Jeremy- kol hv-kavod. Timely and thought provoking erev shavuot. I liked the neat work on linking history and nature in all holidays. Judaism seems to be saying something we need to hear more about ethics tied to nature alright. Mainly to our social nature and to justice. Levelling and equalizing was in the tradition, albeit a minority thread, which mostly seems to have got lost in the shuffle.
I gotta hunch there is yet more in Shavuot we may have forgotten. Like eating milk products. Could be a leveller too. Christians seem to have a similar tradition in Lent, around the same time around Easter with no meat. Meat was always ( and still is) a sign of social standing and posperous lives. Morrocan Jews may be preserving something like this at Maimuna too. Popular and inclusive fests.

A watered down Bachanalia? perhaps.Lets not forget that as well, Judaism was always trying ( still today) to place a moralistic-theological overlay on all natural experience . No nature worship, and just good plain fun.

thanks for the ppt

Hag Sameach
David