Warren Buffett Recommends: Celebrate Shavuot!

Shavuot is coming, and according to Warren Buffett, we should celebrate this holiday in the most magnificent way possible.

Before Berkshire Hathaway’s attorneys come knocking, let me clarify: as far as I know, Warren Buffett never actually said anything about Shavuot. Plus, because he is not Jewish, he might not even know about this holiday. But my original statement still stands.

Mr. Buffett is one of the wealthiest people on the planet. He made most of his money by finding opportunities where other people didn’t. He didn’t go just after the trendy. He looked for things that were undervalued. He famously said, “Whether we’re talking about socks or stocks, I like buying quality merchandise when it is marked down.” (Wait! So he is Jewish?)

Back to Shavuot: We can easily call it one of the most undervalued Jewish holidays ever. Seriously, so many Jews don’t even know it exists.

Why is that? I often wonder if it’s because, unlike other holidays, Shavuot doesn’t have a clear symbol associated with it. Rosh Hashanah has the shofar; Sukkot has—duh—a sukkah; Chanukah has a menorah, and so on. But what does Shavuot have? A cheesecake? What if I don’t like cheesecake? (I’ve heard unconfirmed rumors that such people exist.)

But if you’re looking for hidden gems, look no further than Shavuot. This isn’t just a holiday, it’s the holiday. Shavuot is the day when G-d gave us the Torah. This is the day that shaped us forever.

Here’s why.

We are all proud to declare, “Am Yisrael Chai!” People (mainly the Jewish people) marvel at the fact that despite years of exile and persecution, we are still around while big empires rise and fall. What’s our secret? What happened 3,337 years ago, during the holiday of Shavuot.

In a letter in 1956, the Rebbe offered the following:

“An objective review, without bias, of the history of the Jewish people must lead to the conclusion that our nation’s existence is certainly not dependent on material abundance or physical strength.

“…It is also clear that neither royal sovereignty nor geographic territory ensured our survival, since our history as a nation with its own state in its land is very short compared to our long history in exile, without a monarchy and without a land.

“Nor can language… (or) any specific form of culture or general science ensure our nation’s survival, since those aspects changed drastically from era to era.

“Only one thing remains, which has been the common thread throughout all times, all lands, and all circumstances in our history—the Torah and the mitzvot that the Jewish people upheld in their daily lives with the greatest self-sacrifice.”

So there you have it. Our Torah is the secret of our survival, and Shavuot is all about celebrating G-d giving us that tremendous gift!

This year, Shavuot begins on Sunday at sunset and continues until Tuesday night.

There are many great ways to celebrate Shavuot:

• Make a point to attend synagogue at least on Monday and listen to the reading of the Ten Commandments, reliving the moment when G-d gifted us the Torah.
• For women and girls, light the Shavuot candles on Sunday and Monday night (follow the marked times for both days).
• Enjoy traditional dairy foods during the holiday.
• Most importantly, cherish every moment of this special holiday because it is filled with holiness and connection to G-d and our Torah.

To quote Mr. Buffett again, “Big opportunities come infrequently. When it rains gold, put out the bucket, not the thimble.” Let’s celebrate Shavuot like never before.