Shavuot — Weeks / Pentecost
Hebrew: שָׁבוּעוֹת | When: 6-7 Sivan (50 days after Pesach)
Shavuot: The Wedding Day
Shavuot is the day of matan Torah (giving of the Torah) — celebrated in Chabad as the ultimate wedding: the union of the Jewish people with the Torah, and through Torah, with God Himself.
Counting the Omer: Preparation
The 49 days of Sefirat HaOmer (Counting of the Omer) between Pesach and Shavuot represent the process of preparation for receiving Torah. Each day corresponds to a combination of the seven lower sefirot (7x7=49). The counting is a structured program of emotional refinement.
Chabad: you cannot receive the Torah passively — you must actively prepare the vessel. The 49 days are the cultivation of the emotional attributes needed to hold the infinite light of Torah.
Na’aseh veNishma: The Jewish Response
At Sinai, the Jewish people said “Na’aseh veNishma” — “we will do and [then] we will understand.” This is the foundation of Chabad’s approach to Divine service: commitment precedes comprehension. See Chabad Intellect.
Staying Up on Shavuot Night
The custom of staying up all night learning (Tikkun Leil Shavuot) originates from the idea that at Sinai, the Jewish people overslept and God had to wake them. In Chabad, the Tikkun is an opportunity to access the heightened spiritual influx available specifically on the night of Shavuot.
Dairy Foods
Eating dairy on Shavuot: the Torah is described as “honey and milk under your tongue” — the sweetness of both the revealed (milk = accessible) and the hidden (honey = takes time to reveal). Also: after receiving the Torah, the people could not immediately prepare meat according to the new laws, so they ate dairy.
Sources
- Tanya, Part I Chapters 4-5
- Alter Rebbe, Likkutei Torah — Shavuot discourses
- The Rebbe, extensive Shavuot teachings