Celebrating The Torah And Its Teachings
Continued from Page L-1
prophets and writings. In its
broadest connotation, the word
embraces the whole of Israel's
spiritual and intellectual life and
creation built on scripture.
The Decalogue is read on
Shavuot. It is not generally known
that there is no Hebrew expression
for the Ten Commandments. These
are described as "Aseret Ha-
Devarim," the Ten Words, translated
as the Ten Commandments because
of their positive and negative
formulations.
Up until modern times, there
was little controversy about the
validity of the Divine commands.
Then the mood of modern man
changed this traditional concept.
Sophisticated and educated people
questioned whether God or anyone,
for that matter, could issue
commands without our veto. They
preferred to replace the Ten
Commandments with 10
suggestions.
These modernists brought up
their children in the same
atmosphere of relativism. They
would not command them to do
anything. They would only suggest
and employ gentle persuasion at
best. These elders remembered
only too well that when they were
told that God commanded, or when
their parents imposed prescribed
behavior, they resented the
restrictions and promised
themselves they would do nothing
more than suggest without being
authoritative. They would want their
children to enjoy freedom and
latitude in making up their own
minds on moral issues. This, they
believed, is how respect is gained.
Unfortunately, the results have
not been altogether encouraging.
Those who grow up without clearly
Each month in this space,
L'Chayim will present a Hebrew
lesson entitled, "Hava Nedaber
Ivrit!" (Let's Speak Hebrew), whose
aim is to encourage further study of
Hebrew The lesson will include a
brief story utilizing the Hebrew
words to be studied, a vocabulary
list with English translations and a
family activity which involves using
the new words. The lessons are
prepared by Nira Lev, associate
professor of Hebrew language and
literature at the Midrasha College of
Jewish Studies. Mrs. Lev also
teaches Hebrew language and
literature at the Community Jewish
High School at the United Hebrew
Schools.
Following is this month's
lesson:
Having grown up in Israel,
Shavuot brings back many sweet
zichronot to me. To us, the
children, Shavuot meant the
beginning of the kayitz, the
approaching summer vacation, and
the beautiful chagigot in belt-
hasefer, celebrating Chag Hakatzir,
the Festival of the First Crop
Harvest. The week before Shavuot,
kol hayeladim were busy preparing
kishutim for belt-hasefer and for
our batim and reviewing our
reading parts in the tekes and the
chagigot at school.
I remember the simcha and
hitragshut on the day of the tekes
and the chagiga when we all came
to beit-hasefer dressed in b'gadim
I'vanim like the kohanim in Belt
Hamikdash, wearing zerim made of
fresh prachim on our heads. Each
of us brought to school a sal,
beautifully decorated and full of
perot, thus marking the ancient
minhag to bring the first fruit, the
bikurim, to Belt Hamikdash. These
salim were later distributed to the
poor.
One of the highlights of
Shavuot was the reading of Megillat
Ruth. We all waited to go up to the
bama unroll the megillah, and read
our parts to the assembled crowd. I
love the story of Ruth the Moabite
who chose to join Naomi and the
people of Israel, and I never got
tired of this sipur ahava about the
woman who became the great-
grandmother of David Hamelech.
Reading Megillat Ruth helped to
create a special atmosphere, a
special ruach fitting the chag, since
the main story in the megillah
centers on the katzir of the grain
and the treatment of the poor in the
time of the katzir.
Another central event in belt
hasefer was the hatzaga we all
prepared for weeks to present
Matan Torah. Shavuot, like other
chagim Yehudiyim, has an aspect
relating to nature and is a historical,
religious chag as well. It is known
as Chag Matan Torah, the time
when the Torah was given on Har
Sinai. Our belt sefer used to have
an impressive hatzaga, enacting of
the great event of the giving and
receiving of the Torah.
The chag was celebrated also
at home, where the whole
defined rules and respect for
authority encounter great difficulty.
To live in constant dread of
authority and its demands can
cripple the mind and stunt the spirit.
By the same token, to live without
any fear of external authority, to
ignore the consequences of
disobedience and normlessness, to
establish oneself and one's desires
as the sole arbiter for right and
wrong can be equally destructive.
Consider a parable of our time.
It seems that in the year 2,000,
the world was still in a state of war,
violence in the streets, increased
crime, and widespread social
upheaval. The greatest scientists of
the world met at the United Nations.
They were enthralled with a new
computer recently created that could
answer any questions submitted to
it, even questions relating to
complex human problems. These
scientists were summoned to
request an answer from this giant
computer on how to find a solution
for peace, for a decrease of
violence, for the elimination of
corruption, stealing and murder.
After days of assembling the proper
material to feed the computer, the
moment had come to receive an
answer which would bring stability
to the world. Scientists carefully
programmed the information into the
computer and waited for the answer.
The vast machine began to
sputter and smoke and the tape
gradually emerged. All the scientists
gathered around and began to read
the print-out message to the
assembled world leaders: "I am the
Lord your God who brought you out
of the Land of Egypt ... thou shalt
not murder ... thou shalt not steal
thou shalt not bear false
witness against thy neighbor ..."
Hava Nedaber Ivrit!: Remembering Shavuot In Israel
ifehtlffan
THE JEWISH NEWS
20300 Civic Center Drive
Suite 240
Southfield, Michigan 48076
June 2, 1989
Associate Publisher Arthur M. Horwitz
News Editor Heidi Press
Jewish Experiences for Families
Adviser Harlene W. Appelman
Illustrator Neil Beckman
L-2
FRIDAY, JUNE 2, 1989
mishpacha would enjoy a special
arucha chalavit.
Meelon (Vocabulary)
zichronot
chagigot
kishutim
beit-hasefer
katzi r
kol hayeladim
batim
tekes
simcha
hitragshut
chagiga
b'gadim
I'vanim
kohanim
Belt Hamikdash
memories
celebrations
decorations
a school
harvest
all the children
houses
ceremony
joy, happiness
excitement
celebration, party
clothes
white
priests
the Temple
wreaths, garlands
zerim
flowers
prachim
basket
sal
fruit
perot
custom
minhag
first fruit
bikurim
baskets
salim
scroll
megillah
stage
bama
story
sipur
love
ahava
King David
David Hamelech
spirit
ruach
holiday
chag
a play, a show
hatzaga
Matan Torah ... .Giving of the Torah
mountain
har
a meal
arucha
dairy
chalavit
family
mishpacha
Shavuot Sh'eilot (Questions)
1. What are four names for this
holiday?
9. What is the Torah Sh'bichtav?
10. What is the Torah Sh'baal Peh?
2. What is the significance of
each of the names?
11. What is Tikun Leil Shavuot?
3. What is the Hebrew date of
Shavuot?
12. What megillah is read on
Shavuot?
4. In what year (according to the
Jewish calendar) did we
receive the Torah?
13. Why is Megillat Ruth read?
5. Where did we receive the
Torah?
6. How many mitzvot do we have
in the Torah?
14. What is the connection
between King David and
Shavuot?
15. Why do we decorate the
synagogue with plants on
Shavuot?
7. How many of those are positive 16. What kinds of foods are
customarily eaten on Shavuot?
commands?
17. Why are dairy foods eaten?
8. How many of those are
negative commands?
ANSWERS ON PAGE L-7