Shavuos
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Torah Given in Installments
I was wondering what exactly we received at Mt Sinai. I know that we heard the Ten commandments. I am also aware of the fact that there is a dispute in the Talmud as to how the parts in the…
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Dairy Foods on Shavuos
What is the reason for the custom of eating dairy foods on Shavuos? Answer: There are numerous explanations given for this interesting custom. Here are just a few. These undoubtedly contain allusions to deeper concepts beyond the scope of this…
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Shavuos in Context
I know that the holiday of Shavuos is coming up soon. What does that word mean in English? What does the holiday commemorate? What season of the year does it come in? Answer: The word Shavuos means “weeks.” It is…
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Connection of Shavuot to Mt. Sinai
How did the Rabbis of the Rabbinic period justified making a historical connection between the holiday of Shavu’ot and the giving of the 10 commandments at Mt Sinai/Horeb when ALL references in the Torah to Shavu’ot (Ex. 23:16, 34:22, Lev.…
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Sefiras Haomer
When are you allowed to start listening to music, and where can I find these laws? Answer: According to those who are following the “first days” (the first 33 days), that allowance began with Lag B’Omer. According to those who…
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Rabbi Akiva’s Students
[See this article for the background of this issue – Ed.] Question: How come Rabbi Akiva’s students all died from not having respect for each other if they were the students of the man who exemplified that? Answer: That could…
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Why isn’t Shavuos Always a Sunday?
According to the Torah (Lev. 23:15), the Omer offering is brought on “the day after the Sabbath”, and we then count seven weeks and celebrate Shavuos. Why doesn’t Shavuos always fall on a Sunday? Answer: “The Sabbath” in Lev.23:15 means…
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Ten Commandments
I understand that it has been determined that there are 613 commandments in the Old Testament. What I am curious about is about the 10 commandments that almost everyone knows about. Are they essentially subject headers that the other commandments…
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Simchas Torah vs. Shavuot
Why isn’t Simchas Torah celebrated right after Shavuot? Answer: I guess the reason Shavuos and Simchas Torah are far apart in time is that they are so different from one another. Shavuos is the culmination of Pesach. Rav Shamshon Rafael…