Shavuos is the culmination of the seven-week-long “counting of the Omer” that occurs following Pesach. The very name “Shavuos” means “weeks,” in recognition of the weeks of anticipation leading up to the Har Sinai experience. Shavuos commemorates Hashem giving the Torah to B’nei Yisrael. During the holiday prayer services, we read the story of the Revelation at Mount Sinai and the giving of the Ten Commandments. On the second day of Shavuos, we read Megillas Rus (the Book of Ruth).
It is appropriate to read the Book of Ruth on Shavuos for two reasons: First, because Shavuos is known as Chag HaKatzir – the harvest festival. Megillas Rus gives us a picture of how the poor were treated in the harvest season with sympathy and love. Secondly, because Shavuos is the birthday and day of passing of King David, the great-grandson of Ruth and Boaz. In the Book of Ruth, we are shown the origin of the House of David – King David was the great-grandson of Ruth and Boaz. When we read Megillas Rus, we recognize that Ruth is Eim HaMalchus – the Mother of the Kingdom. She is also the quintessence of a true convert; on Shavuos we recognize that just as we accepted the Torah, converts to Judaism accepted it, as well, at Har Sinai.
Since there is a special connection between Shavuos and David HaMelech, many have the custom to read the entire book of T’hilim during this time (Ben Ish Chai, BaMidbar). Other Shavuos customs include staying up all night to study the Torah on the first night. One of the reasons given for this custom is that it is to “make up” for going to sleep the night we received the Torah. Another beautiful custom is decorating the synagogue on Shavuos with flowers and greens, because of the vegetation on Mount Sinai. There is a tasty custom of eating dairy foods on the first day of Shavuos. One explanation for the custom is that since the Torah was given on Shabbos, and sh’chitah could not be done on Shabbos, the Jews had to eat dairy.
List of People Who Need
a R’fuah Sh’leimah
(a complete recovery)
Please recite Psalms 20, 30, 88, 121, and 130.
Boris Baruch ben Frecha Frida
Alter Shmuel ben Chavah Leah
Chaim Avraham ben Shifrah Zisel
Chaim ben Malkah
Yehudah Yudel ben Miriam Gittel
David ben Rachel
Yisrael Zundel ben Miriam
Steven David ben Violette
Baruch Avraham ben Helen
Shimon ben Sarah
Yaakov Dov ben Priva
David Yosef Elimelech ben Elisheva Hinda
Yisachar David ben Chayah Brachah
Matisyahu Yeshayahu ben Chanah Chinka
Ariel Shmuel ben Leah
Yonah Gedaliah ben Pesha
Nasan ben Naamah
Alan ben Leah Angela
Yehoshua ben Miriam
Tzvi ben Miriam Rachel
Dov ben Leah
Avraham Zev ben Sarah
Rabbi Aryeh Malkiel ben Lishel
Yosef Azriel ben Chayah Michal
Yosef Yitzchak Isaac ben Chayah Gitel
Yisachar Dov Berish ben Feiga Golda
Aharon ben Faiga
Yosef Ezriel ben Chayah Michal
Menachem Mendel ben Gitta Perel
Tovah Yocheved bas Esther Bukas
Chayah Shoshanah Tovah bas Esther
Ruchamah Perel Malkah Leah bas Chanah Serel
Gittel bas Sarah
Esther Hadassah bas Devorah
Perel bas Nechamah
Mechelina Simchah bas Rinah
Rachel Leah bas Sarah
Tehillah Hadassah bas Elanah
Rachel Leah bas Sarah
Hadas bas Ora
Yael bas Ruth
Esther bas Nacha
Orana bas Suzan
Chavah Leah bas Esther
Mazal bas Malkah
Shirah bas Devorah Leah
Miriam bas Rachel
Julie Neshla bas Jamileh
Chavah Leah bas Esther
Dinah bas Yocheved
Elisheva bas Miriam
To add names of individuals who need a r’fuah sh’leimah to next week’s T’hilim column, please email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and complete the Google form.