Alt, -" T.t. 1

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meth6d of determining it date is described as'
,.
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w as trie-itudiS associated with it .
„
I magine a holiday where you are actually sup-
avuo has tte nusuqI distinction of being the
posed to stay up ,c1,1,,Ri t and eat a lot of cakg 7.17.176n1S/JeWish holiday whose day is not deter
and celebrate for many, many reasons: .,:.:1:.-
by calertcar date, but by counting days after
And maybe even a little miracle might ocCur.
another holiday. In this case, God commandsAlle'n.„,:
According to tradition, you can look up into the - • Jewish people to begin counting on the seco
skies at exactly midnight on this day and you'll see - .day of Pesach (Passover) and continue for seven
the angels, or perhaps even the,whole universe.
'weeks, with the 50th day being Shavuot.
The holiday is Shavuot, w . 2: 1; y'el4r begins
And while you're doing all that counting, take a
after sundown on ThursdceMay 20, and lasts for
look at some of the many names this holiday is
day,in-:Most Reform congregations).
two days
known by ...
ciirfhe'c'tiiajorJevyish
holidays, the origins of
..,,
In Parshat Mishpatim (Exodus 23:16), the Torah
1 &bot are in the Torah.
calls the holiday Chag HaKatzir ("Fest:Nat -of\ the
,.,. ' W
e learn of Shavuot in Parsat Emor (Leviticus 23:
Harvest"), and in Parshat Pinchas (Number.

0.

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5/14

1999

Detroit Jewish News

61