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Shalom friends,
Seven weeks after the second night of Passover, on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan, we celebrate Shavuot – one of the three Biblical pilgrimage festivals.
These seven weeks represent the time that elapsed between Passover and Shavuot; between the exodus of the Israelites from their enslavement to the Egyptians, and the time the Torah was given to them on Mount Sinai and they became a nation committed to serving God.
These seven weeks are also related to the grain harvest season in Israel. In ancient Israel, the season began with the harvesting of the barley during Passover and ended with the harvesting of the wheat during Shavuot.
In the times of the Temple in Jerusalem, people brought their first fruits called Bikurim to the priests (כֹּהֵן, Cohen) of the temple during this holiday. That was a gay and festive event, accompanied by music, dancing, and celebrations. The Bikurim were the first produce of the Seven Species, for which the Land of Israel was praised:
אֶרֶץ חִטָּה וּשְׂעֹרָה, וְגֶפֶן וּתְאֵנָה וְרִמּוֹן; אֶרֶץ-זֵית שֶׁמֶן, וּדְבָשׁ (דְּבָרִים ח', ח')
A land of wheat and barley, and vines and fig-trees and pomegranates; a land of olive-trees and honey (Deuteronomy 8:8)
In modern Israel, the kibutzim and moshavim reestablished ceremonies based on the ancient Bikurim festivals. In today’s ceremonies choirs sing songs in the Hebrew language related to the holiday. Also, new crops, including fruits, vegetables, and calves, industrial produce, and even new babies are presented to the crowd.
חַג שָׁבוּעוֹת שָׂמֵחַ!
Xag Shavu’ot Sameax!
Happy Shavu’ot!
שירה כהן-רגב
Shira Cohen-Regev
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