The Bagel: Shavuot Day Two carries the theme of harvest forward. The Torah reading includes the Tithe (based on a fruitful harvest), the rulings of Shmitah (the seven-year cycle) concerning debts/slaves, an ordinance of the firstborn animals (like a tithe only on a harvest of livestock), and concludes with the three major Jerusalem-pilgrimage festivals.

The Haftarah threatens tragedy, but the promise of Israel's glorious future mitigates that. It is important that prior to Habakkuk's concluding hymn there is the declaration: "Adonay is in His Holy Temple, let all the earth be silent before Him!" Hush! G-d is there! God was there when Israel was born. Habakkuk recounts Israel's wonderful beginning in his song, that is, the great work of G-d in establishing the nation. It was G-d's chariots of salvation that defeated her enemies as she was enroute to the land and also in the land. G-d's army helped Israel's army defeat her enemy armies.

Perhaps the idea of the Exodus is analogous to that of the farmer sowing his fields. G-d sowed Israel in the Holy Land expecting a harvest of righteousness in the future. But something went wrong. By the time of Habakkuk, the harvest was likened to a desolate wasteland: "Though the fig tree does not bud And no yield is on the vine, Though the olive crop has failed And the fields produce no grain, Though sheep have vanished from the fold And no cattle are in the pen" (Habakkuk 3:17 Tanakh). Judah's spiritual condition merited exile, the reverse of the Exodus. The Shavuot failed.

But G-d didn't leave Judah's fate in the caverns of unbelief, nor into the hands of her enemies, which was the consequence for turning from G-d to idols. Habakkuk ended the poem with the positive affirmation of G-d's saving presence: "yet I will rejoice in the L-RD, I will be joyful in G-d my Savior" (3:18 NIV). From the heights (verse 19), Habakkuk saw as G-d sees and did not despair. It is because he knew that the play book of G-d will end well, Israel and the nations will be redeemed.

John's vision was higher. Part II of the Shavuot reading in the Brit Chadashah concludes with a repeat of the Heavenly scene. But this reading presents a crisis: no one on earth was found worthy to open the sealed scroll. The Chariot of Salvation took another form in that scene, that shape was that of the Lion/Lamb. This One was found worthy. The Lion is the conquering, Kingly Messiah. His time to take control of the earth had come, which is a scene yet in the future.

But key to all this is the Lamb in the center of that heavenly scene. The Lamb represents the Suffering-Servant Messiah who completed the atonement. His work of salvation is the true basis for the deliverance out of slavery (of sin) to the glorious freedom of the sons of light: "For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don't belong to darkness and night" (1 Thessalonians 5:5 NLT). In the midst of the throne of G-d is the Lamb who received this declaration of the true Shavuot: "You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you were killed, and your blood has ransomed people for G-d from every tribe and language and people and nation" (Rev 5:9). His harvest of souls continues to this day around the world.

Cream Cheese: One Solitary Seed, produces so much fruit!

The weekly reading for the week of 7 Sivan, 5763 - 7 June, 2003 Parashah: Shavuot - 2nd Day Deuteronomy 14:22 to 16:17; Haftarah: Habakkuk 2:20 to 3:19 (some calendars postpone Parashah Nasso to Sivan 14/ 14 June); Maftir: Numbers 28:26-31; Brit Chadashah: Revelation 5:1-14