Shavuot (Festival of Weeks)
Shavuot marks fifty days after Passover and commemorates the giving of the Torah at Sinai — combining harvest celebration with covenantal memory.
Shavuot (pronounced shah-voo-OTE) means 'weeks,' and it marks the endpoint of a seven-week counting period that begins at Passover. The festival falls fifty days after Passover begins — which is why it is sometimes called Pentecost in English — and commemorates one of Judaism's most foundational moments: the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.
What makes Shavuot distinctive is that it functions on two levels at once. In biblical times it was an agricultural festival, when Jews brought the first fruits of the summer harvest to the Temple in Jerusalem. At the same time, it came to be understood as the anniversary of the Torah's revelation, giving the agricultural celebration a covenantal meaning. Many Jewish communities mark the night by staying up until dawn studying Torah and Jewish texts, a custom that reflects the tradition's deep connection between learning and religious life. In the morning, the Torah portion describing the Ten Commandments is read aloud in synagogue.
Unlike Passover or Sukkot, Shavuot is relatively brief — one or two days depending on tradition — and less ritualized in the home. Yet its theological weight is considerable: it answers the question 'what was the purpose of the Exodus?' The answer the tradition developed is that leaving Egypt made it possible to receive the Torah and enter into covenant with God. The custom of eating dairy foods on Shavuot is widespread and has attracted many explanations across the centuries.
How it traveled
- LeviticusEretz Yisrael (travels) · -1000explains
- ExodusEretz Yisrael (travels) · -1000explains
- DeuteronomyEretz Yisrael (travels) · -1000explains
- Onkelos DeuteronomyEretz Yisrael (travels) · 80explains
- Sifrei DevarimEretz Yisrael (travels) · 250explains
- Mekhilta DeRabbi YishmaelEretz Yisrael (travels) · 250explains
- SifraEretz Yisrael (travels) · 250explains
- Sifrei BamidbarEretz Yisrael (travels) · 250explains
- Jerusalem Talmud Rosh HashanahTiberias · 400explains
- Jerusalem Talmud MegillahTiberias · 400explains
- MenachotSura (Babylonia) · 500explains
- Rosh HashanahSura (Babylonia) · 500explains
- PesachimSura (Babylonia) · 500explains
- ChagigahSura (Babylonia) · 500explains
- MegillahSura (Babylonia) · 500explains
- Sheiltot d'Rav Achai GaonPumbedita · 750explains
- Machzor VitryTroyes (Champagne) · 1055explains
- Akdamut MilinWorms (Rhineland) · 1100foundational
- Bekhor ShorOrléans · 1145explains
- Ibn Ezra on LeviticusTudela (Navarre) · 1145explains
- Mishneh Torah, Sacrifices Rendered UnfitFostat (Old Cairo) · 1180explains
- Mishneh Torah, Daily Offerings and Additional OfferingsFostat (Old Cairo) · 1180explains
- ChizkuniNorthern France · 1220explains
- Yalkut Shimoni on TorahTiberias · 1250explains
- Kol BoNarbonne (Provence) · 1250explains
- Yalkut Shimoni on NachTiberias · 1250explains
- Sefer HaChinukhBarcelona · 1300explains
- Meiri on ChagigahPerpignan · 1300explains
- Meiri on BeitzahPerpignan · 1300explains
- Meiri on Rosh HashanahPerpignan · 1300explains
Key passages(20)
וְעָשִׂ֜יתָ חַ֤ג שָׁבֻעוֹת֙ לַיהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ מִסַּ֛ת נִדְבַ֥ת יָדְךָ֖ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּתֵּ֑ן כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר יְבָרֶכְךָ֖ יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃
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וְחַ֤ג שָׁבֻעֹת֙ תַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה לְךָ֔ בִּכּוּרֵ֖י קְצִ֣יר חִטִּ֑ים וְחַג֙ הָֽאָסִ֔יף תְּקוּפַ֖ת הַשָּׁנָֽה׃
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וּבְי֣וֹם הַבִּכּוּרִ֗ים בְּהַקְרִ֨יבְכֶ֜ם מִנְחָ֤ה חֲדָשָׁה֙ לַֽיהֹוָ֔ה בְּשָׁבֻעֹ֖תֵיכֶ֑ם מִֽקְרָא־קֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֔ם כׇּל־מְלֶ֥אכֶת עֲבֹדָ֖ה לֹ֥א תַעֲשֽׂוּ׃
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(דברים טז י) וְעָשִׂיתָ חַג שָׁבֻעוֹת לַה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ, מִכְּלָל שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כג טז) ״וְחַג הַקָּצִיר בִּכּוּרֵי מַעֲשֶׂיךָ״ יָכוֹל אִם יֵשׁ לְךָ קָצִיר אַתָּה עוֹשֶׂה יוֹם טוֹב, וְאִם לָאו אִי אַת
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אַקְדָּמוּת מִלִּין וְשָׁרָיוּת שׁוּתָא
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Akdamut Milin · Meir bar Yitzchak of Worms · 1010 CE
הֲקֵים עָלְמָא יְחִידָאי וְכַבְּשֵׁהּ בְּכַבְּשׁוּתָא
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Akdamut Milin · Meir bar Yitzchak of Worms · 1010 CE
וּבְלָא לֵאוּ שַׁכְלְלֵהּ וּבְלָא תְשָׁשׁוּתָא
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Akdamut Milin · Meir bar Yitzchak of Worms · 1010 CE
וּבְאָתָא קַלִּילָא דְּלֵית בֵּיהּ מְשָׁשׁוּתָא
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Akdamut Milin · Meir bar Yitzchak of Worms · 1010 CE
זְמִין כָּל עִיבִידְתֵּהּ בְּהַךְ יוֹמֵי שִׁתָּא
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Akdamut Milin · Meir bar Yitzchak of Worms · 1010 CE
זְהוֹר יְקָרֵהּ עַלִּי עֲלֵי כָרְסְיֵהּ דֶּאֶשָּׁתָא
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Akdamut Milin · Meir bar Yitzchak of Worms · 1010 CE
חֲיָל אֶלֶף אַלְפִין וְרִבּוֹא לְשַׁמְשׁוּתָא
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Akdamut Milin · Meir bar Yitzchak of Worms · 1010 CE
חַדְתִּין נְבוֹט לְצַפְרִין סַגִּיאָה טְרָשׁוּתָא
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Akdamut Milin · Meir bar Yitzchak of Worms · 1010 CE
טְפֵי יְקִידִין שְׂרָפִין כְּלוֹל גַפֵּי שִׁתָּא
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Akdamut Milin · Meir bar Yitzchak of Worms · 1010 CE
טְעֵם עַד יִתְיְהֵב לְהוֹן שְׁתִיקִין בְּאָדִישְׁתָּא
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Akdamut Milin · Meir bar Yitzchak of Worms · 1010 CE
יְקַבְּלוּן דֵּין מִדֵּין שָׁוֵי דְּלָא בְשַׁשְׁתָּא
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אַוְלָא שָׁקֵלְנָא הַרְמָן וּרְשׁוּתָא
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Akdamut Milin · Meir bar Yitzchak of Worms · 1010 CE
יְקַר מְלֵי כָל אַרְעָא לְתַלּוֹתֵי קְדוּשְׁתָּא
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Akdamut Milin · Meir bar Yitzchak of Worms · 1010 CE
כְּקָל מִן קֳדָם שַׁדַּי כְּקָל מֵי נְפִישׁוּתָא
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Akdamut Milin · Meir bar Yitzchak of Worms · 1010 CE
כְּרוּבִין קֳבֵל גִּלְגְּלִין מְרוֹמְמִין בְּאַוְשָׁתָא
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Akdamut Milin · Meir bar Yitzchak of Worms · 1010 CE
לְמֶחֱזֵא בְּאַנְפָּא עֵין כְּוָת גִּירֵי קַשְׁתָּא
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