When heaven and earth touched — the giving of the Torah
Shavuot
שָׁבוּעוֹתTimes for Shavuot
Halachic times for Valencia, Spain · 10 June 2027 – 12 June 2027
Calculated for Valencia (39.47° N, 0.38° W). Candle lighting: 18 minutes before sunset · Havdalah: 40 minutes after sunset (custom in Spain). Outside Israel, Yom Tov is kept for 2 days.
Shavuot (שָׁבוּעוֹת), the Festival of Weeks, celebrates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, 50 days after the Exodus from Egypt. It is the anniversary of the most momentous event in Jewish history: when the entire people of Israel heard the voice of G-d proclaim the Ten Commandments.
Shavuot customs:
- Tikkun Leil Shavuot: Torah study throughout the night
- Reading of the Ten Commandments in the synagogue
- Reading of the Book of Ruth (Megillat Ruth)
- Dairy meals: cheesecake, blintzes, cheese bourekas
- Decorating with flowers and greenery
The Rebbe explained that Shavuot is like the wedding between G-d and Israel, with the Torah as the ketubah (marriage contract). Every year on Shavuot we renew this eternal covenant.
"Shavuot is the eternal wedding between G-d and Israel. The Torah is our ketubah. Every year we renew this covenant with joy and fresh commitment."
— The Lubavitcher Rebbe