Shavuot

Over 100,000 celebrate Shavuot at Western Wall Plaza

The Western Wall Heritage Foundation reports that on Shavuot 5786, more than 100,000 people visited the Western Wall Plaza.

Chag Sameach from Israel National News!

Arutz Sheva-Israel National News will be offline until Saturday night in honor of the holiday of Shavuot, followed by Shabbat.

Chag Sameach from Israel!

Updates continue from N. America

Shavuot holiday begins in Israel. INN's North America desk will continue to update the site until Shavuot begins in New York.

IDF Chief of Staff visits wounded soldiers ahead of Shavuot

Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir visited wounded in hospitals and emphasized that the IDF continues to operate in all theaters on high alert.

Smotrich: “Zionism without Torah is lost"

The Minister of Finance and Chairman of Religious Zionism wrote that the holiday of Shavuot expresses the deep connection between the Torah, the land and settlement in the Land.

Tents to offer refreshments for Western Wall pilgrims

Ahead of traditional Shavuot holiday pilgrimage to Western Wall, Jerusalem sets up tents offering rest and refreshments for pilgrims.

Halakhot for this Shavuot: ERUV TAVSHILIN

When the Sanctity of the Festival meets the Sabbath

It is a commandment to place an eruv tavshilin on the eve of the festival • This permits cooking and baking for the Sabbath on the festival • Even one who does not intend to cook for the Sabbath on the festival is commanded to place an eruv tavshilin.

Israel's 1st Chief Rabbi:

Shavuot: Revealing our inner essence

The deeper meaning of "we will do and we will obey.".

The Holidays and Current Events: Shavuot

Bikkurim and blessings

Note that the Bikurim declaration deals with agricultural produce, while ignoring the bigger implications of the Jewish nation and our great spiritual mission as Hashem‘s chosen people in Eretz Yisrael. Why?

A Shavuot thought;

From the bush to the mountain

Learning to seek the fire: we find many parallels between the story of the burning bush, the Sneh, and Matan Torah at Mount Sinai.

Dvar Haftorah for Shavuot:

“The heavens were opened"

When heaven touches earth.

The Difference Between Pure And Impure Kindness

The Book of Ruth contains no commandments - but is a quintessential lesson for the generations in how and why an act of kindness is to be carried out.

Crowning Hashem on Shavuot night

The Zohar praises the Tikkun of Shavuot, read during the night of the holiday, writing that through it one merits many spiritual levels. And the study of Torah and the Prophets crowns Hashem in His world.

Shavuot message from the OU:

Never finished, never alone

A Theology of Humility - both horizontally and vertically.

Demand filed to release haredi deserters for the holiday

Haredi leaders insist that Yeshiva students arrested for failing to report for duty in the IDF be allowed to go home for the holiday of Shavuot.

Shavuot:

Torah to the Nation

“You have chosen us from among all the nations, You have loved us and desired us.."

Shavuot:

From Sinai to Zion

Sinai was the beginning. But Zion was always the destination.

Before your food shopping:

The Shavuos Dairy Minhag: The message behind the menu

This minhag addresses the biggest psychological hurdle we face in our personal avodah (service of God) and spiritual growth: the trap of an "all-or-nothing" mindset.

Shavuot: Was G-d kidding?

What was G-d thinking? Choosing the Jews on the second of Sivan and offering the Torah to the Moabites on the third of Sivan? And not just the Moabites, but the Hittites, Canaanites, Egyptians, etc. How could G-d betray us like that?

Shavuot holiday forecast: Bring a jacket

Temperatures across Israel are expected to drop sharply this week, with rain forecast in northern and central areas ahead of Shavuot.

How a prominent Rosh Yeshiva chose his son-in-law

And how to gain mastery of the whole Torah.

Yom Yerushalayim prepares us for Shavuot

What is the significance of Yom Yerushalayim falling exactly one week before Shavuot?

Watch:

Thousands at the Western Wall as Shavuot ends

Over 100,000 people visited the Western Wall over the holiday, with approximately 20,000 participating in the sunrise prayer service.

Shavuot:

The Torah, teaching by example

The true leader leads by example.

Shavuot:

The Torah of threes

'Blessed is the all-Merciful One, Who gave the threefold Torah: Torah, Prophets, and Writings, to the three-fold nation: Priests, Levites, and Israelites, by means of a third-born: Moses...in the third month, Sivan.

Jerusalem sets up hospitality tents for Shavuot pilgrims

Five hospitality tents will serve the masses heading to the Western Wall for Shavuot, offering refreshments and rest areas.

Understanding the 'new offering' of Shavuot

We can glean from the sacrifice of the day a poignant perspective as to how to relate to the learning of the Torah.

Between Sirens and Drones:

Kyiv Jewish community prepares for Shavuot

Despite ongoing attacks, Kyiv’s Jewish community marks Shavuot with Torah readings, support for soldiers and prisoners, and widespread aid distribution.

Shavuot:

How to be more than the average Joe

Although we all know that we are merely one of billions, we want to feel that our lives matter, that we mean more than just “the average Joe.” How can we do that?

With hope and resolve:

Amid Russian threat, Ukrainian Jews prepare for Shavuot

As 50,000 Russian troops mass near Kharkiv, Ukraine’s Jewish community distributes tens of thousands of Shavuot aid packages and plans nationwide Torah readings.

Join live:

Special Torah Study night to unite Jews in Diaspora and Israel

A unique Torah study evening in honor of Shavuot being held now, brought to you by the Conference of European Rabbis and Arutz Sheva.

The ladder to holiness

The Rav famously said, there's no kedusha without hachana - no holiness without preparation. And now, where do we find ourselves on the ladder to holiness once Shavuot is over?

Israel's 1st Chief Rabbi:

The Lesson of Mount Sinai

Where would one expect that God would reveal His Torah to the Jewish people?

Shavuot and Torah: The 'yetser hara' conundrum

At the end of days, the nations will claim that they are entitled to be rewarded, even though they did not keep the Torah.

Shavuot:

Celebrate in spite of all

We might do well here to recall Shavuot 5708 (1948) - and compare it with Shavuot 1967.

A timely message for Shavuos 5784

Celebrating the rescue of our hostages showed the wondrous unity of our people proclaiming the Oneness of Hashem who we thanked.

The Cinderella of the Festivals is the time of Revelation

It has no special mitzvot nor does it have a tractate. But it has a special theme like no other holiday.

Shavuot Freedom

Shavuot is the festival when we celebrate the receiving of the Torah and, in the words of the late Chief Rabbi Sacks zt”l, we celebrate being “free to” live a Jewish life.

Remember this moment

Do you remember where you were when you heard the news about the rescued hostages? We will remember where we were when we heard the good news since it was a moment of unparalleled joy. Take this moment with you forever.

Shavuot: Torah vs. Cheesecake

The everyday, the mundane - these are not the opposite of holiness, but simply the open space that invites holiness in at every moment.

Redressing [the failure] for seven days

It is difficult for a Jew to leave Mount Sinai, so we try a little longer to stay at the bottom of the mountain.

Top Secret:

Operation Protest at Netanyahu's House

The protest at the PMs house included a ban on cell phones, uniforms, registration, screening, and orders that changed every few hours.

New app can generate 64,000 kosher cheesecake recipes

An app that can generate 64,000 kosher cheesecake recipes aims to prove AI’s value for Orthodox Jews.

Shavuot (Pentecost) guide for the perplexed, 2023

Learn the significance of the holiday and its names, about the number 7 in Judaism as well as the number 50 and more.

Shavuot: Connecting to Torah Study

Israel's first Chief Rabbi:It is axiomatic that the Jewish soul and the Torah are a match made in heaven

​​​​​​​The Principles of Eiruv Tavshilin – for Shavuot

In Israel, it is rare to need to prepare Eiruv Tavshilin, but this Shavuot both those of us in the Diaspora and in Israel will be making it.

Ahead of Shavuot holiday:

Mendy Weiss & Shloime Meir sing 'Kavod Latorah'

Shloime Meir composed the song a while ago, but when Mendy Weiss discovered it, he didn't hesitate for a second, and the two began a duet.

Talking Parsha - Nasso and Shavuot: Hashem favors??

How can we implore Hashem to grant us favor when the Torah teaches us that He neither shows favoritism nor accepts bribes?

Everything there is to know about Shavuot

The entire chapter of Rabbi Eliezer Melamed's Peninei Halakha, the comprehensive compendium of Halakha, on Shavuot.

Shavuot: The Torah and the Land

Shavuot synthesises the Torah and the Land of Israel perfectly: G-d gave us His Torah on this day to keep in the Land of Israel.

Ben Uliel to be released from solitary confinement for Shavuot

Man convicted of Duma arson to be allowed to interact with other prisoners during holiday under Ben-Gvir's policy.

The gift from Esau and Ishmael: Naaseh veNishma

Ramban:’Had not Israel accepted the Torah, the world would have returned to nothingness, BY ITSELF...’.

Every Jew is a letter in the Torah

But - we sink or swim together, just as a kosher Torah needs all its letters to be kosher.

Shavuot features: The Godless Commandments

The people who least care about religion are the ones who claim to live by the Ten Commandments.

Wilderness to Civilization -the power of Torah

Civilization is built primarily on values, morality, beliefs, ethics, principles, and attitudes towards human life.

Shabbat BeShabbato: Bamidbar and Shavuot

A selection of well-known contemporary commentators on the parasha and the upcoming holiday.

Office of the UK Chief Rabbi

Bechukotai: A challenge for Shavuot this year

Why not go for it? Why not engage with Torah?

Michigan high school sued for scheduling graduation on Shavuot

Jewish student accuses school of violating her rights, after family spent years working with district on accommodating Jewish holidays.

Saying farewell to Rabbi Uri Zohar zt"l

Rabbi Uri Zohar was the epirtome of a baal teshuva who uses every minute to make up for what he perceived as lost Torah study time.

Watch:

Singing together at the Western Wall at the end of Shavuot

More than 50,000 Jews visited the Western Wall during Shabbat and the festival of Shavuot.