Among the Jewish holidays known as the Shalosh Regalim, (the Three Festivals), Shavuot has somewhat of lonely sibling status.
Whereas Pesach and Sukkot come with a specific set of laws and traditions, Shavuot is largely lacking in such a character (with the exception, of course, of the well-known custom to eat dairy foods during the holiday). On the surface, Shavuot is primarily defined by the requirement to refrain from many activities, much as we do on Shabbat. There are a limited number of positive commandments linked to the holiday.
But to approach Shavuot from this superficial perspective would risk missing the meaning behind the holiday. In fact, inherent in Shavuot are messages that make it a festival positioned at the very centre of our Jewish identity.
Above all, Shavuot teaches that the Torah given on Mount Sinai thousands of years ago is as relevant today as ever. Beyond that, the ultimate understanding that we must glean from Shavuot is how the Torah and our Jewish identity relate to each and every Jew in his or her individual way.
There is an often-cited commentary espousing that the soul of every Jew throughout the ages was present when the Torah was given at Sinai. Regardless of how literally one chooses to interpret this lesson, the more important takeaway is that the Torah was not intended for one Jew or another. Rather it was designed for every Jew, to be embraced and internalized by us all.
In the Jewish world of today, there is a growing alienation toward the ideal of the Torah’s universality. People fail to recognize that the Torah is a living document that relates to each and every one of us. And as a result, large groups of our population are made to feel unwelcome and inferior. They are being driven further and further away from Jewish heritage.
In Israel in 2015, this divisiveness represents one of the most dangerous threats to our nation’s future. There are certainly those who would think that such a statement is a gross exaggeration in a world where Iranian nuclear missiles are developed to ensure our destruction. Without mitigating those dangers, I would argue that the “spiritual threat” is potentially far more dangerous, because it is allowed to intensify without enough people taking proper notice.
Specifically in today’s Israel, all too many aspects of religious governance have been transferred into the hands of the small but powerful minority of the chief rabbinate. Issues like marriage and divorce, conversion and kashrut supervision are in its central control – a situation that may be even further exacerbated following this most recent Knesset election and the forming of a governing coalition. Sadly, the perspective of a select cadre of rabbis and haredi politicians all too often ignores the long-term interests of the Jewish People.
This is the exact opposite of the lesson of Shavuot: the Torah cannot be a limiting document. Rather, it must be for all Jews. If we fail to heed this lesson, we will alienate more and more Jews from observance and respect for their Jewish identities. This, in turn, will lead to a situation where, increasingly, many will choose to marry outside of their religion entirely or outside of Halachah. These developments could end up denying us a sizable Jewish future in the State of Israel. The result will be that the Jewish state as we know it will no longer exist.
Regardless of where in the world a Jew lives, he or she always looks toward Israel as the source of hope for the Jewish future. Regrettably, this cornerstone of our religion is at risk if Israel is not given the chance to change its direction on how the Jewish future of our homeland will develop. This is the ultimate lesson of Shavuot.
Now is the time to recognize that the Torah and its observance must be made accessible to all so that everyone can see its beauty and keep its laws. For this is what will allow our nation to continue to thrive and serve as an eternal light onto the nations.
Rabbi David Stav is the founder and chair of the Tzohar Rabbinical Organization.
