Shavuot

We counted 49 days. And then Shavuot came. Feast of Weeks. Pentecost if you please. But do not kid yourself: the date and content of the Christian version of this biblical feast is not recognizable. And definitely not biblical. The basis of the Feast is: receiving the Torah, the Law if you please. Through our teacher, Moses. It is clear that the church underlined and underlines signs, wonders and the Spirit of the Lord. But focusing on these holy things has become a churchy smoke screen, meant to misguide people’s attention from Torah.

Feast of Weeks is also a harvest feast. The first fruits were brought to the Temple. You worked for it. At the same time you realized that the Lord gave the growth and the fullness. That’s how it is with Torah. Like we received the harvest produce from the hands of Hashem, we received Torah from His hands. We need to work hard to enable ourselves to use Torah as a tool. For it is nor understandable and even unbearable, if you are not a spiritual person. Says apostle Paul (read I Corinthians 2). And shows the church.

What do we need to become a spiritual person? We can summarize the necessary characteristics in seven Hebrew words:
1. chesed – love
2. gewoera – self-control
3. tiferet – compassion
4. netzach – persistence
5. hod – humility
6. yesod – loyalty
7. malchut – responsibility

For instance: we are not going to see how enthusiastic you enter our synagogue. We are watching how you behave and deal with people. And we will see how you leave our synagogue when that moment approaches. Torah is meant for people to become social, cooperative, serving and loyal people. And in all this the power we need for all this comes from Hashem. Our prophet Habakuk says: G-d, the Lord, is my strength.

Shavuot, in addition to bringing out of Egypt, is a new high point in Moses’ work. He receives the Torah, the document still in use in synagogue and church and at home. It is a token of the Eternal’s gratitude to His people that they have been willing to pass through the seat of Egypt. Through that refinement, Israel grew to the high spiritual level contained in the Torah.

Chag Shavuot sameach
Lion S. Erwteman, Rosh Kehilla of Beth Yeshua
Amsterdam, Holland