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One of the more fascinating customs of the holiday is “tikkun leylShavuot” ‑ a Shavuot nightwatch, anticipating the remembrance of the divine gift of the Torah which occurred on Shavuot. This reminds us that the Israelites were encamped at the foot of Mt. Sinai for three days and nights awaiting the giving of the Torah. The Torah was given at daybreak. Our tradition relates that the Jewish people did not rise early to be prepared for that revelation, and that it was necessary for G‑d Himself to

“awaken” them. To compensate for their behavior it is customary to stay up the entire first night of Shavuot studyingTorah. Thus the reason for the name “tikkun leyl Shavuot” literally translating “to fix the night of Shavuot.”

One of the things traditionally studied on Shavuot night is a compilation of parts of both the Written and the Oral Torah, entitled Tikkun Leil Shavuot. This compilation was organized centuries ago. One noticeable feature of the compilation is that in it, each book in the

Tanach and Mishna is begun and concluded. The reason for this stems from a teaching which we see applied in the Kedusha on Shabbos where we recite the first and last verses of the S ʼ hma prayer. This is because during our exile in Persia, the king forbade the saying of S ʼ hma. In order to circumvent the decree, these verses were added to Kedusha, so it would be considered as if we had said the whole S ʼ hma prayer. Similarly on Shavuot, we learn the beginning and end of each part of the Torah, so by the

25 CHANUKAH EVENTS INCLUDING NINE PUBLIC MENORAH CELEBRATIONS TO LIGHT UP NORTHWEST CONNECTICUT, AS PART OF WORLD’S LARGEST CHANUKAH OBSERVANCE kabbaLah

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the hiLLs continued from page 1 and a closer understanding of their Creator. In this series one will learn how to channel one ʼ s powers and to unleash hidden talents in addition to being exposed to new and unique spiritual concepts. Many who have previously been introduced to Kabbalah have inquired as to why this vital information is not made more readily known to the general public.

The course will run from July 30 August 20, 2023. All sessions will be held at Chabad at 69 West Street in Litchfield at 10:30 am. Refreshments will be served.

25 CHANUKAH EVENTS INCLUDING NINE PUBLIC MENORAH CELEBRATIONS TO LIGHT UP NORTHWEST CONNECTICUT, AS PART OF WORLD’S LARGEST CHANUKAH OBSERVANCE dairy

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continued from page 1 celebrate this special day, by going to the synagogue and hearing theTen Commandments. Remember! YOU are the guarantors of theTorah. So make sure to be there! (And bring your friends and family along too).

Join us at Chabad at 69 West Street in Litchfield at 6:30 pm on Friday May 26, 2023.

After the reading of the Ten Commandments you can enjoy a dairy buffet dinner including blintzes, cheesecake and an ice cream bar.

Why eat dairy? Before the visit from G‑d, Jews did not keep kosher or follow the Kashrut (dietary) laws. It was on the first Shavuot that they found out that their utensils were non kosher and thus unfit for use. So finding themselves without kosher meats or utensils the Israelites were forced to eat only dairy foods.

Another reason we eat dairy on Shavuos is because the word “cholov” (milk) has the numerical value of forty. This corresponds to the forty days which Moses spent on Mount Sinai to receive the Torah. There is another reason that we eat dairy on Shavuos. Upon receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai, the Jewish

25 CHANUKAH EVENTS INCLUDING NINE PUBLIC MENORAH CELEBRATIONS TO LIGHT UP NORTHWEST CONNECTICUT, AS PART OF WORLD’S LARGEST CHANUKAH OBSERVANCE hands-on

at the Matzah bakery

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It is what the rabbis at Chabad jokingly call “the first fast food” Organizers take care to keep the children entertained and involved. Volunteers are called up to stand in special booths marked flour and water to show the importance of keeping the two separate. Carefully they are poured into a bowl and mixed. The second the water touches the flour, the race is on. You have only 18 minutes to get the dough kneaded, shaped, and in the oven before it turns into chametz. For the children it is a time to see the upcoming holiday in a new light.

“When I was a kid, Rabbi Eisenbach shares, “I remember reading my Haggadah (the text that establishes the order in which the exodus tale is recounted at the Passover Seder or celebratory meal) and coming across the word unleavened; I end of the night, it is as if we had learned the Torah in its entirety. “Tikkun leyl Shavuot” will take place at Chabad at 69 West Street in Litchfield. Beginning at 10:30 pm you can choose your topic, be it Talmud, Kaballah or current Jewish issues. Refreshments will be served. Members of the community are encouraged to drop by until dawn when the program will end. There is no fee but please register online at chabadNW. org/RSVP

There is no charge for the Kabbalah on the Hills series but advance registration is required. Please reserve your spot at chabadNW.org/RSVP nation was born anew. Just like a baby drinks milk from its mother, we eat milk or dairy products on Shavuos. This program is open to all members of the community, no matter oneʼs religious affiliation, and one need not be a member of any synagogue or temple to attend. There is no fee but advance registration is required a chabadNW.org/RSVP had no clue what that meant. At the matzah bakery, children learn in a hands on, participatory way the difference between that which is leavened, or raised through fermentation, and that which is not.

And it is what keeps the rabbi at the helm of this program. The entire holiday is child centric; it all comes back to the biblical verse in Exodus commanding us to teach our children about this narrative of slavery and freedom.

While the holiday is a time for all Jews to reconnect with their roots, the underlying aim is to connect Jewish children, in particular, to their heritage and history.

“It ʼ s [the matzah bakery] a way of bringing everything alive,” Rabbi Eisenbach says, “It makes it real for the kids.”