For the Shavuot holiday it’s a custom to bake a seven-rung ladder Challah.
NUMBER SEVEN IS VERY SPIRITUAL AND IT’S REPEATED MANY TIMES IN THE JEWISH TRADITION:
· 7 ARE OUR FATHERS AND OUR MOTHERS: ABRAHAM, ISAAC, JACOB, SARAH, REBECCA, RACHEL AND LEAH.
· 7 ARE THE DAYS OF CREATION AND OF THE WEEK.
· 7 ARE THE WEEKS OF THE OMER WE COUNT.
· 7 ARE THE SPECIES OF THE HOLY LAND: WHEAT, BARLEY, GRAPES, FIGS, POMEGRANATES, OLIVES AND DATES.
· 7 ARE THE HEAVENS GOD OPENED WHEN HE GAVE US THE TORAH.
· 7 ARE THE HAKAFOT (CIRCLES).
· 7 ARE THE USHPIZIN (GUESTS).
· 7 ARE THE ALIYOT (ALIYAH LATORAH).
· 7 ARE THE BRANCHES OF THE MENORAH.
· 7 ARE THE YEARS BETWEEN A SHNAT SHMITAH (SABBATH YEAR) AND THE FOLLOWING ONE.
IN GEMATRIA THE WORD SULAM (סֻלָּם, LADDER IN HEBREW) HAS A SUM OF 7, THE SAME AS THE WORD SINAI. THIS IS A CLUE LEADING US TO MOUNT SINAI, WHERE THE TORAH WAS GIVEN. IT’S A LADDER BETWEEN EARTH AND HEAVEN.