What Makes a Jew "Jewish"?

So you're Jewish. But what makes you a Jew? Is it your skin color? Maybe it's the language you speak. What about your country of origin? Your dinner cuisine? The books you read? The music you listen to?

It's obviously none of the above. The Jewish nation is a nation like no other. We know we are all connected, but not by what binds most nations together. Not ethnicity, nationality, language (although Hebrew is the language of Israel, not all Jews speak it...as you may know personally), or even culture.

So what is the tie that binds the dark-skinned Jew from North Africa with the red-bearded Jew in Moscow? What does the West Coast Jewish filmmaker have in common with his peddler grandfather or his olive-growing ancestor? Yes, any two Jews can be as culturally or
even genetically diverse as any other two members of the human race. But the Shema recited today in a Canadian synagogue is the same Shema that was proclaimed in Egypt 3,500 years ago; the Shabbat we observe today is the same Shabbat that was observed by the Jews in the desert and the Jews in Europe three-thousand years later; the parshah we
learn in this weekly email is the same that's been studied by Jews since we became a nation.

What makes us Jews? In a word: Torah. Starting tonight at sundown, we celebrate the giving on the Torah with the holiday of Shavuot. In addition to being G-d's blueprint for creation and our manual for life, the Torah is our identity, what makes us the Jewish nation. It's what ties us to our brethren all over the world and binds us to generations past and future.

As we celebrate the giving of the Torah this Shavuot, let's remember just how central this event was to our identity. Torah is our identity. Every time we learn Torah or do a mitzvah, we're asserting the single common expression of our Jewishness, remembering who we are and the nation we are part of.

It's Good to Know-Shavuot

On Shavuot, 3318 years ago, G-d descended upon Mt. Sinai and gave us the Torah. On a spiritual plane, every year this event reoccurs-G-d once again gives us the Torah and we reaccept. Many laws and customs are associated with Shavuot. The following are the basic laws (we discussed some of the customs in last week's tmail):

Eruv Tavshilin - Although it is permitted to cook, bake, and perform most other food-preparation-related activities on Jewish holidays, one is restricted to preparing food for the same holiday day. i.e. it would be forbidden to put a roast in the oven on the afternoon of the 1st day of the holiday to be eaten that night-the 2nd night of the holiday.

The exception to this rule is if a holiday falls out on Friday-as is the case this year. In such an instance, an "Eruv Tavshilin" ceremony is preformed on the eve of the holiday - which this year will be on Thursday - which permits one to prepare food for Shabbat on Friday. Go to chabadhoboken.com/3274 for an easy guide to doing an Eruv Tavshilin.

On the first day of Shavuot, the Ten Commandments are read from the Torah in the synagogue-a reenactment of the giving of the Torah. Everyone, even infants, should be present in the synagogue for this special event.

Yizkor is said on the second day of Shavuot.

In many communities it is customary to read the scroll of Ruth on the second day of  Shavuot.

On Shavuot, we cannot usher in the holiday early, as many do on Shabbat and other holidays. This is because Shavuot must begin a full seven weeks after the 2nd day of Passover, and the seven weeks are not complete until darkness falls on the 50th night.

 On The Lighter Side...

It is the holiday of Shavuot and Rabbi Gold is conducting his very first service at one of Chicago's oldest synagogues. All is going well until the reading of the Ten Commandments - when only half the congregation stands up. Those still seated start yelling "sit down" to those standing and those standing start yelling "stand up" to those sitting. Although Rabbi Bloom is very knowledgeable, he doesn't know what to do. He thinks it must be something to do with the synagogue's tradition.

After the service, Rabbi Bloom consults Abe, the synagogue's oldest member. "I need to know, Abe, what the synagogue's tradition is with regard to the reading of the Ten Commandments. Is the tradition to stand during the reading?"

Abe replies, "No, that is not the tradition."

"So the tradition is to sit?" says Rabbi Bloom.

Abe replies, "No, that is not the tradition."

"But," says Rabbi Bloom, "my congregation argues all the time. They yell at each other about whether they should sit or stand and ..."

Abe interrupts, exclaiming, "Aha, THAT is the tradition!"