Published: Thursday, July 3, 2008 8:42 AM EDT
ROCKAWAY TWP. - An all-night study session took place at the Chabad Center of Northwest New Jersey starting at 11:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 8, to commemorate 3320 years since the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. The all-night study session included a host of topics, ranging from history to philosophy to Kabbalistic and Talmudic thought. The program is open to the entire community and refreshments will be served throughout the night.
The Biblical holiday commemorating the Torah’s giving is called Shavuot. It started at sundown of June 8 and continues through nightfall of June 10. It is customary for Jewish people to remain awake in study during the first night of Shavuot. The Chabad Center is located at One Torah Way in Rockaway Township.
On Monday morning, June 9, a synagogue service, was highlighted by the reading of the Ten Commandments from a kosher Torah Scroll The synagogue service was followed by an elaborate dairy luncheon and an ice cream party geared especially for children.
“The all night study session is always a highlight of the year. Each person decides their own level of participation. Some will stay only for a short while and some will stay until 4 am, but the cohesiveness and inspirational atmosphere affects everyone who attended,” said Rabbi Asher Herson, Chabad’s Regional Director.
“The reason for the dairy meal goes back to the circumstances that existed when the Torah was first given. One of the Torah’s Commandments is the laws of kosher. Kosher preparation of meat, and meat utensils, is more involved than preparing kosher dairy. For the first duration of time after receiving the Torah, until they had time to prepare kosher meat, the Jewish people ate only dairy in observance of the Torah’s kosher laws,” said Herson.
“A beautiful aspect of the Shavuot holiday is the emphasis placed on children”, continued Rabbi Herson. “When the Al-mighty asked what guarantee the Jewish people would offer to assure the perpetuity of the Torah’s study and observance they responded ‘our children will be our guarantors’. It is therefore a time honored custom to bring even infants to share in the special reading of the Ten Commandments.”
The ice cream party that follows wa held in their honor.
This emphasis also reminds us as to the importance of educating our children with extensive Torah knowledge and values which will carry on for many generations to come”.
For further information or to learn more about Chabad, call 973-625-1525 x227 or visit OneTorahWay.org.
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