* * * Shavuot 5775 is celebrated for one day in Israel (Sunday May 24, 2015) and for two days outside of Israel (Sunday-Monday, May 24-25, 2015).
A message from Rav Cherki about the universality of Shavuot:
There are 620 letters in the Ten Commandments, corresponding to the 613 mitzvot of the Torah and the additional 7 mizvot of Bnei Noach. The Torah cannot be given to Israel unless it has at least one universal branch. Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, came in the name of all of humanity to participate in the momentous event of the giving of the Torah. G-d offered the Torah to the other nations, but most of the people rejected it. But, as the Polish Count Pototzky said, “Today it is possible to be a Ben Noach and to accept the Torah.” This means that the holiday of receiving the Torah is not just for the Jews but is a celebration for the entire world.
Note: If you do not see English subtitles in the following film, press the “captions/subtitle” button at the bottom of the youtube movie screen.
