El Shaddai Ministries - How to Celebrate Shavuot like an Eggspert!

How to Celebrate Shavuot-Pentecost like an Eggspert!

Shavuot Highlights: This year Shavuot begins at sunset on Saturday (May 30th) and ends at nightfall on

Sun

day

(May 31st). The reason it is celebrated is because it is one of God's appointed

times:

Leviticus 23:2. It is

one of the

Shalosh Regalim, which in Hebrew means '3 times'

where everyone was to show up in Jerusalem

for God's

appointment. All of the

feasts

are interrelated

nd tell us God's order of things in His design or His

plan for

mankind.

Shavuot is celebrated by

lighting candles, decorating with greenery,

eating

dairy food

learning Torah, attending

prayer

services, and reading the Book of Ruth.

DAIRY PRODUCTS - It is customary to eat dairy products for breakfast on the holiday, as well as honey or honey
cakes. Several reasons can be sited due to which this custom came into practice.

Firstly, Torah is compared to honey and milk.

Secondly, The word for milk, halav, has the numerical value of 40,

corresponding to the 40 days

Moses

spent

Mount Sinai studying

he Torah which he then taught to the Israelites in the

ilderness.

The

acronym formed

from the Hebrew of "To declare Your lovingkindness in the

morning"

(Psalms 92:3) is

halav, and the entire

Torah

is lovingkindness.

Thirdly, Moses was born on the seventh day of the Hebrew month of Adar, hidden by his mother,

Jochebed for

three months and found by Pharoah's daughter in the Nile bulrushes on the future

date

of Shavuot. According

to legend, the baby Moses refused milk from his new non-Jewish

mother, and

his sister Miriam arranged for his

natural mother to nurse him. Eating dairy products

reminds us of this

past history.

Finally, milk is symbolic of the infancy of the Jewish people, and their

maturity to become unto Him

kingdom of

priests a holy nation'.

I Peter 2:2 speaks of 'the milk of the Word', so let milk symbolize God's voice to us.

After Purim and Passover, Shavuot almost comes as an after-thought. Traditional households anticipate
Shavuot by Counting the Omer (see the events calendar for the blessing and prayer, too) each and every
day from the '7th day Shabbat' of Passover, until the 50th day when Shavuot arrives. But many American
households let Shavuot, which literally means 'weeks', pass without much notice because we don't how to
celebrate this wonderful holiday. We gladly present to you a list of ideas that will enliven this all but forgotten
hol-y-day.

Deuteronomy 6:7 tells us that we should talk about our faith at home, not just at church. We need to impress
our children with Bible truth in the living room, not just the Sabbath School Room! Whether your home has
little ones, or grown-up ones, the key to your spiritual education is talking about your faith "when you sit at
home and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you get up."

A holiday like Shavuot gives us opportunity to do this. Why not choose one or more of the following ideas,
traditions and suggestions and try them in your home?

Shavuot reminds us of how the

B'nai Yisrael (Children of Israel) received the Torah on Mt Sinai. So,

it would

be a

ot of fun

to stage a play or even a skit and re-enact the episode of the Israelites receiving

of the Torah.

2. In Israel, first graders are given a copy of Scriptures on this holiday as a symbol of God giving the

law to his

people. Why not buy a nice copy of the Bible and look for an opportunity to give it away this

week? Ask God to

direct those Scriptures to the right hands. Children would really love to help in this

project.

Shavuot celebrates the wheat harvest and its first fruits. It is in one sense

the celebration of Nature's

bounty.

Bake two loaves of

leavened bread

celebrate the traditional wheat harvest

in Israel.

Some

times Shavuot falls

rather

early,

but

most

areas

you

can visit an

early

pick-your-own

strawberr

ies

farm

and

have a good time

gathering baskets of ripening

fruits

in the warm sun and

later relish them. You

can

commemorate Shavuot with

planting a

pot with a patio

variety of berries or tomatoes.

It is customary to hold a study vigil on the

Erev (the eve)

of Shavuot called Tikkun Leil Shavuot, or

the Repair

of Shavuot Evening. The book of Ruth is read and prayers are said.

This wonderful harvest

story traditionally

goes with the Feast of Weeks.

Remember

that Ruth was born a gentile and

was

the

great grandmother of King

David and is an ancest

of Jesus the Messiah.

Try something

new and add

party like atmosphere

. Have

everyone

write down their favorite passage from Torah, sign it and put it

in a jar.

Right after the evening service

(ma'ariv) and

until dawn, have the congregation share their

knowledge on

subjects ranging from preselected

passages

AND

throughout the evening

draw slips from

the jar

allow the

person

drawn

to offer why it is their

favorite passage. Other activities could include

the exploration of the reason

behind

wearing the tallit or

keppah, to

telling about a

turning point exper

ience in returning to Torah

and Bible games

. The idea is to do

away

with the fatigue of staying awake

all night. Food to sustain you through the long night is highly

recommended.

We stay up late for many

non-spiritual reasons. Why not do it for the Lord one night?

Bring the outdoors in. Decorate your household with greenery and involve your entire family in it.

You can

also ask your kids to lend a hand. Make wreaths

for children in your locality

of flowers and

leaves and

distribute

them. They will love it.

Decorate with a bowl of fruit in a number of rooms of your

home.

Sit with your family and review the Ten Commandments

. As

a family come up with your own top-ten

list

from

the remaining 603

. It

should ideally be an ethical covenant for your family to follow alongside

the original - and

ultimate - ten.

Read Torah,

o examine

the central reason for the holiday in the first place

. S

o take out a

trans

ation, sit

down and read.

Read the account of the giving of the 10 Commandments in Exodus 19, 20,

32, 33, and 34,

then consider Acts 2.

For youngsters, a number of simplified retellings are a good way to start.

Get hold of a colorful

illustrated

series and a number of anthologies of Bible stories for children.

The single festival of Shavuot has several names and the meanings of each is crucial to the understanding of
the significance of this particular festival.

SHAVUOT - "And you shall observe the Feast of Weeks, of the first fruits of wheat harvest." (Exodus 34:22)

The "Festival of Weeks." The Passover-to-Shavuot countdown. The name reflects the fact that this holiday
occurs seven complete weeks (shavuot) after Passover.

THE FESTIVAL OF THE FIRST FRUITS (Chag HaBikurim) - We celebrated First Fruits at Passover for the Barley
harvest. Now is the time for the First Fruits of the Wheat harvest. In the fall, it will be First Fruits of the Grapes,
Figs, Pomegranates, Olives and Dates. The natural cycle that has been completed is agricultural. Each harvest
was brought to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem as a gesture of thanksgiving for the successful yield. "A land of
wheat and barley, and vines and fig-trees and pomegranates; a land of olive-trees and honey" (Deuteronomy 8:8)

THE FESTIVAL OF HARVEST (Chag HaKatzir) - "And the festival of harvest, the first fruits of your labors, which
you sow in the field" (Exodus 23:16). Originally Shavuot was the giving of the Torah, but that in itself was a
harvest of sorts. Bnai Yisrael had grown in their commitment enough to say, "And all the people answered
together, and said: 'All that the LORD hath spoken we will do.' And Moses reported the words of the people
unto the LORD." Ex 19:7-8. They had reached a level of maturity, they had grown to a point where they were
ready to be unto Him a 'kingdom of priests, a holy nation'. And so it follows into history as an agricultural festival.
On Shavuot the sample of the first crop of the wheat harvest was brought to the Temple, baked into two loaves
of leavened bread, and then waved before the altar as the concluding rite of the season.

THE TIME OF THE GIVING OF TORAH (Zman Matan Torah) - According to rabbinic interpretation, the Ten Words
or Commandments were given to B'nai Yisrael on Mount Sinai on Shavuot. Thus, in addition to being a thanks-
giving for the wheat harvest, Shavuot has also became a celebration of the Torah. Shavuot commemorates the
giving of the Torah. The Festival prayer "The day of the Festival of Shavuot, the time of the giving of our Torah,
a holy convocation" is recited.

PENTECOST: This Greek word means '50 days'. Shavuot is 50 days from Passover and 50 days from the
execution of the Anointed Messiah Yeshua. It just so happens that Yeshua knew on His day of ascension that
they would be together in 10 days to observe Shavuot. The Holy Spirit fell on these people in the upper room
the exact same way it fell the first Shavuot on Mount Sinai.

Have a big holiday

meal

on the scale of Thanksgiving or a Wedding.

Although

serious

and

spiritual

in nature,

the

commemoration of the

coming of the law

and

the

Spirit is a

joyful thing! Traditionally,

milk

products are

used in the

Shavuot

holiday meal.

Here is a traditional

Shavuot menu with a few recipes to try:

Our S

havuot Dinner

printer friendly version

Fruit Salad Appetizer Raw veggie Tray: carrots, celery, green pepper, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes

Israeli Garden Salad Fresh Steamed Asparagus Roasted Butternut Squash Mashed Potatoes

Roasted

urkey & Gravy Dressing Cranberry

Relish

2 loaves of

oneyed

Bread

Butter

A Special Dessert such as Applesauce Kugel, or Cheese Blintzes or a Cheese Cake, or Candied Grapes

Coffee, Tea, other drinks, Milk is okay!

Fruit Salad Appetizer
Fruit salad at Shavuot is a must! This is an agricultural thanksgiving meal - so the fresher and more plentiful
the fruit and vegetables, the better. If you don't have a fruit salad recipe, just make one up from what you
have! Cut up and toss together bite size pieces of whatever fresh fruit is available to you, even canned can
be used. Try mixing walnuts, grapefruit, seedless grapes, pineapple, peaches, apricots, oranges, etc. Add a
little lime juice and just enough sugar to soften the tart taste, but only if needed.

Israeli Garden Salad
Ingredients:

3 cucumbers

1 green or red pepper

3 tomatoes

3 green onions

lemon juice

olive oil

salt

zaatar (hyssop spice, or mint if you haven't any zaatar)

Preparation: Chop the vegetables in small pieces. Finely chopped vegetables are the key to a really good Israeli
salad. Season lightly with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and zaatar immediately before serving.

Noodle Kugel (as a side dish)
Ingredients:

1 lb medium noodles

6 eggs

2 lbs. low fat cottage cheese

1/4

oil, or less

to grease

a 9 x 12 pan

Preparation: Cook and drain noodles. Beat eggs well and mix all ingredients together. Pour noodle mixture
into pan. Bake at 350 degrees for I - I 1/2 hours. Can be served with a light chicken gravy or cinnamon may
be sprinkled on top if desired.

Applesauce Kugel (more like a dessert)
Ingredients:

12 oz wide egg noodles

3 eggs (OR 3/4 cup egg substitute)

3/4 to 1 c

sugar

1 t

cinnamon

1 t vanilla

1 25-ounce jar applesauce

crushed cornflakes

additional margarine, cinnamon

Preparation: Cook and drain noodles. Beat eggs well. Add sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla and mix well. Add
cooked noodles and continue to stir until coated. Spread half of noodles in greased 11" square pan. Pour
applesauce evenly over noodles. Spread rest of the noodles evenly on the top. Sprinkle with cornflakes
crumbs, dot with margarine, dust with cinnamon. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes.

Fruited Kugel (more like a dessert)
Ingredients:

1 lb medium noodles

4 eggs

1 c milk

1/2 lb white raisins

16 oz can crushed pineapple, drained

I pt. sour cream

1/2 c sugar

3 large apples, peeled and grated

1/2 lb butter, melted

1 lb small curd cottage

cheese

corn flakes crushed

brown sugar

Preparation: Cook and drain noodles. In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the milk, raisins, pineapple, sour
cream, sugar, apples, butter and cottage cheese and mix well. Then blend in noodles. Pour into a 3 Qt
greased casserole. Sprinkle with crushed corn flakes and brown sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, 20 min.

Milk and Honey Bread
Ingredients:

1 large loaf of French Bread

1 c (1/4 liter) filtered honey

3 c (3/4 liter) of shredded sharp cheese

Preparation: Diagonally cut the bread into half . Scoop out the soft inside. Fill bottom half with cheese and top
with honey and then cover with top half of bread. Wrap in aluminum foil and bake in 350 degree F oven for 25
minutes.

Candied Grapes
Ingredients :

Brown sugar

Sour cream

Washed whole grapes

Preparation: Cover the grapes generously with sour cream. Cover with a large sprinkling of brown sugar. Place
in the refrigerator uncovered. In a few hours the brown sugar will melt over the sour cream.

This same method can be used for other fruit such as figs, cherries, mangoes, etc., as a way to make a very
quick elegant dessert.

Blintzes
Filling ingredients:

1 c dry cottage cheese

1/2 c sour cream

sugar

1 t vanilla

Mix the filling ingredients.

Crepe Ingredients:

1 c flour

1/2 t salt

4 eggs

1 c milk

butter or margarine to fry with

Preparation: Butter and heat a skillet. Pour about 1/2 cup of batter onto the pan forming a large circle. Cook
on one side only, until the blintz starts to "blister" and the edges curl away from the skillet. Ease onto a platter
fried side up. Continue making crepes till the batter is used up adding butter to the skillet as needed. Place
about two tablespoons of filling on to the cooked side of each crepe. Fold the top and bottom to the center,
then roll the sides over. Return to pan and fry lightly until the center is cooked.

PILGRIMAGE - The Festival of Shavuot was established as the wheat harvest festival. Each person

was commanded to bring to the Lord in the Temple two loaves and the first fruits of his produce,

with which the Land of Israel is blessed. After the destruction of the Temple, the Jewish people

were unable to bring the bread of the land to the holy place. Once the Jews returned to the Land

of Israel, the tradition was renewed. Every year, hundreds of people stream on foot from throughout Jerusalem
to arrive at the Kotel (Western Wall) early Shavuot morning in order to pray at a sunrise service service in front
of the Wall .

GREENERY - According to legend, when the Torah was given on Mount Sinai, the barren desert exploded with
blooming flowers, as if the earth itself rejoiced. This, along with the fact that Shavout became an agricultural
festival, makes it customary to embellish the synagogues and houses with greenery and with branches of trees,
roses and other flowers, and spices. It is the practice of some to stand trees next to the Torah ark and the
Reader's lectern. School children wear wreaths and even decorate their houses with leaves and flowers.

THE BOOK OF RUTH - It is customary to read The Book of Ruth on Shavuot. The act of Ruth's conversion took
place during the harvest season, from the beginning of the barley harvest to the conclusion of the wheat har-
\vest. Traditionally, Shavuot is the day that King David was born, and died. The Book of Ruth establishes the
pedigree of David, who was the eventual product of the union between Ruth and Boaz. David is the beginning
of the line of kings in Israel leading to the Messiah. The outcome of Boaz and Ruth's union attests to their
personal greatness as well as the magnitude of the reward for deeds of kindness and the degree of recognition
owed to a righteous convert.

A NIGHT OF WATCHING - It is customary to remain awake the entire night of Shavuot and to engage in Torah
study. The Shavuot night Tikkun (order of study), which includes all portions of the Torah, is studied.

CONVERSION - Perhaps inspired by Ruth's choice to embrace the Jewish people, people often complete their
learning, go to mikveh, and enter the covenant before Shavuot. Women often take Ruth as their name,
replacing their Hebrew name. People by choice in many places are called to the Torah for the first time on
Shavuot.

Bring Festive Back into Your Festival

The Many Names of Shavuot

Traditional Foods for Your Festival

Contemporary Traditions

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