Sweetness drops From your lips, O bride; Honey and milk are under your tongue;
And the scent of your robes is like the scent of Lebanon.
— SONG OF SONGS – 4:11
Solomon describes the Torah as sweet as honey and milk.
On the holiday of Shavuot, we eat dairy foods, reminding us of the land of milk and honey. As we study Torah, we taste its sweetness and we deepen our spirituality.
Shavuot is a holiday celebrating the harvest as well as the day the Israelites received the Torah. Many stay up all night learning Torah and spiritual teachings to honor this momentous event. In celebrating the harvest, many create flower wreaths and wear them as a crown on their heads.
On Shavuot, we read about Ruth, the protagonist of the Book of Ruth. Though a Moabite foreigner, she followed her beloved Israelite mother-in-law Naomi to Bethlehem after their husbands died. She committed herself to Naomi and the Israelite people. There she found a new husband and became an ancestor of King David. I find this a fascinating story line and wonder why there aren’t more children’s books based on this story? Perhaps it could be a fun topic to explore in your writing?
Hebrew Podcasts has a great resource for Shavuot recipes and crafts: