Thursday, 1 June 2017

This is what Shavuot is about

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We are to: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Torah and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. ... Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity! (Psalm 133:1) When the day of Shavuot had come, they were all together in one place ... (Acts 2:1) They were all filled with the (Holy Spirit) Ruach ha-Kodesh and began to speak in other tongues as the Ruach enabled them to speak out ... (Acts 2:4)

On Shavuot we celebrate the giving of the law. It's more than that ... when the Ruach fell among the disciples, while they all together in one place, they were able to speak in other tongues. The Ruach ha-Kodesh enabled them, while they were still together, to speak in other tongues. There is one other place in scripture where other tongues were used to separate people (Genesis 11, memember Babel?).

Even more than tongues, Peter got up and started speaking, "But Peter, standing with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: 'Fellow Judeans and all who are staying in Jerusalem ...'" (Acts 2:14) Three thousand people, hearing Peter's words, words of a simple testimony, responded to giving of the Ruach that day. Thus, the law, which rests on loving your neighbor as yourself is given at the same celebration where we can celebrate the fact that we given the gift of worship in unity while being distinctly who we are ... where we are enabled to know G-d.