I am not such a big fan of Shavuos all nighters. Rambam writes in Peirush Hamishnayos that it's better to give $1 to tzedaka 100 times than to write one check for $100 because the former inculcates giving as a habit while the lattter does not. If Shavuos is one and done, then its value (there certainly is some value to spending hours learning even once) is minimized. If it is something done to be mechazek a regular learning routine, then it makes more sense.
Let's be real: how many shuls have a vasikin minyan on day one of Yom tov, but on the second day davening is scheduled for 9:00, too late to even make zman krias shema? And how many people show up at 9:15 or 9:30 or later for that minyan?
And how many shuls get a crowd to sit and listen to lectures for a few hours Shavuos night, but next day and next Shabbos afternoon etc there is not even a minyan (and maybe not even a zimun) of people who have a seder in beis medrash on these long shabbos afternoons?
The spiritual energy of Yom Tov is something that has to be incorporated into everyday life, part of a consistent routine, not be an oasis in a desert.
"Yom chasunaso -- zu mattan Torah," the mishna in Taanis tells us. Imagine a chassan and kallah who have a great wedding, are so happy for a few hours, but then don't talk to each other for weeks afterwards except for maybe a few sentences. Shavuos is the chassunah and Torah is the kallah. You can have a great wedding party Shavuos night, but if you then ignore your kallah, if you don't connect with Torah but instead go back to your pre-chasunah routines, what kind of marriage is it?
Leshituso, you weren't a fan here https://divreichaim.blogspot.com/2012/05/one-night-stand.html in 2012 and still not a fan in 2019.
ReplyDeleteHowever, in defense of the custom, there are special times where one does things out of the ordinary, and one of those times is the night of Shavout (of course, if you were more kabbilisticly inclined, then you would know all the great tikkunim that is written about on this night.)
Besides, even without a night of learning, shacharis would be at 9:00, so might as well get in a night of learning as well.
But since you want an early prayer service, I assume you will be attending the local netz minyan on Shabbos and both days of Yom Tov (and of course every day of the week following) after you absorbed the lesson of getting up early.