The Tikkun [for] Leil [the eve of] Shavuot was envisioned by the Zohar to offer a rectification for the embarrassment of the Israelites sleeping through the night before they were to receive the Torah at Mt Sinai from HaShem. Because we slept then, we stay awake all night now, showing our eagerness for the gift of Torah.
(א) רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן הֲוָה יָתִיב וְלָעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא בְּלֵילְיָא (אמור צ"ח א) דְּכַלָּה אִתְחַבְּרַת בְּבַעֲלָהּ. דְּתָנִינָן כָּל אִנּוּן חַבְרַיָא דִּבְנֵי הֵיכָלָא דְּכַלָּה אִצְטְרִיכוּ בְּהַהִיא לֵילְיָא דְּכַלָּה אִזְדַּמְנַת לְמֶהֱוֵי לְיוֹמָא אַחֲרָא גּוֹ חוּפָּה בְּבַעֲלָהּ לְמֶהוֵי עִמָּהּ כָּל הַהוּא לֵילְיָא, וּלְמֶחֱדֵי עִמָּהּ בְּתִקּוּנָהָא דְאִיהִי אִתְתַּקָּנַת לְמִלְעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא מִתּוֹרָה לִנְבִיאִים וּמִנְבִיאִים לִכְתוּבִים וּבְמִדְרָשׁוֹת דִּקְרָאֵי וּבְרָזֵי דְחָכְמְתָא. בְּגִין דְּאִלֵּין אִנּוּן תִּיקּוּנִין דִּילָהּ וְתַכְשִׁיטָהָא.
(1) Rabbi Shimon was sitting and studying the Torah on the night when the Bride, Malkhut, unites with her husband, Zeir Anpin. And all the friends present in the bridal chamber on that night, the eve of the holiday of Shavuot, must stand together with the bridegroom under the Huppah, and be with him this whole night, and rejoice with him in the corrections of the Bride, i.e., study the Torah, then Prophets, then Holy Scriptures, and finally the wisdom, for these corrections are the Bride’s adornments. And the Bride receives corrections, adorns herself with them, and rejoices with them all of that night.
(א) וַיְכֻלּ֛וּ הַשָּׁמַ֥יִם וְהָאָ֖רֶץ וְכׇל־צְבָאָֽם׃ (ב) וַיְכַ֤ל אֱלֹקִים֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י מְלַאכְתּ֖וֹ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֑ה וַיִּשְׁבֹּת֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י מִכׇּל־מְלַאכְתּ֖וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָֽׂה׃ (ג) וַיְבָ֤רֶךְ אֱלֹקִים֙ אֶת־י֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י וַיְקַדֵּ֖שׁ אֹת֑וֹ כִּ֣י ב֤וֹ שָׁבַת֙ מִכׇּל־מְלַאכְתּ֔וֹ אֲשֶׁר־בָּרָ֥א אֱלֹקִ֖ים לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃ {פ}
(1) The heaven and the earth were finished, and all their array. (2) On the seventh day HaShem finished the work that had been undertaken, ceasing on the seventh day from doing any of work. (3) HaShem blessed the seventh day and declared it holy—having ceased on it from doing all the work of creation.
(1) On the third new moon after the Exodus of the Israelites from the land of Egypt, on that day they entered the wilderness of Sinai.
(1) Then [HaShem] said to Moses, “Come up to ה', with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu and 70 elders of Israel, and bow low from afar.
(1) Moses summoned all the Israelites and said to them: Hear, O Israel, the laws and rules that I proclaim to you this day! Study them and observe them faithfully! (2) Our God ה' made a covenant with us at Horeb. (3) It was not with our ancestors that ה' made this covenant, but with us, the living, every one of us who is here today. (4) Face to face ה' spoke to you on the mountain out of the fire— (5) I stood between ה' and you at that time to convey יהוה’s words to you, for you were afraid of the fire and did not go up the mountain—saying:
(6) I ה' am your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, the house of bondage: (7) You shall have no other gods beside Me....
(א) וַיַּ֨עַל מֹשֶׁ֜ה מֵעַרְבֹ֤ת מוֹאָב֙ אֶל־הַ֣ר נְב֔וֹ רֹ֚אשׁ הַפִּסְגָּ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֣י יְרֵח֑וֹ וַיַּרְאֵ֨הוּ ה' אֶת־כׇּל־הָאָ֛רֶץ אֶת־הַגִּלְעָ֖ד עַד־דָּֽן׃
(1) Moses went up from the steppes of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the summit of Pisgah, opposite Jericho, and ה' showed him the whole land: Gilead as far as Dan...
(1) In the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, when I was in the community of exiles by the Kevar Canal, the heavens opened and I saw visions of God.
(א) תְּפִלָּ֖ה לַחֲבַקּ֣וּק הַנָּבִ֑יא עַ֖ל שִׁגְיֹנֽוֹת׃ (ב) ה' שָׁמַ֣עְתִּי שִׁמְעֲךָ֮ יָרֵ֒אתִי֒ ה' פׇּֽעׇלְךָ֙ בְּקֶ֤רֶב שָׁנִים֙ חַיֵּ֔יהוּ בְּקֶ֥רֶב שָׁנִ֖ים תּוֹדִ֑יעַ בְּרֹ֖גֶז רַחֵ֥ם תִּזְכּֽוֹר׃
(ג) אֱל֙וֹקַּ֙ מִתֵּימָ֣ן יָב֔וֹא וְקָד֥וֹשׁ מֵהַר־פָּארָ֖ן סֶ֑לָה
כִּסָּ֤ה שָׁמַ֙יִם֙ הוֹד֔וֹ וּתְהִלָּת֖וֹ מָלְאָ֥ה הָאָֽרֶץ׃
(1) A prayer of the prophet Habakkuk. In the mode of Shigyonot.
(2) HaShem! I have seen the might of Your Name; I am awed, O ETERNAL One, by Your deeds. Renew them in these years,
Oh, make them known in these years! Though angry, may You remember compassion. (3) God is coming from Teman, The Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. God’s majesty covers the skies,
Such splendor fills the earth.
(א) לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃ (ב) הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם מְֽסַפְּרִ֥ים כְּבֽוֹד־אֵ֑ל וּֽמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָ֝דָ֗יו מַגִּ֥יד הָרָקִֽיעַ׃ (ג) י֣וֹם לְ֭יוֹם יַבִּ֣יעַֽ אֹ֑מֶר וְלַ֥יְלָה לְּ֝לַ֗יְלָה יְחַוֶּה־דָּֽעַת׃ (ד) אֵֽין־אֹ֭מֶר וְאֵ֣ין דְּבָרִ֑ים בְּ֝לִ֗י נִשְׁמָ֥ע קוֹלָֽם׃ (ה) בְּכׇל־הָאָ֨רֶץ ׀ יָ֘צָ֤א קַוָּ֗ם וּבִקְצֵ֣ה תֵ֭בֵל מִלֵּיהֶ֑ם לַ֝שֶּׁ֗מֶשׁ שָֽׂם־אֹ֥הֶל בָּהֶֽם׃ (ו) וְה֗וּא כְּ֭חָתָן יֹצֵ֣א מֵחֻפָּת֑וֹ יָשִׂ֥ישׂ כְּ֝גִבּ֗וֹר לָר֥וּץ אֹֽרַח׃
(1) For the leader. A psalm of David. (2) The heavens declare the glory of God, the sky proclaims HaShem's handiwork. (3) Day to day makes utterance, night to night speaks out. (4) There is no utterance, there are no words, whose sound goes unheard.-a (5) Their voice carries throughout the earth, their words to the end of the world. He placed in them a tent for the sun, (6) who is like a groom coming forth from the chamber, like a hero, eager to run his course.
(א) לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ לְדָוִ֗ד מִזְמ֥וֹר שִֽׁיר׃ (ב) יָק֣וּם אֱ֭לֹקִים יָפ֣וּצוּ אוֹיְבָ֑יו וְיָנ֥וּסוּ מְ֝שַׂנְאָ֗יו מִפָּנָֽיו׃ (ג) כְּהִנְדֹּ֥ף עָשָׁ֗ן תִּ֫נְדֹּ֥ף כְּהִמֵּ֣ס דּ֭וֹנַג מִפְּנֵי־אֵ֑שׁ יֹאבְד֥וּ רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים מִפְּנֵ֥י אֱלֹקִֽים׃ (ד) וְֽצַדִּיקִ֗ים יִשְׂמְח֣וּ יַ֭עַלְצוּ לִפְנֵ֥י אֱלֹקִ֗ים וְיָשִׂ֥ישׂוּ בְשִׂמְחָֽה׃
(1) For the leader. Of David. A psalm. A song. (2) God will arise, and enemies shall be scattered, foes shall flee. (3) Disperse them as smoke is dispersed; as wax melts at fire, so the wicked shall perish before God. (4) The righteous shall rejoice; they shall exult in the presence of God; they will be so very happy.
(א) אַשְׁרֵ֥י תְמִֽימֵי־דָ֑רֶךְ הַ֝הֹלְכִ֗ים בְּתוֹרַ֥ת ה'׃ (ב) אַ֭שְׁרֵי נֹצְרֵ֥י עֵדֹתָ֗יו בְּכׇל־לֵ֥ב יִדְרְשֽׁוּהוּ׃ (ג) אַ֭ף לֹא־פָעֲל֣וּ עַוְלָ֑ה בִּדְרָכָ֥יו הָלָֽכוּ׃ (ד) אַ֭תָּה צִוִּ֥יתָה פִקֻּדֶ֗יךָ לִשְׁמֹ֥ר מְאֹֽד׃
(1) Happy are those whose way is blameless, who follow HaShem's teaching. (2) Happy are those who observe, who turn to HaShem with a whole heart. (3) They do no wrong, but follow good ways. (4) You commanded that Your laws be kept carefully.
Know that the saint [Karo] and I [Solomon Alkabetz], his and your humble servant, belonging to our company, agreed to stay up all night in order to banish sleep from our eyes on Shavuot. We succeeded, thank G*d, so that, as you will hear, we ceased not from study for even a moment....
No sooner had we studied two tracts of the Mishnah than our Creator smote us so that we heard a voice speaking out of the mouth of the saint, may his light shine. It was a loud voice with letters clearly enunciated. All the companions heard the voice but were unable to understand what was said. It was an exceedingly pleasant voice, becoming increasingly strong. We all fell upon our faces and none of us had any spirit left in him because of our great dread and awe. The voice began to address us, saying:
"Friends, choicest of the choice, peace to you, beloved companions. Happy are you and happy those who bore you. Happy are you in this world and happy in the next that you resolved to adorn Me on this night. For these many years had My head been fallen with none to comfort Me. I was cast down to the ground to embrace the dunghills but now you have restored the crown to its former place....
Behold, I am the Mishnah, the mother who chastises her children, and I have come to converse with you. Had you been ten in number you would have ascended even higher but you have reached a great height nevertheless. Happy are those who bore you, My friends, in that, by denying yourselves sleep you have ascended so far on high. Through you I have become elevated this night and through the companions in the great city [Salonica], a mother-city in Israel."