[Avodah] Tikkun Leil Shavuous and Reform

[Micha Berger]

On Tue, May 19, 2009 at 08:11:52AM -0400, Yitzchok Levine wrote:
: The Charleston Organ Case by Allan Tarshish, Publications of the 
: American Jewish Historical Society, 54, 1965...
: I know of many Orthodox shuls that today do not have a public reading 
: of Tikkun Leil Shavuous. Is it not a historical irony that we who 
: would not even think of having an organ in our shuls are not at all 
: disturbed by the elimination of Tikkun Leil Shavuous?

Not at all. They were disturbed because they didn't know the difference
between ikkar and tafeil. We're better informed. TLS was never even
widespread enough to be a formal minhag. See AhS OC 494:
    On the night of Shavuos, we don't make Qiddush on the cup until it's
    actually night (ad shetehei laylah mamash) because of "temimos".
    As to say: that the sefirah should be complete with temimus.
    And the Chassidim haQadmonim used to stay awake all night as it
    says in the Zohar. Now too many do this, and in the morning they
    go to the miqvah. It is all in memory of Matan Torah.
    The topic of Birkhas haTorah was explained in siman 47.
    On the night of tevilah, one does not postpone onah [for this
    practice].

Clearly not accepted minhag; just something many do in imitation of the
Chassidim haQadmonim as based on the Zohar.

There is also a story (legend?) of the Dubno Maggid and the Gra staying
up all night leil Shavuos. The DM read TLS, and the Gra learned gemara.
At one point, the Gra rebuked the DM for not learning gemara too. (I
think RHM posted this story one year.)

Until my boys expected me to stay up with them, I would wake up for the
kevasikin minyan and learn until lunch. It's a zeikher for Matan Torah --
it's the opposite of oversleeping. It's more hours of learning AND one
is learning while well rested.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Today is the 40th day, which is
micha at aishdas.org        5 weeks and 5 days in/toward the omer.
http://www.aishdas.org   Hod sheb'Yesod: When does
Fax: (270) 514-1507      reliability/self-control mean submitting to others?