Rabbi Avigdor Tzarfati’s commentary on the Torah, France, ca.1270
The world asks why we eat בלדן on Shavuot. And it seems that there is a hint in the Torah (Numbers 28:26) “And on the day of the first fruits, when you sacrifice מנחה חדשה לה’ בשבועותיכם (a new meal offering to God on your Shavuot) – [this is] an abbreviation of חלב (milk) on Shavuot, but [פלאדן] I don’t know.
הגהות הרמ״א
...ונוהגין בכל מקום לאכול מאכלי חלב ביום ראשון של שבועות ונראה לי הטעם שהוא כמו השני תבשילין שלוקחין בליל פסח זכר לפסח וזכר לחגיגה כן אוכלים מאכל חלב ואח"כ מאכל בשר וצריכין להביא עמהם ב' לחם על השלחן שהוא במקום המזבח ויש בזה זכרון לשני הלחם שהיו מקריבין ביום הבכורים:
Gloss of Rabbi Moshe Isserles
...We have a custom everywhere to eat dairy food on the first day of Shavuot. And it seems to me that the reason is: It is like the two foods that are taken on the evening of Passover, as a reminder of the Passover sacrifice and a reminder of the Sacrifice of Rejoicing, so too we eat a dairy food followed by a meat food, and we bring with them two loaves on the table in place of the altar, and thus there will be a reminder of the two loaves that were brought on "the day of the bringing of the first fruits (bikkurim)."
(טו) וּסְפַרְתֶּ֤ם לָכֶם֙ מִמָּחֳרַ֣ת הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת מִיּוֹם֙ הֲבִ֣יאֲכֶ֔ם אֶת־עֹ֖מֶר הַתְּנוּפָ֑ה שֶׁ֥בַע שַׁבָּת֖וֹת תְּמִימֹ֥ת תִּהְיֶֽינָה׃ (טז) עַ֣ד מִֽמָּחֳרַ֤ת הַשַּׁבָּת֙ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔ת תִּסְפְּר֖וּ חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים י֑וֹם וְהִקְרַבְתֶּ֛ם מִנְחָ֥ה חֲדָשָׁ֖ה לַה'׃ (יז) מִמּוֹשְׁבֹ֨תֵיכֶ֜ם תָּבִ֣יאּוּ ׀ לֶ֣חֶם תְּנוּפָ֗ה שְׁ֚תַּיִם שְׁנֵ֣י עֶשְׂרֹנִ֔ים סֹ֣לֶת תִּהְיֶ֔ינָה חָמֵ֖ץ תֵּאָפֶ֑ינָה בִּכּוּרִ֖ים לַֽה'׃
(15) And from the day on which you bring the sheaf of elevation offering—the day after the sabbath—you shall count off seven weeks. They must be complete: (16) you must count until the day after the seventh week—fifty days; then you shall bring an offering of new grain to the LORD. (17) You shall bring from your settlements two loaves of bread as an elevation offering; each shall be made of two-tenths of a measure of choice flour, baked after leavening, as first fruits to the LORD.
(יב) {יב} מאכלי חלב - עיין מ"א ואני שמעתי עוד בשם גדול אחד שאמר טעם נכון לזה כי בעת שעמדו על הר סיני וקבלו התורה [כי בעשרת הדברות נתגלה להם עי"ז כל חלקי התורה כמו שכתב רב סעדיה גאון שבעשרת הדברות כלולה כל התורה] וירדו מן ההר לביתם לא מצאו מה לאכול תיכף כ"א מאכלי חלב כי לבשר צריך הכנה רבה לשחוט בסכין בדוק כאשר צוה ה' ולנקר חוטי החלב והדם ולהדיח ולמלוח ולבשל בכלים חדשים כי הכלים שהיו להם מקודם שבישלו בהם באותו מעל"ע נאסרו להם ע"כ בחרו להם לפי שעה מאכלי חלב ואנו עושין זכר לזה:
(12) Dairy foods - See Magen Avraham; and I also heard in the name of a Gadol who said a correct reason for this: that when Bnei Yisrael stood at Har Sinai and accepted the Torah (when the 10 commandments were revealed, and through this all the parts of the Torah were also revealed to them, like that which Rav Sadya Gaon writes, that the 10 commandments sustain the whole Torah) and they went down from the mountain to their homes they found nothing to eat immediately except for dairy foods, because for meat they would need much preparation to slaughter with a checked knife like Hashem commanded, and to clean out the strings of forbidden fats and blood, and to rinse and salt (the meat). Also to cook in new vessels because their previous vessels had been used to cook meat had been used in the last 24 hours so their old vessels were forbidden to them. Therefore they chose on account of the time to eat dairy foods, and we do this as a commemoration of this.
גם נהגו לאכול דבש וחלב בחג שבועו׳ מפני התור׳ שנמשלה לדבש וחלב כמו שכתוב דבש וחלב תחת לשונך.
It is customary to eat honey and milk on the holiday of Shavuot, because of the Torah, which is compared to milk and honey, as it says, "honey and milk are under your tongue."
(ט) לִבַּבְתִּ֖נִי אֲחֹתִ֣י כַלָּ֑ה לִבַּבְתִּ֙ינִי֙ באחד [בְּאַחַ֣ת] מֵעֵינַ֔יִךְ בְּאַחַ֥ד עֲנָ֖ק מִצַּוְּרֹנָֽיִךְ׃ (י) מַה־יָּפ֥וּ דֹדַ֖יִךְ אֲחֹתִ֣י כַלָּ֑ה מַה־טֹּ֤בוּ דֹדַ֙יִךְ֙ מִיַּ֔יִן וְרֵ֥יחַ שְׁמָנַ֖יִךְ מִכָּל־בְּשָׂמִֽים׃ (יא) נֹ֛פֶת תִּטֹּ֥פְנָה שִׂפְתוֹתַ֖יִךְ כַּלָּ֑ה דְּבַ֤שׁ וְחָלָב֙ תַּ֣חַת לְשׁוֹנֵ֔ךְ וְרֵ֥יחַ שַׂלְמֹתַ֖יִךְ כְּרֵ֥יחַ לְבָנֽוֹן׃ (ס)
(9) You have captured my heart, My own, my bride, You have captured my heart With one [glance] of your eyes, With one coil of your necklace. (10) How sweet is your love, My own, my bride! How much more delightful your love than wine, Your ointments more fragrant Than any spice! (11) Sweetness drops From your lips, O bride; Honey and milk Are under your tongue; And the scent of your robes Is like the scent of Lebanon.
(א) וְהָיָה֙ כִּֽי־תָב֣וֹא אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֙ ה' אֱלֹקֶ֔יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖ נַחֲלָ֑ה וִֽירִשְׁתָּ֖הּ וְיָשַׁ֥בְתָּ בָּֽהּ׃ (ב) וְלָקַחְתָּ֞ מֵרֵאשִׁ֣ית ׀ כׇּל־פְּרִ֣י הָאֲדָמָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר תָּבִ֧יא מֵֽאַרְצְךָ֛ אֲשֶׁ֨ר ה' אֱלֹקֶ֛יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לָ֖ךְ וְשַׂמְתָּ֣ בַטֶּ֑נֶא וְהָֽלַכְתָּ֙ אֶל־הַמָּק֔וֹם אֲשֶׁ֤ר יִבְחַר֙ ה' אֱלֹקֶ֔יךָ לְשַׁכֵּ֥ן שְׁמ֖וֹ שָֽׁם׃ (ג) וּבָאתָ֙ אֶל־הַכֹּהֵ֔ן אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִהְיֶ֖ה בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֑ם וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֵלָ֗יו הִגַּ֤דְתִּי הַיּוֹם֙ לַה' אֱלֹקֶ֔יךָ כִּי־בָ֙אתִי֙ אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר נִשְׁבַּ֧ע ה' לַאֲבֹתֵ֖ינוּ לָ֥תֶת לָֽנוּ׃ (ד) וְלָקַ֧ח הַכֹּהֵ֛ן הַטֶּ֖נֶא מִיָּדֶ֑ךָ וְהִ֨נִּיח֔וֹ לִפְנֵ֕י מִזְבַּ֖ח ה' אֱלֹקֶֽיךָ׃ (ה) וְעָנִ֨יתָ וְאָמַרְתָּ֜ לִפְנֵ֣י ׀ ה' אֱלֹקֶ֗יךָ אֲרַמִּי֙ אֹבֵ֣ד אָבִ֔י וַיֵּ֣רֶד מִצְרַ֔יְמָה וַיָּ֥גׇר שָׁ֖ם בִּמְתֵ֣י מְעָ֑ט וַֽיְהִי־שָׁ֕ם לְג֥וֹי גָּד֖וֹל עָצ֥וּם וָרָֽב׃ (ו) וַיָּרֵ֧עוּ אֹתָ֛נוּ הַמִּצְרִ֖ים וַיְעַנּ֑וּנוּ וַיִּתְּנ֥וּ עָלֵ֖ינוּ עֲבֹדָ֥ה קָשָֽׁה׃ (ז) וַנִּצְעַ֕ק אֶל־ה' אֱלֹקֵ֣י אֲבֹתֵ֑ינוּ וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע ה' אֶת־קֹלֵ֔נוּ וַיַּ֧רְא אֶת־עׇנְיֵ֛נוּ וְאֶת־עֲמָלֵ֖נוּ וְאֶֽת־לַחֲצֵֽנוּ׃ (ח) וַיּוֹצִאֵ֤נוּ ה' מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם בְּיָ֤ד חֲזָקָה֙ וּבִזְרֹ֣עַ נְטוּיָ֔ה וּבְמֹרָ֖א גָּדֹ֑ל וּבְאֹת֖וֹת וּבְמֹפְתִֽים׃ (ט) וַיְבִאֵ֖נוּ אֶל־הַמָּק֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וַיִּתֶּן־לָ֙נוּ֙ אֶת־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את אֶ֛רֶץ זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָֽשׁ׃
(1) When you enter the land that your God ה' is giving you as a heritage, and you possess it and settle in it, (2) you shall take some of every first fruit of the soil, which you harvest from the land that your God ה' is giving you, put it in a basket and go to the place where your God ה' will choose to establish the divine name. (3) You shall go to the priest in charge at that time and say to him, “I acknowledge this day before your God ה' that I have entered the land that ה' swore to our fathers to assign us.” (4) The priest shall take the basket from your hand and set it down in front of the altar of your God ה'. (5) You shall then recite as follows before your God ה': “My father was a fugitive Aramean. He went down to Egypt with meager numbers and sojourned there; but there he became a great and very populous nation. (6) The Egyptians dealt harshly with us and oppressed us; they imposed heavy labor upon us. (7) We cried to ה', the God of our ancestors, and ה' heard our plea and saw our plight, our misery, and our oppression. (8) ה' freed us from Egypt by a mighty hand, by an outstretched arm and awesome power, and by signs and portents, (9) bringing us to this place and giving us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.
רַבָּנָן אָמְרֵי כָּל מִי שֶׁאוֹמֵר דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה בָּרַבִּים וְאֵינָן עֲרֵבִין עַל שׁוֹמְעֵיהֶן כִּדְבַשׁ וְחָלָב הַמְעֹרָבִין זֶה בָּזֶה, נוֹחַ לוֹ שֶׁלֹא אֲמָרָן. רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן וְרֵישׁ לָקִישׁ, רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר כָּל מִי שֶׁאָמַר דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה בָּרַבִּים וְאֵינָן עֲרֵבִין לְשׁוֹמְעֵיהֶן כְּכַלָּה זוֹ שֶׁעֲרֵבָה עַל בְּנֵי אָדָם בְּחֻפָּתָהּ, נוֹחַ לוֹ שֶׁלֹא אֲמָרָן. רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ אָמַר כָּל מִי שֶׁאָמַר דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה וְאֵינָן עֲרֵבִין עַל שׁוֹמְעֵיהֶן כְּכַלָּה זוֹ שֶׁעֲרֵבָה עַל בַּעֲלָהּ בִּשְׁעַת חֻפָּתָהּ, נוֹחַ לוֹ שֶׁלֹא אֲמָרָן.
The Rabbis say: Anyone who says words of Torah in public, and they are not pleasant to those who hear them like honey and milk mixed together, it would have been better if they had not been said. Rabbi Yochanan and Reish Lakish: Rabbi Yochanan said: Anyone who says words of Torah in public, and they are not pleasant to those who hear them like a bride who is pleasing to all at her chuppah, it would have been better if they had not been said. Reish Lakish said: Anyone who says words of Torah in public, and they are not pleasant to those who hear them like a bride who is pleasing to her husband at her chuppah, it would have been better if they had not been said.
אמר רבי חייא בר אבא אמר רבי יוחנן מאי דכתיב נוצר תאנה יאכל פריה למה נמשלו דברי תורה כתאנה מה תאנה זו כל זמן שאדם ממשמש בה מוצא בה תאנים אף דברי תורה כל זמן שאדם הוגה בהן מוצא בהן טעם אמר רבי שמואל בר נחמני מאי דכתיב אילת אהבים ויעלת חן וגו׳ למה נמשלו דברי תורה לאילת לומר לך מה אילה רחמה צר וחביבה על בועלה כל שעה ושעה כשעה ראשונה אף דברי תורה חביבין על לומדיהן כל שעה ושעה כשעה ראשונה ויעלת חן שמעלת חן על לומדיה דדיה ירוך בכל עת למה נמשלו דברי תורה כדד מה דד זה כל זמן שהתינוק ממשמש בו מוצא בו חלב אף דברי תורה כל זמן שאדם הוגה בהן מוצא בהן טעם באהבתה תשגה תמיד
Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “He who guards the fig tree shall eat its fruit” (Proverbs 27:18)? Why were matters of Torah compared to a fig tree? Just as this fig tree, whenever a person searches it for figs to eat, he finds figs in it, as the figs on a tree do not ripen all at once, so that one can always find a recently ripened fig, so too, with matters of Torah. Whenever a person meditates upon them, he finds in them new meaning. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “A loving hind and a graceful roe, let her breasts satisfy you at all times, and be you ravished always with her love” (Proverbs 5:19)? Why were matters of Torah compared to a hind? To tell you that just as with a hind, its womb is narrow and it is cherished by its mate each and every hour like the first hour, so too, matters of Torah are cherished by those who study them each and every hour like the first hour. “And a graceful roe” is expounded as follows: That the Torah bestows grace upon those who study it. “Let her breasts satisfy you at all times”; why were matters of Torah compared to a breast? Just as with a breast, whenever a baby searches it for milk to suckle, he finds milk in it, so too, with matters of Torah.
'Rituals of Childhood: Jewish Acculturation in Medieval Europe', Ivan G. Marcus, pg. 1
At age five or six, a Jewish boy living in medieval Germany or France might begin his formal schooling by participating in a special ritual initiation ceremony. Early on the morning of the spring festival of Shavuot (Pentecost), someone wraps him in a coat or talit (prayer shawl) and carries him from his house to the teacher. The boy is seated on the teacher's lap, and the teacher shows him a tablet on which the Hebrew alphabet has been written. The teacher reads the letters first forwards, then backwards, and finally in symmetrically paired combinations, and he encourages the boy to repeat each sequence aloud. The teacher smears honey over the letters on the tablet and tells the child to lick it off.
Cakes on which biblical verses have been written are brought in. They must be baked by virgins from flour, honey, oil, and milk. Next come shelled hard-boiled eggs on which more verses have been inscribed. The teacher reads the words written on the cakes and eggs, and the boy imitates what he hears and then eats them both.
The teacher next asks the child to recite an incantation adjuring POTAH, the prince of forgetfulness (sar ha-shikhehah), to go far away and not block the boy's heart (lev; i.e., mind). The teacher also instructs the boy to sway back and forth when studying and to sing his lessons out loud.
As a reward, the child gets to eat fruit, nuts, and other delicacies. At the conclusion of the rite, the teacher leads the boy down to the riverbank and tells him that his future study of Torah, like the rushing water in the river, will never end. Doing all of these acts, we are told, will "expand the (child's) heart."
(ט) וְהוֹתִֽירְךָ֩ ה' אֱלֹקֶ֜יךָ בְּכֹ֣ל ׀ מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יָדֶ֗ךָ בִּפְרִ֨י בִטְנְךָ֜ וּבִפְרִ֧י בְהֶמְתְּךָ֛ וּבִפְרִ֥י אַדְמָתְךָ֖ לְטוֹבָ֑ה כִּ֣י ׀ יָשׁ֣וּב ה' לָשׂ֤וּשׂ עָלֶ֙יךָ֙ לְט֔וֹב כַּאֲשֶׁר־שָׂ֖שׂ עַל־אֲבֹתֶֽיךָ׃ (י) כִּ֣י תִשְׁמַ֗ע בְּקוֹל֙ ה' אֱלֹקֶ֔יךָ לִשְׁמֹ֤ר מִצְוֺתָיו֙ וְחֻקֹּתָ֔יו הַכְּתוּבָ֕ה בְּסֵ֥פֶר הַתּוֹרָ֖ה הַזֶּ֑ה כִּ֤י תָשׁוּב֙ אֶל־ה' אֱלֹקֶ֔יךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ֖ וּבְכָל־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃ (פ) (יא) כִּ֚י הַמִּצְוָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את אֲשֶׁ֛ר אָנֹכִ֥י מְצַוְּךָ֖ הַיּ֑וֹם לֹֽא־נִפְלֵ֥את הִוא֙ מִמְּךָ֔ וְלֹ֥א רְחֹקָ֖ה הִֽוא׃ (יב) לֹ֥א בַשָּׁמַ֖יִם הִ֑וא לֵאמֹ֗ר מִ֣י יַעֲלֶה־לָּ֤נוּ הַשָּׁמַ֙יְמָה֙ וְיִקָּחֶ֣הָ לָּ֔נוּ וְיַשְׁמִעֵ֥נוּ אֹתָ֖הּ וְנַעֲשֶֽׂנָּה׃ (יג) וְלֹֽא־מֵעֵ֥בֶר לַיָּ֖ם הִ֑וא לֵאמֹ֗ר מִ֣י יַעֲבָר־לָ֜נוּ אֶל־עֵ֤בֶר הַיָּם֙ וְיִקָּחֶ֣הָ לָּ֔נוּ וְיַשְׁמִעֵ֥נוּ אֹתָ֖הּ וְנַעֲשֶֽׂנָּה׃ (יד) כִּֽי־קָר֥וֹב אֵלֶ֛יךָ הַדָּבָ֖ר מְאֹ֑ד בְּפִ֥יךָ וּבִֽלְבָבְךָ֖ לַעֲשֹׂתֽוֹ׃ (ס)
(9) And the LORD your God will grant you abounding prosperity in all your undertakings, in the issue of your womb, the offspring of your cattle, and the produce of your soil. For the LORD will again delight in your well-being, as He did in that of your fathers, (10) since you will be heeding the LORD your God and keeping His commandments and laws that are recorded in this book of the Teaching—once you return to the LORD your God with all your heart and soul. (11) Surely, this Instruction which I enjoin upon you this day is not too baffling for you, nor is it beyond reach. (12) It is not in the heavens, that you should say, “Who among us can go up to the heavens and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?” (13) Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who among us can cross to the other side of the sea and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?” (14) No, the thing is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to observe it.
'Why cheesecake on Shavuot?', Aly Miller for The Nosher, myjewishlearning.com, 3/6/2016
Have you ever wondered why Shavuot, the holiday that commemorates the giving of the Torah, is celebrated with cheesecake? [...] With so many delicious dairy options to choose from--cheese boards, ice cream, grilled cheese, and cheese fondu--what makes cheesecake the food of choice on Shavuot?
Maybe it's because it's sweet, resembling the milk and honey of the Promised Land. (Early cheesecake recipes, in fact, were made with milk and honey, in Greece, and fed to the Olympian athletes.)
Or perhaps its popularity is due to the invention of New York Cheesecake. In the 1930s, Arnold Reuben, a German-Jewish restaurateur, became known not only for inventing the reuben sandwich, but also for his (genius!) decision to use cream cheese instead of milk curd in cheesecake for the first time. It was all the rage. It could follow that cheesecake immediately became a popular holiday treat in New York--especially on Shavuot, the holiday for dairy foods.
As my search for the cheesecake connection continued, I stumbled upon an article by Rabbi Ismar Schorsch, which explores why Shavuot has fewer rituals than all other Jewish holidays. He explains: "Shavuot is ritually bereft ... There is nothing comparable to the seder or Sukkah for Shavuot, no absorbing home ritual that might unite family and friends in preparation and observance."
Oddly enough, Shavuot's lack of celebratory rituals--like candles and latkes, seders and songs--might also explain the cheesecake question. Clearly, this text-centered holiday needed something fun and fancy, deliciously rich with dairy. Cheesecake, with its crust, waterbath, cooling and setting, might just be the "absorbing home ritual" that Schorsch was looking for.
'Why do Jews eat milk and dairy products on Shavuot?', Rabbi Prof. David Golinkin, shechter.edu, 10/6/2016
... This leads us to the final explanation, the simplest, which was suggested by John Cooper and Dr. Ben Elton. As Elton wrote: “The reason we have milky foods on Shavuot, is probably because the festival falls in the calving season when there is a large amount of surplus milk”. Or as Cooper said: “there was an abundance of milk at this time of year” and that in Russia “on Shavuot… there was glut of milk”. Indeed, Jeffrey Singman wrote in his Daily Life in Medieval Europe: "Milk was available principally in the spring and summer, once the calves were weaned and when fodder was plentiful. Since it did not keep well, especially in an age before refrigeration, most milk was made into butter and cheese."
Thus, it seems that the custom of eating dairy on Shavuot arose from the simple fact that there was an abundance of milk, butter and cheese in Europe in May-June. After the custom arose, our ancestors invented the beautiful explanations we have seen above. May we ponder them as we eat blintzes, borekas and cheesecake on Shavuot.