Being a food enthusiast at heart, I always associate holidays with the delicious food I’ll be enjoying: latkes on Hanukkah, apples and honey on Rosh Hashanah, matzah ball soup on Passover. Shavuot has its own array of delectable dairy desserts. Ironically, many of us struggle with dairy intolerance, and as a vegan myself, Shavuot doesn’t offer many options. According to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA), “Shavuot’s dairy diet is a test of intestinal fortitude.”1 Nevertheless, even for those unable to partake in the dairy-filled treats of Shavuot, we can still reflect on the symbolism behind the food, which can be just as enjoyable (maybe not, but let’s go with it!).
Food is a universal necessity that brings people together and helps us connect with deeper meanings, cultural traditions, and symbolism. There is something fundamental and unifying about food. Traditional foods always carry significance. The customary foods of Shavuot have been linked to various interpretations, from the Israelites adapting to the new laws of kashrut and mystical numerology, to Shavuot coinciding with the season of cow weaning.2
Milk and honey symbolized hope and abundance amidst hardship.
Milk plays a symbolic role in the promise God made to Moses and the Israelites in the book of Exodus about a land “flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:8, 17, 13:5, 33:3). This phrase appears approximately 20 times in the Hebrew Scriptures. The imagery of milk and honey represented hope and abundance in contrast to the bitterness and scarcity experienced by the Israelites in Egyptian slavery.3 Milk symbolized the fertility and abundance they would enjoy in their community and land, while honey symbolized the sweetness of unity with each other and with God.
“I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey.” (Exodus 3:8)
The land was a gift from God with the expectation that His people would turn their hearts towards Him. David, reflecting on the perfection of God’s Law, declared, “More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb” (Psalm 19:10). The food we consume on Shavuot serves as a reminder of the significance of the holiday: God has given us His laws for our sustenance and spiritual nourishment. On Shavuot, we commemorate the giving of God’s Law, acknowledging that His Law is good, sweet, and nourishing for our souls.
Partaking in traditional food connects us to a spiritual reality.
When we indulge in sweet, milky treats on Shavuot, we are reminded of the tangible presence of God. Eating traditional food provides a physical experience that connects us to a spiritual reality; it serves as a tactile reminder that God is near and present. Each generation that upholds this tradition is reminded that our God is not distant or foreign. David also encourages us to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8).
Knowing God is experiential. Shavuot underscores that God is relational and personal. Just as our senses delight in a delicious cheesecake, knowing God should fill all our senses with joy.
In the New Testament, the apostle Peter urges us to desire spiritual nourishment: “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2:2–3). God’s Word is essential for our spiritual growth, sustenance, and nourishment. So, as we savor our kugels, blintzes, and cheesecakes, let’s remember that it is God who sustains us. His Word and Law are sweet and satisfying to our weary souls.
Endnotes
1. For lactose intolerant Jews, Shavuot’s dairy diet is a test of intestinal fortitude
3. Was the Promised Land Really Flowing with Milk and Honey?