Shavouot 5768 - The Light of Shavouot
הרב דוד דניאל הכהן שליט״א
תקציר
The Rav explains the teaching of the Arizal, quoting the Zohar, that whoever stays up all night on Shavuot learning Torah is assured of a good year. He asks why this should be so, since the judgment takes place on Rosh Hashanah. Drawing on the Bnei Yissachar, he explains that the Heavenly Court judges strictly according to truth, but that Hashem, as a father, can set its decision aside, as when Raphael both healed Avraham and rescued Lot. He illustrates this with stories told about Rabbi Yehuda Fetaya, who drove out dybbukim, and with the story of a woman who took her own life but was not judged by the court. Staying up to learn is not an obligation in halakha, so those who do it go beyond what is required, and Hashem treats them in turn with extra mercy. The Rav ends with a prayer that the nations stop interfering with Israel.
רגעים מרכזיים
- 0:06 The Zohar: whoever learns all night on Shavuot is assured of a good year שבועות לימוד תורה האר"י ז"ל
- 1:09 The question: judgment is on Rosh Hashanah, not on Shavuot שבועות ראש השנה
- 1:55 Hashem judges with truth, yet is also a merciful father אמונה מידות
- 3:14 The three angels who visited Avraham and the Bnei Yissachar's questions מלאכים רפואה האבות
- 6:42 The Heavenly Court and the rescue of Lot from Sodom מלאכים האבות
- 10:37 Rabbi Yehuda Fetaya and the dybbukim of Baghdad קבלה נשמה תיקון
- 17:35 The angel's story of the woman judged with mercy by the court מלאכים נשמה
- 19:53 Who sits on the Heavenly Court: the judges are the deceased tsadikim סוד צדיקים
- 21:41 Hashem can set aside the court's decision for those who go beyond what is required שבועות הלכה מידות
- 22:56 Preparing to receive the Torah with joy and by doing more שבועות לימוד תורה שמחה
- 23:49 Prayer that the nations stop interfering with Israel אקטואליה גאולה