Shavuot - by Yahal Porat
We are all about to participate in a very special night: the tikun leil Shavuot, in the Manchester house. What for?
Shavuot was originally the agricultural feast of the land workers of Israel. It was the time to start the harvest in eretz Israel, and also the time the first summer fruits are ready to sell.
After the building of a temple the holiday became much more religious, and the custom of scarifying to god in Jerusalem was practiced along side the agriculture nature of the event. It became soon after the day of getting the torah from god through Moses, and the official day king David himself was born and died.
In recent years, mainly when pioneers such as olim of HDUK in different kibbutzim again worked the land of Israel, they decided to bring back the celebration of nature into the very important religious event. This act was actually what we call today cultural Judaism, because the pioneers decided to learn about the origin of the festive and give it their own daily life meaning.
The pioneers, the members of kibbutzim moshavim and others worked the land very hard in order not only to have their food of it but also to re-create the linkage between the land and the human being. They saw Shavuot as a great opportunity to celebrate the returning back to Israel and to the land, in opposite to the Diaspora way of life. So working the land became a spiritual ritual, to show the commitment of Jewish people to the land. They preferred calling shavout the harvest holiday in order to emphasis the agricultural aspects of it.
Many different issues arise out of the holiday: why were the people of Israel to get the torah? Were we actually chosen, or were Israel the only people that agreed first to get the torah and then to understand what is all about? And if so – why? Are we the chosen people? And if yes why, and what does it mean?
And one last interesting bit: megalith Ruth. Each year we read about a shiktze, a non-Jewish girl, married to a Jewish family, that lost her husband. Instead of living her own life, she decided to help her lonely old mother in law when was in terrible. The two went back to their hometown, poor and hopeless. While back to Beit Lechem, Ruth is using her right as poor to collect the leftovers off the fields. A very rich and famous man sees Ruth and he finds out all about her. Apparently this dud, Boaz, is a relative of Naomi, Ruth mother in law. So the two decide Ruth will try and have Boaz as a second husband, so both will have better life. The plan is successful – Boaz is falling in love with Ruth and they get married.
The price of Ruth, who was non-Jewish but became Jewish during the time, and preferred to help other person when in need, is to be the great grandmother of King David.
So what is the idea behind the story? Can or shall every good person become Jewish? Is it so easy? And what about social justice? Is it enough to operate few charity projects like letting the poor collect the leftovers? Or do we need a massive change of the system?
Chag samech and hope to see u all soon!
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