The Jewish Link wishes its readers and advertisers a wonderful, productive learning-filled Shavuot.

This is a holiday where we have not prepared by cleaning our house of its very last grain of chametz. Nor are we building fragile sukkahs or tediously inspecting lulavim or etrogim.

We observe, after Shabbat ends, the receiving of our Torah, our people’s ancestral codebook for life and living.

Our reward for learning through the night is, of course, cheesecake. Really the reward is our reading of Megillat Ruth and remembering our binding faith and love for Hashem and for one another as Jews. Our reward is also learning together, be it through the night or for however long a person can learn.

Shavuot this year comes at a time when the world is witnessing the troubling rise of anti-Semitism’s venom. The holiday comes at a time when Iran has increased the funding of its surrogates in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza with an intent to threaten our Holy Land. And it comes at a time when the nation is heading once again into its presidential election debate and dialogue.

With many who say they are afraid to check the news these days because of an almost-daily diet of misfortune and sadness, Shavuot gives us this late spring break heading into the heat of summer. It’s a time where we Jews can hit the spiritual reset button, knowing that this was when the Torah, the 613 mitzvot, were given to us because of Hashem’s love for the Jewish people.

The words “naaseh v’nishma, we will do and we will listen,” symbolize the connection and love we have for Hashem.

Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks tells us that the Book of Ruth teaches about love and loyalty and how we need to experience and live those words more than ever today.

Enjoy this season of Hashem’s granting our people the Torah. It’s a reminder of what is really important to us all: Hashem’s love for the Jewish people when the Torah was delivered, now and forever.

Chag sameach.