Torah Portion Shavuot

Pentecost, or as it is known biblically, the Feast of Weeks, Shavuot is one of the appointed times (moedim) of Yehovah, it is also one of the pilgrimage moedim. The book of Acts describes that there were Jews from all over the world in Jerusalem,

And suddenly a sound came out of the heaven, as being borne along by a violent wind! And it filled all the house where they were sitting.  (3)  And tongues as of fire appeared to them, being distributed, and it sat on each one of them. Act 2:2-3 

What were they all doing in Jerusalem?

Why were all these Jews from all over the world in Jerusalem on Pentecost? Because at that time, it was Shavuot, a pilgrimage moed, and they were obeying the instruction to go to Jerusalem.

Divorce and reconciliation

Most people today have divorced the biblical moed of Shavuot from the Pentecost occurrences in the Apostolic Writings, but when we reconcile them, we see a beautiful picture of our Elohim who doesn’t change. We learn that what happened in the time of Peter was not new, but a return to what had happened before. That is why the Jews knew it was a sign from Elohim. Here is what Jewish tradition in the Midrash says about the giving of the Torah at Sinai.

"On the occasion of the giving of the Torah, the Children of Israel not only heard the LORD’s Voice, but actually saw the sound waves as they emerged from the LORD’s mouth. They visualized them as a fiery substance. Each commandment that left the LORD’s mouth traveled around the entire camp and then came back to every Jew individually." Weissman, Moshe, The Midrash Says.

"And all the people witnessed the thunderings" (Exodus 20:15). Note that it does not say "the thunder," but "the thunderings"; wherefore R. Johanan said that God’s voice, as it was uttered, split up into seventy voices, in seventy languages, so that all the nations should understand.” Shemot Midrash Rabbah 5:9

The letter and the Spirit

Between the two occurrences, Sinai (the giving of the Torah) and Jerusalem (the Spirit poured out on all flesh); we see the fulfillment of the giving of the letter and the spirit of the Torah. We also see the correction of the error of Israel.

At Peter’s time, Israel had adopted the erroneous belief that only those born Israelites could participate in the covenant with Elohim. That idea persists today within Judaism. The opposite persists in Christianity in the idea that “the church” has inherited the blessings and “the Jews” are left with the curses. Both sides have left the Torah teaching.

Where much is given much is expected

The Torah is clear that those who have the Torah and the covenant are to be a light to others around them who do not. They are to move the unbeliever to jealousy and a desire to come into covenant and begin to obey Father’s instructions. The Torah contains the instructions that the Creator of all things gave to humans on how we are supposed to live.

Those who have the instructions are supposed to share with those who don’t, and we are all supposed to encourage each other to obey out of love for Elohim, and love for our neighbor. For on these two commandments hang all the Torah and the Prophets.