Shavuot (Pentecost) Guide for the Perplexed 2013

ALGEMEINER
By Yoram Ettinger

Shavou’ot – a spiritual holiday – follows Passover – a national liberation holiday: from physical liberation (the Exodus) to spiritual liberation/enhancement (the Torah), in preparation for the return to the Homeland. Shavou’ot (Pentecost) was, originally, an agricultural holiday, celebrating the first harvest/fruit by bringing offerings to the Temple in Jerusalem. Following the destruction of the second Temple and the resulting exile in 70 AD – which raised the need to entrench Torah awareness in order to avoid spiritual and physical oblivion – Shavou’ot became a historical/religious holiday of the Torah. The holiday has 7 names: The fiftieth, Harvest, Giving of the Torah, Shavou’ot, Offerings, Rally and Assembly. The Hebrew acronym of the seven names is “The Constitution of the Seven” --- Shavou’ot reflects the centrality of “seven” in Shavou’ot and Judaism. [link]