Shavuot: A Basic Overview
Shavuos is the holiday in which our ancestors received the Torah at Mt. Sinai. This holiday marks the end of the seven-week period of the Omer and is celebrated with great festivity and joy. The holiday lasts for two days (one day in Israel) and falls on the sixth and seventh days of the Hebrew month of Sivan.
On the first day of the Holiday we read the Ten Commandments from the Torah during services. It is said that G-d reissues Ten Commandments every year when Jews read the Ten Commandments on Shavuos, at the Synagogue,
It is extremely important to listen to the reading of the Ten Commandments on this day. Many Synagogues organize special parties and events to attract the children of the community to come to services on this day.
The Talmud tells us that when G-d arrived to Mt. Sinai on the morning of Shavuos, most of the Jewish people were asleep. In order to atone for our ancestors’ disrespectful behavior, it is customary to stay awake on the first night of Shavuos and study the Torah.
Most Synagogues prepare special lectures and study groups throughout the night. This is a wonderful way to prepare for the reading of the Ten Commandments and is indeed a very popular custom amongst Jewish Communities.
