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HALACHA OF THE WEEK:Tikkun Leil Shavuot The Magen Avraham [Orech Chaim 494] cites the Zohar that there is a custom to stay awake the entire night of Shavuot learning Torah. He suggests that this custom is based on a midrash that records the events of the morning of Kabbalat HaTorah. On that morning the Jews all overslept and had to be awoken by G-d in order to accept the Torah. Therefore, to atone for this sin we stay up all night showing our tremendous love for the Torah and a genuine excitement about Kabbalat HaTorah.
Interestingly, the Magen Avraham [Orech Chaim 519 note 11] warns in regard to the custom of staying up all night on Yom Kippur that if one’s lack of sleep will hinder his kavanah for the next morning’s davening he should not stay up all night. Perhaps one could argue that the same would hold true regarding the custom to stay up all night on Shavuot. Rabbi Yakov Emden [Siddur Ya’avetz Sha’ar 4:12] states even more explicitly that one who will not be able to have proper concentration during davening should sleep a little bit during the night. He suggests that this sleep should be close to morning time as we find (in the above mentioned midrash) that the Jewish nation slept on the morning of Kabbalat HaTorah. Rav Emden does not view the fact that the Jews slept late as a negative development. To the contrary, he points out that if the Jews of that generation were not punished for sleeping at that time, we will certainly not be punished for sleeping at that time.
Many poskim emphasize the importance of learning Torah she’bal peh on the night of Shavuot. Yeshuot Yaakov claims that the custom to stay up all night is based on the need to stress our love for the Torah she’bal peh. He cites a midrash that states that the Jewish people were only willing to accept Torah she’bichtav and had to be forced by God to accept Torah she’bal peh.
Many midrashim say that the most appropriate time for the Torah she’bal peh is during the night. Therefore, we stay up specifically at night to learn Torah she’bal peh at the most opportune time thereby demonstrating that we have come to love and appreciate this portion of Torah as well.
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MAZAL TOV *to Mimi Stein on her engagement to Hesh Granek of Highland Park, NJ. Mazal tov to her mother, Susie Robinson. *to Kalman and Ethel Shiner on the Bar Mitzvah of their grandson Brody Latkin, son of Amy and Jed Latkin.
REFUAH SHLAIMA * to Etai Rimel – Etai Yaakov ben Tzipporah, who is recovering in rehab
CLASSES @ KINS To be a sponsorCLICK HERE A Donation to the Virtual Learning Fund was made by: * Dr. Rachelle Gold in commemoration of the yahrtzeit of her mother Harriet B. Gold z’l. * Jodi and Alan Gershman in memory of their mother Rita Kirshner z’l.
BIRTHDAYS Lily Nussbaum (5/12) Mrs. Naomi Yablong (5/12) Mr. Howard Benn (5/13) Mr. Larry Chambers (5/14)
ANNIVERSARY Mr. and Mrs. Mark Lebowitz (5/13)
ANNOUNCEMENT Lost and Found: All coats, hats and other items that were left either by the downstairs coat racks or in the upstairs coatroom are now in a box in the K.I.N.S. coatroom. All items left unclaimed by Shavuot will be donated to the Chicago Chesed Fund.
Congregation K.I.N.S. of West Rogers Park 2800 W. North Shore Ave • Chicago, IL 60645 P 773.761.4000 • F 773.761.4959 • www.congkins.org
