Parshat Va'etchanan Reflection: The Spirit of the Law

BS"D

I dedicate this parsha-post in the merit of Alte Shaina bas Chaya Mushka, Meira Chava bas Shoshana, Pesha Ruchl Leah bas Nechama, and Mordechai Yehoshua ben Menucha Rochel for a blessed and speedy refuah sheleima.  Also, for all the singles of Klal Yisroel to find their soulmates, and build a Bayit Ne'eman b'Yisrael swiftly and soon!

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This parsha-post is majorly inspired by R' Jonathan Sacks on his Covenant & Conversation for this past week, "Making Love Last;" and Chassidus talks by R' Manis Friedman and Mrs. Rivka Kotlarsky.

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His passing drawing near and the Jews' passage over the Jordan into Eretz Yisroel imminent, Moses continues to relay Mishneh Torah, the repetition of G-d's entire teaching to His children since He saved them from Egypt.

Moses strives to imbue Bnei Yisroel with reinforced feelings of love and awe of G-d.  He reminisces the spectacular marriage at Sinai, and exhorts them to cleave to the Torah's instruction - G-d's will and wisdom - wherever they go, beginning with their settlement of the rich Promised Land.

Almost forty years had transpired since this new generation's ancestors received the Torah.  These are new times, new opportunities!  Moses was concerned that we'd perhaps think, 'Let's just toss the yoke of G-d's kingship from our shoulders; His archaic and tedious mandates belong in a dusty back cranny of our attics!  This is my mortal life, and this life is good; why does G-d care about it anyway?'

We're a stiff-necked people; we're characterized with distinct vitality and conviction, but are also given to stubbornly retaining our own opinions and plans.  Let's take a moment to shed our armor, lean in and listen closely to Moses' call: The Torah of truth is eternally relevant for us as Jews, whoever we are, and wherever we may be.

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The Jewish people are reminded how cherished they are by G-d: "For what great nation is there that has G-d so near to it, as the Lord our G-d is at all times that we call upon Him?  And which great nation is it that has just statutes and ordinances, as this entire Torah, which I set before you this day?" (Devarim 4:7-8)  What are the Chukim and Mishpotim, statutes and ordinances?  Rashi explains this refers to Torah Sheba'al Peh (the Oral Torah); which, Moses declared, "The Lord commanded me...to teach you...so that you should do them in the land to which you are crossing..."
Moses speaks:

רַ֡ק הִשָּׁ֣מֶר לְךָ֩ וּשְׁמֹ֨ר נַפְשְׁךָ֜ מְאֹ֗ד פֶּן־תִּשְׁכַּ֨ח אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֜ים אֲשֶׁר־רָא֣וּ עֵינֶ֗יךָ וּפֶן־יָס֨וּרוּ֙ מִלְּבָ֣בְךָ֔ כֹּ֖ל יְמֵ֣י חַיֶּ֑יךָ וְהֽוֹדַעְתָּ֥ם לְבָנֶ֖יךָ וְלִבְנֵ֥י בָנֶֽיךָ

"Rak hishamer l'cha ushmor nafsh'cha m'od pen-tishkach es-hadvarim asher-ra'u einecha ufen-yasuru milvavcha kol y'mei chayecha v'hodatam l'vanecha v'livnei vanecha."

"But beware and watch yourself very well, lest you forget the things that your eyes saw, and lest these things depart from your heart, all the days of your life, and you shall make them known to your children and to your children's children."

{Devarim 4:9}

What exactly does this mean, and how can we implement it practically?

I might humbly suggest the following:

In order to uphold Torah and perform Mitzvos properly, it is crucial that we learn their ins-and-outs, their intricacies and generalities - Torah Sheba'al Peh, Halacha (Jewish Law) - striving to become as familiar with them as the back of our hand.  It requires meticulous effort in study to achieve such.  We are cautioned, "watch yourself very well lest you forget..."  The great sage Hillel states in Pirkei Avos: "He who does not increase his knowledge, decreases it;" meaning, if we don't add in our study and review that which we know, we are at risk of forgetting what knowledge we've amassed.  When we possess this determination to learn well and practice fittingly, we are regarded as wise and understanding; if we exhibit the opposite, the converse is true... and new doors to improvement are opened to us.

We must be meshamer - on-guard with ourselves, and conscious of G-d in all our ways.  When we strive to live in accordance with Halacha's directives, the numerous details the laws zone in on serve to create a framework of awareness of a Higher Authority throughout our earthly lives, thereby making them Heavenly.  It is out of this structure of awe and G-d-consciousness laid down for us that true love is born and devotion can thrive.  Keeping Halacha keeps our relationship with our Master flourishing.

In human allegory, picture a spouse who leaves thoughtful notes for his mate around the house, performs little extra-acts of loving-kindness for her, or the like.  It is similar in our relationship with G-d in Heaven; we show Him we're thinking about Him throughout the day, and His desire means so much to us.  Does it make sense to me always?  Do I think it's entirely necessary?  Maybe not all the time; I have my own mind and opinions and mannerisms; nevertheless, I do it for You, my G-d, my Beloved.  I do it for us, for our marriage.  If it's important to You, if it will please You, it's important to me.  Halacha  is rooted in Ratzon Ha'Elyon, the Supernal Will of His essence; it comes from such a lofty, perfect place, that it often transcends our limited human comprehension.  Still, we do it, with love and with awe.  The glamor and dazzle of our wedding at Har Sinai was just the beginning... We reveal that our commitment stands the test of time when we preserve our passion and love through the little things - through our Halacha observance.

(Yet another fascinating teaching that will surely boost the spirit of your Halachic practice: There is a verse in Tehillim that reads, "Hori'u LaHashem Kol Ha'aretz - Sing to Hashem, all the earth! (Tehillim 98:4)"  The roshei taivos (first letters of the Hebrew words) form the acronym HaLaCH"A.  Quite similar to how a symphony can only function and produce melody with discipline and adherence to certain guidelines, when we interact with one another and our surroundings according to the formula of Jewish Law, it's as if the entire world is singing praise to Hashem!) 

And now, I'd like to discuss the theme of Reb Tevye's famous song: "Tradition!"  The verse of our focus, Devarim 4:9, instructs, "...you shall make them [the things you have seen upon receiving the Torah] known to your children and to your children's children..."  This parsha also includes the famous verse, "ki yisha'alcha bincha machar - if tomorrow your child asks you," about why we do what we do, we need to have the answers ready and at hand.  It is our precious responsibility to teach our children, to pass on the Mesorah (tradition), and continue the chain of the Torah of our people.  We are exhorted to give it over with joy and wonder.  Let us never allow the beauty of tradition to become cold and rote for those who follow us. 

There is a stunning exposition on  the verse in Az Yashir (the Song at the Sea), "Zeh Keili V'anveihu; Elokai Avi Va'aromemenhu - This is my G-d and I shall glorify Him; the G-d of my father and I shall exalt Him (Shemos 15:2)," which shows us two levels of how we connect to Hashem through our Yiddishkeit (Judaism):  At the splitting of the sea and salvation of the Jewish People at last from Egypt, even the eyes of children were opened with wonder, and they could palpably sense G-d's direct involvement.  They literally pointed, and cried out, ""Zeh Keili - this is my G-d!" In this closeness, they were inspired to passionately glorify Him.  The second clause of the verse, "Elokai Avi Va'aromemenhu," was also joyously sung.  However, it carried a different sentiment.  When we look at Hashem as simply "Elokai Avi - the G-d of my father" - we are inspired to exalt Him, but we feel distance, for He transcends us totally.  He isn't "my G-d" especially, but the G-d of my father.  It was a tradition passed down to me, but how do I feel an intimate connection?  Tradition is vital; we would cease to exist as a unique nation without it, but we must strive to make the Torah and heritage our own, with our own feeling and flavor.  Let every Mitzvah we perform, and each Halacha we observe be with a sense of Hashem's presence and caring about what we are doing, until we can exclaim aloud, "Zeh Keili - this is my G-d!"

לֹ֣א אֶת־אֲבֹתֵ֔ינוּ כָּרַ֥ת יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶת־הַבְּרִ֣ית הַזֹּ֑את כִּ֣י אִתָּ֔נוּ אֲנַ֨חְנוּ אֵ֥לֶּה פֹ֛ה הַיּ֖וֹם כֻּלָּ֥נוּ חַיִּֽים

"Lo es-avoseinu karas Hashem es-habris hazos ki itanu anachnu eileh fo hayom kulanu chayim."

"Not with our forefathers did the Lord make this covenant, but with us, we, all of whom are here alive today."

{Devarim 5:3}

Shavuot: "I'm Getting Married in the Morning..."

BS"D

This article is dedicated as a zechus for Refuah Sheleima for Esther Shaindel bas Shoshana.

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Based on/inspired by an article on Tikkun Leil Shavuos by Eli Landes, for Chabad.org.

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A moving festivity permeates the atmosphere, as we sway and pray through the evening's services.  At their conclusion, the men fold their talleisim, the women cluster in companionable conversation, and youth mill around, anticipating what's to come.  Siddurim are closed and laid aside with a kiss...  but no coats are donned, the lights remain bright and the room filled with people.  The heavy, familiar scent of coffee billows from numerous steaming cups, and a sweet selection of scrumptious cheesecake is mysteriously reduced to a few scant crumbs as the night wears on.  The crowd finally settles down, with the screech and creak of chairs scooting forward, and all lean in with rapt attention... except for the few stragglers nodding off in the face of the late hour.  Along with Seforim, wellsprings of Torah wisdom, hearts and minds are opened up.  Though the hours and rays of dawn inevitably edge nearer, the passage of time seems suspended in the midst of intense preparation for the renewal and revelation to soon take place.

This is Tikkun Leil Shavuos.

Though the meaning of this fascinating custom can't truly be conveyed adequately in a few English words, it is practically understood as the "Rectification of Shavuos Night."

Shavuos is the anniversary of Matan Torah (the Giving of the Torah).  Our wedding with Hashem.  The day we became His People.  The day the gaping chasm between Heaven and Earth was spanned.  It's a significant - momentous! - day, indeed.

How high and spiritually elevated do we feel after a sleepless night?  How energetic or attractive do we appear when we're weary, tousled and dazed?  For the revival of the most important day in the history of our Nation, why on earth do we aspire to run on empty, exchanging a revitalizing period of slumber for an all-night study session?!  Even seasoned students recognize the diminishment of productivity and success their day is met with, after crunching for assignments and tests throughout the night!

Why on earth, indeed?  Perhaps it isn't earthly at all, but rather beyond earth.  Way beyond; Divine.  What perspective and energy other than Heavenly could promote such an atypical demonstration?

Throughout the ages and amidst the globe, Kabbalistic masters and Halachic authorities alike preserved a precious custom - and "Minhag Yisroel Torah Hee (the custom of Israel is Torah)" - to keep burning the light of Torah on Shavuos night, in focused learning until daybreak.  The Magen Avraham, a renowned posek of the 17th-century, was the first to offer the following Midrashic account as the basis for this tradition:

The night before the giving of the Torah, the entire Jewish People - the 'Bride' - laid down to sleep.  A bit of rest before the arrival of the fantastical occasion could only be harmless, perhaps even beneficial!  Tragically though in the morning, at the wedding canopy that was Har Sinai, the Supernal Groom - G-d Himself - lamented in anxious wait: The 'Bride' was absent, still sleeping peacefully!  Of course the extraordinary ceremony couldn't carry on under such circumstances, so the Ro'eh Neeman, the Faithful Shepherd, Moshe Rabbeinu, set out to rouse Bnei Yisroel.

To correct the sin of our ancestors' copious shut-eye heading into the day that marked the birth of our Nation, we stay up the whole night (or at the very least, until Chatzos [Halachic midnight] - find your locale and respective Zmanim [Halachic times] here!) learning Torah in preparation for the big day.

Unless you're a deeply holy individual of very lofty caliber who can remain awake against all the odds - or perhaps just an insomniac - consumption of caffeine (heavier for some than others) is a requisite.  If coffee (caffeinated or not) wreaks havoc on your system, try chocolate, or something sugary.  It works.  I think.  But that aside...

For most people, when one anticipates a serious or exciting event to come soon, sleep - at least solid sleep - is elusive.  Based on this, we could suggest the converse is also true.  Bnei Yisroel fell asleep, slept, and overslept, nearly missing their wedding!  Doesn't this seem to imply that the enthusiasm of the Jewish People was lacking - even nisht (not) - to receive the Torah?!

We're missing something.  The puzzle pieces don't merge.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe of righteous memory steps in with groundbreaking insight to clear the difficulty.

The nation slogged through the forty-ninth level of spiritual impurity; and, upon their redemption from their oppressors, committed to a forty-nine day journey of growth and transformation.  They strove and toiled to reverse and refine a negative trait each day to be positive and sanctified, so that they could receive the Divine gift of Torah wholeheartedly as Hashem's servants.  For a nation of such indomitable spirit, who invested everything they had to clear away the pollution and grime to reveal the single pristine soul inside, though a lengthy, rigorous period indeed... it simply defies all sense that they couldn't have been eager and enthralled to receive  the Torah.

Kabbalah teaches us that during our time awake, the soul is bound to the body, simply vitalizing us and inspiring our expression, in thought and speech, emotion and deed.  On the other hand (and there's always another hand), when we surrender to sleep, our souls depart and ascend on High, learning Torah with the angels, and basking in their Creator's Light.  Just before we awaken each day, it returns to us.  (For this miracle, we ring out in grateful song through the morning blessing of Modeh Ani: "Modeh Ani Lefancha... Shehechezarta Bi Nishmati... - I give thanks before You... for You have returned within me my soul.")

The Jewish People had worked on and elevated themselves to the zenith of Kedusha (holiness).  Still, they undeniably remained flesh-and-blood beings.  Their best, they felt, was unsatisfactory.  How could they isolate themselves from the sensuality of this corporeal world in a final effort to make themselves "truly spiritual," before being bound to the Torah, G-d's innermost will and wisdom?  Their solution?  Sleep: The experience of the soul severing from the body to ascend higher and higher in a peak of spiritual immersion and renewal and epiphany.

This is mind-boggling.  How could this altruism be erroneous?  How deep was the wound gouged, that we are still aspiring to make amends over three millennium later along our timeline?

Their offense was not exactly a "sin" and iniquity - an "avon" in Hebrew.  Rather, their blunder was a "cheit" - a misjudgment.  Their intentions were good, but 'off-target.' (Inspired by R' Manis Friedman in a class he gave, on understanding the nature of Adam and Eve's 'sin' - the Cheit Eitz Hada'as.)  We can ask, "Where exactly did the Jewish People go wrong?"  It's serious indeed.

They missed the entire point of Torah and its bestowal.

By rejecting rather than embracing the world's materiality, they negated the purpose of Torah, a Heavenly 'blueprint' to sanctify the physical world!  It's not just coincidence that the majority of the 613 Mitzvot are implemented in the realm of physical action and deed.  If the soul and spirituality were involved exclusively, then what why did G-d bother entrusting the Torah to earthly mortals?  I am fond of  quoting a dialogue between a wise elder Rav in the language of the Talmud with R' Aaron Moss as a young man: "G-d's commandments weren't given to angels."  Of the Torah it is said:

"It is not in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will climb to heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and let us hear it so that we may obey it?” No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. (Devarim 12:14)

The Torah is a very practical guide for us: it orchestrates our conquest of our animalistic lusts; our erection of gedarim (fences) to preserve order and integrity; our role as "ohr l'umim - a light to the nations," ambassadors of morality and truth in the midst of a chaotic world, where G-dliness is more concealed than ever; and our mission to reveal the holiness within our mundane existence, melding the two worlds.  However, the Torah's down-to-earth approach doesn't contradict its Divine Origin in the least.

On Shavuot, the "laws of nature" were broken: Through Torah, heaven and earth, ruchniyus and gashmiyus, G-d and people (so to speak), could be wed.  When the two polar opposites are joined in a cosmic marriage, the Ultimate Truth is revealed:  The world runs on Torah.  The world is Torah.  Torah is Hashem's wisdom and will - Him "thinking!"  And Hashem and His thoughts are One.

To quote R' Manis Friedman, we "work with the facts" - we were placed in this corporeal world to refine and elevate it - "but aim for the Truth" - to reveal the G-dliness it cloaks, and return all our world to its original Oneness, in a  revealed and palpable way.  In this world, we bind our willpower to His (and will is even loftier than wisdom, motivating us to do things that don't even seem logical to our limited minds) in the effort to "spiritualize" the physical world and make it a Dirah Betachtonim, a Dwelling Place in the Lower Realms.

Therefore, we forsake the pure spiritual retreat slumber brings , just one this one night - as our forbears mistakenly opted for - and get our hands into the gritty work with the Gashmiyus, toiling with heart, mind, hands and soul to make it shine an reveal its essence.

So staying up at all hours on this occasion, celebrating and studying the Torah?  Not so bizarre after all... In fact, it's one of the greatest recognitions and revelations of what Torah purely is.

Pass me a slice of cheesecake; we've got a long stretch ahead of us.  Let's learn!

Parshat Behar-Bechukotai: Patterns of Fear

BS"D

This parsha post is dedicated  as a zechus for a refuah sheleima for Baruch Shmuel ben Chana, and l'ilui nishmas Dovid Tzvi Hersch ben Rochel.

This week's double-portion of Behar-Bechukotai is a lengthy one.  It includes new Mitzvos, such as Shemittah (the once-in-every-seven year of rest and release of the land), laws of specifications and treatment of a slave, and other fundamental legalities; the frightening Tochacha (Admonition) - the Divine retribution to be sent our way when we scorn, forsake and hate Torah, Mitzvos and those who perpetuate them; and the comforting promise of a bright future when we make Teshuvah - a vision of healing and cleansing, forgiveness and return.

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When studying the parsha this past week, I picked up on a theme and sentiment, juxtaposed to multiple commandments: that of Yiras Hashem - fear and awe of G-d.  To follow are a few citations:
Concerning business dealings, especially with your fellow Jew:

וְלֹ֤א תוֹנוּ֙ אִ֣ישׁ אֶת־עֲמִית֔וֹ וְיָרֵ֖אתָ מֵֽאֱ-לֹהֶ֑יךָ כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י יְ-הֹוָ֖ה אֱ-לֹֽהֵיכֶֽם
V'lo sonu ish es-amiso v'yarasa may'Elokecha ki Ani Hashem Elokeichem.And you shall not wrong, one man his fellow Jew, and you shall fear your G-d, for I am the Lord, your G-d.
{Vayikra 25:17}

Concerning the prohibition of lending money to your fellow Jew with interest:

אַל־תִּקַּ֤ח מֵֽאִתּוֹ֙ נֶ֣שֶׁךְ וְתַרְבִּ֔ית וְיָרֵ֖אתָ מֵֽאֱ-לֹהֶ֑יךָ וְחֵ֥י אָחִ֖יךָ עִמָּֽךְ
Al-tikach may'ito neshich vetarbis v'yaraysa may'Elokecha v'chei achicha imach.You shall not take from him interest or increase, and you shall fear your G-d, and let your brother live with you.
{Vayikra 25:36}

Concerning the treatment of a Jewish servant owned by another Jew:

לֹֽא־תִרְדֶּ֥ה ב֖וֹ בְּפָ֑רֶךְ וְיָרֵ֖אתָ מֵֽאֱ-לֹהֶֽיךָ
Lo sirdeh bo b'parech v'yaraysa may'Elokecha.You shall not work him with rigor, and you shall fear your G-d.
{Vayikra 25:43}

Why is fear of G-d of such paramount significance in the observance of these Mitzvos?
In the teachings of the mystical work Zohar, authored by R' Shimon bar Yochai, a Mitzvah is likened to a bird, and fear and love of G-d are the wings by which it rises and soars before Him.  These emotive 'wings' prompt, enliven and focus all Mitzvah observance with the proper mindset and devotion.  In fact, the Tanya describes Yiras Hashem as the foundation, upon which love of G-d is built; respect before love, as it crucial to any relationship; and, doubtlessly, a relationship is what the Mitzvos achieve, for "Mitzvah" doesn't only mean "commandment," but also "connection."  

Awe of G-d's Omnipresence is sensed and expressed on numerous varying levels.  Mere acceptance of G-d's superiority, and obedience to Him (known as "Kabbalas Ol Malchus Shamayim") albeit lacking emotional and palpable reverence within oneself, is a stepping stone, though not at all superior; basic, it is merely "intact."  We must strive to integrate and infuse our avoda with emotion - even if that emotion is bred only intellectually rather than in the heart- for it to be considered complete service.  When we can't cultivate even an intellectual feeling of reverence for G-d, yet still possess an awareness we are being watched, it is still accounted for us as "Yirah."  This is an even lower level of fear, but it can effect compelling results in our moral conscience - shame to commit a sinful or embarrassing action in front of another person (falling into the category of sur mayra, in King David's adage "Sur mayra v'asei tov - Turn from evil and do good {Tehillim 34}").*

Indeed, Yiras Hashem is a most-vital necessity to fulfill any Mitzvah.  However, the above-mentioned Mitzvos specifically require an extra dose of morality and knowledge of the One Above, Who also "mimalei kol almin - fills all worlds," and is paying close attention to each on of your thoughts, words and deeds.

We human beings were endowed with intelligence and cleverness.  We are susceptible to, and at times guilty of, employing those gifts for deceptive means.  Yes, we might have "street-smarts..." but do we really imagine we can outsmart G-d?  After all "yodeyah ta'aluomos - He knows the secrets of the heart," as is declared in the Siddur.

And this is exactly how Rashi, Meforash extraordinaire on the Torah, explains the intriguing pattern.

In the passage of this parsha dealing with fair dealings, the expression "yaraysa may'Elokecha - you shall fear your G-d," is used twice, in verses 14 and 17.  They each refer to a different type of mistreatment prohibited: monetarily, and verbally, such as through faulty counsel and provocative language.  One might attempt to excuse himself, claiming his inappropriate words were intended to rouse his friend to remorse and repentance.  Thus, fear of the all-knowing G-d will prevent him from erring in this area; an area of daily mundane life which is latent with potential for sanctification, as part of one's service of Hashem in this world.

We are forbidden to lend to other Jews with the demand of interest.  Rashi puts into light that this is a very difficult Mitzvah, since it goes against the nature of man.  When we can make use of the money and see it grow exponentially, it pains us to see it perhaps rest idle in the borrower's possession.  With this explanation, one might attempt to rationalize their negation of the Mitzvah.  Or, if one is in the position of money-handler, they could fabricate the money lent is in fact a Gentile's (to whom the laws of Ribis [interest] do not apply), in order to acquire Ribis on it from the other Jew.  In either case, we are reminded to fear Hashem, who discerns right through to the heart and innermost thoughts of man, "for nothing is hidden from Him." 

When we own a laborer, primarily a Jewish servant, we are forbidden to enslave him with undignified tasks and pointless jobs, such as ordering him to prepare a beverage for you for which you have no desire, or commanding him to till the ground until your return when you don't necessarily intend to do so.  Such psychological torment is to be condemned; this is the very sort of work forced upon Bnei Yisroel while in Egypt!  You could say to yourself, "Ain makir badavar eem latzorech eem lav - No one can recognize if this was necessary or not..."  But guess Who is excluded from your grouping, and perceiving every unspoken thought?  "Yaraysa may'Elokecha..."

G-d forbid that any individual among the Jewish people, baalei nefesh (sensitive souls), could neglect such tenets of our Torah and faith!  Our Sages teach that the three distinguishing marks of a Jew are 1.) humility, 2.) compassion, and 3.) acts of kindness.  No, these are not reserved only for the Jewish people, and we are not immune to falling.  We are human beings, and within us wages a war between two inclinations of polar opposition - the G-dly soul and the animal soul, each vying for supremacy.

Within the heart of every soul in Israel rests an innate, dormant awe of Hashem, just needing to be aroused and cultivated.  Sometimes, when we totter on the edge of the chasm we create through our aveiro, it is this very innermost fear that saves us at the last moment from making the wrong choice and heading down an unfortunate path.

But as dark and grave as this may seem, despair not dear friends, for the climb, journey of growth, and success is within our reach: "Ki Karov Aylecho Hadavar Meod Bificha Uvilvavcha Laasoso - For the matter it is exceedingly near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to do! {Tanya}"

אֲנִ֗י יְ-הֹוָה֙ אֱלֹ֣הֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־הוֹצֵ֥אתִי אֶתְכֶ֖ם מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם לָתֵ֤ת לָכֶם֙ אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן לִֽהְי֥וֹת לָכֶ֖ם לֵֽ-אלֹהִֽים
Ani Hashem Elokaychem asher hotzaysi es'chem may'Eretz Mitzrayim laseis lachem es-Eretz Canaan lihiyos lachem lay'Elokim.I am the Lord, your G-d, Who took you out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, to be a G-d to you.
(Vayikra 25:38)

Hashem liberated us from Egypt in order that we could build a unique relationship with Him, through undertaking the mission of Torah and Mitzvos as bestowed at Har Sinai - the purpose of our Exodus.  The condition our freedom was established upon, was that we assume the G-d-given responsibility to serve as ambassadors of morality to the world, through disseminating the light of Torah and Mitzvos - even if they are difficult to uphold!

To borrow from the words of Charles Dicken's, there are "great expectations;" and to elaborate in the words of R' Tarfon, "It is not your responsibility to finish the work [of perfecting the world], but you are not free to desist from it either. {Pirkei Avot 2:21}"

כִּי־לִ֤י בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ עֲבָדִ֔ים עֲבָדַ֣י הֵ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־הוֹצֵ֥אתִי אוֹתָ֖ם מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם אֲנִ֖י יְ-הֹוָ֥ה אֱ-לֹֽהֵיכֶֽם:
Ki Li Bnei Yisroel avadim avdei heim asher hotzaysi osam may'Eretz Mitzrayim Ani Hashem Elokaychem.For the children of Israel are servants to Me; they are My servants, whom I took out of the land of Egypt. I am the Lord, your God.
(Vayikra 25:55)

When we were released from the land of our bondage, it wasn't simply a free-for-all.  Our lives were shaped by 613 more rules and their finer details, and we are still servants, even after our release from Pharaoh's vice!  How?  Why?  We were made for something greater than indulging the whims of a Pharaoh - both the ancient ruler of Egypt, and our inner Pharaohs, semblances of him within us and ambitious to enslave us today.  We went from serving a coarse and earthly master, to a Master Who is beyond knowing and definition, Whose Torah we accepted upon ourselves is of His deepest expression of will and holiness and wisdom, which is present in everything. 

What if we could break free from our mortal limitations and 'reality', and instead embrace the Infinite?  What if we can break our chains and bindings of ego and imagined separateness, and be united with Oneness, the Truth and Source of everything?  It seems so distant, yet is so very near...

All it takes is a little awe of Hashem. 

Our little bird will soar


*Based on Tanya, Likutei Amarim, chapter 41
  

Shavuos: The Harmony of Our Wedding and Gift

BH

Shalom everyone!I would like to dedicate these words on Shavuos to R' Azriel Yitzchak Wasserman, ZT"L, and may they be an ilui neshama for his soul, which has really never ceased to live and love, and whose legacy continues to teach and inspire.

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Can you imagine the indescribable feeling at the giving of the Torah at Har Sinai?  The crashing thunder and lighting, the mountain alight with glory, thousands of your fellows clustered tightly about you, and you're all trembling.  G-d's voice thunders, yet speaks to each one of you personally, and your soul is reverberating from the intensity.  You are like holy angels now, as you scream "Na'aseh v'nishma! - We will do and we will listen!" to the words of Torah, the guides of your life, as they're being seared into your mind.

You and Am Yisrael are Hashem's bride, and this is your wedding day.  You want nothing more than to cleave to Him, and He is filled with fiery passion for you.  Hashem loves you.  Chazal has inscribed in the Midrash, that Hashem even elevated Har Sinai above your heads, a great chuppah, as part of the "wedding" ceremony!  And Hashem gave you an eternally precious gift:  The Torah.
And a very fine gift too.  The Torah is our light, our direction for every moment of our lives, and our lifeline to the Source in times of trouble.  It is a heritage passed on to the generations for all eternity.  It even has a "triple value".

How so?

The Torah was bestowed upon us 'in threes'.  Although it is the only festival enumerated in the Torah not given an explicit date of celebration and commemoration, our traditions teach that the marvel of Matan Torah took place in the third month, the month of Sivan, counting from the beginning of the year when we warm the birth of our nation (the month of Nissan).  The Torah Shebichsav (the Written Torah) is comprised of 3 collections-- 1.)  Chamisha Chumshei Torah/the five books of Moses;  2.) Nevi'im/the Prophets;  3.) Ketuvim/the Writings.  The gift of Torah was presented to the Jewish People, a nation of three groups:  1.) The Kohanim, 2.) the Levi'im, 3.) the Yisraelim.
One might understandably believe that Matan Torah, G-d's revelation, and the transmittal of His Divine Will, should be only in connection to perfect Oneness.  With G-d's overwhelming essence at Har Sinai, nothing and no one made a sound.  All was to a certain degree nullified before His revelation, everything in the world silenced and waiting.  G-d is One, we believe with perfect faith.  "Shema Yisrael Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echad!"  We might think, that at Har Sinai, His revelation must be associated with exclusive singularity, and His Torah should be one law.  But this is not quite so...

Chassidus teaches that Supernal, unchecked, Yichud Hashem (Oneness of G-d), cannot be reconciled by our personal perceptions of reality.  Hashem's most elevated and Original Oneness cannot pervade our human understanding...

Since we can not take in the Divine Mind (which is how the Alter Rebbe describes real Torah) in Its Supreme Yichud, we must receive it in an alternative manner.  And therefore, Hashem presents it to us in threes.  But, what is the significance of this number?

Penetrating, sincere, applicable Torah, is blended of three ingredients.  R' Shais Taub of Chabad.org explains:  We have one paradigm, a thesis:  The concept of G-d's most esoteric Yichud, connection of the soul on the highest heights and levels, the negation of all rest of self-- our spiritual perspectives.  Next, we have a second paradigm, the polar opposite, the antithesis:  Our "experiential understanding", our bodily and material needs in this world-- our physical perspectives.  And then, we have a third component, the synthesis:  this is an all-embracing kind of unity.  This is that power that be. That harmonizes 'both worlds', the two opposite concepts we discussed above.  We are driven by this synthesis, to uncover the essence of all deeds and mitzvos, the essence that is shared by, and unites, both physical and spiritual.

Torah paves for us a path of spiritual growth, it's our ladder to climb to greater heights than we believe we can reach, and it spurs our journey by teaching us how to act upon physical deed, by upholding the commandments that we need the aid of our bodies to accomplish.  Torah unites the upper and lower worlds! 

When G-d gave us this eternal gift, he also invested in us the power to forge this unity.  Before Matan Torah, we didn't have the tools or knowledge, guidance or understanding, to harmonize G-d, the neshama, and its strivings, with the secular and material of this world.  Torah was our key in bringing heaven down to earth, to find the Divine in all that we do.

In days of yore, Mekubalim (Kabbalists) and Sages went out to the fields to daven Kabbalas Shabbos.  They were especially passionate when it came to Lecha Dodi.  But how could a field, the place of the workweek, serve as an appropriate atmosphere for beckoning in the holy day of rest, welcoming in the Shechina, and reaching true menucha (tranquility)?  They taught the reason for their actions, explaining that they ran out to greet the Bride (which Shabbos is likened to, while the Jewish People are Her groom), but simultaneously, the Shabbos stepped into their realm, one usually viewed as a mundane location.  They sanctified the field and elevated its purpose, while they and Shabbos Kodesh met each other 'halfway', creating profound harmony, its inspiration lasting for a very long time.

Just another instance of love, the fiery love, between Hashem and Am Yisrael.
And now, for one last note on harmony...

For 49 days, we count the Omer nightly.  But we do not count Shavuos.  "49" may seem like a rather odd number of days, yet, we do not declare the 50th with the Sefiras haOmer bracha.  I once heard that each day of the 49, is another day of striving for connection, another step of the journey of personal and spiritual growth, another success of character refinement.  Each day is like a musical note.  Reflecting on them as a collection, blending each individual day's message into a greater one, you've composed a song;  however, it isn't complete...  The 50th day, the holy day of Shavuos, is the culmination of all the days of Sefiras haOmer.  It doesn't just hit the "high note", but it fulfills and actualizes the song.

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I hope for you all that you reach the goals you're working to achieve, spiritually and materially, and find balance and unity in all that you do.  I wish you all a joyous and meaningful Chag, and may you be mekabeil Torah semichus u'p'nimius!