07.06.2011                      5.Siwan, 5771                      Erew Schawuot; Tag 49 des Omer

Sehenswürdigkeiten:

Sights and Insights: Shavuot at an unlikely place

The events that occurred in the Sorek Valley at wheat harvest cause us to consider the outcome of lives like the Levites of Beit-Shemesh.

Most people familiar with Shavuot associate the holiday with the Book of Ruth. After all, the most exciting events of Ruth’s story occurred during Bethlehem’s wheat harvest (Ruth 2:23). It’s no wonder today that many people include reading of the Book of Ruth as part of their celebration of Shavuot.

Although I absolutely love the Book of Ruth, Shavuot more often causes my mind to wander further west of Bethlehem—down into the Shephelah….