An ancient tradition says that on the night of Shavuot, all prayers reach God, because the heavens open up. Shavuot (Pentecost) is celebrated in honor of the ascent of the prophet Moses to Sinai and the gift of the Torah to him during the "exodus" of the Jews from Egypt.
In ancient times, these days people from all over Israel gathered in Jerusalem. Approaching the capital, they decorated the horns of oxen harnessed to carts with wreaths. Each family was carrying baskets with ripe pomegranates, fig trees, and grapes. In the morning the windows of the houses are decorated with colored pictures and green branches. They eat dairy and flour food: cottage cheese, sour cream, pancakes with cottage cheese, cakes, gingerbreads with honey, because "Torah is sweet and pleasant like milk and honey."
The essence of the Torah was expressed by a Jewish sage. Once a pagan came to the great teacher of the law Galel and asked:
- Can you explain the essence of the Torah during the time that I can stand on one leg ?!
“I can,” the Teacher replied, “don’t do to another that you don’t want. This is the whole Torah. The rest is interpretation.
On the day of Shavuot, the father, blessing the children, puts both hands on the head of his son or daughter. He says to his sons: "May God liken you to Ephraim and Menashe!" These are the words that Jacob, the patriarch of the Jewish people, said to his grandchildren. And the father says to his daughters: "May God liken you to Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah!" This means: be what the wives of the patriarchs were - an example of modesty, beauty and female wisdom.
This is usually said to children who are considered adults. When a Jewish boy turns 13, he is considered an adult and is responsible for his own actions. On his thirteenth birthday, he becomes a "barmitzva" - a person who can and must fulfill the commandments of the Torah. On this day, it is customary to arrange a festive ceremony. The next Saturday the boy is called to read the Torah in the synagogue. But first, before reading, his father pronounces a blessing: "Blessed is he who freed me from responsibility for this!" This means that the father is no longer responsible for the actions of the son.
A girl is considered an adult from the age of 12. On this day, she becomes "batmitzva".
Promotional video:
Both on a holiday and on an ordinary day on the table in a Jewish family there is only kosher (allowed to believers), but never tref (unlawful, defiled) food. It is forbidden to eat meat and dairy food at the same time: "Do not boil a kid in his mother's milk." The Jewish religion also imposes a strict prohibition on the consumption of pork.
From the book: "100 Great Holidays". Elena Olegovna Chekulaeva