What Happens on Shavuot?

Shavuot marks the moment of receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai. But what exactly is the Torah? Also, what was truly bestowed upon us?

The Torah is not a historical record. It is a guide for shaping our lives that are ahead of us. It is an instruction manual that teaches us how to become responsible for one another and to build a society that is founded on mutual consideration, that is, according to the great rule of the Torah, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” When we embraced this teaching, we lived harmoniously in our land. However, when we turned away from it, we became scattered among the nations.

Like every Jewish holiday, Shavuot is a call for change. It radiates purity and brightness, yet demands inner movement at the level of our attitudes to each other. Gradually, we find ourselves cornered by a mountain of hatred, Mount Sinai (“Sinai” in Hebrew connects to the same linguistic root as the word for “hatred” [“Sinah”]).

If we gain awareness of the source of our hatred for each other, our egoistic nature that drives us apart, and if our motions to positively connect feel blocked by internal division, then we need a higher force to intervene. That is the moment we need the Torah.

As it is written, “And Israel encamped at the foot of the mountain.” This was not simply a group of Jewish refugees emerging from Egypt who camped in the desert. Everyone, no matter their location, culture, background, and upbringing, stands at the foot of that very inner “mountain of hatred” — our divisive egoism that makes us each prioritize good for ourselves at the expense of others.

The time has come to start realizing our common identity as a single humanity that has an egoistic nature that tears us apart from each other. While doing so, we have the opportunity to ask for help from our common source, a force above our egoism that has the power to elevate us to a positive, harmonious, and peaceful connection.