"Shavuot! Laws!!! WOOHOO!!!"...said no one ever. So... why should we be excited about celebrating Shavuot? About the day when we honor the giving of the Torah? A super pious person might say: "We're rejoicing in the obligations that God placed upon us!", and while that sounds really nice and religious, let's get real: those laws are burdensome. So why are we pretending that they're so great? And when you think about when God imposed these mitzvot on us, you have to ask: Wasn't it pretty lousy timing? We received the Torah fewer than two months after leaving bondage in Egypt. It's like we just got done celebrating our freedom from one master, from Pharaoh, and all of a sudden, God swoops in and says, "It's nice being free, huh? BAM!! 613 laws. You answer to Me now. Say bye-bye to your freedom. How do you like that?" And... that's what we're celebrating on Shavuot??! Look, no one's suggesting that we defy God. He's... God. The laws are the laws. But do we really have to be excited about it? Watch this video and get excited about why we celebrate Shavuot. For real. Discover other great Shavuot videos at Aleph Beta, including ‘The Origin of Shavuot’, ‘Our Guide To Celebrating Shavuot’, and more Shavuot Divrei Torah & Videos!

Rabbi Fohrman takes another look at Jericho, showing how the land is set aside to remind us that the land is not ours. Using this idea, he reconciles the Biblical Shavuot with rabbinic Shavuot, showing how the agricultural elements and commemoration of Sinai really connect to the same idea, that of our relationship with God, and concluding with a push to personally connect to the holiday through our own “fruits.”

Rabbi Fohrman continues his exploration with a focus on Pesach and The Omer Offering. He demonstrates the connections between the concept of Shabbat as a rest from the act of creation in regards to Pesach and the Omer. In this lecture he shows how the Pesach is the Shabbat from agriculture, in particular the creative act of making bread. 

Rabbi Fohrman explores the two journeys that we see Abraham making in Genesis. The first is the external journey to the Promised Land. The second is the internal journey  that Abraham takes as he tries to fulfill his dream to carry on his brother's legacy. 

Join Rabbi Fohrman in his pre-Shavuot learning event and get ready for the holiday. This live recording took place on June 1, 2022.

Rabbi Fohrman looks closely at the connections between Shavuot and Yovel as well as Revelation at Sinai, comparing specific language and imagery, suggesting that perhaps Shavuot is like the Jubilee that occurs every year, and asking, why?

Why do we count the Omer? A common answer is that we're counting down the days until we get to Sinai. But the Omer doesn't count down- it counts up. We don't say '8 days left to Sinai' we say '42 days are gone since we offered the Omer offering'. So what is this count about anyway? In this series, Rabbi Fohrman traces the roots of the Omer offering, taking us into a journey that explores the meaning of brick-making and bread-making, and the significance of both of these to the newly freed Israelites. What emerges is a view of the Omer that makes this offering a touchstone for an understanding of freedom, the Sabbath, and of law itself in our society.

If you were asked what we remember on Shavuot, what would you say? The giving of the Torah, right? But did you know that in the Biblical commandment to celebrate Shavuot, there is NO MENTION of the giving of the Torah?! The Torah describes the origin of Shavuot, it tells us that it's a harvest holiday, a day to remember that God took us out of Egypt, a day to be joyful with our families and workers – but absolutely nothing about receiving the Torah! So how did we get to Shavuot as we know it? Ah, we have the rabbis to thank for that. The rabbis come along, in the pages of the Talmud, and spin this story for us: about how Shavuot isn’t just a harvest festival, it’s the commemoration of when we stood at Mount Sinai!! So is this what Shavuot really celebrates? Now, the Torah tells us that we’re supposed to listen to the rabbis... but it’s times like these that make you wonder: “Where are they coming up with this stuff? And who do they think they are? Making a decree is one thing, but you can’t just decide that a holiday means something that it doesn’t. It’s God’s call, not theirs, right? Is there any appeals process here?" It’s true, the Torah’s description of Shavuot's origin says nothing about the giving of the Torah — but there are echoes to be found elsewhere in the Torah, echoes that do suggest this very link. In this video, Rabbi Fohrman embarks upon a sweeping journey, closing the mysterious gap between the Biblical Shavuot and the Shavuot as we know it — and most importantly — discovering the hidden depth in this all-important holiday. Discover other great Shavuot videos at Aleph Beta, including ‘The Hidden Structure of the Ten Commandments’, ‘The Book of Ruth’, and ‘Our Guide To Celebrating Shavuot’

Rabbi Fohrman looks closely at the manna's laws and shows how they helped to train the people of Israel for the laws of the Torah.

Rabbi Fohrman explores the psychological abuse the slaves endured under the reign of Pharaoh and its lasting impact.

Rabbi Fohrman connects the early stories in Genesis to Megillat Ruth and explains how Ruth's actions are a culmination of the dream that Abraham had so many years before. By delving deeper into the Megilla we are able to discern what the Jewish people's mission statement really is.

On the surface, the book of Ruth seems like an unusual choice to read on Shavuot. After all, Shavuot is the day the Jewish people recall standing at Mount Sinai and receiving the Torah from God. It’s an awesome occasion, commemorating our spiritual pinnacle as a people! What does a 'day in the life of Beit Lechem' have anything to do with that? Rabbi Fohrman takes a closer look at Megillat Ruth and begins to uncover the ways in which Ruth's story is much deeper than it appears. Discover other great Shavuot videos at Aleph Beta, including ‘The Hidden Structure of the Ten Commandments’, ‘The Scandalous Backstory of Boaz & Ruth’, and ‘Why Do We Celebrate Shavuot Laws’.