…Eat Milchigs On Shavuos?
Great Question! There are many sweet and heilig answers to your question! The Rema says we eat dairy as a remembrance of the korban of the Yom Tov: the Shtei Halechem, the two loaves of bread brought on the mizbeach on Shavuos. How? He says that we can’t use the same loaf of bread for both dairy and meat. The minhag is actually to first eat milchigs with one loaf, then to bring out a second loaf with meat – two loaves to remember the Shtei Halechem! (Ask your Rav for exact instructions :))
The Mishnah Berurah says it’s because we just learned the laws of kashrus. We had no time to prepare meat according to Halachah, so we ate milchigs.
Another reason is the passuk in Shir HaShirim says דְּבַשׁ וְחָלָב תַּחַת לְשׁוֹנֵךְ. Honey and milk under your tongue. Torah is compared to honey and milk! Honey is sweet, but it comes from bees, a tamei bug. Milk is sweet, but it comes from the insides, the blood, of a cow (sorry if that sounds yucky :)). So too someone who learns Torah transforms themselves from being “tamei” to “tahor,” and sweet, like milk and honey.
Shavuos was also supposed to be Moshe Rabeinu’s birthday. He was born early (7 Adar) as a nes so the Mitzriyim wouldn’t come looking for him. On Shavuos, 3 months after he was born, he was put into the Nile because he couldn’t be hidden anymore! And we all know he refused to take milk from Mitzri ladies, because he would speak to Hashem. We eat milchigs to remember the greatness of Moshe! The Sefer Hatodah brings this as a reason why we decorate with plants and flowers as well: because Miriam hid in the grass and reeds along the Nile on Shavuos!
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 37 Shavuos 2025.
