Hag HaShavuot

Tomorrow (and also Saturday, shabbos, outside of Israel) we celebrate the holiday of Shavuot, the festival of Weeks, which commemorates the giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai, and comes exactly 50 days (7 Weeks of 7 Days) after Pesach; the days we have been counting during the process of the Sefirat (counting) Ha'Omer. Every year, there is a tradition that on the evening of Shavuot (this evening) communities gather together in their synagogues and stay up the whole night learning Torah and then pray the morning holiday service at sunrise. Here in Yerushalayim the entire city will stream to the Kotel (the Western Wall) at the break of dawn. The reason for this custom goes back to the first year in the Desert, when the Jews received the Torah, the story goes that they actually slept-in that morning, and Hashem had to come wake them up (with coffee, toast and eggs of course)! The Midrash (a collection of stories and laws from the Oral Tradition) explains that the "sleep of Shavuos is sweet and the night is short", and additionally the fleas did not bit them that night. However, this answer is not quite satisfying. After Israel left Egypt, Moshe told them that in 50 days they would receive the Torah, and out of their great excitement, the took it upon themselves to count down the days, like a young child waiting to receive a present. If they already had such great excitement 50 days prior, than how much more so on the night before the Giving of the Torah, and as such, how could they possibly sleep through such a highly anticipated event? The air of preparation that surrounded the Jews then, and continues to surround us now during this time of the year, therefore leads us to the conclusion that somehow this "nap" really meant to heighten their preparation even further. We can see further proof also in the miracle that occurred that night: the fleas did not bite! Their actions (or lack their of) could not have run totally contrary to the intent of the moment if nature changed on their behalf. So, we must now ask the question of how did this sleep actually help them prepare to receive the Torah?
One answer, given by the Alter Rebbe, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the first Rebbe of ChaBaD, explains that since spirituality and physicality for the most part do not interact, for the soul to participate in a spiritual event, like the Giving of the Torah, while connected to a physical body may prove quite difficult. However, when a person sleeps, most of his soul leaves his body and returns to the spiritual realms in order to get its own rest. Therefore, by sleeping the Jewish people thought maybe they could connect on a deeper and more profound level during this important moment. Despite their good intentions, the plan did not succeed and they had to awaken before the Giving of the Torah. Because Torah speaks about matters of the world (which foods to eat, relations between husband and wife, business practices, legal principles, etc.) the primary intention becomes fulfilled specifically in the world, through thought, speech and deed, and not through spiritual highs. For example, the most important moments in Judaism have always revolved around basic "milestone events" in people's lives; the birth of a child (and his bris, if it is a boy), coming of age (bar or bat mitzvah), marriage, holidays, etc. and not around life-changing spiritual experiences. Practice such as prayer and study serve as the foundation that allows us to appreciate all these other aspects of our lives and to take true joy in them. Therefore the true intention of the Giving of the Torah specifically required that the Jews "keep their souls in their bodies", so to speak, in order that they could fulfill its precepts and transform the world, instead of leaving it.
Every year the events commemorated by the festivals happen again, if only in a spiritual manner, and therefore this year as well the Jewish people and the whole World will receive the Torah, and along with it, the ability to transform the world through increasing in education, tzedakah and good deeds.
With the traditional blessing, To receive the Torah with Joy and in a personally meaningful way.
Hag Sameach and Shabbat Shalom.