Shavuot שבועות
Like honey and milk, [the Torah] lies under your tongue.
- Song of Songs 4:11
Festival of Weeks
Occurring seven weeks after Pesach, Shavuot, meaning weeks, marks the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Originally an ancient agricultural festival that marked the end of the spring barley harvest and the beginning of the summer wheat harvest. Shavuot was one of the three pilgrimage festivals during which Israelites brought crop offerings to the Temple in Jerusalem. Today, Shavuot is a celebration of Torah, education and actively choosing to participate in Jewish life with the Book of Ruth being the Festival's foundational text. A key traditional component of Shavuot observance is called tikkun l’eil shavuot which refers to a full night of study with the community some of whom stay up all night learning. Shavuot is considered a dairy festival with cheesecake and blintzes being customary with some suggesting that this represents Israel as 'a land flowing with milk and honey'.
