Shavuot Prayers

Shavuot customs include staying up all night studying Torah (Tikkun Leil Shavuot), reciting Akdamut (an Aramaic poem) before the Torah reading, reading the Book of Ruth, reciting Yizkor (memorial prayers), and saying Hallel. The Ten Commandments are read from the Torah.

The Book of Ruth is read on Shavuot for several reasons: Ruth accepted the Torah and converted to Judaism, the story takes place during the harvest season, Ruth was an ancestor of King David (who was born and died on Shavuot), and her dedication to Torah values exemplifies the commitment we celebrate on this holiday.

Tikkun Leil Shavuot is the custom of staying up all night on the first night of Shavuot to study Torah. This tradition commemorates the Israelites who overslept on the morning of receiving the Torah and had to be awakened by God. By staying awake, we demonstrate our eagerness to receive the Torah.

Several reasons are given for eating dairy on Shavuot: after receiving the Torah with its kosher laws, the Israelites could not eat their existing meat dishes; the Torah is compared to milk and honey; the numerical value of the Hebrew word for milk (chalav) equals 40, corresponding to Moses's 40 days on Mount Sinai.