Shavuot   שלושה רגלים - Shalosh Regalim

Exodus 23:16; 34:22; Leviticus 23:15-22; Numbers 28:26-31; Deuteronomy 16:9-16; 2 Chronicles 8:13; Jeremiah 5:24

In the Tanakh, the Old Testament Scriptures, it is called by three names: 

1. Chag HaShavuot ‑ "Feast of Weeks" Exodus 34:22;
2. Chag HaKatzir ‑ "Harvest Festival" Exodus 23:16;
3. Yom Habikurim ‑ "The day of the First Fruits" Numbers 28:26. 

Most of you are probably more familiar with the Greek name for Shavuot, "Pentecost," which means "Fiftieth" so named because Shavuot comes 50 days after Passover.

According to the Jewish perspective, Shavuot is a three‑fold celebration, which commemorates: 

1. The giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai.  Shavuot is also known as Z'man Matan Toratenu.  This means "The Time of the Giving of Our Law."  It is believed that it was on Shavuot that God spoke to Moses atop Mount Sinai and gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments.  In rabbinic times a remarkable transformation of the festival took place. Based on the verse: "In the third month after the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai" (Ex. 19:1), the festival became the anniversary of the giving of the Torah at Sinai. The description of the feast in the liturgy is "zeman mattan toratenu" ("the time of the giving of our Torah").
2. The harvesting of wheat in Israel.  In ancient days, the cereal harvest was begun on the second day of Passover with the ripening of barley.  Then forty‑nine days until Sha­vuot were counted, after which came the harvesting of wheat, the last cereal to ripen. 
3. The ripening of the first fruit in the Holy Land.  Just about the time the wheat was har­vested, the first fruits began to ripen on tree and vine in Israel.  The Torah commanded every farmer to bring his first fruits as an offering of thanks to the Lord. 

Shavuot is celebrated in Israel with a procession of children carrying the first fruits of figs, pomegranates, olives and dates.  In America houses are decorated with plants and flowers.  In the synagogue the book of Ruth is read because it took place during the harvest season and special prayers are prayed of praise and thanks to God for giving us the Torah (the first five books of the Tanakh).  It is the custom on Shavuot to eat dairy food – blintzes (a kind of fritter stuffed with cheese), cheese cake, etc.-- symbolizing the fact that the Torah has been likened to "milk and honey."

According to Rabbi Philip Birnbaum in his prayer book for Sabbath and Festivals, Hebrew Publishing Co., NY, p. 387-88,

“The counting of seven weeks from the day on which the omer was offered till Shavuoth, the Feast of Weeks, serves to connect the anniversary of the exodus from Egypt with the festival that commemorates the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. According to tradition, it was announced to the Israelites in Egypt that fifty days after the exodus the Torah would be given to them.  As soon as they were liberated, they were so eager for the arrival of the promised day that they began to count the days, saying each time,:  ‘Now we have one day less to wait for the giving of the Torah.’  To commemorate this, the Torah prescribes that the days from Pesah to Shavuoth be counted.”  Leviticus 23:15-16

BLINTZ Recipe:

Blintz Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tsp vanilla
• Pinch of salt
• Vegetable oil for frying (grapeseed, canola, and peanut oil work well)

Filling Ingredients

• 1 cup lowfat ricotta cheese
• 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/8 tsp salt

Blend all of the ingredients together using a food processor, blender, immersion blender or electric hand mixer. Consistency of the batter should be smooth (no lumps). Alternatively, you can use a fork to mix all ingredients together until the batter is smooth… this will take several minutes of hand mixing.

Warm up a skillet on medium heat until hot (a nonstick skillet will work best). Grease the pan well with cooking spray or melted butter. The skillet is ready when a drop of water sizzles on the surface of the pan. If the water pops or jumps out of the pan, the skillet it too hot—let it cool slightly before starting. If the water sizzles, it’s at the perfect temperature.

Pour the blintz batter by 1/3 cupfuls into the pan, then tilt the pan in a circular motion till the batter coats the entire bottom of the pan in a large, thin circular shape. Let the blintz cook for 45-60 seconds until bubbles begin to form below the surface and the bottom of the blintz is cooked light golden brown.

Use a spatula to gently flip the blintz. Continue to cook for another 30-40 seconds. Stack cooked blintzes on a plate, separating them by pieces of parchment paper or paper towels. Make sure you re-grease the pan each time you make another blintz.

When blintzes are cooked, create your filling. Put all of the filling ingredients into a mixing bowl, then use a fork to mix them well (about 90 seconds of hand mixing). Filling should be well blended but slightly lumpy.

Now you’re going to stuff and wrap up your blintzes! Put 3 tbsp of filling on one side of the blintz, about an inch from the edge.

Fold the edge of the blintz up over the filling. Fold the edges of the blintz inward, as though you’re folding an envelope. Roll the blintz up and over the filling like a burrito.

When the blintzes are stuffed and rolled, you are ready to fry them. Pour ¼ cup of canola oil or melted butter into a skillet, heat over medium until hot (do not let the oil turn brown or start smoking—if this happens, discard the oil and try again). Cook the blintzes in batches of 3--this will give you space to turn them easily in the pan. Carefully place the stuffed blintzes flap-side down into the hot oil. The blintzes should fry for 1 ½ to 2 minutes until they’re brown and crispy.

Turn the blintzes carefully using a spatula and/or tongs, then fry for an additional 1 ½ - 2 minutes. Blintzes should be evenly browned on both sides.

Serve blintzes warm. They can be served as-is, or topped with fruit topping, whipped cream, or maple syrup.



Check out our Sub-Tabs for other Holidays and Obervances!  They are located on this page, just above the title of this page.

See our BLINTZ RECIPE - Scroll down for a delicious Shavuot favorite!

An Introduction to Shavuot

Rabbi Mark S. Diamond
Executive Vice President
The Board of Rabbis of Southern California

Shavuot is the Jewish holiday that celebrates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.  Like the festivals of Passover and Sukkot, Shavuot is one of the shalosh regalim (3 pilgrimage holidays), on which our ancestors were commanded to make pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem.

In the Diaspora, Shavuot is observed as a two-day festival on the sixth and seventh days of the Jewish month of Sivan.  Shavuot is observed as a one-day holiday in Israel and by many Reform Jewish congregations.

The festival is variously called hag ha-bikkurim (the Festival of the First Fruits), hag ha-katzir (the Festival of the Harvest), and hag ha-shavuot (the Festival of Weeks). In the liturgy, Shavuot is known as zeman matan torataynu, the season of the giving of our Torah.

On the Jewish calendar, Shavuot marks the conclusion of a seven-week period known as sefirat ha-Omer, the counting of the Omer.  Beginning on the second day of Passover, we count forty-nine days leading up to Shavuot. In agricultural terms, this is a time of anxiety and anticipation for farmers who observe their ripening grain. In religious terms, counting the Omer links physical and spiritual redemption.  Passover celebrates physical freedom, our redemption from bondage in Egypt.  Shavuot celebrates spiritual liberation, our people's experience of God's presence in the revelation at Sinai.

The traditional observance of Shavuot includes several key elements: special Torah portions, including the public reading of the Ten Commandments; tikkun layl Shavuot, a mystical custom to remain awake all night studying sacred Jewish texts; chanting the Book of Ruth in the synagogue; eating dairy foods to remind us of Israel's appellation as "a land flowing with milk and honey." 

Many congregations hold Confirmation services on or around Shavuot.  In these ceremonies, young people affirm their loyalty to the principles and precepts of Torah.

A Hasidic tale provides the true meaning of the festival of Shavuot.  The Kotzker Rebbe was asked: "Why is this festival known as the season of the giving of our Torah, rather than the season of the receiving of our Torah?"  The great rabbi replied: "The giving of Torah was on Shavuot. The receiving of Torah must take place every day."

May the festival of Shavuot renew our commitment to living and learning Torah. 

Hag same'ah!