OU Women’s Initiative Torah Educator
Midway through Sefirat Haomer (the counting of the weeks between Pesach and Shavuot), we chatted with OU Women’s Initiative Torah Educator CB Neugroschl ahead of Shavuot about the distinctions between Chag Matan Torateinu and Simchat Torah; the Torah’s existence before Har Sinai; and Shavuot’s connections to dairy foods, and Megillat Rut.
Shavuot is Chag Matan Torah (the holiday of receiving the Torah) yet we celebrate the Torah and complete it on Simchat Torah. Why is that?
Mrs. Neugroschl: I love the fact that Shavuot celebrates Kabbalat HaTorah (the receiving of the Torah) and is separate from the celebration of the joyfulness of Torah or the cycle of reading the Torah which is reserved for Simchat Torah. To me, Shavuot is the wedding day of our relationship with Hashem, and Har Sinai/Kabbalat HaTorah is the moment we seal an eternal covenant of commitment. Since Hashem chose Am Yisrael (the nation of Israel) by giving us His Torah, Shavuot is the celebration of our divine potential and the mutual promise inherent within it.
The Torah is the key to understanding Hashem’s plan for this world. As the Midrash Rabbah (interpretations on each of the Torah’s Five Books and the five megillot) and Zohar (the primary text of Jewish mysticism) write, “Histakel b’oraita uvara alma — He looked into the Torah and created the world.” At Har Sinai, when we were selected as Am Hanivchar (the chosen nation) and given the Torah, we were — and continue to be — charged to bring that majestic plan into our lives, and via our lives, into the world. This is a time of being seen, elevated, and loved by Hashem for our potential. I view Simchat Torah as a reminder of that Matan Torah love; after a period of teshuva (repentance) during the Yamim Noraim, as we embark on the New Year, we cling to Hashem for one more day (Simchat Torah), in celebration of the promise Hashem gave us!
Chazal maintain that the Torah existed before Matan Torah in the days of Adam and Chava, Noach, and the Avot (our Forefathers). Could you elaborate on the sources and idea behind this belief?
Mrs. Neugroschl: The phrase “Histakel b’oraita uvara alma, He looked into the Torah and created the world,” conveys the idea that Hashem crafted the world according to the blueprint established in the Torah. While it’s important to recognize that the Torah is not a history book and that the events and experiences it describes occurred after the creation of the world, this phrase suggests that the teachings within the Torah reflect the core principles of Divine Truths that Hashem wants us to embrace. Learning the Torah is akin to discovering the code of humanity, guiding us to elevate the world and unlock the potential inherent in the gift of life. For more insights, explore Torah and Creation shiurim on OU Torah.
Why is there a minhag to eat dairy on Shavuot?
Mrs. Neugroschl: The historical roots of eating dairy on Shavuot are multifaceted, with explanations ranging from symbolic connections to the Torah and the Land of Israel, to practical considerations at the time of the giving of the Torah. One primary explanation ties the custom to the Israelites receiving the Torah and becoming aware of the kosher laws, making it difficult to immediately consume meat that had not been properly butchered or to use their dishes.[1] Another connection points to the Torah’s description of the Land of Israel as a “land of milk and honey,” associating dairy with the holiday’s celebration of the Torah whose primary fulfillment is in Eretz Yisrael.
Additionally, some interpretations suggest that having dairy and meat meals on Shavuot (separately of course) represents the Sh’tey Halechem, the two special breads that were offered in the Beit Hamikdash on Shavuot.[2] A further idea is that Torah is likened to milk in its sweetness and purity.[3]
For me, the food we eat on Yom Tov is such a meaningful way to represent our simchat yom tov and to build our family’s connection to the values of the day. Seen this way, having a dairy menu can represent our commitment to living a Halakhic life and embracing the minute details of that lifestyle, or it can embody our aspirations to be part of reishit tzemichat geulateinu (the beginnings of the flowering of redemption) in Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel). Either way, our planning and prep for the chag ought to be part of preparing spiritually for the commitments that Shavuot celebrates. Learn more about Shavuot customs at OU.org.
Besides the fact that the story of Ruth takes place during the harvest season, what other connections does Megillat Rut have to Shavuot?
Mrs. Neugroschl: Megillat Rut is a remarkable meditation on what it means, and doesn’t mean, to be on a journey of Kabbalat HaTorah to building a society that honors that journey and reflects its beauty. It is both a meditation of the personal and private commitments and decisions that one makes when choosing to live a life of Torah and faith, as well as a communal critique of the masses and the “leaders” who may fail that test. Kabbalat HaTorah requires sacrifices, may demand radical independence and a refashioning of oneself — like Rut and Naomi — and it involves a deep commitment to chesed (acts of kindness) and empathy as exemplified by Boaz. Learning Megillat Rut on Shavuot, or, ideally, beforehand, challenges me to consider what I am sacrificing for my Torah and faith and how I might be more empathetic and inclusive of others who are on this journey of faith.
With over twenty-five years of pedagogic, curricular, and administrative experience in both Judaic and General Studies, Mrs. CB Neugroschl serves as Head of School at Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls, in Teaneck, New Jersey. Previously, she served as Ma’ayanot’s Director of Admissions, and taught and developed the school’s Jewish History and Jewish Philosophy programs.
An esteemed OU Women’s Initiative Torah Educator, Mrs. Neugroschl studied at Michlala College for Women and earned her B.A. at Stern College for Women in 1993. She continued her studies at Yeshiva University’s Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies, with a focus on History of Halakha and Medieval Ashkenaz. She received her M.A. in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations from Harvard University in 1998 where she studied the nexus of law and spirituality in the work of Maimonides. She lives in Teaneck, New Jersey, with her husband Jeff. Their five children live in Teaneck, New York, and Israel.
[2] Rema, Orach Chayim 494:2
[3] Shir Hashirim 4:11