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As we count down to Shavuot, I find myself wondering:

[First, some background for those who don't know what a Tikkun Leil Shavuot is]

According to tradition, we overslept the morning of Matan Torah (the giving of the Torah), and to "repair" our behavior on the night of the original Shavuot, the kabbalists created a practice, called Tikkun Leil Shavuot (Repairing the Night of Shavuot), in which we stay up all night learning what is, in effect, the Readers Digest of Jewish Texts --- the opening and closing verses of every book of the Bible, along with other key passages from the Bible and the Oral Law. At sunrise we then pray the morning service.

Except that in practice that's not what's done. Lots of synagogues have what they call a Tikkun Leil Shavuot of some sort --- but it's usually some sort of targeted teaching and learning. Our shul, for instance, has a series of a half-dozen lectures set up for the adults, plus a separate overnight learning program for teens, and even a shorter program (that ends at 8:30pm) for the younger kids.

Here's my question: I've never seen anyone do the original Tikkun Leil Shavuot. I've never even been able to find a copy of the Arizal's list of what texts comprise the evening's program. Searching with Google is getting me lots of programs run by this shul or that shul, but not the Arizal's list. Hebrew Wikipedia has a partial list.

So: What is the complete list of texts that are learned as part of the original Tikkun Leil Shavuot?

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  • Just get a Sephardi Tikun - it has the correct order of the Ari as attested to by the Hida
    – user1528
    May 24, 2012 at 12:06
  • It is also in R' Yaakov Emden Siddur
    – user2792
    May 14, 2013 at 17:36
  • It's also in the back of the Artscroll Shavuos Machzor.
    – DonielF
    Sep 18, 2016 at 20:19

4 Answers 4

9

I have a volume at hand titled "Seder Tikun L'lel Shavuos V'hosha'na Raba Hashalem Im T'hilim", published in 1964 by "Or Habahir" in Israel. I'm not about to list in detail all the texts included in its Shavuos litany (sorry), but here's what they are briefly:

  • An introductory prayer.
  • The beginning and end of each "parsha", in order. (Collated. I mean, the end of B'reshis follows its beginning rather than following the beginning of B'racha.) But some key texts, like the shira of B'shalach and the dibros are included also.
  • An indication that kadish is said.
  • The beginning and end of each sefer of Nach. The order used is the usual one rather than the one from Bava Basra. The t're asar are treated as one book. Again, certain key texts are also included, including some t'hilim.
  • An indication that kadish yasom is said.
  • The beginning and end of each maseches of mishnayos.
  • An indication that kadish d'rabanan is said.
  • Part (I'm guessing the beginning and end, but have no idea) of Sefer Y'tzira.
  • An indication that kadish yasom is said.
  • What appears to be an excerpt from the Zohar on Emor about Shavuos.
  • An indication that kadish d'rabanan is said.
  • An introductory prayer.
  • A list of the mitzvos.
  • Rabi Chananya ben Akashya omer...
  • Something titled Idra Raba L'shavuos (I have no idea what it is).
  • An indication that Rabi Chananya ben Akashya omer... and kadish are said.
  • A concluding prayer.

Incidentally, re the question's "I've never seen anyone do" something like this: I have.

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  • They do it in my shul and it takes a very long time. It's a good thing the nights are long here at this time of year. May 12, 2011 at 7:37
  • 1
    Adra Raba should be "Idra Rabbah", and it's a section of the Zohar -- this must be a selection from Idra Rabbah intended to be read on Shavuot.
    – Chanoch
    May 12, 2011 at 14:34
  • 1
    @JoeinAustralia, can you shed any light on this question? judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/16682/… Jun 1, 2012 at 15:52
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According to the Siddur HaRashash as set forth in Shaar HaKavvanot 89a(the paragraph that starts with the words זהו הסדר).

Tikun Leil Shavuot:

Genesis 1:1-Gen 2:4  
Gen 6:6-6:12  
Gen 11:30-12:3  
Gen 17:25-18:3  
Gen 22:22-23:3  
Gen 25:16-21  
Gen 28:7-12  
Gen 32:3-8  
Gen 36:41-37:3  
Gen 40:21-41:3  
Gen 44:15-20  
Gen 47:23-28  
Gen 50:24-Ex 1:3  
Ex 5:22-6:4  
Ex 9:24-10:3  
Ex 13:14-19  
Ex 17:14-18:3  
Ex 19:1-21:3  
Ex 24:1-25:3  
Ex 27:17-28:1  
Ex 30:8-13  
Ex 34:33-35:3  
Ex 38:18-22  
Ex 40:36-Lev 1:3  
Lev 5:24-6:3  
Lev 8:34-9:3  
Lev 11:45-12:3  
Lev 13:37-14:3  
Lev 15:31-16:3  
Lev 18:28-19:3  
Lev 20:25-21:3  
Lev 24:21-25:3  
Lev 25:55-26:5  
Lev 27:32-Num 1:3  
Num 4:18-23  
Num 7:87-8:3  
Num 12:14-13:3  
Num 15:39-16:3  
Num 18:30-19:3  
Num 21:34-22:4  
Num 23:7-12  
Num 29:39-30:5  
Num 32:40-33:3  
Num 36:11-Deut 1:3  
Deut 3:20-25  
Deut 5:1-6:9  
Deut 7:9-14  
Deut  11:23-28  
Deut  16:15-20  
Deut 21:7-12  
Deut 25:17-26:3  
Deut 29:6-11  
Deut 30:18-31:3  
Deut 31:28-32:3  
Deut 32:50-33:3  
Deut 34:10-12  
Josh 1:1-3  
Josh 24:31-33  
Judges 1:1-1:3  
Judges 21:23-25  
1Sam 1:1-1:3  
2Sam 24:23-25  
1Kings 1:1-3  
2Kings 25:28-30  
Isaiah 1:1-1:3  
Isaiah 66:22-24  
Jeremiah 1:1-3  
Jeremiah 52:32-34  
Ezekiel 1:1-3:12  
Ezekiel  48:33-35  
Hoshea 1:1-1:3  
Chavakuk  1:1-1:3  
Chavakuk 2:20-3:19  
Malakhai 3:22-24  
Ruth(the whole thing)  
Psalm 1  
Psalm 150  
Job 1:1-3  
Job 42:15-17  
Proverbs 1:1-3  
Proverbs 31:10-31  
Eccl 1:1-3  
Eccl 12:12-14  
Shir 1:1-3  
Shir 8:12-14  
Lamentation 1:1-3  
Lamentation 5:20-22  
Daniel 1:1-3  
Daniel 12:11-13  
Esther 1:1-3  
Esther 10:1-3  
Ezra 1:1-3  
Nehemiah 13:29-31  
1Chron 1:1-3  
2Chron 36:21-23  
The 613 Mitzvot according to the Rambam  
Midrash Rabbah on Yitro  
Ein Yaakov on Shabbat 86a  
Idra Rabba
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5

From Wikipedia:

The Tikkun Leil Shavuot ("Rectification for Shavuot Night") consists of excerpts from the beginning and end of each of the 24 books of Tanakh (including the reading in full of several key sections such as the account of the days of creation, The Exodus, the giving of the Ten Commandments and the Shema) and the 63 books of Mishnah. This is followed by the reading of Sefer Yetzirah, the 613 commandments as enumerated by Maimonides, and excerpts from the Zohar, with opening and concluding prayers. The whole reading is divided into thirteen parts, after each of which a Kaddish di-Rabbanan is recited when the Tikkun is studied in a group of at least ten Jewish, Bar Mitzvahed men.

You can buy a copy of sefer Kriei Moed, which contains tikkun leil shavuot, from MySefer.com. You can also find it online from hebrewbooks.org.

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    It can also be found in the back of the Artscroll Shavuos machzor.
    – jake
    May 12, 2011 at 1:36
  • Yeah, I said it last year from the Artscroll machzor. I don't think I will do it again. It definitely took more than four hours to recite all of it.
    – Tzvi
    May 13, 2011 at 20:58
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In the Rodelheim tikkun, all the Tanach and Shas parts as mentioned above will be found, but minus any of the Zohar, Sefer HeYetzira, etc. mentioned.

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  • Thank you for bringing the Frankfurt perspective, and welcome to Mi Yodeya! There were two previous answers that include lists of what was said: my own and Chanoch's. Which one are you referring to as "mentioned above"?
    – msh210
    Apr 25, 2013 at 17:35
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    My great-grandfather's Rödelheim tikkun (c. 1843) contains passages from the Zohar, Yetzira, et c., as well as some weird diagrams in the H"R portion, IIRC. Jun 14, 2016 at 2:11
  • This answer is completely false, see: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/… May 9, 2018 at 20:15

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