Shavuot: The Gift that Keeps on Giving
The three Pilgrimage festivals (shalosh r'galim) are marked by distinct symbols and elaborate celebrations: Sukkot by lulav and etrog and by dwelling in the sukkah; Pesah by matzah, maror, four cups of wine and an extravagant seder; and Shavuot by... cheese blintzes? Why does Shavuot -- which marks an event as momentous as the giving of the Torah -- lack a substantive symbol and corresponding ritual? We can learn a great deal from this seeming omission. In fact, to identify Shavuot with a fixed symbol would misrepresent the essence of the holiday.
We know that Shavuot -- z'man matan toratenu -- is associated with the revelation at Sinai. Yet we recall the giving of the Torah not only on Shavuot but every morning, in the brakhot recited before Torah study. We also make reference to it in reciting an aliyah on being called to the Torah. The wording of these blessings is significant. We bless God who "gave" (past tense) the Torah and we also bless God Who "gives" (present tense) the Torah. It is this ongoing revelation that gives life to halakhah.
While Kohelet teaches that "there is nothing new under the sun," each generation of Jews faces challenges and unique situations that could not possibly have been foreseen by our ancestors at the time the Torah was received. From the earliest days, when Moses was called upon to resolve the questions posed by the daughters of Zelophehad regarding inheritance, to our own time, when rabbis must address halakhic challenges posed by accelerating technology, Jews have continued in their efforts to discern God's will in a changing world.
Advances in medical technology have caused a good deal of lively discussion among our rabbis. For example, while Jewish law prohibits tampering with a body after death, developments in medical technology have convinced almost all rabbinical authorities to encourage the donation of organs for transplants. Other issues have yet to be resolved. When is one permitted to withhold treatment for a dying patient? Are DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) orders always appropriate? How do we regard surrogate motherhood, artificial insemination, and cloning?
We read in the Torah that one should not "place a stumbling block before the blind." This teaching has found its way into the wider society, with laws now providing equal access for the disabled. As Jews, we must be especially sensitive in interpreting this injunction. However, there is no clear answer to the question of how much money a synagogue must spend to provide ramps, large-print siddurim, sound systems, interpreters for the hearing impaired, and tutors for those with severe disabilities. The intent of the Torah is clear, but the economic implications of compliance in the modern world could not have been foreseen by our ancestors.
There are numerous other challenges which we face today as a people committed both to growth and to tradition. Happily, Jewish teachings are rich in values, insights, and sources that help to inform and direct consideration of the "new" issues that arise on regular basis. Indeed, the Conservative Movement was founded precisely to confront the challenges of modernity using all the resources and knowledge at our disposal while keeping both feet firmly rooted in the halakhic process.
The Torah was given at Sinai; the Torah is given daily. That is the message of Shavuot. The Rabbis have taught that not only the Jews actually at Sinai, but all future generations of Jews, stood at the foot of the mountain to receive the Torah. As God continues to give the Torah and to reveal His Divine will, we have a corresponding obligation to receive it.
While Shavuot may not have one physical symbol, it does have a distinctive ceremony -- tikun leyl Shavuot -- in which we spend an entire night devoted to Torah study. In this way, we reunite once again at Sinai and affirm our obligation to carry the Torah forth now and forever.
Shavuot Resources
Rabbi Epstein is the Executive Vice-President of The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, the association of Conservative congregations in North America.
