Shavuot (the day of donation of the Torah)
Shavuot - the second of three holidays shalosh Regal (associated with the pilgrimage, aliyat arehel in Beit Amikdash - Jerusalem Temple). Shavuot falls on the sixth day of the Jewish month of Sivan, it is celebrated on one day in Israel and two - in the Diaspora, the scattering of the Jewish countries.
5 values of Shavuot:
Hag ha-Shavuot - Feast of Weeks
The word Shavuot literally means "weeks." On the second day of Pesach and Shavuot to the vidrahovuyut seven weeks. Fiftieth day - is the sixth Sivan, Shavuot holiday. Another explanation of the word associated with shvua - "oath". In this case, the name of the holiday is associated with an oath, which the Jewish people received the Torah when: naase venishma - and will hear the "oath of God and His people that He will never replace it with any other nation.
Hag ha-bikurim - Holiday first fruits
The day begins the period of special offerings, the Most High - the first fruits of seven species, which is famous for Eretz Israel, shyvat amines: grapes, figs, olives, dates, pomegranates, wheat and barley. When was the Temple, with all sides in Jerusalem were colorful procession that carried baskets full of fruit. Even the king, and all carried on the shoulders of his basket in Beit Amikdash. They put every Jew fruit Cohen. Together they raised the basket, saying the "Declaration Bikurim, which briefly sets out the entire Jewish history from the patriarchs to sign in Eretz Israel, given to Jews by God. It combines the joy of the harvest with joy the adoption of the Torah. Today, many communities in the Diaspora in the memory of it brought a fruit basket in the synagogue and send it to the needs of the fruits of charity.
Hag akatsyr - Holiday harvest
Here it comes to season of harvest. Wheat makes last-yield grains that are collected throughout the year. This holiday reminds offering NEW Gift shtey alehem, bringing in Beit Amikdash. This offering consisted of two loaves baked from the newly harvested wheat. Omer (bukv. "heap", a measure of grain) barley celebrated the beginning of barley harvest, and two loaves of bread (the final stage of cooking with wheat) celebrated the completion of the harvest and the beginning of harvest. Two loaves symbolize the dual nature of the Torah: oral and written Torah that were given simultaneously at Shavuot.
Matan Torateynu Zman - Time gift of Torah
The Torah says that on this day God has revealed Himself through Israel and gave us the basic Ten Commandments. While Israel has not only the Ten Commandments, but all the laws of the Torah, all the traditions and explanations. All of this was given to Moshe (Moses) for one hundred twenty days of his stay at Mount Sinai, which consisted of three periods of forty days and nights (to get the First Tablet, which were broken, to pray for forgiveness of the people and for a second Tablet). Written Torah (Pentateuch of Moses) was recorded during Moshe's life by dictation Almighty. A Oral Law was written during the later sages in the form of the Mishna and Hemary.
Torah was given sixth Sivan, but its adoption is a process that continues for a whole year. "Every day you must read the words of the Torah as if they were new - as if you received it only today.
In the first night of Shavuot many, as usual, not sleeping all night studying Torah.
Sfirat a-Omer
Last day of Omer count always falls on the previous night before the holidays, so it was said in the Breyshyt vayei erev vayei boker - "And the evening and the morning", ie the beginning of the evening. So why consider Homero evening - as the evening - the beginning of the day.
Atzeret - SOLEMN meeting
Atzeret word can mean "formal" or "complete." "Solemnly" called Shavuot in the Talmud, and the means meeting people gathered to commemorate an important event - Giving of the Torah. And if you understand Atzeret as "complete", then with the title becomes clear that Shavuot - end of Pesach. Account days Omer binds together these two holidays: Shavuot - the completion or Atzeret, Pesach.
In 2006, Shavuot was celebrated June 2-3, in 2007 - 23-24 May.
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