It is now just a few hours away from “the time of the Giving of the Torah.” We should once again remind everyone to prepare—mainly, by studying Torah in the proper manner, “with the same awe, fear, trembling and perspiration, as we experienced at Sinai,” as if we had just received it this very day.
And that is how we should recite the tikkun leil shavuos.
Chassidic Discourses
See Torah Or, Yisro 22b ff.—Ma’amar entitled bachodesh hashlishi.
They explain the fact that the Torah was given in a desert—midbar. The word midbar shares the root of dibur, “speech,” with an additional letter mem. So midbar is exchangeable with midaber, meaning speech that comes forth automatically, of its own accord. For when one studies Torah, his speech “does not come forth as if it is his own speech, but rather, as ‘my tongue will answer after Your speech.’” The Torah is “Your speech” and “my tongue” simply “answers,” like one who repeats words dictated by someone else (in this case, G-d Himself). The power for this was given to us at the Giving of the Torah.
See also Tana D’vei Eliyahu Rabah, beg. of ch. 21; Yalkut Shimoni, Eichah 994.
Parshas Bamidbar, Sivan 6, 5748. Hisvaaduyos, p. 246.
