Shavout

"From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath and then present an offering of new grain to the LORD”.
Leviticus 23:15-16

Shavuot is a Hebrew word that means weeks. The Feast is also called the Feast of Weeks and is celebrated for two days. The Feast occurs seven weeks or 50 days after the Feast of Firstfruits during Pesach. The word Pentecost which is Greek for fifty is also derived there from.

These 50 days between Pesach and Shavuot are referred to as the Counting of the Omer, which is a period of mourning. During this period many Jews don’t cut their hair or shave. You are not allowed to marry, to throw a party or hold some festive gathering with dancing, either during this time. There is however one exception and that is on the 33rd day of the Counting of the Omer, which is a somewhat mini-holiday and the mourning practices are lifted on this date.

An omer is a unit of measure. On the second day of Pesach the firstfruits of the grain harvest was offered and the grain was measured in omer. Omer is a Hebrew word and means ‘sheaf’.

According to Jewish tradition it was during Shavuot that Moses received the 10 Commandments, the tablets of the Law, on Mount Sinai. Therefore, on this day, the giving of the Commandments is also celebrated.

When Shavuot is celebrated in Israel today, it is done with ‘harvest’ being the theme. You read about how Moses was given the Law, Exodus chapter 12-20. You also read the book of Ruth in its entirety, a book about harvest and redemption. It is also a common belief that King David was born and died during Shavuot.

It was also on this day that the Holy Spirit fell on the disciples and was the beginning of the first assembly. This with the result that Christians, too, celebrate Pentecost. Worth noting, however, is the fact that when Moses was given the Law at Mount Sinai 3000 men died because of their sin when they worshipped the golden calf. When the Holy Spirit fell at the day of Pentecost the number of disciples was increased by 3000.

During Shavuot or the Feast of Weeks observers are accustomed to eat dairy products and to decorate their synagogues with flowers and leaves to commemorate the harvest.

In the Torah Shavuot is called Chag Hakatsir, which means the feast of the wheat harvest and it is also called Chag Habikkurim, which means the Feast of Firstfruits.

In Leviticus 23:15-22 you can read about Shavuot.

"'From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the LORD. From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of firstfruits to the LORD. Present with this bread seven male lambs, each a year old and without defect, one young bull and two rams. They will be a burnt offering to the LORD, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings—an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD. Then sacrifice one male goat for a sin offering and two lambs, each a year old, for a fellowship offering. 20 The priest is to wave the two lambs before the LORD as a wave offering, together with the bread of the firstfruits. They are a sacred offering to the LORD for the priest. On that same day you are to proclaim a sacred assembly and do no regular work. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live. "'When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.'"