Shavuot
Shavuot is coming up this month on the eve of May 19th and ends May 21st.
Shavuot is known as the "Festival of Weeks" as we celebrate 7 weeks from Passover, when Moses received the Ten Commandments at Mt.Sinai.
Traditionally, dairy foods are eaten on Shavuot. Blintzes and cheesecakes are well known dishes for Shavuot. There are many interpretations of why we eat dairy.
One, is that milk and honey are nourishment for our body, as Torah is nourishment for our soul.
Two, the gematria of Chalav, or milk is forty. Forty years that Moses was wandering in the desert before reaching Mt. Sinai.
After receiving the Ten Commandments the Israelites were unable to kasher their meat in order to eat their meal right away, making dairy a more acceptable choice.
Traditionally, it is customary on Shavuot to stay up all night studying Torah.
Come see our collection of cookbooks with delicious recipes for blintzes and cheesecake, like Arthur Schwartz's Jewish Home Cooking.
