Revisiting Sinai: Reclaiming the Power of Shavuot

The Exodus from Egypt, which Passover commemorates, marks the historical event where the Jewish people emerged as a nation. Shavuot celebrates the Jewish people receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai, which is akin to a national birthday and mission statement combined.

Unlike other holidays, Shavuot doesn’t have a specific ritual or mitzvah. On Passover, we eat matzah; on Sukkot, we spend time together in the Sukkah; on Rosh Hashanah, we blow the shofar and on Yom Kippur we fast. But Shavuot? No single action sums it up.

On Shavuot, we don’t just remember Sinai—we reconnect with it.

That’s because it’s not about one moment—it’s about the entire Torah, which touches every part of life and encompasses everything that we do. The entirety of Torah cannot be contained within one practice, so Shavuot, although a festival with a prohibition of work, does not have any specific mitzvah. (Later in history customs, like staying up all night to learn Torah, arose to mark Shavuot, but in the Torah itself, nothing.)

Reliving Sinai

The spiritual energy of an event doesn’t stay in the past; it returns every year. On Shavuot, we don’t just remember Sinai—we reconnect with it.

When the Jewish People accepted the Torah, they said the iconic statement:
“We will do, and we will hear.” With total trust, they signed on for God’s plan before even reading the fine print.

We are invited to renew that commitment every Shavuot. One of the most powerful ways we do this is through learning Torah all night. After evening prayers and a festive meal, many communities return to the synagogue and dive into study sessions. People stay up all night, learning Torah in all its manifestations — showing our desire to embrace it fully. At dawn, we pray together, then head home for breakfast (and a much-needed nap).

Mount Sinai: A One-of-a-Kind Moment

The experience at Mount Sinai wasn’t your typical “spiritual leader on a mountaintop” story. It wasn’t about one person claiming God spoke to them and asking everyone else to take their word for it. It was public. It was national. The entire Jewish people heard God speak. They didn’t need Moses to convince them. Everyone was there. Everyone heard the Divine voice say, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt.” That’s what makes it so unique.

At Sinai, millions stood together, witnessing the same thing. You just can’t fake that kind of event.

Compare this to other claims of revelation: someone alone on a mountain or in a cave, coming down with a vision and declaring a new religion. That model depends on charisma and eloquence, not evidence. Accepting that kind of claim demands a leap of faith. But at Sinai, millions stood together, witnessing the same thing. You just can’t fake that kind of event.

The Torah emphasizes this point repeatedly: that the people heard God, saw the fire, felt the trembling mountain. Here’s how the scene is described:

“On the third day, there was thunder, lightning, and a thick cloud over the mountain. The sound of the shofar grew louder and louder. The whole mountain trembled. God descended in fire. Smoke rose like from a furnace. Moses spoke, and God answered him in a voice.”

Talk about drama.

Why It Still Matters

This wasn’t just about fireworks and drama—it shaped our national identity. The Torah even challenges us: “Has any other nation ever heard the voice of God from the fire, like you did, and lived to tell the tale?”

We’re called God’s witnesses because we were there. That’s why there’s a precept to pass on the memory of Sinai to our children and grandchildren. It’s not just history—it’s legacy.

“Be careful not to forget what your eyes saw… Make it known to your children and their children after them.” The three highpoints of my week are my online study sessions: one with a grandson in Israel, one with a granddaughter in Israel and one with a grandson in Dallas. As my ancestors passed on the content and experience of Sinai to me, I am passing it on to my grandchildren. They and I are links in a 3,300-year-old chain.

Shavuot isn’t just a holiday. It’s a yearly renewal of that legacy.

Milk and Honey, Please

On Shavuot, there’s a beloved tradition to eat dairy foods – cheesecake, butter rugelach, pasta and cheese… Why? Some say it’s because, after receiving the kosher laws on Sinai, the people had to eat something simple—milk and plant-based foods were easy.

Some believe it’s symbolic: the Torah is referred to as “milk and honey under your tongue,” signifying sweetness, nourishment, and life-affirmation. Both milk and honey are natural foods that don’t require taking life, embodying harmony with the world like the Torah.

Reading the Book of Ruth

During Shavuot morning services, we read Megillat Ruth, the story of Ruth, a Moabite woman who chose to join the Jewish people. Her journey of sacrifice and devotion makes her the ultimate example of commitment to truth.

Why Ruth on Shavuot? Because she gave up everything—her home, her status, her comfort—for the sake of joining the Jewish people and embracing the Torah. And in a way, our ancestors converted to Judaism when they accepted the Torah on Mt. Sinai, and we are all “converts” on Shavuot, recommitting ourselves to that same covenant. Ruth’s great-grandson was King David, who, tradition says, was born—and died—on Shavuot.

The First Fruits

Shavuot also used to be the time for bringing the first fruits (Bikurim) to the Temple in Jerusalem. Farmers would mark their ripening fruit and bring the best of their harvest as an offering of thanks to God.

The celebration was colorful and joyful. Villagers would gather, walk in festive processions with music and animals adorned in gold and greenery, and make their way to Jerusalem. Once there, they’d bring their baskets to the Temple and recite verses of gratitude from the Torah.

“He brought us to this place, and gave us this Land, a Land flowing with milk and honey. And now, I have brought the first fruits…”

Even though we don’t have the Temple today, the spirit of this practice lives on in our prayers and Torah readings, and there are farming communities in Israel that still hold a “first fruits” celebration. It’s also traditional to decorate homes and synagogues with greenery and flowers—partly as a reminder of the bringing of the first fruits and partly to echo the beauty of Mount Sinai in bloom.

From Slavery to Purpose

Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch once said: Just as fruits ripen by summer, the Jewish people “ripened” as a nation at Sinai. The Exodus planted the seeds of freedom, but it was at Sinai—on Shavuot—that we found our purpose. And that’s really what Shavuot is about: taking that next step. Not just being free—but knowing what to do with that freedom. It’s the moment we received not just laws, but a way of life.

Whether you are studying Torah, enjoying cheesecake, or exploring the story of Ruth, Shavuot is an opportunity to reconnect with our heritage and purpose.

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