Rabbi's Sermons

Chag Shavuot Sameach!

Shavuot is the festival of the delivery of the Torah, and it is characterized by the process of studying. In Israel, during the night of the Shavuot festival, the congregations usually carry out courses and cultural or musical activities, which begin after the religious services, and in many cases, finish until late at night. There are even participants who continue studying all night until the Shaharit morning service. This activity is known as – TIKUN LEIL SHAVUOT, which is normally translated as – the "eve study of Shavuot", while the word – TIKUN – has several meanings in the Hebrew and Aramaic languages.

This tradition is originated from the 13^th century in European communities, and is based on the Cabalistic book of “The Zohar”. According to the Bible, “Matan Torah - the giving of the Torah” took place on the morning of the 6^th of Sivan. In the night before that, the people needed a “preparation” to receive the law. In “The Zohar”, the Aramaic word – TIKUN, means – "decoration". The idea behind this word is that those who make a TIKUN create “decorations” and become the “Shoshvinim - bridesmaids", who accompany the bride, represented by the Torah, on their way to an imaginary "canopy", for an imaginary "marriage", between the Torah and the people of Israel. This special “marriage” occurs while the people listen to the ten commandments (or part of them, according to another tradition) and the groom, the people of Israel, go to meet the bride, the Torah book, while the Creator of the Universe blesses them with seventy blessings.

Another interpretation is that the "24 decorations", one for each book of the Bible, are for the people of Israel, who are in this case, the "bride", and the "groom" is God Himself. Whichever interpretation you like better, this is a festive wedding, in which the "bride" prepares spiritually for the wedding. Since it was a wedding, Rabbi Shimon used to celebrate it by throwing a big party, with chants, singing and dancing, studying, and a lot of joy. However, the question remains, how can the people of Israel, at the same time, be “the companion of honor”, and the “groom”, or the “bride”? Well, it is just an allegory.

In Hebrew, the word – TIKUN – may take another meaning, derived from the word – HATKANA – "installation", or preparation – for the reception of the sacred text. In the modern Hebrew language, by the way, this word is used for software installations on computers or cell phones. Hence, there is not much point in studying the Torah, if it has not yet been "installed" in our mind, it is like trying to use Word or Excel, without having it installed Office yet...

Perhaps the third explanation of – TIKUN – in Hebrew, is the most known of them all, as the word means – "correction", or "fix". In modern Hebrew, you ask for a TIKUN of something that is broken or needs to be fixed. The TIKUN on the night of Shavuot, comes to “correct or fix” the sin of the people of Israel, who, according to the Midrash Shir Hashirim Raba 1:2, all fell asleep early on the very morning of the 6^th of Sivan, instead of getting up early, and eagerly awaiting the spectacular event of accepting the Law. Hence, God needed to use nature, through lightning, thunder, and earth tremors, in order to awake everyone, with thunderous sounds and shofar sounds, as the Midrash explains:

<Rabbi Pinchas on behalf of Rabbi Hoshaya explained the verse that says "While the king sitteth at his table" ^{Song of Solomon 1:12}: Until the King of Kings the Holy One blessed be He, in his table in the firmament got up early as it is written "And it came to pass on the third day in the morning” ^{Exodus 19:16}, it is like the story of a king who indicated that on that day he would enter the city. The inhabitants of the city slept that night and when the king arrived and found them sleeping, he used his horns, trumpets and Shofar and the city minister was waking them up and taking them out to receive him until he reached his throne. Thus the Holy One blessed be He, got up early as it is written "And it came to pass on the third day in the morning" ^{Exodus 19:16} "for the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people" ^{Exodus 19:11}

Rabbi Yodan said "even the flea could not fall asleep", the Holy One Blessed be He, came and found them asleep! He made them hear sounds as it is written: "there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud" ^{Exodus 19:16} and Moses was waking up Israel and taking them out to receive God, who went before them until they reached Mount Sinai as it is written "And Mount Sinai was altogether in smoke" ^{Exodus 19:18}

Rabbi Yitzchak said this (God) is the One who complained through the prophet Isaiah as it is written “Why, when I came, was there no man? When I called, was there none to answer? Is My hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem?" ^{Isaiah 50: 2}

From this beautiful Midrash, we understand that the night of Shavuot is a night of observation, of anticipation, of being awake, or else, God forbid, it may happen to us, as it happened to the people of Israel on Mount Sinai, who sinned the sin of indifference and kept on sleeping, not being ready for an event of such nature and importance to the people of Israel and to the entire world.

Tikun Leil Shavuot's book contains thirteen chapters, which include the first verses of all the books of the Bible, Mishna and Kabbalah. I consider that reading so much material without studying, as inefficient, and the actions and attitude of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and his students, a more joyous and meaningful way of celebrating this special night. Tikun comes to fix the damaged, to arrange the disordered, to correct the malfunctioned, to perfect the imperfect, to finish the deferred, to complete the pending, to improve the lacking. Tikun is not only a correction, it is a mental and spiritual change, and also a material change. A Tikun invites you to replace and renew damaged parts in your vehicles, your clothing, your house, your environment. TIKUN represents an enormous change of MENTALITY.

A single change in the order of the Hebrew letters and the word – TIKUN – becomes – NITUK – which means, DISCONNECTION, SEPARATION; hence a TIKUN is a process of harmonic balance, order, and justice. The word – TIKUN – is also seen by some as an acronym to – TAHALICH IEHUDI shel KABALA ve-NETINA – “Unique process of reception and delivery”, which creates a spiritual and physical balance.

Leil Shavuot – the night of Shavuot, allows us to recount every “broken” or damaged piece of our lives, and analyze again what is possible to correct, at work, in our education, at personal relationships, with our family, within OURSELVES!

Have a meaningful and enlightening TIKUN!

Chag Sameach!

Rabbi David Laor

Leil Shavuot

June 1^st, 2025