Shavuot is both an agricultural holiday and a commemoration of the People of Israel receiving the Torah. It is often celebrated by eating dairy foods and staying up all night to study. With so many rich themes to explore, we put together a roundup of resources on the meaning and customs of Shavuot.
Shavuot Topic Pages
You can use our topic pages to explore themes of the holiday through original text sources. Get started with #Shavuot, #Torah Study, #Ruth, #Bikkurim, or #Mount Sinai.
Recommended Source Sheets
Look into a curious detail of the Torah revelation story with a source sheet by Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks on kindness and truth.
Where does the Shavuot custom of eating dairy (and specifically cheesecake!) come from? Explore a few perspectives.
Learn about the origins of Tikkun Leil Shavuot, the practice of studying Torah all night.
The Sefaria Torah Talks collection includes conversations with a variety of award-winning scholars.
Exploring the Book of Ruth
The Book of Ruth is traditionally read on Shavuot. There are several ways to study this text on Sefaria:
- Read the original text in Hebrew or English translation. Click on any passage to open the resource panel and find related texts.
- Delve into Ruth Rabbah, a book of verse-by-verse interpretations of Ruth. We’re pleased to carry it in Hebrew and in a new Sefaria-commissioned English edition!
- Use our Ruth Rabbah guided learning collection to pull out prominent themes, quotes, and questions for reflection.
Texts for Advanced Study
Consider the inner world of Moses, a central figure in the story of receiving the Torah, with Dr. Avivah Zornberg's Moses: A Human Life. This 21st-century portrait draws on traditional commentaries and psychoanalytical sources.
Learn about Shavuot customs from a halakhic (legal) perspective in Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim. Continue your exploration with Mishnah Berurah on dairy foods and Tikkun Leil Shavuot.
Happy learning, and chag sameach!