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CustomsOnce the Temple was destroyed, people no longer
brought bikurim, and Shavuot celebrations focused more on the giving of
the Torah on Mount Sinai. Many new customs emerged, like eating dairy
foods. Shavuot is a summer holiday, and in the summer, people often eat
light dairy foods. The Torah also gives many restrictions about eating
meat. Some Jews say that since the Torah was not yet given, they ate only
dairy foods, where there are very few restrictions. Another custom that developed over the years is to stay up all night and study Torah. According to one legend, the night before the Jews received the Torah on Mount Sinai, everyone got a good night’s sleep. When God saw this, he was disappointed. “I would have thought that they would be so excited that they couldn’t fall asleep.” Many Jews stay up and learn all night on Shavuot, to show how excited they are about receiving the Torah. |
