One of the customs of the Shavuot holiday that we celebrate this week is that of "mishmar" - of staying up part or all of the night of Shavuot in order to study Torah. This custom is based upon the tradition of the Midrash that on the morning when the Jewish people were destined to receive the Torah at Sinai - the first Shavuot in Jewish history - Moses had to rouse them from their sleep, so that they could appear at the foot of Mount Sinai on time for the Torah-granting event. Because the Jewish people overslept that first Shavuot morning, the people decided that, in atonement for that original sleepy negligence, henceforth they would spend the night of Shavuot studying Torah and thus be prepared for holiday prayer at the crack of dawn. This custom has become hallowed through the ages, especially in the yeshivas and study halls of the people in Israel. It is also widely observed today in many synagogues, as well, and there are many interesting and varied classes, forums and discussion groups, all based on Torah subjects, that take place throughout the Jewish world on Shavuot night.
The custom was formalized into the ritual texts of the Jewish people through the editing and publishing of Tikun Leil Shavuot - an established order of study for the night of Shavuot. The Tikun consists of portions of the Bible, Mishna, Talmud and other works of Torah that are synopsized and form a pattern of study for the night. This Tikun, in various forms, appeared in the early Middle Ages and has been improved upon and expanded over the centuries. The Tikun was usually recited by Jews in their synagogues or homes and took about three hours to read completely. However, the yeshivas and the advanced Torah scholars of the community shunned the recitation of the Tikun as being only for the masses and instead concentrated on their own study of Talmud and Midrash through the night. The book of Ruth, which is also traditionally associated with the holiday of Shavuot, also became a focal point of study on Shavuot night. Currently, there are many rabbis who teach classes throughout the night and the custom of staying up and learning Torah the entire night of Shavuot is now observed throughout the Jewish world with increasing popularity and diversity. It is again a testimony to the innate love of Torah that is part of the Jewish psyche and soul.
In the past, and currently as well, in many yeshivas, a "mishmar" - staying up all night to study Torah - is observed weekly on Thursday nights. This custom usually wreaks havoc with the Friday morning schedule of studies in the yeshiva. However, here in Israel, since Friday is an unofficial day off in the yeshiva world (there are very few official days off in the yeshiva schedule), the Thursday night "mishmar" is quite popular and well-attended. There always is a select group of yeshiva students - matmidim - who study Torah well into the late night and even early morning hours every day of the year. The Talmud teaches us that "the night was created for Torah study." It was therefore commonplace in Eastern Europe and in the Sephardic lands for men to come to study Torah nightly in the synagogues and communal study halls, even after the labors of a hard day's toil. Jews were accustomed to say that "there will be plenty of time to sleep in the grave," and therefore attempted to exploit whatever free time (usually at night) for the study of Torah, recitation of Psalms or the reading of ethical treatises. Torah study was the recreation and leisure time activity of the Jews over the millennia.
Here in Jerusalem on Shavuot night, beginning at about 3:30 AM, there is an enormous procession of people walking towards the Western Wall in the Old City in order to participate there in the holiday prayers at sunrise. Even if you wanted to sleep through all Shavuot night in Jerusalem, you would be hard-pressed not to be awakened by the steady sound of thousands of marching feet and the murmurs of conversation that accompany this procession. This sunrise prayer service attracts tens of thousands of worshippers and is the highlight of the Shavuot holiday here in the Holy City. This assemblage of tens of thousands of Jews at the Western Wall on Shavuot is a reaffirmation of our faith and of our renewed commitment to the acceptance of the Torah given us at Sinai over thirty three hundred years ago. Truly, "'Am Yisrael chai" - the people of Israel live on.
Shabat Shalom. Chag Sameach.
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Rabbi Berel Wein, noted author and lecturer, is founder of the Destiny Foundation, dedicated to educating Jews about their historical and ethical heritage (JewishDestiny.com).
The custom was formalized into the ritual texts of the Jewish people through the editing and publishing of Tikun Leil Shavuot - an established order of study for the night of Shavuot. The Tikun consists of portions of the Bible, Mishna, Talmud and other works of Torah that are synopsized and form a pattern of study for the night. This Tikun, in various forms, appeared in the early Middle Ages and has been improved upon and expanded over the centuries. The Tikun was usually recited by Jews in their synagogues or homes and took about three hours to read completely. However, the yeshivas and the advanced Torah scholars of the community shunned the recitation of the Tikun as being only for the masses and instead concentrated on their own study of Talmud and Midrash through the night. The book of Ruth, which is also traditionally associated with the holiday of Shavuot, also became a focal point of study on Shavuot night. Currently, there are many rabbis who teach classes throughout the night and the custom of staying up and learning Torah the entire night of Shavuot is now observed throughout the Jewish world with increasing popularity and diversity. It is again a testimony to the innate love of Torah that is part of the Jewish psyche and soul.
In the past, and currently as well, in many yeshivas, a "mishmar" - staying up all night to study Torah - is observed weekly on Thursday nights. This custom usually wreaks havoc with the Friday morning schedule of studies in the yeshiva. However, here in Israel, since Friday is an unofficial day off in the yeshiva world (there are very few official days off in the yeshiva schedule), the Thursday night "mishmar" is quite popular and well-attended. There always is a select group of yeshiva students - matmidim - who study Torah well into the late night and even early morning hours every day of the year. The Talmud teaches us that "the night was created for Torah study." It was therefore commonplace in Eastern Europe and in the Sephardic lands for men to come to study Torah nightly in the synagogues and communal study halls, even after the labors of a hard day's toil. Jews were accustomed to say that "there will be plenty of time to sleep in the grave," and therefore attempted to exploit whatever free time (usually at night) for the study of Torah, recitation of Psalms or the reading of ethical treatises. Torah study was the recreation and leisure time activity of the Jews over the millennia.
Here in Jerusalem on Shavuot night, beginning at about 3:30 AM, there is an enormous procession of people walking towards the Western Wall in the Old City in order to participate there in the holiday prayers at sunrise. Even if you wanted to sleep through all Shavuot night in Jerusalem, you would be hard-pressed not to be awakened by the steady sound of thousands of marching feet and the murmurs of conversation that accompany this procession. This sunrise prayer service attracts tens of thousands of worshippers and is the highlight of the Shavuot holiday here in the Holy City. This assemblage of tens of thousands of Jews at the Western Wall on Shavuot is a reaffirmation of our faith and of our renewed commitment to the acceptance of the Torah given us at Sinai over thirty three hundred years ago. Truly, "'Am Yisrael chai" - the people of Israel live on.
Shabat Shalom. Chag Sameach.
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Rabbi Berel Wein, noted author and lecturer, is founder of the Destiny Foundation, dedicated to educating Jews about their historical and ethical heritage (JewishDestiny.com).