Chapter 1. The Laws of the Festival of Shavuot

The Shelah’s Prayer
a. It is customary to recite the Shelah’s prayer on the eve of Rosh Chodesh Sivan, which is an auspicious time to pray for the success of one’s children in Torah. [1]

Studying and Expounding
b. The law of “studying and expounding the laws of the festival on the festival” regarding Shavuot is explained by the Gra as beginning from Rosh Chodesh Sivan [2] .

Reciting Tachanun
c. Tachanun is not recited from Rosh Chodesh Sivan until after Isru Chag; some have the custom to refrain until the twelfth of Sivan, inclusive. [3]

Lighting a Yizkor Memorial Candle
d. Ideally, one should light a memorial candle on the eve of Yom Tov. If one did not manage to light it before Yom Tov, he should light it in the place of the meal so that he benefits from its light; it is better still to light it in the synagogue. In pressing circumstances, it may be permissible in any case, since it is akin to a mitzvah candle lit in honor of one’s parents, and he would experience great distress on Yom Tov if it were not lit. [4]

The Law of “Temimot”
e. It is a mitzvah to accept the sanctity of Yom Tov early in order to add to Yom Tov. Although regarding Shavuot there is a law to delay the Ma’ariv prayer because of temimot — the completeness of the counted days [as explained below, section h] — this does not contradict the law of adding time to Yom Tov. [5]

The Laws of Candle Lighting
f. As on every Yom Tov, some have the custom to light candles before Yom Tov, while others have the custom to light at night before the meal. One who has no established custom should light candles before Yom Tov. [6]
As stated, early candle lighting does not impair the completeness of temimot, since the additional time does not uproot the preceding day.

The Blessing of “Shehecheyanu” at Candle Lighting
g. Some women have the custom to recite “Shehecheyanu” when lighting the candles, while others hear or recite “Shehecheyanu” during kiddush. A woman who has no established custom should hear or recite “Shehecheyanu” at the time of kiddush. [7]
Women who have the custom to recite “Shehecheyanu” when lighting candles: if they make kiddush themselves, they do not recite “Shehecheyanu” in kiddush. If they hear kiddush from their husband or from others, then if they do not drink from the cup, they should answer amen to the blessing of “Shehecheyanu.” If they do drink, there is room for doubt whether they may answer amen after the blessing of “Shehecheyanu” and then drink from the cup. The basis of the doubt is that since they have already fulfilled their obligation of “Shehecheyanu,” answering amen may be considered an interruption in kiddush, in which case she would need to recite a blessing over drinking from the cup, as is the law for one who interrupts between the blessing of the one reciting kiddush and drinking; or perhaps answering amen is not considered an interruption. In practice, it appears that they should answer amen.

The Place of Lighting
h. One who eats in one house and sleeps in another should ideally light in the place where he eats, [8] and although according to halachah one may also recite a blessing over lighting in the place where one sleeps, [9] nowadays, when there is electric lighting, one should ideally not recite a blessing over lighting in the sleeping place, since a blessing is not recited over adding light when the lighting is for shalom bayit. [10]
This is especially so regarding Yom Tov candles, where it must be discussed whether their enactment was also for shalom bayit or only for the honor and enjoyment of the festival, in which case it applies only in the place of eating. [11] Nevertheless, in practice it appears that one may recite a blessing on Yom Tov as well for the purpose of shalom bayit, and therefore in pressing circumstances one may rely on the lenient opinion and recite a blessing even in the place where one sleeps. Ideally, it is proper to eat mezonot or something similar there, or to perform there some act connected with the needs of the meal. It is also preferable to darken the room completely before lighting, and at the time of lighting, without interrupting by speaking, to turn on the light and recite the blessing, so that the blessing will also apply to the electric lighting.
Those who have the custom to light on Yom Tov itself should set a Shabbat timer so that it turns off the electric lighting at the time of lighting, or shortly thereafter for a brief period while the candles are burning.

The Time of the Yom Tov Night Prayer
i. On the night of Shavuot, Ma’ariv is delayed until after nightfall, so that the days of the counting of the Omer will be forty-nine complete days, temimot. [12]

One Who Slept a Regular Sleep on the Eve of the Festival
j. One who slept a regular sleep in his bed on the eve of Shavuot should preferably have in mind during the blessing of “Ahavat Olam” to fulfill the obligation of the blessings over Torah, and should study immediately after the prayer. [13]

-- The Joy of Yom Tov --

The Mitzvah
i. There is an obligation of rejoicing on Yom Tov, and Chazal said [14] that nowadays joy is achieved only with wine. Indeed, the Shulchan Aruch ruled that one is obligated to drink wine on Yom Tov. [15] This obligation applies to the daytime meal.

The Quantity of Wine
j. One is obligated to drink enough wine to bring about joy [not necessarily a revi’it], and some say there is an obligation to drink wine even at the nighttime meal. [16]

Children and Women
k. Children should be gladdened with sweets that make them happy, and for women one should buy clothing and jewelry according to his means. [17]

Eating Meat
l. There is no obligation to eat meat on Yom Tov, but there is a mitzvah to do so. The primary mitzvah is to eat beef or other meat of domesticated animals; if one does not have such meat, the mitzvah may also be fulfilled with poultry. [18]

Honor of the Day and Honor of the Night
m. In the Gemara in Pesachim [19] and in the Shulchan Aruch [20] it is explained that the honor of the Shabbat day takes precedence over the honor of the night, and therefore the foods of the daytime meal should be more distinguished than those of the nighttime meal. It is to be considered whether this law applies also on Yom Tov. I heard from my father-in-law shlita that in the work Arkei Tannaim VeAmoraim by one of the Rishonim, in the entry “Rav Yehoshua berei deRav Idi,” it is stated explicitly that this law — that the honor of the day takes precedence over the honor of the night — applies also on Yom Tov [see also Responsa Shevivei Esh, vol. 4, siman 7].

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[1] In a year when the eve of Rosh Chodesh falls on Shabbat, the prayer should be recited on Friday. If one did not recite it on Friday, it is permitted to say the prayer on Shabbat by contemplation, because it is forbidden to request personal needs on Shabbat, even spiritual matters [and it is possible that since its proper time is on Shabbat, it is even permitted to say it verbally; therefore, if one did not manage to say it on Friday, he may say it on Shabbat]. See Mishnah Berurah (siman 263:2; siman 294:2; siman 529:19).
[2] Mishnah Berurah (siman 429:1).
[3] Shulchan Aruch (siman 131:7, and siman 494:3).
[4] Biur Halachah (siman 514:5, s.v. Ner Shel Batala) in the name of the Ketav Sofer.
[5] Since the additional time does not uproot the preceding day; see HaEmek Davar and Meshech Chochmah (Vayikra, chapter 23).
[6] Mateh Ephraim (siman 625:33, and siman 599:10), Elef LaMateh (siman 625:51), and Pri Megadim (Mishbetzot Zahav, siman 260:3).
[7] Mishnah Berurah (siman 263:23), and see also Mateh Ephraim (siman 581:54).
[8] Rema (siman 263:10).
[9] See Shulchan Aruch (there, se’if 5) regarding the Yom Kippur candle, and Mishnah Berurah (se’if katan 25), which explains the dispute whether a blessing is recited over a candle for shalom bayit; see also Shulchan Aruch (siman 610:2).
[10] Pri Megadim (Eshel Avraham, siman 263:21) and Sha’arei Teshuvah (there, se’if katan 4) in the name of the Panim Me’irot.
[11] See Orchot Chaim (Laws of Lighting Candles on the Eve of Shabbat, se’if 1), who cites a dispute whether a blessing is recited over the Yom Tov candle because it lacks the element of shalom bayit, since whenever one wishes he may light. This is also found in Moshav Zekenim (on the Torah, Parashat Emor). However, see Responsa Rabbi Akiva Eiger (siman 1), who wrote that women are exempt from the honor of Yom Tov, since it is a time-bound positive commandment, and likewise from the law of rejoicing. According to his words, it is very difficult to understand why they recite a blessing over lighting the Yom Tov candle, for either way: if it is because of honor and enjoyment, they are exempt, and if because of shalom bayit, that element is absent.
[12] Mishnah Berurah (siman 494:1).
[13] See Mishnah Berurah (siman 47:28).
[14] Pesachim 109a.
[15] Siman 529 (se’if 1) and Biur Halachah (se’if 2, s.v. Keitzad).
[16] See Chazon Ish (Orach Chaim, siman 124:71), and see above in the laws of the festival of Sukkot.
[17] Shulchan Aruch (siman 529:2).
[18] Shulchan Aruch and Biur Halachah (there).
[19] 105a.
[20] Siman 271, se’if