Shavuot
I Did Not Know That!
There is a custom to eat dairy on Shavuot. Pharaoh's daughter drew Moshe out of the water on the 6th of Sivan, and he was willing to be nursed only by a Hebrew woman. Therefore, we recall Moshe's merit on Shavuot by eating milk foods. Furthermore, the numerical values of the letters of the Hebrew word chalav (milk) add up to 40, corresponding to the 40 days Moshe spent on Mount Sinai.
*Sefer Matamim, Rabbi Shimshon of Ostropol
The Scroll of Ruth and Seven Reasons
Here are seven reasons why we read the Megillah of Ruth on Shavuos:
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The events occurred during the harvest season. Shavuos is the harvest festival.
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Ruth was a convert to Judaism. Conversion is an individual Kabbalas HaTorah.
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Ruth the Moabite was permitted to marry Boaz, based on a drasha (a teaching of the Oral Law) of the verse, "A Moabite may not marry into the Congregation of Hashem" (Devarim 23:4). This hints at the unity between the Written Torah and the Oral Torah.
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David Hamelech was born on Shavuos. The Megillah of Ruth concludes with David's lineage.
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To teach the greatness of gemillus chassadim - acts of loving-kindness.
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To teach that the Torah is acquired only through affliction and poverty.
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The name "Ruth" has the numerical value of 606. At Har Sinai the Jewish People accepted 606 mitzvos, in addition to the 7 Noachide Laws which were incumbent upon them already.
