It wasn’t quiet when the Jews received Torah at Sinai.
Lightning flashed, thunder rolled, the shofar sounded, the mountain shook and divine words boomed from the mountain.
It was an audio-visual spectacle of such magnitude that Hollywood still struggles to replicate it.
Each year, around this time, Jews remember that moment of revelation through the holiday of Shavuot.
Unlike other Jewish holidays, Shavuot has no fixed rituals: no sukkah to build, no menorah to light.
But it does come with a defining Jewish custom: food.
Every Jewish holiday has its particular flavours: for Shavuot, it’s cheesecake, blintzes and all things dairy.
The irony? Jews, specifically those of Ashkenazi descent, have one of the highest rates of lactose intolerance in the world.
Shavuot, then, equals Torah plus cheesecake with a side of Lactaid.
But beyond the cheesecake, Torah wasn’t given as a frozen-in-time rulebook.
It was given as a living document to be studied, questioned and wrestled with.
So Shavuot isn’t just about remembering; it’s about re-engaging with ancient texts and applying them to the complexities of modern life.
At its core, Shavuot is all about covenant.
Not just between God and the Jewish people, but between all people regardless of religion, ethnicity or culture.
It’s about how we treat one another, it’s about how we can build societies grounded in dignity, fairness and shared purpose.
All religious traditions have stories of wisdom received and of ideals tested in real life.
Shavuot asks: How do we stay open to awe? How do we respond to the quiet voice calling us to do better, to be better?
In an age of noise and division, Shavuot reminds us to listen — really listen — to tradition, to conscience and to each other.
Revelation is unlikely to come again with thunder, lightning and a big booming voice, but it can come frequently, even multiple times in a day, in acts of kindness, in study and in connection.
Whether it’s Torah or cheesecake or both, Shavuot is a reminder that sacred moments are not always easy to digest.
They may challenge us, stretch us and may even require a little support to absorb.
But they also nourish, guide and renew.
So here’s to a holiday of wisdom, wonder and, probably, a good dose of Lactaid.
Enquiries regarding the Interfaith Network, City of Greater Dandenong: administration@interfaithnetwork.org.au or 8774 7662
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