Like all of our holidays, Shavuot is not so much a commemoration as it is a reenactment. On Passover, we reenact the moment of liberation from slavery in Egypt. On Sukkot we relive the experience of dwelling in temporary shelters in the wilderness. And, on Shavuot, we once again stand at the foot of Mt. Sinai, prepared to receive the Torah.
The Torah describes how we were arrayed at Mt. Sinai. Moses went to the top of the mountain and the rest of the people stayed at a distance from the base of the mountain. But, there was another important group of people. The Torah describes how the Priests, Levites, and Elders were stationed part of the way up the mountain – in between Moses and the people (Exodus 24).
Indeed, every week when we read the Torah in synagogue, we imagine ourselves ascending the mountain. That’s why we call it an “aliyah.” And, like the Israelites of ancient times, we need people to help us make that ascent. At synagogue, the person who assists the clergy is called a gabbai (pl. gabbaim). In some synagogues, this person is called a Shamash. Since the time of the Talmud, gabbaim have served the community by facilitating ritual life.
Being called up to say the blessings over the Torah or to perform the lifting and dressing of the Torah can be intimidating. Otherwise confident and capable adults can become quite frazzled by the experience of being on the bima. At HEA our gabbaim play an important role at Shabbat morning services by assigning roles, like aliyot, and helping to direct people who are less familiar with the customs and rituals.
We have a wonderful group of volunteers who serve as gabbaim, but we need many more people to share in this task. Please consider volunteering to be a gabbai. It is a fun way to meet people and be part of making our synagogue warm and welcoming.
We will be holding a training for new gabbaim on Sunday, June 4, at 10:00 a.m. in the sanctuary. Click HERE to RSVP.
