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On Shavuot we are celebrating two things:
- The
receiving of the Torah on Har Sinai
- The
bringing of the Bikkurim (first fruits) to Jerusalem,
appreciating the Land
of Israel
The desert and the blooming Land of Israel
are actually total opposites.
The desert represents exile, dryness and a break from
civilization.
Israel
and its fruits remind us of redemption, growth, abundance.
Why do we celebrate both the giving of the Torah in the
desert and the bringing of the Bikurim in the Land of Israel?
Rabbi Rami Barchihu answers that in order to immerse
ourselves in the Torah we have to put our whole being into Torah study and
separate ourselves from civilization. However, he cautions, this should only be
done for a limited amount of time as
Torah is supposed to be part of our every day lives and Torah study is supposed
to lead to action- Mitzvah observance. It therefore doesn’t make sense to only
study Torah as that will just keep us in the wilderness, we must act on what we
have studied- come to Israel
and bring the Bikurim.
What is interesting is to see the difference between how
Shavuot is celebrated in Israel
and how it is celebrated outside of Israel.
Outside of Israel
it is celebrated as Chag Matan Torah, the holiday of the giving of the Torah
with many communities studying Torah all night long. It is generally not
observed by non-observant and unaffiliated Jews. Many Jews outside of Israel have
never even heard of Shavuot.
In Israel,
no matter what background Israelis are coming from, they all are aware of
Shavuot and celebrate it in some way. On the Kibbutzim it is looked at as an
agricultural holiday with tractor parades and the custom of eating milk
products is seen in every supermarket. The religious community has the custom
of staying up all night to study Torah with the added bonus of being able to
walk to the Kotel at sunrise. Every Israeli is aware of Shavuot as it is a day
off from work!
We hope and pray that soon all Jews will be able to observe
Shavuot as fully as possible in the Land
of Israel with the honor
of bringing our first fruits to the Beit HaMikdash.
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