Shavuos Foods
Kreplach Represent Hitting the Yeitzer Hara:
Sefer Siach Sarfei Kodesh (Chelek 1, page 238) writes that it is said that the custom is to eat kreplach on days when we “bang” – on Purim when we bang for Haman’s name, on Hoshana Rabbah when we bang the Hoshanos, and on erev Yim Kippur when we bang ourselves as we recite Al Chet. But why do we eat kreplach on Shavuos? He quotes the Bikurei Aviv of Gustinin as answering that Chazal say (Kiddushin 30B) that Hashem created the yeitzer hara and He created the Torah as its antidote. Thus, we bang the yeitzer hara on this day with the Torah.
Rav Meir of Permishlan asked the Ruzhiner Rebbe how Many Kreplach He Ate:
My grandfather, the Kretchnifer Rebbe zy”a (Raza D’Uvdah, Shaar Ha’Osiyos, page 22) related that Rav Meir of Premishlan zy”a once experienced a stomach illness, and his doctors forbade him from eating any baked goods. He was very upset that he would be unable to fulfill the mitzvah of eating cheese-filled kreplach on Shavuos, so he sent a messenger to the Ruzhiner Rebbe zy”a with a message that said: My father, Rav Aharon Leib Hagadol, said that if one who doesn’t eat cheese kreplach on Shavuos, it is a sign that his ancestors did not stand by Har Sinai. If I were to eat just one, it would not suffice. I can’t eat two because that would be a problem of “zugos”. And it would be dangerous for my health for me to eat three. So how many should I eat? The Ruzhiner Rebbe sent back a message that he should make one big krepel, the size of three regular-sized ones, and he should eat half of it. Thus, it wouldn’t be too little and it wouldn’t be too much, and it wouldn’t be a problem of zugos.
Yeshuos While the Food is Distributed:
Sefer Hachochmah Mei’ayin (page 218) relates that Rav Yitzchok of Stutchin zy”a would distribute dairy foods to some of his chasidim after the tefillos on Shavuos. He would pass this food through the window between his room and the bais medrash. One year, a chasid named R’ Avrohom Bleichfeld from the city of Kartchin came to spend yomtov with the Rebbe. However, as soon as he arrived, he got very sick. That year, after he gave out the food, the Rebbe opened the door of his room and called over a chasid named R’ Mendel from Kiltz. He gave him some cake and said, “Did you hear? Avremele is in need of rachamei shomayim.” R’ Mendel immediately said, “Are we lacking rachamei shomayim?” The Rebbe began to stroke his beard and it was evident that he liked the answer. And so it was, a few days later R’ Avrohom was completely healed and went home. The chasidim said that it was no shock that the Rebbe performed a miracle. The chiddush was that the chasid knew what to answer.
