Once the Torah did not exist for the people, they did not know phrases from this holy book. But one day the Torah was given to people. It has become a moral law written to free the Jewish people. Shavuot is the holiday of the event. When is Shavuot in 2024 and everything related you need to know is in this article.

Before the start of the holiday:

This day is counted according to the Hebrew calendar from the second day of Passover. And it is the 6th day of the month of Sivan always. People all over Israel, do not go to work on that day, but they spend the day no less usefully in their spiritual life.

According to legend, on this day the tablets of the Covenant were transferred to Moses. In the tablets there were ten commandments, without which any one person can not action the planet. You can perform the commandments more strictly and live more ascetic and devout life. They are the basis of human morality. Therefore, violation of the most elementary laws described in these tablets should be unacceptable for human beings.

And also on Mount Sinai verbal commands were given to Moses. Some of them were recorded in the Written Torah. And the Oral Torah was written more than a thousand years later. And now it is in front of us as a multivolume collection. This we call it the Talmud, which should not to be confused with the more extensive collection called Midrash.

Events on this holiday

This holiday since ancient times plays an important role in the agricultural cycle. What day Shavuot in 2024 marks the beginning of the season of harvest.

It is also one of the three pilgrimage festivals. Therefore the people in temples made an offering of wheat during this period. The fresh groundi wheat is used for baking a large loaf. People have brought into the temple bakery products and the first fruits also.

Do you remember the order of arrangement of the commandments? A child will be able to explain the importance? The main event of the holiday is hearing the Ten Commandments in their synagogues. Special order of prayers is put into this day. Tens of thousands of believers in Jerusalem come to the Wailing Wall, to thank God for the received commandments.

The proper date

In 2024 Shavuot fell on May 28-30. The Festival traditionally begins the evening of the previous day. What is the date of Shavuot 2024? It will be a different date in the Gregorian calendar — May 28. A festive mood and events will also be the next day, and the third also.

Shavuot in Hebrew means «weeks» because it is separated from Passover by seven weeks. Another name for the festival, Pentecost, is also directly related to the time of its celebration.

• Torah is compared to milk and honey, because it indicates that anyone who engages in the Torah is purified from uncleanness. Because the bee, which is the unclean and a not kosher insect, produces kosher honey. Similarly, the milk: the primary source of it is the blood, that is forbidden to eat. But in the process blood becomes milk, becomes kosher.

Traditions

According to the generally accepted tradition, the entire festive night when is Shavuot 2024 a man should not sleep, and instead spend it for the study of the Torah.

This custom symbolizes a sleepless night worrying near Mount Sinai, which preceded the adoption of the Torah. The Shavuot Torah decided to start training young children. The first lesson focuses on the Hebrew alphabet. In order to «sweeten» this hard training, bake sweet biscuits in the shape of the Hebrew letters. Dipping it into honey and offer young students to eat this or that «letter», first read it.

Prohibitions:

• As we have already pointed out, it is — a day off work. But this festival has a lot of taboos, with sacred meaning. On Shavuot all work is forbidden and you are not allowed to even light a fire. The fire is needed not only for cooking in the kitchen, but also for the festive spark plugs. Usually people leave a burning torch on all days of the festival: to light from an existing or “living” fire is permitted.
• On this day, one can be taken into the hands of Lucifer with use of a match. Even the electric light should be included in what is forbidden on the eve of the holiday. On this day, do not hold in your hands any type of money — coins and notes, as well as all means of transportation. That’s why we should be ready and know, when is Shavuot in 2024, calendar: May 28-30.

Every Jew must perform immersion cleaning in a ritual bath on the eve of the holiday pilgrimage and again on the morning of the holiday. Thus one must be purified both physically and mentally. As all Jewish holidays, Shavuot begins the evening of the previous day. In the house all light candles, you read a festive evening prayer.

Traditionally, houses and synagogues are decorated with with all sorts of garlands from plants and colored paper. According to legend, as did the Jews who were living in huts at Mount Sinai, delighted at receiving the Torah — they decorated their homes by what was available.

Celebratory meal:

1. Special milk and farinaceous dishes of sour cream, cheese, cottage cheese, honey.
3. Traditional pies, pancakes, dumplings, and others.
4. It is necessary to use special kitchen utensils, since forbidden food cannot be cooked in it ever, because of the kosher laws.
5. In this festival the main place in the table is occupied by fruits and vegetables.
6. Many people eat baked cakes with honey. This tradition reminds us that the Torah is like milk and honey for those who read it «Honey and milk are under your tongue.»
7. If you do not give up meat today, the Feast of the meat must be arranged separately. According to Jewish tradition, meat is a sign of the holidays festive meal. But in kosher laws it is strictly prohibited to mix dairy with meats. You are probably aware of the prohibition of any mixing of meat and dairy ingredients in one dish or in a bowl.
8. Therefore, there are two separate meals, and certain actions should be executed between them. Please complete the dairy meal by reading special prayers, then take a break for 1 hour. Besides ethical and moral laws, this ritual has very positive impact on your digestion and aesthetics in the design of table. Then you need to lay a new tablecloth, and only then put on the table the meat dishes.