Sivan and Shavuot The Festival Day

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Sivan and Shavuot

The Festival Day

After the preparations that last the whole night, the great moment arrives when the Ten Commandments are read from the Torah. This reading is considered a kind of reenactment of the giving of the Torah at Sinai.

In the morning, the congregation prays the festival morning prayer service, as appears in prayer books. After the Amida prayer, the full Hallel is recited. Afterward, Kaddish is said and, in some congregations, the Song of the Day is recited at this point. Two Torah scrolls are removed from the synagogue ark.

Five men are called up for the reading from the first scroll, a passage from Exodus (19:1–20:22) that recounts the giving of the Torah. By reading this passage from the Torah on Shavuot, it is considered as though we ourselves are standing at the foot of Mount Sinai and receiving the Torah. According to Chabad custom, it is appropriate to bring children of all ages, and even babies, to hear the Ten Commandments being read as, according to the Midrash, the young children of Israel played an important role in God’s decision to give us the Torah.

The second scroll is for the shorter reading of the maftir, which discusses the additional festival offerings (Numbers 28:26–31) for Shavuot. The man called up for the maftir then reads the haftara, which is from the book of Ezekiel (1:1–28; 3:12). This haftara describes the Divine Chariot, the divine revelation experienced by the prophet Ezekiel. This vision is reminiscent of God’s revelation to the people of Israel at Mount Sinai.

There is a custom to recite certain liturgical poems before the reading of the Torah. Ashkenazim recite the liturgical rhyme Akdamut, a poem in Aramaic that describes the praise of the Torah and the reward of those who study it.

Sephardim chant the poem Ketuba, by Rabbi Yisrael Najara, which is written as a kind of marriage contract [ketuba] between God and Israel, who are compared to a groom and bride.

Afterward, the congregation recites the festival Musaf prayer.

After the prayer service, Kiddush is recited, followed by the festival meal.

For Ashkenazim:

אִם תָּשִׁיב מִשַּׁבָּת רַגְלֶךָ, עֲשׂוֹת חֲפָצֶךָ בְּיוֹם קָדְשִׁי. וְקָרָאתָ לַשַּׁבָּת עֹנֶג, לִקְדוֹשׁ אֲדֹנָי מְכֻבָּד. וְכִבַּדְתּוֹ מֵעֲשׂוֹת דְּרָכֶיךָ, מִמְּצוֹא חֶפְצְךָ וְדַבֵּר דָּבָר. אָז תִּתְעַנַּג עַל אֲדֹנָי, וְהִרְכַּבְתִּיךָ עַל בָּמֳתֵי אָרֶץ. וְהַאֲכַלְתִּיךָ נַחֲלַת יַעֲקֹב אָבִיךָ, כִּי פִּי אֲדֹנָי דִּבֵּר.

Im tashiv miShabbat raglekha asot ĥafatzekha beyom kodshi, vekarata laShabbat oneg likdosh Adonai mekhubad, vekhibadeto me’asot derakheikha mimetzo ĥeftzekha vedaber davar, az titanag al Adonai, vehirkavtikha al bamotei aretz, veha’akhaltikha naĥalat Ya’akov avikha, ki pi Adonai diber.

וְשָׁמְרוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת, לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת לְדֹרֹתָם בְּרִית עוֹלָם. בֵּינִי וּבֵין בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, אוֹת הִיא לְעֹלָם, כִּי שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים עָשָׂה אֲדֹנָי אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ, וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי שָׁבַת וַיִּנָּפַשׁ.

Vesha’meru venei Yisrael et haShabbat, la’asot et haShabbat ledorotam berit olam. Beini uvein benei Yisrael ot hi le’olam, ki sheshet yamim asa Adonai et hashamayim ve’et ha’aretz, uvayom hashevi’i shavat vayinafash.

זָכוֹר אֶת יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת לְקַדְּשׁוֹ. שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים תַּעֲבֹד וְעָשִׂיתָ כָּל מְלַאכְתֶּךָ. וְיוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי שַׁבָּת לַאדֹנָי אֱלֹהֶיךָ, לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה כָל מְלָאכָה אַתָּה וּבִנְךָ וּבִתֶּךָ, עַבְדְּךָ וַאֲמָתְךָ וּבְהֶמְתֶּךָ, וְגֵרְךָ אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ. כִּי שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים עָשָׂה אֲדֹנָי אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ, אֶת הַיָּם וְאֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר בָּם, וַיָּנַח בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי.

Zakhor et yom haShabbat lekadesho. Sheshet yamim ta’avod ve’asita kol melakhtekha. Veyom hashevi’i Shabbat ladonai Elohekha. Lo ta’aseh khol melakha, ata uvinkha uvitekha, avdekha va’amtekha uvhemtekha, vegerekha asher bisharekha. Ki sheshet yamim asa Adonai et hashamayim ve’et ha’aretz, et hayam ve’et kol asher bam, vayanaĥ bayom hashevi’i.

עַל כֵּן בֵּרַךְ אֲדֹנָי אֶת יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת וַיְקַדְּשֵׁהוּ.

Al ken berakh Adonai et yom haShabbat vayka’deshehu.

אם חל ביום חול מתחילים כאן:

On weekdays, start here:

אֵלֶּה מוֹעֲדֵי אֲדֹנָי, מִקְרָאֵי קֹדֶשׁ, אֲשֶׁר תִּקְרְאוּ אֹתָם בְּמוֹעֲדָם. וַיְדַבֵּר מֹשֶׁה אֶת מוֹעֲדֵי אֲדֹנָי אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.

Eleh mo’adei Adonai, mikra’ei kodesh, asher tikre’u otam bemo’adam. Vaydaber Moshe et mo’adei Adonai el benei Yisrael.

סַבְרִי מָרָנָן וְרַבָּנָן וְרַבּוֹתַי.

Savri meranan verabanan verabotai:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה אֲדֹנָי, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן.

Barukh ata Adonai, Eloheinu, melekh ha’olam, boreh peri hagafen.

On Shabbat, many begin with all or some of the following verses:

“If you restrain your walking because of the Sabbath, pursuing your needs on the day of My holiness and you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord’s sacred, honored, and you honor it by refraining from doing your business, from seeking your needs and from speaking of matters, then you will delight in the Lord and I will mount you onto the heights of the earth and I will feed you the inheritance of Jacob your forefather, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (Isaiah 58:13–14).

“The children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath for their generations an eternal covenant. Between Me and the children of Israel, it is a sign forever. For in six days the Lord made the heaven and the earth and on the seventh day, He rested and was invigorated” (Exodus 31:16–17). “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall work and perform all your labor. The seventh day is Sabbath for the Lord your God; you shall not perform any labor, you, and your son, and your daughter, your slave, and your maidservant, and your animal, and your stranger who is within your gates, because in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and everything that is in them and He rested on the seventh day; therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and He sanctified it” (Exodus 20:8–11).

On weekdays, begin here:

“These are the appointed times of the Lord, holy convocations, that you shall proclaim at their appointed time” (Leviticus 23:4). “And Moses spoke to the children of Israel the appointed times of the Lord” (Leviticus 23:44).

“Attention, my masters, gentlemen, teachers.

“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.”

For Sephardim:

מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד, אֲדֹנָי רֹעִי לֹא אֶחְסָר. בִּנְאוֹת דֶּשֶׁא יַרְבִּיצֵנִי, עַל מֵי מְנֻחוֹת יְנַהֲלֵנִי. נַפְשִׁי יְשׁוֹבֵב, יַנְחֵנִי בְמַעְגְּלֵי צֶדֶק לְמַעַן שְׁמוֹ. גַּם כִּי אֵלֵךְ בְּגֵיא צַלְמָוֶת, לֹא אִירָא רָע כִּי אַתָּה עִמָּדִי, שִׁבְטְךָ וּמִשְׁעַנְתֶּךָ הֵמָּה יְנַחֲמֻנִי. תַּעֲרֹךְ לְפָנַי שֻׁלְחָן נֶגֶד צֹרְרָי, דִּשַּׁנְתָּ בַשֶּׁמֶן רֹאשִׁי כּוֹסִי רְוָיָה. אַךְ טוֹב וָחֶסֶד יִרְדְּפוּנִי כָּל יְמֵי חַיָּי, וְשַׁבְתִּי בְּבֵית אֲדֹנָי לְאֹרֶךְ יָמִים.

Mizmor LeDavid: Adonai ro’i lo eĥsar. Binot deshe yarbitzeni, al mei menuĥot yenahaleni. Nafshi yeshovev, yanĥeni vema’agelei tzedek lema’an shemo. Gam ki elekh begei tzalmavet lo ira ra, ki ata imadi, shivtekha umishantekha hema yenaĥamuni. Ta’arokh lefanai shulĥan neged tzorerai. Dishanta vashemen roshi, kosi revaya. Akh tov vaĥesed yirdefuni kol yemei ĥayay, veshavti beveit Adonai le’orekh yamim.

אִם תָּשִׁיב מִשַּׁבָּת רַגְלֶךָ, עֲשׂוֹת חֲפָצֶךָ בְּיוֹם קָדְשִׁי, וְקָרָאתָ לַשַּׁבָּת עֹנֶג, לִקְדוֹשׁ אֲדֹנָי מְכֻבָּד, וְכִבַּדְתּוֹ מֵעֲשׂוֹת דְּרָכֶיךָ, מִמְּצוֹא חֶפְצְךָ וְדַבֵּר דָּבָר. אָז תִּתְעַנַּג עַל אֲדֹנָי וְהִרְכַּבְתִּיךָ עַל בָּמֳתֵי אָרֶץ, וְהַאֲכַלְתִּיךָ נַחֲלַת יַעֲקֹב אָבִיךָ כִּי פִּי אֲדֹנָי דִּבֵּר.

Im tashiv miShabbat raglekha asot ĥafatzekha beyom kodshi, vekarata laShabbat oneg likdosh Adonai mekhubad, vekhibadeto me’asot derakhekha mimetzo ĥeftzekha vedaber davar, az titanag al Adonai, vehirkavtikha al bamotei aretz, veha’akhaltikha naĥalat Ya’akov avikha, ki pi Adonai diber.

וְשָׁמְרוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת, לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת לְדֹרֹתָם בְּרִית עוֹלָם. בֵּינִי וּבֵין בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אוֹת הִיא לְעֹלָם, כִּי שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים עָשָׂה אֲדֹנָי אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ, וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי שָׁבַת וַיִּנָּפַשׁ.

Vesha’meru venei Yisrael et HaShabbat, la’asot et HaShabbat ledorotam berit olam. Beini uvein benei Yisrael ot hi le’olam, ki Sheshet yamim asa Adonai et hashamayim ve’et ha’aretz, uvayom hashevi’i shavat vayinafash.

אם חל ביום חול מתחילים כאן:

On a weekday, begin here:

אֵלֶּה מוֹעֲדֵי אֲדֹנָי, מִקְרָאֵי קֹדֶשׁ, אֲשֶׁר תִּקְרְאוּ אֹתָם בְּמוֹעֲדָם. וַיְדַבֵּר מֹשֶׁה אֶת מֹעֲדֵי אֲדֹנָי, אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים בַּשָּׁנָה יֵרָאֶה כָל זְכוּרְךָ אֶת פְּנֵי אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֶיךָ בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחָר, בְּחַג הַמַּצּוֹת וּבְחַג הַשָּׁבֻעוֹת וּבְחַג הַסֻּכּוֹת, וְלֹא יֵרָאֶה אֶת פְּנֵי אֲדֹנָי רֵיקָם. אִישׁ כְּמַתְּנַת יָדוֹ, כְּבִרְכַּת אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָךְ:

Eleh mo’adei Adonai, mikra’ei kodesh, asher tikre’u otam bemo’adam. Vaydaber Moshe et mo’adei Adonai el benei Yisrael. Shalosh pe’amim bashana yera’e khol zekhurekha et penei Adonai Elohekha bamakom asher yivĥar: Beĥag hamatzot uvĥag hashavuot uvĥag hasukkot. Velo yera’e et penei Adonai reikam. Ish kematnat yado, kevirkat Adonai Elohekha asher natan lakh.

סַבְרִי מָרָנָן.

Savri meranan.

השומעים עונים: לְחַיִּים!

Those listening answer: Leĥayim.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה אֲדֹנָי, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגֶּפֶן.

Continue: Barukh ata Adonai, Eloheinu, melekh ha’olam, boreh peri hagefen.

On Shabbat, begin here:

“A psalm by David. The Lord is my Shepherd; I lack nothing. He has me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even when I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup is full. May only goodness and kindness pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever” (Psalms 23).

On a weekday, begin here:

“Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God in the place that He shall choose: On the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and on the Festival of Weeks, and on the Festival of Tabernacles, and they shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed. Each man according to the gift of his hand, in accordance with the blessing of the Lord your God that He gave you” (Deuteronomy 16:16–17).

“Attention, my masters.”

The listeners respond: “To life!”

“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.”

The HaMotzi blessing is recited over two whole loaves of bread, and in Grace after Meals the Ya’aleh VeYavo section is added.

Further reading: To read about the choice of Mount Sinai for the giving of the Torah, see A Concise Guide to the Sages, p. 310.