Fleish-a-phobia: It’s real. I have hesitated to eat meat at: Shabbos meals, barbeques, conferences, and even going into fast days (!). I’m still recovering from the chicken salad sandwich that I accidentally ate a few months ago, thinking it was tuna. Milchig means freedom, iced coffee with real milk (sorry, nut milks, you’re not the same!) and chocolate at any time.
But beyond the lack of post-meal dietary limitations, what is the deeper meaning behind dairy, especially on Shavuot? After all, this holiday is not only about the deliciousness of the cheesecake and that Insta-worthy cheese-pull on your lasagna. It’s about rededicating ourselves to Torah study; rekindling that early excitement and passion of matan Torah.
Our Sages provide many reasons for eating dairy specifically on Shavuos – the dairy reminds us of the land of milk and honey; the Jews had to adjust to the new laws of kashrus before eating meat; and more. I also wonder if the element of eating something so different from our usual yom tov fare is itself renewing and re-energizing – and not just for the fleish-a-phobes among us.
When we do something over and over, it can become rote, almost invisible. But when we make even small shifts, we can regain the wonder of something completely new – and fall in love with Torah all over again.