On the last day of his life, Moses inscribed the Torah on parchment scrolls. This written Torah was preceded by an engraved Torah: forty years earlier, at Mount Sinai, the Divine law was given to us in the form of Ten Commandments

etched by the hand of G-d in two tablets of stone.

When something is written, the substance of the letters that express it—the ink—remains a separate entity from the substance upon which they have been set—the parchment. On the other hand, letters engraved in

stone are forged in it: the words are stone and the stone is words.

There is an aspect of Torah that is

“inked” on our soul: we understand it, our emotions are roused by it; it becomes our lifestyle or even our “personality”; but it remains something additional to our selves. Then there is the quintessential self. At the core of every soul of every Jew, the spark of G-dliness remains constant, unchangeable and unaffected. This is a dimension of Torah that is engraved in our being and expresses a bond with G-d that is the very essence of the Jewish soul.

Let us access our true, innate selves this Shavuot, and accept the Torah’s engraving on our hearts.

The publication contains sacred writings. Please don’t desecrate it. However, it is not considered shaimos.© 2015 by The Shluchim Office. Design & Photography © 2015 by Spotlight Design.

Baruch Atah Ado-noi, Elo-hei-nu Melech Ha-olam, Asher Ki-de-sha-nu Be-mitz-vo-sav, Ve-tzi-vanu

Le-had-lik Ner Shel Shabbos Kodesh.

Blessed are You, Lord our G-d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and

commanded us to kindle the Yom Tov light.

Baruch Atah Ado-noi, Elo-hei-nu Melech Ha-olam, Asher Ki-de-sha-nu Be-mitz-vo-sav, Ve-tzi-vanu

Le-had-lik Ner Shel Yom Tov.

Blessed are You, Lord our G-d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and

commanded us to kindle the Yom Tov light.

Baruch Atah Ado-noi, Elo-hei-nu Melech Ha-olam, She-heh-chi-yah-nu Ve-ki-ye-mahnu

Ve-hi-gi-ahnu Liz-man Ha-zeh.

Blessed are You, Lord our G-d, King of the universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and

enabled us to reach this occasion

e

Written & Engraved

Blessing #1

Blessing #2

Blessing #3

H O L I D A Y C A L E N D A R

A message based on the

teachings of the

LubavitcherRebbe נו ש ר קד לך העולם, אש ינו מ ה ה‘, אלק רוך את ב

ת קודש. ב ל ש נו להדליק נר ש מצותיו, וצו ב

נו ש ר קד לך העולם, אש ינו מ ה ה‘, אלק רוך את בל יום טוב. נו להדליק נר ש מצותיו, וצו ב

נו מ נו וקי החי לך העולם, ש ינו מ ה ה‘, אלק רוך את בה. נו לזמן הז יע והג

Blessings

OPEN FOR A FRESH SLICEof holiday meaning and insight—including the special Shavuot connection to cheese!

Shavuotexperience

6–7 Sivan, 5775May 24–25, 2015

with Chabad Lubavi tch of your town

ב״ה

Friday, May 22, 2015Light Candles at 0:00 pmSay Blessings 1

Evening Services: 0:00 pm

Saturday, May 23, 2015Morning Services: 0:00 amEvening Services: 0:00 pmLight Candles after 0:00 pmAll-Night Learnathon: 0:00 pm Light only from a pre-existing flame.

Say Blessings 2 & 3

Sunday, May 24, 2015 Morning Services: 0:00 amReading of the Ten Commandments 0:00 am Followed by a dairy buffet Light Candles after 0:00 pmLight only from a pre-existing flame.

Say Blessings 2 & 3

Monday, May 25, 2015Morning Services: 0:00 amYizkor Memorial Services: 0:00 amHoliday ends: 0:00 pm

Dear Friend, We all know the feeling. Every so often we arrive at a “Special Day” in our Diary.

We look forward to this day with anticipation, and more often than not we wait for it as a “guarded secret”. It is a special day for which we are waiting, but we also know that not everyone around us shares our secret. Sadly, for them it is not special.

As a People we collectively have such a day. It is Our Day. It is the day on which we became a People; and, those who are around us but not part of our People, will not un-derstand why we regard it so special.

This “day” is Shavuot. It comes at the beginning of the summer, but that is not what makes Shavuot special.

Shavuot is the day on which G-d showed us that he had chosen us as His People! Shavuot is the day on which, 3,327 years ago, G-d came down onto Mount Sinai and SPOKE to us! He gave us His holiest gift, the Torah!

On Shavuot, we commemorate and celebrate our “Special Day”. Each of us has their own way of celebrating Shavuot. Whichever way we celebrate, we make sure to include our children, because we received the Torah in their merit and they are our future.

Wishing you a Happy Shavuot, and a Happy “Receiving of the Torah”.

Sincerely,

Rabbi Chabad LubavitcherDirector, Chabad of Your town

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mistakenly) thought that they would be best able to receive the Torah if their souls were not constrained by the physical body, and able to tap into subconscious realms beyond the mind. In truth, G-d wants us to be present, and “awake”, using the physical to transform this world into a holy place.

We compensate for their misjudgment by staying up the entire first night of Shavuot studying Torah. Your local Chabad center is sure to be hosting an all-night Torah-fest, complete with interesting lectures and discussion, plus lots of delicious treats.

Shavuot and KidsBefore giving the Torah, G-d asked the Jews for a guarantor to ensure its perpetuation, and they responded: “Our children.” That’s why, throughout history, the Torah has been transmitted through our kids—because they are our very future. Children naturally absorb the Torah’s moral concepts, which is why children of all ages, even infants, should go to synagogue to hear the reading of the Ten Commandments on Shavuot, reliving the event as we experienced it the first time.

THE HOLIDAY OF SHAVUOT celebrates G-d’s rendezvous with the Jewish people over 3,300 years ago at a humble mountain called Sinai. It was the first and only time the Creator communicated with an entire nation. G-d gave the Jews the Torah a mere fifty days after leaving Egypt, entrusting a nation of former slaves with the cosmic mission of bringing Divine light to the universe.

This moment and mission are celebrated on Shavuot, as we rededicate ourselves to our spiritual task. We stay awake all night studying Torah on the eve of Shavuot (Saturday Night, May 23, 2015), and everyone, even the youngest kids, listens to the reading of the Ten Commandments on Shavuot morning (Sunday, May 24, 2015).

ShavuotShavuot means “weeks,” referring to the seven weeks our ancestors counted between the Exodus from Egypt and the giving of the Torah. Today we count as well, reciting a

special blessing and prayer on each of the 49 consecutive nights between Passover and Shavuot. This counting is in preparation for receiving the Torah on the Torah-giving commemorative holiday, Shavuot itself.

The TorahTorah is G-d’s wisdom, an expression of His essence. G-d created the universe so that the Torah’s ideals could be actualized. The Torah, as we experience it, is Divine wisdom distilled for consumption by the human mind.

By studying Torah’s laws, logic and stories, it becomes possible to wrap our rational human mind around Divine concepts.

Torah is the soul’s best nourishment. So study whenever you have time, ideally twice a day: morning and evening. The internet is a great place to begin. For starters, check out chabad.org.

Pull an All-NighterOur ancestors slept late the morning they received the Torah. They sincerely (but

In addition to the observances common to all Jewish holidays, Shavuot is marked with a number of unique customs

א1. “I am the Lord

your G-d Who brought you out of the land of Egypt,

out of the house of bondage.”

ב2.“You shall have

no other gods before Me.”

ג3.“You shall not

take the name of the Lord your G-d

in vain; for the Lord will not hold him

guiltless that takes His name in vain.”

ד4.“Remember the

Sabbath Day, to keep it holy.”

ה5.“Honor your

father and mother.”

ו6.“You shall not murder.”

ז7.“You shall not commit adultery.”

ח8.“You shall not steal.”

ט9.“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”

י10.“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, his manservant, his maid-servant, his ox, his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”

INGREDIENTS:3 medium eggplants,

about 3 lb

Olive oil

2 cups of your favorite

prepared marinara sauce or

create your own.

16 oz Ricotta cheese

1/2 cup shredded

Mozzarella cheese

2 garlic cloves, minced

5 basil leaves, shredded

1 egg, lightly beaten

Salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:Eggplant: Preheat broiler to high. Remove the topsof the eggplants. Cut into 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick slicesvertically, from top to bottom. Brush a large bakingsheet with a little olive oil. Place the slices, in batches,on the sheet. Season lightly with salt and pepper,drizzle with a little olive oil. Place on rack 4-inchesfrom broiler and broil until lightly browned andsoftened, about 4 minutes per side. Remove and letcool slightly.

STUFFING: Meanwhile, prepare the cheese stuffing. In a medium bowl, mix together the ricotta and mozzarella cheeses. Add the garlic, basil, eggs, salt and pepper. Mix well to combine.

TO ASSEMBLE: Preheat oven to 375° F. Lightly grease a13x9x2-inch baking pan with spray or olive oil. Spreadabout 1/4 cup of the sauce in the bottom of the pan.Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture onthe short end of an eggplant slice and roll. Place inbaking pan, seam side down. Continue with theremaining eggplant slices and cheese. Spread 1 cup ofthe remaining sauce on top and bake until hot andbubbly, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and letrest about 5 minutes before serving.

Eggplant RollatiniGO GREENAnother tried-and-true custom is to decorate Jewish homes and synagogues with floral arrangements, symbolizing the flowers that miraculously popped up all over Mt. Sinai (in the desert!) at the Torah’s giving.

ENJOY A DAIRY MEALWhen the Torah was given, the Jews immediately became obligated to observe its food laws, but their existing utensils did not meet the newly-taught kosher standards, so they quickly threw together a dairy meal. To remember this dedication to Torah law, we traditionally enjoy a dairy meal on Shavuot.

YIZKORAs on other holidays, after the Torah reading on the second day of Shavuot, Monday, May 25, 2015, we recite the Yizkor memorial prayer for loved ones who have passed on.

READ THE BOOK OF RUTHOn that first historical Shavuot, all Jews “converted” to Judaism by accepting the Torah and its laws. That’s why many synagogues customarily read the Book of Ruth on the second day of Shavuot, revisiting the saga of a sincere convert who embraced Judaism with all her heart.

Dawn. On a Shabbat day. Six days into the month of Sivan. 2,448 years after Adam

and Eve were created. 3,327 years ago. G-d descended onto Mt. Sinai and gave the

Ten Commandments.

The

T H E

COM

MANDMEN

TS

10CelebrateTAKE IN THE TEN COMMANDMENTSRelive the original Sinai experience on the first day of Shavuot, Sunday, May 24, 2015, by hearing the Ten Commandments read in the synagogue directly from the Torah scroll. Make sure to bring the kids!

THE ALL-NIGHTERStay up the entire first night of Shavuot studying Torah in preparation for receiving it the next day.

Torahof the

How to

Dairy Delight