Teϔillos
Reb Mendel of Riminov zt'l said that in the desert, from Rosh Chodesh Sivan until matan Torah, the Yidden were saying the brachah of ahavah rabba, begging Hashem, בתורתיך עינינו והאר, "Enlighten our eyes in Your Torah." This is how they prepared for matan Torah.
The Baal Shem Tov Hakadosh zt'l taught that if Klal Yisrael will say the brachah of עולם אהבת with kavanah, and not rush through it, the galus will be shortened and Moshiach will come. Some batei midrashim follow this counsel every day. עולם אהבת can take them around five minutes. Also, on Shabbos, many batei midrashim say עולם אהבת in this manner. On Shavuos, many communities do so. Let us go back some years and hear about the communities of the past.
In the beis medresh of Rebbe Naftoli of Ropshitz zt'l, on Shavuos, the brachah אהבת עולם took several hours, and it was said with much hislahavus.
Once, a student of the Chasam Sofer's zt'l yeshiva went to Ropshitz for Shavuos. (His wife's family lived in that area.) When he returned to the yeshiva, the Chasam Sofer asked him what he saw in Ropshitz. The student described the magnificent way they said ahavah rabba. The Chasam Sofer was very impressed and praised the Ropshitzer chassidim for praying like that.
Stories of Tefillah on Shavuos
Rebbe Hershel of Ziditchov zt'l began davening early on Shavuos morning and finished late afternoon. Almost the entire day was spent in tefillah. In Ropshitz, the tefillah was from 4:00 to 4:00. (We don't expect this from people of our time; we just ask that it shouldn’t be from 4:00 to 5:00.)
One year, Shavuos, after Shacharis, the Ropshitzer Rav zt'l handed a large Gemara to one of his chassidim and said, "Today, you said ahavas olam with a lot of kavanah, and your tefillos were answered. You asked to understand Torah, and you will receive it. Now, it is up to you to study Torah. If you don’t study, you won't get it."
This often occurs. One's tefillos were answered, but he doesn't know about it, so he doesn't look for the treasure he just attained. The Chofetz Chaim zt'l told a mashal of a poor person who cried and pleaded with a wealthy person to help him and give him money. The rich person replied, "I don't have money with me now. Come to me tomorrow, at my workplace, at such-and-such time, and I will help you." But the poor person didn't show up. The next day, the poor person returned to the wealthy person and cried and pleaded for financial support. The wealthy man replied, "I already told you you should come to my workplace. Why didn't you come? Nu, come today." But he didn't come. This pattern repeated itself several times. After a while, the wealthy person will refuse to listen to his requests.
The nimshal is that we davened for Torah, and our tefillos were answered. Now we have to open up the Gemara and begin learning to receive the blessings Hashem sent us.
The Rebbes of Munkatch (Shaar Yissaschar) zt'l writes, הקדוש החג דשבועות ביומא רבה אהבה בברכת להאריך החסידים הצדיקים נוהגים הזה, "Tzaddikim say the brachah עולם אהבת at length on Shavuos."
People standing behind the Chazon Ish's zt'l on Shavuos witnessed that when he reached the brachah of רבה אהבה, his entire body trembled and he broke down in tears like a young child. (Maaseh Ish vol.5 p.115).
As we wrote, saying this brachah at length is a praiseworthy deed, every day of the year. The Shinover Rav zt'l once asked Reb Yaakov Eliyahu Lazar zt'l to be with him for Shabbos HaChodesh. The Shinover Rav said, "It's very important for a chasid to be with his rebbe on Shabbos HaChodesh, since on this Shabbos one has the potential to become a new person." Reb Lazar would often speak nostalgically of that Shabbos. He said it’s impossible to repeat what he saw that Shabbos. But he did reveal that when he davened רבה אהבה in Shacharis, he was overcome with emotion. He left the beis medresh and cried profusely from deveikus. He felt that he had become a new person.
When you come to a chasunah, how can you figure out who the mechutanim are? Those who are davening fervently at the chuppah for the couple's success are the mechutanim. The same is on Shavuos. Who are mechutanim with the Torah? Those who cry and beg Hashem for success in Torah are mechutanim with the Torah.
And who is the chasan? The one who goes home with the kallah after the chasunah. Similarly, Shavuos is a chasunah between the Jewish nation and the Torah. Who among the Jewish nation can be called the chasan? Those who continue learning Torah after Shavuos.
