Shavuot
“And it was on the 3rd day…” G-d descended upon Mt. Sinai in order to give the Torah to his Chosen nation- the nation of Israel.
The year was 2,248 according to Jewish count. Early in the morning, even before the Jewish people had woken up, all of a sudden…. Thunder and lightning filled the skies. The sound of a Shofar growing louder was heard…. And the mountain of Sinai stood covered in smoke.
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All the Jews hurried to gather around the mountain, while no one dared to touch the holy mountain.
This is how the Jewish nation stood with trembling hearts and excitement – awaiting the giving of the Torah. Who was Present at this time?
Every single Jew was there. Old and young, parents and children. Even the souls of the unborn babies in the heavens were present to receive the holy Torah.
Even we were there – you and I – your parents and grandparents – all of us heard the words of G-d and promised to guard and fulfill them.
At the hour when G-d was about to give the Torah – all the sick were healed. The blind could see, the deaf could hear, the mute could speak, and the ill were cured. Everyone without exception was healthy and sound.
G-d performed this miracle so that no one could later say that he did not hear, see, or experience Matan Torah – the giving of the Torah.
At the moment that G-d gave the Torah, there was complete silence, a bird did not chirp, a bee did not buzz, even the sea did not stir. All the angels in the sky ceased to fly and kept quiet, too.
The whole world was silent and only the sound of the Shofar was heard, growing louder and louder!
Within the silence emerged a voice: “I am the Lord your G-d!...."
All the Jews heard G-D’s voice – a holy and great voice: the voice of the Almighty, the Kings of Kings.
And why was the voice so loud?
So that everyone around the world would hear this great and mighty voice and would respect the Jews by
knowing that the King himself spoke with them and gave them the holy Torah.
Another reason for this was to instill the fear of G-d within all the Jews, because in order to keep G-D’s commandments, love of G-d is not enough; fear is also needed.
Six hundred and thirteen Mitzvot (G-D’s commandments) the Jews accepted upon themselves at Mt. Sinai, and the Ten Commandments everyone heard in a loud voice on Mt. Sinai.
WHAT IS SHAVUOT?
Shavuot, one of the three major festivals, comes exactly fifty days after Pesach. It marks the giving of the Torah by G-d to the entire Jewish people on Mt. Sinai 3,328 years ago.
In Hebrew the word ‘Shavuot’ means ‘weeks’, and stands for the seven weeks during which the Jewish people prepared themselves for the giving of the Torah.
During this time they rid themselves of the scars of bondage and became a holy nation ready to stand before G-d.
The Giving of the Torah was far more than an historical event. It was a far-reaching spiritual event – one that touched the essence of