A Proper Perspective – Shavuos 5771
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Loading ...The Gemrah in Pesachim 68: states that R’ Yosi would ask his wife to prepare for him the finest meat available in honor of the holiday of Shavuos. He attributed all his success to the day the Torah was given by saying “If not for that day, there would be no difference between me and all the ‘Yosi’s’ in the marketplace”. Rashi explains that it was through his Torah learning that he had been uplifted, and if not for the Torah he would be just like any other person.
R’ Dovid Kaplan explains a fundamental lesson in regards to how we should view Torah learning. It is known that R’ Yosi was blind. The difference between someone who is blind and someone who can see is incomparable. However, this vast difference between himself and others was secondary to his view on what affect Torah had on him in his life. In reality what he was saying is that someone who is devoid of Torah is worse off than a blind man. In other words, the person who is blind, and has Torah in his life is better off then someone who has the power of vision, but is lacking in Torah.
It is through the Torah that we are meant to live our lives. Someone who leads his life with the Torah as his guide is truly enlightened.
Did you ever wonder….
R Aharon Kotler zt’l asks: So many things are “Zecher l’yetzias Mitzrayim,” If the point of leaving Egypt was to receive the Torah, why do we remember that and not “Zecher l’ma’amad har Sinai.”
He answers that we need a reminder for something in the past, which isn’t here anymore. However, one can re-experience the giving of the Torah at any time by immersing himself in its study, as the Gemara relates examples of scholars who were surrounded by fire when they learned and it was the holy fire of Sinai. (Succah 28a re: Yonason ben Uziel, Yerushalmi Chagiga 2:1 re: R’ Eliezer and R’ Yehoshua at bris of Elisha ben Avuya.)
We should not only celebrate Shavuos as the day when Torah was given, but as the day we were given the extraordinary gift that we can receive the Torah anew each day.
Categories: Shavuos
