My Shavuous Roundup

Home Forums Decaffeinated Coffee My Shavuous Roundup

Viewing 18 posts - 1 through 18 (of 18 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #603606
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    This was the first year in the past four that I stayed up learning the entire night. In the last few years, I would nap from about 10:00 to 10:30 before getting up to learn the rest of the night. This year, thanks to the naps I had on Shabbos afternoon, my early evening nap was not necessary. Of course this makes me guilty of preparing on Shabbos for Sunday, a forbidden act. So, I imagine that any learning I did that night was probably worthless as it came about through an aveira.

    In addition, this was the first Shavuous night that I can recall where I did not crack open a Gemara the entire evening. Just about the entire evening (aside from time I spent preparing the laining for Shacharis) was spent learning Hilchos Shabbos in the Chayei Adam. Of course, according to some, the fact that it wasn’t Gemara doesn’t really qualify it as learning* anyway, so it could just as easily be said that I spent the entire night just wasting my time.

    I also found out from a prominent Rav in my community over Yom Tov that because I was not happy over Yom Tov, I am no different than someone who does not eat Matzah on Pesach, or sit in a sukkah on Succos and so on. In some ways, it’s kind of sobering to think that my entire avoda on Yom Tov is worthless because I wasn’t happy and fulfilling the mitzvah of “V’Samachta.” It’s as if I never kept Yom Tov at all.

    The Wolf

    * True story: in high school, I was told that learning Chumash (or any “easier” subject) when one could be learning Gemara is bittul Torah based on the halacha in Hilchos Purim which says that we are m’vatel Talmud Torah to listen to the megillah.

    #877880
    ItcheSrulik
    Member

    Come on. You weren’t happy once over yomtov?

    #877881
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    Come on. You weren’t happy once over yomtov?

    The way the question was framed was “is a person who is sad on Yom Tov in violation of an issur?” It was not framed as “is one required to be happy at least once over Yom Tov?”

    The answer to my question is that someone who is sad over Yom Tov is in violation of the positive commandment of “v’samachatah” and is no different than someone who fails to eat matzah, sit in a sukkah, hear shofar and so on.

    The Wolf

    #877882
    SaysMe
    Member

    well then, i guess i didn’t ‘keep’ yomtov either.

    #877883
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    well then, i guess i didn’t ‘keep’ yomtov either.

    Be careful. I don’t think you want to be in the same company as I.

    I’m sure that some of the kanoim here will say that my kids don’t deserve to be in yeshiva (what yeshiva accepts a kid whose father doesn’t keep Yom Tov), be a member of the community or even walk into the shul.

    And they may well be right.

    The Wolf

    #877884
    SaysMe
    Member

    and i know many ppl say the same thing about. and they may be right. and they may be wrong.

    #877885

    & I spent most of the chag studying Neuropsych…I’m really going to hell. See ya wolfie!

    #877886
    cb1
    Member

    Wolf, it looks like were in the same situation. On Shabbos afternoon i slept from after Shalosh Seudos (about 3pm) until Ma’ariv, and i stayed up all night but instead of sitting in Shul learning, i sat on the ambulance for most of the night which some consider to be a waste of time.

    #877887
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    I spent most of the chag studying Neuropsych…I’m really going to hell. See ya wolfie!

    Not learning at night on Shavuous will not land you in hell. Heck, everyone staying up all night learning is a (relatively) recent phenomenon.

    The Wolf

    #877888
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    i sat on the ambulance for most of the night which some consider to be a waste of time.

    I don’t think that anyone would say that working saving lives is a waste of time.

    The Wolf

    #877889
    cb1
    Member

    I don’t think that anyone would say that working saving lives is a waste of time.

    You’d be surprised with some of the stuff I’ve been told over the years.

    #877890
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    You’d be surprised with some of the stuff I’ve been told over the years.

    Considering the fact that I was just told by a prominent rav that I’m no better than one who doesn’t eat matzah, etc., I doubt it. However, you’re welcome to try me.

    The Wolf

    #877891

    “Not learning at night on Shavuous will not land you in hell. Heck, everyone staying up all night learning is a (relatively) recent phenomenon.”

    Hey, i’m a woman so I don’t even have the mitzvah to stay up and learn, but considering that I was up studying a secular subject will probably earn me “points”..

    #877892
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    I don’t think so. As you said, you had no requirement to learn, so what you did is neither here nor there.

    On the other hand, I wasted my time by “learning” Halacha, as opposed to true learning (Gemara, etc.). As a result, that makes me a sinner and, should I influence anyone else to follow my example, I’d also be a “machati as haRabim.” For such a person, there is no teshuva.

    The Wolf

    #877893

    Hey Wolf,

    Learning is learning. Stop beating yourself up and dragging everyone else along with you for the ride. It’s getting kind of tired and boring.

    What I really mean is give yourself some slack and please try to find some way to be kind to yourself. If you view yourself with such negativity, how do you expect others to treat you?

    Please….. try your absolute hardest to make yourself have a great day!! 🙂

    #877894
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    What I really mean is give yourself some slack and please try to find some way to be kind to yourself.

    Why should I? I certainly don’t deserve it.

    If you view yourself with such negativity, how do you expect others to treat you?

    I expect others to treat me as I deserve, as I treat myself. No better and no worse.

    The Wolf

    #877895
    147
    Participant

    WolfishMusings:- I don’t comprehend how this was your 1st time in 4 years rather than in 14 years? that you were up overnite, since last time that Shovu’os came out with Yaknehaz, was 14 years ago.

    Being up overnite is lofty, and having studied Chaye Odom Hilchos Shabbos was effectively studying the 4th commandment which is leined on Shvu’os, so this is great.

    But as an aside, the only Mitzwah [nowadys without Shtei haLechem nor Bikurim] prescribed by the Torah for Shovu’os other than no Meleches Avodo & Mikro Kodesh, is “vSomachto Lifne etc.” as leined on 2nd morning of Shovu’os, hence Simchas Yom Tov overrides Shovu’os nite up, if these are going to end up being 2 mutually exclusive events.

    Maybe some cheesecake will solve this dilemma in future years?

    #877896
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    I don’t comprehend how this was your 1st time in 4 years rather than in 14 years? that you were up overnite, since last time that Shovu’os came out with Yaknehaz, was 14 years ago.

    I explained above. In the last few years, I’ve taken naps in the early evening before going to learn, so I did not stay up. Before about four years ago, I did not need to take a nap to stay up during the night.

    The Wolf

Viewing 18 posts - 1 through 18 (of 18 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.