SHAVUOT
Our friends in israel have been teaching us about their festivals.
'This is one of the three pilgrimage festivals(Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot), when Jews came to Jerusalem, to the Holy Temple, to offer sacrifices. In the agricultural society of that time, most of the festivals were associated with the growing seasons: Shavuot - the Festival of the First Fruits, was designated as the time of the wheat harvest. Farmers would bring offerings to the Temple from the first produce to ripen in their fields - choice fruits from the seven species. The First Fruits were brought to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. When the farmers arrived in Jerusalem, the city's nobles and the priests were waiting at the entrance to the city, and when they reached the Temple, priests dressed in their holiday finery would accept the gifts from them. All of this took place during the timwhen the Temple stood in Jerusalem.'
Taken from: http://www.ort.org.il/year/eshavuot/fest.htm
On Shavuot we eat different kinds of cheese. We have 3 days of no studies. We do a ceremony to the holiday at school, sing songs of the festival (There are a lot of songs?) and bless our friends the ?happy holiday? blessing.
There is also a story about two brothers than explains why the holy temple was built where it was built. Here is the story: Many years ago, there were two brothers that loved each other very much. They lived close ont to the other. It was the period of collecting the produces from the fields. They both had the same amount of wheat. One of the brothers was married and had children, but the other one lived alone and had no wife and children. One night, the lonely brother woke up and thought: ?my brother has a wife and children and they all have to eat but I am only one person and I don?t need so many wheat, I will give him some of my wheat.? He got up and put some wheat from his pile and to the pile of his brother.
At the same night, the other brother woke up and thought: ?my brother lives alone, he has no wife and children. I am happy with my family but he has no family. I will give him some of my wheat so he will be more happy.? He woke up and put in his brother?s pile of wheat, some wheat from his pile.
In the morning, they were very surprised to see that the both piles are equal but they said nothing.
It happened again the night after and in the third night, they woke up in the same time, and they met.
They were so surprised to see each other!!! They said something like ?what are you doing here?. But then they understood what happened and they hugged and kissed each other.
God saw the big love of the brothers, and some years later, in the same place, the holy temple was built!
THE NAMES OF THE HOLIDAY
Shavuot is also called ?Hag Matan Tora? that means ?the holiday of giving the Torah? in Hebrew.
On Shavuot, the Jews reached the mountain of Sinai and Moses brought the Bible to them.
Shavuot simbols the end of the Omer counting. This counting begins in the end of Passover and ends 49 days after (7 weeks). This counting means that the end of the period of growing the produce is very close and on Shavuot it is finished!
During the counting of the Omer, until it?s 33 day, it?s not permissed to celebrate, to shave, and to get ones hair cut.
On the 33 day of the counting that is the holiday ?Lag Baomer? (the 33 day of the omer), there are many ceremonies, parties and so on?
Shavuot is also called the water holiday by the children.
On Shavuot the kids play with water and throw bottles of water on people, it?s very fun but sometimes it?s dangerous.
I hope you learned from this letter about this holiday,
Best wishes,
Dana
'This is one of the three pilgrimage festivals(Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot), when Jews came to Jerusalem, to the Holy Temple, to offer sacrifices. In the agricultural society of that time, most of the festivals were associated with the growing seasons: Shavuot - the Festival of the First Fruits, was designated as the time of the wheat harvest. Farmers would bring offerings to the Temple from the first produce to ripen in their fields - choice fruits from the seven species. The First Fruits were brought to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. When the farmers arrived in Jerusalem, the city's nobles and the priests were waiting at the entrance to the city, and when they reached the Temple, priests dressed in their holiday finery would accept the gifts from them. All of this took place during the timwhen the Temple stood in Jerusalem.'
Taken from: http://www.ort.org.il/year/eshavuot/fest.htm
On Shavuot we eat different kinds of cheese. We have 3 days of no studies. We do a ceremony to the holiday at school, sing songs of the festival (There are a lot of songs?) and bless our friends the ?happy holiday? blessing.
There is also a story about two brothers than explains why the holy temple was built where it was built. Here is the story: Many years ago, there were two brothers that loved each other very much. They lived close ont to the other. It was the period of collecting the produces from the fields. They both had the same amount of wheat. One of the brothers was married and had children, but the other one lived alone and had no wife and children. One night, the lonely brother woke up and thought: ?my brother has a wife and children and they all have to eat but I am only one person and I don?t need so many wheat, I will give him some of my wheat.? He got up and put some wheat from his pile and to the pile of his brother.
At the same night, the other brother woke up and thought: ?my brother lives alone, he has no wife and children. I am happy with my family but he has no family. I will give him some of my wheat so he will be more happy.? He woke up and put in his brother?s pile of wheat, some wheat from his pile.
In the morning, they were very surprised to see that the both piles are equal but they said nothing.
It happened again the night after and in the third night, they woke up in the same time, and they met.
They were so surprised to see each other!!! They said something like ?what are you doing here?. But then they understood what happened and they hugged and kissed each other.
God saw the big love of the brothers, and some years later, in the same place, the holy temple was built!
THE NAMES OF THE HOLIDAY
Shavuot is also called ?Hag Matan Tora? that means ?the holiday of giving the Torah? in Hebrew.
On Shavuot, the Jews reached the mountain of Sinai and Moses brought the Bible to them.
Shavuot simbols the end of the Omer counting. This counting begins in the end of Passover and ends 49 days after (7 weeks). This counting means that the end of the period of growing the produce is very close and on Shavuot it is finished!
During the counting of the Omer, until it?s 33 day, it?s not permissed to celebrate, to shave, and to get ones hair cut.
On the 33 day of the counting that is the holiday ?Lag Baomer? (the 33 day of the omer), there are many ceremonies, parties and so on?
Shavuot is also called the water holiday by the children.
On Shavuot the kids play with water and throw bottles of water on people, it?s very fun but sometimes it?s dangerous.
I hope you learned from this letter about this holiday,
Best wishes,
Dana