Kosher Bookworm: Shavuot

The least and most celebrated

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Outside of Orthodoxy, Shavuot is one of the lesser-known Jewish holidays.

In an essay titled “Thoughts on Shavuot” from his book, “Angels for Shabbat,” Rabbi Marc Angel, director of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals states quite eloquently:

“Shavuot is the festival on which we recall the Revelation at Mount Sinai. It is also a good time to plan for a hypothetical second gathering of Israelites at Sinai – and to think carefully how we can envision such an event as an opportunity to bring us all together.

“For the Jewish people to find its spiritual balance, we will need to work on personal spiritual development and purity; and also on strategies that are grand enough to allow all of us to stand together in the presence of G-d. As we observe Shavuot, the anniversary of our receiving the Torah at Sinai, we need to remind ourselves and the entire world that the word of G-d will rule, that justice and righteousness will prevail, that evil will be punished .”

Shavuot is a festival that melds together both the praise of G-d and the learning of his gifted and blessed teachings. Once again, one of America’s greatest interpreters of our religious tradition, Rabbi Yitzchok Sender had authored a special volume this time dedicated exclusively to the upcoming festival of Shavuot, titled, “The Commentators’ Shavuos.” [Feldheim, 2011]

In his introduction Rabbi Sender sets the tone for this new work with the following observations: “Of the three Yomim Tovim it seems that the least celebrated is the festival of Shavuot. Yet in a certain sense Shavuot is the most important of all the festivals, for it was on this day that we received the Ten Commandments. Why then is there no commemorative mitzvah to observe on this holiday, no special food, or other means of celebration? This day certainly called for a festival meal.”

Rabbi Sender comes to the following conclusion to this quandary.

“When it comes to Shavuot, however, since the theme of ‘Mattan Torah’ is ever present in our daily lives, a special commemorative is not required. For inasmuch as we study the Torah and appreciate it every day as the most precious gift that it is, we are not in need of a special memorial mitzvah on Shavuot.”

Among the special scriptural readings on Shavuot is the recitation of the Book of Ruth.. There is a fascinating essay titled, “A Woman of Valor Has Been Found: Ruth Amidst A Sea of Ambiguity”. This eloquent and intellectually challenging essay is to be found in Rabbi Hayyim Angel’s recently issued collection of essays titled, “Creating Space Between Peshat and Derash: A collection of Studies On Tanach.” [Ktav, 2011]

In sum, Rabbi Angel contends that “Megillat Ruth is characterized by deliberate ambiguity. Not only are multiple readings possible, but these ambiguities are precisely the vehicles through which the short narrative captures so many subtleties in so short a space. These complexities guide readers to delve more deeply into the Megillah and recognize the religious implications for their own lives.”

After you read this essay, you will never read Megillat Ruth the same, ever again.

As you go out to shop for your cheese and blintzes, don’t forget about the true meaning of this holiday…..buy a book or two, or more, and learn about the deeper significance of what we are about to recite in shul. You won’t go hungry for this effort.