By Rachel Sacks

essential well-being or cause ourselves drastic harm as punishment for humiliating others. How do you feel that we, as a community, ought to address the issue of humiliation? How can we avoid humiliation in dialogues to help resolve conflict? What are positive methods of addressing the issue, methods that can help to promote an ending to a vicious cycle? Do we even address this issue enough? Where in our values have we been hypocritical, and where can we aim to fix them?

(You can find what I quoted from the Babylonian Talmud in Bava Matzia 59a)

The Issue with Shavuot

Shavuot has always been one of my favorite holidays; we get to read the book of Ruth, stuff ourselves with cheesecake and blintzes, and party all night long! (And by party, I mean study Torah with your rabbi.)

One day, while getting excited for the upcoming holiday, I realized that I had no idea how we determine when to celebrate Shavuot! The Rabbis tell us that we begin counting on the second night of Pesach, but I questioned this decision, and so I decided to check out our parasha, which tells us “And from the day on which you bring the sheaf of elevation offering—the day after Shabbat—you shall count off seven shabbatot” (Leviticus 23:15).

Now, the text specifically states that we begin counting “from the day on which you bring the sheaf,” and when do we bring that sheaf? Our parasha conveniently mentions just a bit beforehand that “when you enter the land that I am giving to you and you reap its harvest, you shall bring the first sheaf of your harvest to the priest” (Leviticus 23:9).

Case In Point: According to my reading, it seems that we do not begin counting on the second night of Pesach, rather we begin counting from the date of the exact Shabbat when the Israelites first sacrificed the

sheaf of the land of Israel (Cana’an). Let’s just say that I’m correct, and we’ve been celebrating Shavuot on the wrong date for centuries, and everyone who says otherwise is mistaken. What is more important, following the majority, or following the truth? When have we as a community promoted following one above the other, and when do we have the blissful opportunity of promoting the following of both?

Holidays in General

A large portion of this parasha is devoted to speaking about when we celebrate various holidays—Pesach, Rosh HaShannah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shmini Atzeret, and of course, Shavuot. Lately, I’ve been feeling rather reluctant to observe these holidays. Yes, Yom Kippur happened this year, but there was also Yom Kippur last year, and it’ll happen next year too! There are so many holidays and to be honest, sometimes I feel that they’re getting somewhat monotonous, and there are other things I’d rather be doing.

Case In Point: To help relieve my lack of desire to become excited for the holidays, I’ve begun considering one of the most positive effects that holidays have on me: the sense of community. All Jewish holidays promote communal activities—whether it be eating lots of food, sharing sadness, or planting trees, holidays are meant to be spent with other people. I feel that this fostering of community relates to how we act as a movement, and what we feel is important. Keeping this thought in mind, I’m beginning to look forward to the holidays, knowing that I will not be alone, rather I will be spending my time with other people and strengthening my relationships with them.

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