Shavuot 38 articles

Shavuot reminds us that the past is never dead. It’s not even past.

Yizkor is the memorial service recited for deceased parents and other relatives at several points throughout the year. The name of the prayer means “May He remember” (“He” being God and...

Howie Beigelman is Deputy Director of Public Policy for the OU’s IPA | Institute for Public Affairs. The following Op–Ed first appeared in New Jersey Jewish News prior to Shavuot on June 3, 2011....

The scene is familiar. An auditorium or hall is stuffed full of bodies hunched over books. In the corner, there’s a table bearing snacks and caffeinated beverages. It could be any...

There is an urgency in the two Torah commandments whose obligation is constant and ever-present, to learn Torah and to repent. The Torah is clear about this urgency in the Shema:...

Please note: Eileen Goltz is a freelance kosher food writer. The Orthodox Union makes no endorsements or representations regarding kashrut certification of various products/vendors referred to in her articles, blog, or...

One of the most fascinating halakhot of Shavuot is a halakha that isn’t: a commemoration of the historical aspect of the day, the “day of the giving of our Torah”, as...

More than once, when I really need my friend’s help and “no” is simply not an option, I’ve asked for commitment before my request. The conversation might go like this: “Can...

In a well-known passage, the Mechilta relates that the Holy One offered the Torah to the various nations of antiquity, but that all of them rejected it because of specific objections...

Shavuot nowadays has two distinct aspects. On the one hand, it is defined by the Torah as the day following fifty days of counting omer (Vayikra 23:16). On the other hand,...