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.
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. Second, Shavuos is the birthday and day of passing of King David, the great-grandchild 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 like 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 ).
In T’hilim, David HaMelech declares “They [mitzvos] are more desirable than “paz” (gold). In Hebrew, the letters ‘p-a-z’ have the numerical value of 87. Eighty-seven is the number of positive mitzvos that can possibly be performed nowadays without the Beis HaMikdash. They include the observance of the holidays, performance of a bris milah, chupah ceremonies, loving a friend, giving tz’dakah, reciting the Sh’ma, putting on t’filin, saying Birkas HaMazon, observing Shabbos, learning Torah, etc. Shavuos is a great time to improve one’s observance of mitzvos.
List of People Who Need a R’fuah Sh’leimah (a complete recovery)
Please recite Psalms 20, 30, 88, 121, and 130.
Shmuel Moshe ben Peninah
Yosef ben Leah
Aharon Mordechai ben Sharon
Eliyahu ben Miriam
Moshe ben Rachel
Michael Uram ben Raya Rachel
Nisan ben Yael
Nissim ben Devorah
Yehoshua ben Miriam
Mordechai ben Rachel Anba
Yehoshua ben Fruma
Yisrael Meir ben Etta Rachel
Masoud Meir ben Etta Rachel
Moshe ben Mazal
Yechezkel ben Esther Serel
Yitzchak Chaim ben Sarah
Shimon ben Mercedes
Eliyahu ben Margalit
Yosef ben Nosrat
Yosef Gidon Yaakov ben Peninah
Moshe Chaim ben Shulamis
Efraim ben Leah
Ezra Refael ben Taoos Miriam
Yechiel HaLevi ben Rachel
Yaakov Reuven ben Brachah
Yaakov ben Simchah
Velvel Wolf Z’ev ben Leah
Arkady Avraham ben Mazal
Frieda Malkah bas Sarah
Tinokey bas Rivkah
Malkah bas Reich Shifrah
Rachel bas Yehudis Binah Baila
Tovah Yocheved bas Esther Bukas
Ruchama Perel Malkah Leah bas Chanah Serel
Esther Hadassah bas Devorah
Alizah bas Miriam
Chanah Elianah bas Naomi
Adele bas Adi
Orah bas Naomi
Chayah Brachah bas Miriam
Sally Ronit bas Taoos Miriam
Sarah Raizel bas Esther Leah
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.