Shavuot 5773
Next week, we will celebrate the holiday of Shavuot. And Shavuot arrives every year, as we conclude the secular academic year. What is interesting is that according to rabbinic tradition, Shavuot represents the beginning of Jewish learning for children, rather than the conclusion. The great 12th century Rabbi Elazar of Worms relates a vivid first day of school in his volume called Sefer Harokeach (Laws of Shavuot, 296):“It is the custom of our ancestors that they bring children to learn [for the first time] on Shavout since the Torah was given then… At sunrise on Shavout, they bring the children, in keeping with the verse “as morning dawned, there was thunder and lightning” (Exodus 19:16). And they cover the children with a cloak from their house to the synagogue or to the rabbi’s house. They put the child on the lap of the rabbi who teaches them, in keeping with the verse “as a nurse carries an infant” (Numbers 11:12).
And they bring the slate upon which is written “Torah tziva lanu Moshe – Moses commanded us the Torah” (Deut. 33:4). Then, the rabbi reads every letter of the alef-bet and the child repeats after the rabbi.
The rabbi puts a little honey on the slate and the child licks the honey from the letters. And then they bring the honey cake upon which is inscribed “The Lord God gave me a skilled tongue to know…” (Isaiah 50: 4-5), and the rabbi reads every word of these verses and the child repeats after the rabbi… They feed the child the cake and the egg, for they are good for opening the mind.”
What an exciting first day of school for a child – having the community parade you to the synagogue or rabbi’s house, celebrating with you, having you taste delicious foods, all for the purpose of creating an intimate first formal learning experience.
While we do not begin school learning on Shavuot in our world today, it is a strong reminder to continue learning even during the change in many of our schedules during the summer. I hope that Shavuot, and the coming months, provide all of us with many opportunities to learn in serious, meaningful, celebratory, and tasty environments.
Shabbat shalom,
Rabbi David Russo
