Western Wall Plaza Shavuot Dawn

On Shavuot night, Jerusalem is alive with the sounds of Torah learning until about 3:30 when all begin the trek into the Old City to arrive at the Wall in time for early morning (vatikin) service, timed so that the Amidah Prayer starts exactly at the moment of Halachically defined dawn (*).

It is an amazing sight.

From Ilana's album, from 5:15 to 6:00 AM:

As explained, our current practice is

to stay up all night learning Torah [which] is attributed to Rav Yosef Karo, the 16th-century codifier of the Shulchan Aruch, though its roots are much older. The Zohar speaks of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, who lived in the second century, staying up all night. His reason for doing so is compared to an attendant helping to prepare a bride prior to her wedding. (A common metaphor for the revelation at Sinai is a wedding between God and the Jewish people.) The ultimate basis for the tradition is a Midrash in Shir HaShirim Rabbah to the effect that on the morning when God was to give them the Torah, the Jews slept in, showing a lack of enthusiasm. Throughout the generations, we rectify this national flaw through the many enthusiastic volunteers who spend the entire night engaged in study to show their love of God and appreciation for the gift of His Torah.

Thank you, Ilana.

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(*)

The best possible time for reciting the Shema and praying Amida is at the "Vatikin" time. The "Vatikin" were people who would read the Shema just before sunrise and then pray at sunrise. The reason for this practice is that one who prays late allows himself to be controlled by nature...The sages say that following the example of the "Vatikin" protects a person from danger for the entire day (Berakhot 9b, Tosefot ad loc.).

The Exact Times of "Vatikin" and "Hanetz HaChamah"

"Hanetz HaChamah" (lit. "the sparkling of the sun") is the term used to describe the time when the sun begins to shine in the morning. And while, on the face of things, this appears to be a fairly clear-cut and simple definition, the truth is that it is not so simple.

To begin with, the amount of time it takes for the sun to rise - from the moment that one sees its first splinter, until it is completely visible - is approximately two-and-a-half minutes. Authorities are at ends regarding what exactly is the time of "Hanetz": The majority opinion is that it occurs when the very first splinter of sun becomes visible, and this is the time, in their opinion, at which the Amidah prayer of "Vatikin" must begin. Others, however, hold that "Hanetz" is when the entire sun has finished rising and can be seen in its entirety on the horizon. Still others contend that "Hanetz" lasts lasts for two and a half minutes, so long as the sun's rays are still red.

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