Friday, May 7, 2010

Top Ten Reasons to Celebrate Shavuot – Reason #1


Shalom!

We are coming closer and closer to the tragically underestimated holiday of Shavuot, the festival on which we celebrate the Giving of Torah. Over the next ten days, I will be sharing my personal top ten list of reasons to celebrate this terrific, important holiday. Here we go!


Reason #1:

Z'man Matan Torateinu: The Time When We were Given our Torah

Shavuot celebrates the day on which we were given Torah, including the Ten Commandments, at Mt. Sinai.

It is noteworthy that the holiday is called the time of the giving of the Torah, rather than the time of the receiving of the Torah. The sages point out that we are constantly in the process of receiving the Torah, that we receive it every day, but it was first given at this time. Thus it is the giving, not the receiving, that makes this holiday significant.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Though I like the idea that we are continually receiving Torah, I sometimes wish that we were commemorating the "Receiving of the Torah" rather than just the "Giving of the Torah." It feels too passive.

Looking forward to reading your other reasons.