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Blessed is the match that is consumed in kindling the flame.
Blessed is the flame that burns in the secret fastness of the heart.
Blessed is the heart strong enough to stop beating in dignity.
Blessed is the match that is consumed in kindling the flame.
נברך שכינה אלותינו רוח העולם אשר קדשתנו במצותיה וצונו להדלק נר של יום טוב
N’varech Shekhina Eloteinu Ruach HaOlam asher kid’shatnu b’mitzvoteha v’tzivatnu l’hadlik neir shel Yom Tov.
Let us bless the Divine Presence, Spirit of the World, who makes us holy through miztvot and commands us to light the festival lights.
shehecheyanu, v'kiy'manu, v'higianu laz'man hazeh.
for giving us life, sustaining us, and enabling us to reach this season.
For all of us, and especially for the children, who will in their turn be keepers of the flame, we ask for God's blessing:
(ב) בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁבִּקֵּשׁ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לִתֵּן אֶת הַתּוֹרָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, אָמַר לָהֶם: תְּקַבְּלוּ תוֹרָתִי. אָמְרוּ לוֹ: הֵן. אָמַר לָהֶם תְּנוּ לִי עָרֵב שֶׁתְּקַיְּמוּ אוֹתָהּ. אָמְרוּ לוֹ: אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב יִהְיוּ עֲרֵבִים. אָמַר לָהֶן. אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם הֵן בְּעַצְמָם צְרִיכִים עֲרֵבִים... אָמְרוּ לוֹ: בָּנֵינוּ יִהְיוּ עֲרֵבִים שֶׁלָּנוּ. מִיָּד קִבְּלָן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְנָתַן אֶת הַתּוֹרָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: מִפִּי עוֹלְלִים וְיוֹנְקִים יִסַּדְתָּ עֹז (תהלים ח, ג).
(2) When the Holy Blessed One, was about to give the Torah to Israel, God asked: “Will ye accept My Torah?” “Indeed,” they replied. “Then give me a surety that you will fulfill it,” God said. “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, (Sarah, Rivka, Rahel, and Leah) will be our surety,” they answered. Whereupon God responded: “Your ancestors required guarantors for themselves... “Then our children shall be our guarantors,” they exclaimed. The Holy Blessed One immediately accepted them as sureties and gave the Torah to Israel, as it is said: Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou found strength (Ps. 8:3).
Ya'er Adonai panav eilecha vichuneka.
Yisa Adonai panav eilecha v'yasem l'cha shalom.
May the light of God shine upon you, and may God be gracious to you.
May the presence of God be with you and give you peace.
(Recite Together)
I now prepare to unify my whole self –
heart, mind, consciousness, body, passions,
with this holy community,
with the Jewish people everywhere
with all people everywhere
with all life and being.
that will put me in touch with the great light of God.
Pri ha-Etz,
Maggid, Yachatz,
Rachtzah,
Motzi, Korech,
Shulchan Orech,
Tzafun, Barech,
Hallel, Nirtzah
If it is going to be a celebration, there has to be some wine. So, let us all pour a glass and bless together.
נַקְדִּישׁ אֵת עַצְמֵנוּ לִבְרֹוא קָהָל בָּרִיא
פְּרִי הֲגַפֶן – אִתּוֹ נִשְׁתֶּה "לְחַיִּים!"
Nakdish et atsme-nu livro kahal bari
P'ri ha-gafen – itto, nishteh "L'-Hayyim!"
Wine
symbol of pleasure and sorrow,
symbol of passion and the blood of life,
symbol of plenty and of excess.
Let us bless our lives with community
by sharing our joy, our spirit, and our bounty,
by inviting visitors to join us,
by welcoming the stranger,
by caring for those in need.
Let us dedicate ourselves to creating a healthy community.
The fruit of the vine – with it, let us drink "To Life!"
All read aloud together and raise our glasses in a toast to life:
"L'-Hayyim!"
Traditionally, the washing of the hands is an act of purification which precedes a ritual. Water takes on special significance during Shavuot. A midrashic reading of the word "water" means Torah, as both give life. You might be surprised to learn in Jerusalem, there are squirt gun fights at playgrounds during Shavuot. There is also a Sefardic custom of taking people by surprise by splashing water on them.
(ג) ויהי שם עם יהוה וגו' לחם לא אכל. מלחמה של תורה אכל, ומים לא שתה, מימיה של תורה שתה, שנאמר לכו לחמו בלחמי (משלי ט ה), ואומר הוי כל צמא לכו למים (ישעיה נה א).
(3) (Exod. 34:28:) AND HE WAS THERE WITH THE LORD…. HE ATE NO BREAD. He ate from the bread of Torah. AND DRANK NO WATER. He drank from the water of Torah. Thus it is stated (in Prov. 9:5): COME AND EAT OF MY BREAD. And it says (in Is. 55:1): HO, ALL WHO ARE THIRSTY, COME TO THE WATERS (of Torah).
(ה) ר' יהודה אומר: תלמיד שכחו יפה דומה לספוג, שהוא סופג את הכל. שני לו דומה למוך, שאינו סופג אלא צרכו - זה שהוא אומר דין ששנה לו רבו. ר' שמעון בן יוחאי אומר: הרי הוא אומר (משלי ה) שתה מים מבורך - שתה ממים שבבורך, ואל תשתה עכורים ותמשך עם דברי מינים. ר' עקיבא אומר: הרי הוא אומר שתה מים מבורך - בור, תחילתו אין יכול להוציא טפת מים מאליו. לא היה אלא מה שבתוכו! כך תלמיד חכם לא למד מתחילתו כל דבר, לא שנה אלא מה שלמד. ונוזלים מתוך בארך. מה באר מתמלאת מים חיים מכל צדדיה - כך באים תלמידים ולומדים הימנו. וכן הוא אומר (משלי ה) יפוצו מעיינותיך חוצה. נמשלו דברי תורה למים: מה מים חיים לעולם - אף דברי תורה חיים לעולם, שנא' (משלי ד) כי חיים הם למוצאיהם ולכל בשרו מרפא. ומה מעלים את הטמא מטומאתו - כך דברי תורה מעלים את האדם מדרך רעה לדרך טובה, שנא' תורת יהוה תמימה משיבת נפש. ומה מים חנם לעולם - אף דברי תורה חנם לעולם, שנאמ' (ישעיה נה) הוי כל צמא לכו למים. ומה מים שאין להם דמים - אף דברי תורה אין להם דמים, שנאמר (משלי ג) יקרה היא מפנינים וכל חפצים לא ישוו בה.
(5) R. Yehudah says: An exemplary Torah scholar is like a sponge, which soaks up everything. One second to them is like a cotton wad which soaks up only what they need — one who says "What my teacher taught me is enough for me." R. Shimon b. Yochai says: It is written (Proverbs 5:15) "Drink water (i.e., Torah) from borecha": from them (a Torah sage [though not necessarily a great one]) who is with you in your city ("be'ircha," like "borecha"), and afterwards from afar. And thus is it written (Ibid. 31:14) "She ('the woman of valor') was like the merchant's ships, bringing her bread (Torah) from afar." R. Shimon b. Menassia says: Drink water from borecha," from the waters (i.e., Torah) of borecha ("your Creator"); and do not drink "sullied" waters, lest you be drawn after the words of the heretics. R. Akiva says: It is written: "Drink waters from your pit." A pit, in the beginning, is unable to supply a drop of water of its own, containing, as it does, only what is put into it. So, a Torah scholar, in the beginning, has learned and reviewed only what their teacher has taught them. (Ibid.) "and flowing waters from your well": Just as a well flows living waters from all of its sides, so, disciples come and learn from them (the "flowing" Torah scholar). And thus is it written (Ibid. 16) "Your fountains will spread abroad." Words of Torah are compared to water. Just as water is life for the world, so, words of Torah, as it is written (Ibid. 4:22) "For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all of their flesh." And just as water raises a person from their uncleanliness, so, words of Torah raise a person from uncleanliness to cleanliness, as it is written (Psalms 19:10) "The fear of the L-rd is pure." And just as water restores a person's soul, so, words of Torah restore a person's soul from the path of evil to that of good, viz. (Ibid. 8) "The Torah of the L-rd is whole, restoring the soul." And just as water is free for the world, so words of Torah are free for the world, viz. (Isaiah 55:1) "Ho! all who thirst, go to the waters!" — But perhaps, just as water has no value, so Torah has no value; it is, therefore, written (Proverbs 3:15) "It is more precious than pearls, and all of your desires cannot be compared to it."
On Shavuot, we eat first fruits, ones we haven't eaten yet this year. First fruits were offered at the Holy Temple to thank God for their harvest. We pass out the fruit and say the following together:
On the beautiful Shavuot seder plate before us, we see:
- Fruit - grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, strawberries
- Date honey - Silan
- Yogurt
- Water - Miriam's well
- Tomato - One nation with the diversity of many seeds
- Flowers
- Barley and Wheat (connection between Passover and Shavuot)
(יא) מִֽי־כָמֹ֤כָה בָּֽאֵלִם֙ יהוה מִ֥י כָּמֹ֖כָה נֶאְדָּ֣ר בַּקֹּ֑דֶשׁ נוֹרָ֥א תְהִלֹּ֖ת עֹ֥שֵׂה פֶֽלֶא׃
(11) Who is like You, O LORD, among the celestials; Who is like You, majestic in holiness, Awesome in splendor, working wonders!
Followed Miriam as she sang her song
Sing a song to the One whom we've exalted
Miriam and the women danced and danced the whole night long
And Miriam was a weaver of unique variety
The tapestry she wove was one which sang our history
With every strand and every thread she crafted her delight
A woman touched with spirit, she dances toward the light... Chorus
The wonder of this miracle she soon came to believe
Whoever thought the sea would part with an outstretched hand
And we would pass to freedom and march to the promised land... Chorus
And all the women followed her just as she had planned
And Miriam raised her voice in song
She sang with praise and might
We've just lived through a miracle
We're going to dance tonight... Chorus
עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַי
עוֹד אָבִינוּ חַי
Am Yisrael chai,
od avinu chai
The nation of Israel lives
Our ancestors still live
Why is this night different from all other nights?
Song:
Ma Nishtana, What is so different,
haLailah haZeh, on this night,
miKol haLailot, from all other nights,
Ma Nishtana haLailah haZeh miKol haLailot?
- On all other nights we eat all kinds of fruit, just first fruits this night.
- On all other nights we eat all types of food; now milk and honey is the treat we like.
- On all other nights, we wear what we want, on this night white is the look.
- On all other nights, we go early to bed, but tonight we stay up all night.
(Broken tablets are hidden for children to find later.)
This process actually begins in Genesis. In the beginning is our ending. Creation is the ordering of chaos, which is why we have a Seder this evening. Our mythical ancestors, Adam and Eve, are told they will die if they eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. They did not die but were exiled from Eden. God is benevolent from the very beginning. The Book of Genesis is our starting point to reconstruct our sacred library.
This evening we think of the story of Cain killing his brother, Abel, and experience a myth history has lived by. Civilization wears the mark of Cain, as murder and violence are the supreme themes of our story.
We speak often of God's hidden face, blaming God for tragedies, such as the Holocaust. This night we discuss how we hide from God.
The end of Genesis is a story about the end of days, in the messianic age. Jacob, who is known as Israel (the one who wrestles with God,) has a prophetic vision of his children that illuminates the end of their story. Jacob/Israel’s poetic charge to his children is brutal in its criticism and praise of his sons.
We the children of the children of Israel have been as unstable as water and the first born have not merited the staff of leadership. Our pruning hooks we have turned into swords used in uncivil war. When the nation is tribally divided, Israel prays we reunite, so the blessings do not become a curse.
All of this we review this night of Tikkun before we enter the Book of Exodus. Moses lives to lead the people out of Egypt because of an act of civil disobedience.
The God of the second chance is by definition a forgiving God who dwells in realms of mercy. Heaven and Earth meet on The Arête where we accept the gift of The Two Tablets of Testimony.
This is also the Tikkun of the evening of Shavuot.
The Second Set represents the World of Tikkun.
(Children search for the broken tablets and assemble them back together.)
תורה צוה לנו משה
מורשה קהילת יעקוב
Torah, Torah, Torah,
Torah, Torah, Torah,
Torah Tziva Lanu Moshe
Morosha Kehilat Yaakov
Torah, Moses commanded us,
The inheritance of the community of Jacob
1.)Trust in God. We will be lead out of our bondage to ignorance and embrace truth.
2.) Remove the idols of false ideals. Religions, like people, get lost.
3.) Do not profane Shalom, which is Gods sublime Name.
4.) Remember to observe The Sabbath, paradigm of inner and world Peace.
5.) Honor and love your parents, together the image of God.
6.) To life
7.) To love
8.) To give
9.) To witness
10 The Ten are basics. Do not Covet them as secrets, teach fundamentals, not ism.
We now proclaim your Crown on Creation
For these teachings lead to Redemption
By living the Truths of Torah
Seeds of eternity planted in our gardens
The Tree of Life now within our grasp
Ever expanding the boundaries of our worlds
as we Kabballah (receive) your Torah.
אִלּוּ הוֹצִיאָנוּ מִמִּצְרָיִם
דַּיֵּנוּ!
אִלּוּ נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת
דַּיֵּנוּ!
אִלּוּ נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה
דַּיֵּנוּ!
Ilu hotzianu mimitzrayim,
dayeinu!
Ilu natan lanu et hashabbat,
dayeinu!
Ilu natan lanu et hatorah,
dayeinu!
Well there were 613 commandments that Moses handed to us
As we stood at the foot of the mountain of Sinai
Our dear Moses started to fuss
He threw two tablets onto the ground
And much to our surprise
The ten commandments broke into pieces
And we couldn't believe our eyes.
Because the Torah was much too long to describe to all the Jews
Our God decided to write ten commandments that said the don'ts and do's
Every commandment talked about the way we have to live
When we work or play, cook or clean, borrow, take or give
Cause there were....CHORUS
As we stood at the bottom of the mountain and listened to Moshe
He asked how many wanted the Torah and a bunch of us said, "Yah";
We thought about the way life was and the way life ought to be
Without the Torah we would have been lost and stuck with idolatry
Cause there were....CHORUS
So when it's time to celebrate Chag HaShavuot
We all rejoice 'cause the Torah's ours to study, teach and quote
Had we not made a promise to be chosen and to choose
Remember that there wouldn't be a people called the Jews
Cause there were....CHORUS
A tree of life to those who hold fast to it
The Torah is a tree of life for people everywhere
Its roots are deep, its trunk is strong
Its fruits are pure and branches so beautiful
The Torah is a tree of life for everyone to share
Etz chaim hi, lamachazikim bah
Etz chaim hi, lamachazikim bah
A tree of life.........the tree of life
The Torah is a tree of life.... etz chaim hi
- One is HaShem in the heaven and the earth.
- Two are the tablets the Moshe brought.
- Three are the fathers
- Four are the mothers
- Five are the books of the Torah
- Six are the books or the Mishnah
- Seven are the days of the week Ooooo-aaahhh
- Eight are the days of brit milah
- Nine are the months of a baby
- Ten are the Ten Commandments
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְווֹתָיו, וְצִוָּנוּ עַל נְטִילַת יָדָיִם
Baruch atah A-donay, Elo-heinu Melech Ha'Olam, asher kideshanu bemitzvotav vetzivanu al netilat yadayim.
Blessed are you, L‑rd our G‑d, Ruler of the universe, who has sanctified us with Your commandments, and commanded us concerning the washing of the hands.
Hamotzi lechem min haaretz
Who brings forth bread from the earth
Make a sandwich of yogurt and honey to represent our finally arriving at the promised land!
Traditional foods on Shavuot include cheese kugel, lasagna, cheesecake, blintzes, barley dishes, and fruit salad.
Enjoy something sweet to represent the sweetness of freedom and vision.
Please join us in singing this shortened after meal blessing.
ברִיך רָחָמַנָה מָלְקַה דְעָלמַע מָרֵי דְהָי פִתָא
Brich rachamana malka d'alma ma'rei d'hai pita
Blessed is the master of Bread.
הוֹדוּ לַיהוה כִּי טוֹב
כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ.
יֹאמַר נָא יִשְׂרָאֵל
כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ.
יֹאמְרוּ נָא בֵית אַהֲרֹן
כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ.
יֹאמְרוּ נָא יִרְאֵי יהוה
כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ.
פִּתְחוּ לִי שַׁעֲרֵי צֶדֶק
אָבֹא בָם אוֹדֶה יָהּ.
עָזִּי וְזִמְרָת יָהּ וַיְהִי לִי
לִישׁוּעָה.
זֶה הַיּוֹם עָשָׂה יהוה
נָגִילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה בוֹ.
אָנָּא יהוה הוֹשִׁיעָה נָּא
אָנָּא יהוה הוֹשִׁיעָה נָּא
אָנָּא יהוה הַצְלִיחָה נָּא
אָנָּא יהוה הַצְלִיחָה נָּא
הוֹדוּ לַיהוה כִּי טוֹב
כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ.
Hodu la'Adonai Key Tov
Key l'Olam Chasdo
Yomar Na Yisrael
Key l'Olam Chasdo
Yomru Na Beit Aharon
Key l'Olam Chasdo
Yomru Na Yiray Adonai
Key l'Olam Chasdo
Pitchu Lee Sha'arei Tzedek
A'vo Vam Odeh Yah
O'zee v'Zimrat Yah va'Yihee Lee
Leeshu'ah
Zeh haYom Asa Adonai
Nageela v'Nismicha Bo
Ana Adonai Hoshee'ah Na
Ana Adonai Hoshee'ah Na
Ana Adonai Hatzlicha Na
Ana Adonai Hatzlicha Na
Hodu la'Adonai Key Tov
Key l'Olam Chasdo
A new season is arriving
Bearing its own delicacies
Its own music
Its own guidebook
Out of Egypt
Into the wilderness
Toward a distant mountain.
Seeking You in the fragrant night air
Finding our way by the moon's clear light.
Turning away from enslavement to a false and narrow world.
Pursuing a life of Torah in the broad spaces of Your Majesty.
You loved us, desired us,
You gave us this joyous season.
In our festival souls.
Be present with us this night.
Keep us in mind for blessing.
Guide us to the mountain of Your truth.
Help us close.
make peace for us, for all Israel and all who inhabit the earth. Amen.
