHICH OCCURS ON THE 18TH DAY OF THE HEBREW MONTH OF IYAR.

THIS DAY MARKS THE HILLULA (CELEBRATION, INTERPRETED BY SOME AS ANNIVERSARY OF DEATH) OF RABBI SHIMON BAR YOCHAI, A MISHNAIC SAGE AND LEADING DISCIPLE OF RABBI AKIVA IN THE 2ND CENTURY, AND THE DAY ON WHICH HE REVEALED THE DEEPEST SECRETS OFKABBALAH IN THE FORM OF THE ZOHAR (BOOK OF SPLENDOR), A LANDMARK TEXT OF JEWISH MYSTICISM. THIS ASSOCIATION HAS SPAWNED SEVERAL WELL-KNOWN CUSTOMS AND PRACTICES ON LAG BAOMER, INCLUDING THE LIGHTING OF BONFIRES, PILGRIMAGES TO THE TOMB OF BAR YOCHAI IN THE NORTHERN ISRAELI TOWN OF MERON, AND VARIOUS CUSTOMS AT THE TOMB ITSELF.

 SHAVUOT  (OR SHOVUOS , IN ASHKENAZI USAGE; SHAVUʿOTH IN CLASSICAL AND MIZRAHI HEBREW (HEBREW: שבועות‎, LIT. "WEEKS"), KNOWN AS THE FEAST OF WEEKS IN ENGLISH AND AS PENTECOST IN GREEK, IS A JEWISH HOLIDAY THAT OCCURS ON THE SIXTH DAY OF THE HEBREW MONTH OF SIVAN (LATE MAY OR EARLY JUNE).

SHAVUOT COMMEMORATES THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE DAY GOD GAVE THE TORAH TO THE ENTIRE NATION OF ISRAEL ASSEMBLED AT MOUNT SINAI, ALTHOUGH THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE GIVING OF THE TORAH (MATAN TORAH) AND SHAVUOT IS NOT EXPLICIT IN THE BIBLICAL TEXT. THE HOLIDAY IS ONE OF THE SHALOSH REGALIM, THE THREE BIBLICAL PILGRIMAGE FESTIVALS. IT MARKS THE CONCLUSION OF THE COUNTING OF THE OMER.

THE DATE OF SHAVUOT IS DIRECTLY LINKED TO THAT OF PASSOVER. THE TORAH MANDATES THE SEVEN-WEEK COUNTING OF THE OMER, BEGINNING ON THE SECOND DAY OF PASSOVER AND IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY SHAVUOT. THIS COUNTING OF DAYS AND WEEKS IS UNDERSTOOD TO EXPRESS ANTICIPATION AND DESIRE FOR THE GIVING OF THE TORAH. ON PASSOVER, THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL WERE FREED FROM THEIR ENSLAVEMENT TO PHARAOH; ON SHAVUOT THEY WERE GIVEN THE TORAH AND BECAME A NATION COMMITTED TO SERVING GOD.

THE WORD SHAVUOT MEANS WEEKS AND THE FESTIVAL OF SHAVUOT MARKS THE COMPLETION OF THE SEVEN-WEEK COUNTING PERIOD BETWEEN PASSOVER AND SHAVUOT.

IN HASIDIC THOUGHT, THE WORD SHAVUOT "WEEKS" IS INTERPRETED AS ALSO AN ACRONYM FOR SHAVUOT, BIKKURIM, ATZERET, AND TORAH.

SHAVUOT IS ONE OF THE LESSER KNOWN JEWISH HOLIDAYS AMONG SECULAR JEWS IN THE JEWISH DIASPORA, WHILE THOSE IN ISRAEL ARE MORE AWARE OF IT.

ACCORDING TO JEWISH LAW, SHAVUOT IS CELEBRATED IN ISRAEL FOR ONE DAY AND IN THE DIASPORA (OUTSIDE OF ISRAEL) FOR TWO DAYS. REFORM JUDAISM CELEBRATES ONLY ONE DAY, EVEN IN THE DIASPORA.

 TISHA B'AV (HELP·INFO) (LIT. "THE NINTH OF AV") (HEBREW: תשעה באב‎OR ט׳ באב), IS AN ANNUAL FAST DAY IN JUDAISM WHICH COMMEMORATES THE DESTRUCTION OF THE FIRST AND SECOND TEMPLES IN JERUSALEM AND THE SUBSEQUENT EXILE OF THE JEWS FROM THE LAND OF ISRAEL. THE DAY ALSO COMMEMORATES OTHER TRAGEDIES WHICH OCCURRED ON THE SAME DAY, INCLUDING THE ROMAN MASSACRE OF OVER 100,000 JEWS AT BETAR IN 132 CE. INSTITUTED BY THE RABBIS OF 2ND-CENTURY PALESTINE, TISHA B'AV IS REGARDED AS THE SADDEST DAY IN THE JEWISH CALENDAR AND A DAY WHICH IS DESTINED FOR TRAGEDY.

IN ADDITION TO THE BASIC FIVE PROHIBITIONS, ALL PLEASURABLE ACTIVITY IS FORBIDDEN. THE BOOK OF LAMENTATIONS WHICH MOURNS THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM IS READ IN THE SYNAGOGUE, FOLLOWED BY THE KINNOT, A SERIES OF LITURGICAL DIRGES WHICH LAMENT THE LOSS OF THE TEMPLE AND JERUSALEM. AS THE DAY HAS BECOME ASSOCIATED WITH REMEMBRANCE OF OTHER MAJOR CALAMITIES WHICH HAVE BEFALLEN THE JEWISH PEOPLE, SOME KINNOT RECALL EVENTS SUCH AS THE MURDER OF THE TEN MARTYRS, THE DECIMATION OF NUMEROUS MEDIEVAL JEWISH COMMUNITIES DURING THE CRUSADES AND THE DESTRUCTION OF EUROPEAN JEWRY IN THE HOLOCAUST.

 

LOVE, GRACE AND PEACE IN JESUS CHRIST ABOUND…

POSTED BY REV. ED SARNELLA AT 8: