ISSUES OF FAITH: Shavuot — choosing Judaism

Published 1:30 am Friday, May 29, 2026

When the Holy One gave the Torah, no bird chirped, no fowl fluttered, no ox lowed, the angels … did not sing, the sea did not roar, the creatures did not speak; the universe was silent and mute. And the voice came forth, “I am Adonai, Your God,” (Talmud: Shemot Rabbah 29:7).

DURING THE RECENT Jewish holy day of Shavuot, seven weeks after Passover, we reflected on the story of the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. It is said that other nations were offered the Torah, but only the Israelites chose to accept it.

Ever since then, Jews have made the choice to follow the precepts in the Torah. It is important to note that rather than God choosing the Jews, from which came the problematic phrase “the chosen people,” they were the ones who chose God and took on the obligations in the Torah.

One of the traditions during Shavuot is to read the Book of Ruth, honoring her decision to leave her people, follow her mother-in-law and husband, and accept Judaism as her faith. Her dedication and sacrifice to leave all she knew to follow the Torah is remarkable and moving. Her words were the epitome of dedication.

“For where you go, I will go … your people will be my people, and your God my God,” (Ruth 1:16).

Her willingness to embrace Judaism parallels the Israelites’ willingness to accept the Torah on Sinai.

Another focus in celebrating Shavuot is that when the Israelites’ accepted the Torah, they did so even before knowing all that was in it.

Their response was “Na’aseh ve-nishma, we will do and we will hear everything the Lord has said,” (Exodus 24:7).

First they would do, then they would listen and learn. This reflects the important Jewish approach to faith where commitment and action come before full understanding.

Action has always been more important in Judaism than faith. If your life reflects holiness and you work to bring about tikun olam, repairing the world, it is enough. Faith is not as important. Rather, it’s how you live your life that counts. God will understand.

A key part of Shavuot is the reciting of the Ten Commandments. For a deeper understanding of how to incorporate the commandments in your everyday living, think about the following questions. Can you name all of them without looking? If you forgot any, might there be a reason? In what order of importance would you put them? If there could only be one commandment out of the ten, which would you choose ?

Do we interpret the commandments correctly? For example, the third commandment instructs us to not take God’s name in vain, which is often said to mean we should not swear using God’s name. But in reality, it means one should not use God’s name to do evil, such as defending an unjust war by claiming “God is on our side.”

The sixth commandment is often recited as thou shall not kill. However, the literal translation is that one must not commit murder, which has a vastly different meaning.

There are Jews who have chosen Judaism by conversion, like Ruth, or those by birth who consciously choose to follow the Torah. All are considered “Jews by Choice” and find deep meaning in Jewish rituals, theology and focus on bringing justice to the world.

To Jews, choosing to be Jewish does not mean other faiths are somehow less valid.

In Genesis 1:27, we learn that “God created humankind b’tzelem elohim, in God’s image.”

Therefore, all humanity is valued equally, no matter the faith they follow. Jewish tradition teaches that there is no one path to a relationship with God, and each person should choose the spiritual path which speaks to their soul.

As Jews, we must use the wisdom in the Torah to make the world a more holy place.

Rabbi Chaim Stern prayed, “As I receive the Torah so may I, through what I am and what I do, be a revelation of Torah to those around me. Make me a scroll for truth as You will inscribe on my heart.”

Kein yehi ratzon … may it be God’s will. Shalom.

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Issues of Faith is a rotating column by religious leaders on the North Olympic Peninsula. Suzanne DeBey is a lay leader of the Port Angeles Jewish community. Her email is debeyfam@olympus.net.