The Minhag of Eating Dairy Products On Shavuot

The Minhag of Eating Dairy Products on Shavuot
There is longstanding minhag to eat dairy products on Shavuot in lieu of the

traditional meat meals that are eaten on other festivals. This article will explore the
various reasons for this tradition and the halachic underpinnings of each reason. It will
also cover the practical differences between each reason.
The Availability of Meat After Matan Torah

Perhaps the most famous reason for eating dairy products is the reason given by
Mishna Berurah 494:12. Mishna Berurah suggests that at the time of Matan Torah, the
receiving of the Torah, the Jewish people became obligated in all of the mitzvot of the
Torah. As such, in order to eat meat, they would have had to follow the complex
procedure involved in producing kosher meat. Because this procedure required time in
order to properly prepare the meat, the only food items available immediately after Matan
Torah were dairy products. The tradition of eating dairy products on Shavuot serves to
commemorate the Matan Torah experience when the Jewish people were only able to eat
dairy products.
R. Shalom B. Felman, Shalmei Todah, no. 2, notes that there is dispute recorded
in the Gemara, Shabbat 87a, as to whether Matan Torah occurred on Shabbat. The
reason given by Mishna Berurah follows the opinion that Matan Torah did not occur on
Shabbat. The commandment to keep Shabbat preceded Matan Torah (see Shabbat 87b).
Regardless of whether or not it was difficult to prepare kosher meat after Matan Torah,
the Jewish people would not have been able to prepare meat on Shabbat. Therefore,
according to the opinion that Matan Torah occurred on Shabbat, and the commandment
to keep Shabbat was already in effect, the lack of ability to eat meat would be attributed
to Shabbat and not to Matan Torah. One must then find a different reason for eating dairy
products on Shavuot.
A Remembrance of the Shtei HaLechem

Rama, Orach Chaim 494:2 suggests that the minhag of eating dairy products on
Shavuot serves as a remembrance of the shtei halechem (two bread) offering that was
brought on Shavuot during the times of the Beit HaMikdash. Rama suggests that the
minhag of eating dairy products does not replace the traditional meat meal eaten on Yom
Tov. Rather, one starts the meal eating dairy products, and mid-way through the meal,
one removes the dairy products, and replaces them with meat products. Upon replacing
the dairy products with the meat products, one is required to remove the bread eaten
during the dairy portion of the meal, and replace it with bread that was not used with a
dairy meal (See Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 89:4). By using two separate sets of bread,
one commemorates the shtei halechem offering.
This reason presumes that there is an actual requirement to remove the bread that
was eaten with the dairy products and replace it with bread suitable to eat with meat.
was eaten with the dairy products and replace it with bread suitable to eat with meat.
However, R. Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe, Yoreh Deah 1:38, notes that the prohibition
to eat a meat meal with bread that was eaten with dairy products only applies to the
smaller pieces of bread that might have come into contact with dairy products. The loaf
of bread on the table may be used during the meat meal. If so, there is no need for two
separate sets of bread. Nevertheless, R. Feinstein admits that although there is no
obligation to remove the bread eaten with the dairy meal, it is certainly praiseworthy.
Perhaps R. Feinstein understands that if one removes the bread eaten with the dairy meal
as a matter of added stringency, this also constitutes a commemoration of the shtei
halechem offering.
The First Opportunity to Eat Dairy Products

R. Moshe Shternbuch, Moadim U'Zemanim 8:319, presents a novel approach
toward the minhag to eat dairy products on Shavuot. The Gemara, Bechorot 6b,
questions why consuming milk products does not constitute a violation of ever min
hachai, eating from a live animal. The Gemara states that the permissibility of milk is
derived from the verse (Shemot 3:8) that refers to the land of Israel as eretz zavat chalav
udevash, a land flowing with milk and honey. If milk was actually prohibited, the Torah
would not have praised Israel with such an accolade.
R. Shternbuch suggests that the permissibility derived from this verse did not go
into effect until Matan Torah. Prior to Matan Torah, consuming milk products
constituted a violation of ever min hachai, which is prohibited even for non-Jews.
Therefore, after Matan Torah the Jewish people had their first opportunity to consume
milk products. Since milk products were novel to the Jewish people, they likely ate
mostly milk products in the ensuing days. To commemorate this unique event, the
minhag developed that dairy products are eaten on Shavuot.
R. Shternbuch admits that there is a problem with this interpretation. Shita
Mekubetzet, ad loc., questions the Gemara's choice of the source that milk is permitted.
He suggests that one can derive that milk is permitted from Avraham Avinu. The verse
(Bereishit 18:8) states that Avraham offered milk to his three visitors. If milk was
actually prohibited, Avraham would not have offered it to them. Shita Mekubetzet
explains that one cannot derive from Avraham that milk is permitted. When Avraham
offered milk to his guests he did not know that they were angels. He thought they were
non-Jews, and therefore offered them milk. Therefore, there is no proof from this event
that milk is permitted to Jewish people. The Gemara must then prove the permissibility
of milk from a different source; from eretz zavat chalav udevash.
It is clear from Shita Mekubetzet's interpretation that there was never a question if
milk is permitted for non-Jews. The only question is whether it is permitted to Jews.
Therefore, it is illogical to assume that the Jewish people would have refrained from
partaking of milk products prior to Matan Torah.
We Are Not Like the Angels

The event involving Avraham and the angels serves as an alternative source for
the minhag of eating dairy products on Shavuot. The verse states that Avraham not only
gave milk to the angels, he gave them meat as well. The Midrash, Midrash Tehillim ch.8,
relates that when the Jewish people were receiving the Torah, the angels complained that
the Torah should not be given to mortal human beings who cannot possibly keep the
Torah. The Almighty responded "was it not you who descended upon Avraham and ate
milk and meat together?"
R. Yosef D. Soloveitchik of Brisk, Beit HaLevi, Parshat Yitro, explains that the
angels didn't eat actual basar b'chalav (meat and milk cooked together). Rather, they
weren't meticulous in the various laws of eating meat subsequent to eating dairy products.
Therefore, on Shavuot, the minhag developed to eat dairy products followed by meat. By
doing so with the proper meticulousness, we show that we are not like the angels, and we
are indeed worthy of receiving the Torah.
Conclusion
Four approaches were presented to explain the basis for eating dairy products on
Shavuot. Rama's approach, as well as Beit HaLevi's approach assume that the minhag
entails eating dairy products followed by meat products. Mishna Berurah's approach as
well as R. Shternbuch's approach do not necessarily assume that one should eat meat
subsequent to the dairy products.
The discrepancy is reflected in various family traditions. Some family traditions

call for eating dairy products exclusively. Other family traditions insist on eating meat
after eating dairy products. The different traditions are due to both varied interpretations
of the minhag as well as the various positions on simchat Yom Tov (as discussed in last
week's issue).
The Weekly Halacha Overview, by Rabbi Josh Flug, is a
service of YUTorah, the online source of the Torah of
Yeshiva University. Get more halacha shiurim and
thousands of other shiurim, by visiting
www.yutorah.org.

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The Minhag of Eating Dairy Products on Shavuot

There is longstanding minhag to eat dairy products on Shavuot in lieu of the

The Availability of Meat After Matan Torah

A Remembrance of the Shtei HaLechem

The First Opportunity to Eat Dairy Products

We Are Not Like the Angels

The discrepancy is reflected in various family traditions. Some family traditions

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