Each and every one of Israel's holidays has a variety of content, meanings, and ideas.
If you ask a person on the street what Shavuot is, you will get answers about cheese and first fruits, tanna and white clothes. Those from North Africa may recall from childhood the 'Water Festival'.
Indeed, it was the custom of Israel to eat cheese and dairy foods on Shavuot. On this holiday, the commandment of the firstfruits was also observed in the Temple (not the famous basket of fruit, but two loaves of bread from the new wheat harvest). Some people would wear white clothes, and the custom of pouring water is also one of the customs of the Jewish community on Shavuot.
But at the center of Shavuot is the event at Mount Sinai and the giving of the Torah.
On this day, after forty-nine days of anticipation and longing since the day of the Exodus from Egypt, we were privileged to stand at the foot of Mount Sinai and witness a divine revelation that was unparalleled in the history of the world. And so we say in the holiday prayers – "The time of the giving of our Torah.".
Dialogue with the Creator
On Shavuot, we received the Torah and became a 'special people.' This is the day when God descended in the sight of all the people on Mount Sinai, and gave us, with voices and lightning, the Torah and the commandments. This is the day when the Jewish people were entrusted with the special mission of sanctifying the physical and material world and transforming it into the dwelling place of the Divine Presence.
The Sages recount that before the giving of the Torah, God, blessed be He, said to the Children of Israel: "Bring me good guarantors who will guard it, and I will give it to you.".
Israel said: "Our fathers are our guarantors. Prophets are our guarantors.".
God, the Blessed One, said to them: "They also need guarantors. But bring me good guarantors and I will give them to you.".
They said: "Our sons are our guarantors.".
The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to them: "These are certainly good guarantors, through them I will give you.".
What is the meaning of this dialogue between God and the people of Israel? Some believe that the Jewish people can exist when the 'prophets' or the 'fathers' engage in Torah. There is a select handful of Torah learners, and everyone else can engage in a physical and earthly life. God says that such a situation does not guarantee the preservation of the Torah among the people of Israel.
Only when the children of Israel say, "Our children are our guarantors," does God give the Torah to the people of Israel. The guarantee of the eternity of the people of Israel and its continued hold on the Torah of Israel is when the children are connected to the Torah, receive the right education, and grow up to be Jews with deep roots in their heritage.
We will receive with the children.
This challenge has become more difficult during this time.
Today's children are exposed to global trends from a young age. Advanced technology transmits ideas, cultures, and lifestyles at an incredible speed, creating a flood that is difficult to resist. In order for the younger generation to be able to withstand these winds, they need stronger roots and a deep and stable Jewish foundation.
That is why it is so important to bring children to the synagogues on Shavuot, when the Ten Commandments are read.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe noted that it is important to bring even newborn babies to this event, because even though they cannot understand what is happening, their souls perceive and absorb the holiness of the event.
So let us come with the children and receive the Torah anew, with joy and interiority.
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