Deuteronomy 16:10-12
וְעָשִׂיתָ חַג שָׁבֻעוֹת לַה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ מִסַּת נִדְבַת יָדְךָ אֲשֶׁר תִּתֵּן כַּאֲשֶׁר יְבָרֶכְךָ ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ: וְשָׂמַחְתָּ לִפְנֵי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אַתָּה וּבִנְךָ וּבִתֶּךָ וְעַבְדְּךָ וַאֲמָתֶךָ וְהַלֵּוִי אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ וְהַגֵּר וְהַיָּתוֹם וְהָאַלְמָנָה אֲשֶׁר בְּקִרְבֶּךָ בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְשַׁכֵּן שְׁמוֹ שָׁם: וְזָכַרְתָּ כִּי עֶבֶד הָיִיתָ בְּמִצְרָיִם וְשָׁמַרְתָּ וְעָשִׂיתָ אֶת הַחֻקִּים הָאֵלֶּה:
Then you shall observe the Feast of Weeks for Adonai your God, offering your freewill contribution according as Adonai your God has blessed you. You shall rejoice before Adonai your God with your son and daughter, your male and female slave, the Levite in your communities, and the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow in your midst, at the place where Adonai your God will choose to establish God's name. Bear in mind that you were slaves in Egypt, and take care to obey these laws. [JPS translation edited for gender neutrality]

Suggested Discussion Questions:

1. Why does the Bible require that all different classes of people celebrate together?

2. Does the celebration of the Feast of Weeks strengthen or weaken the social categories in society, if carried out as outlined here?

3. What is the connection between being strangers in Egypt and the commands of this verse?

Time Period: Biblical (early ancestors to 165 BCE)