Close To Torah

Chazal teach us that when the Jews stood at Har Sinai their bodies were completely healed from any physical ailments which they had. The Sifrei states that as the Jews were building in Egypt their safety was compromised and a large percentage of people were badly injured and thus lost limbs, including arms, legs, sight and other bodily issues. They were all healed at Har Sinai.

What needs to be understood is why Hashem saw this healing a necessary. Was it an expression of love and perfection or was it something more? The Rambam’s opening words in Hilchos Talmud Torah states so eloquently, “everyone is obligated to learn Torah, young or old, whether he has a complete body or has maladies and defects…” This would have been a most powerful lesson for the Jews to gain!?

Rabbi Mordechai Miller zt”l explains that Hashem was teaching something even deeper. Learning Torah is the most unique experience in all of Judaism. Whereas, when we perform Mitzvos, he uses specific body parts to carry out the action, (his hands, feet, head or mouth,) learning Torah involves the entire body. Torah is a global experience! Hashem wanted to show the Jews this lesson for all generations. Torah must permeate your every fiber. Torah is meant to affect every cell in your construct. Therefore, He restored every body to be fully intact to show how far reaching Torah is.

It is for this reason that the Gemara (Eruvin) states that one who has pains anywhere in his body can relieve the pain by learning Torah. Torah permeates the body. May we merit to have Torah fill our essence!

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Shavuos

Many things in this world exist as pairs. There is Man and Woman; there are the Heavens and the land, and so on. Our world is built upon a foundation of these relationships. There is only one true existence which is without a pair, which is Hashem. Everything else not only has a pair but must have a pair. Torah is also two, Torah Sh’Bichsav and Torah Sh’Baal Peh. With all of these pairs there are parallels in which one pair will personify the other as well. Man and Woman are parallel to Torah Sh’Bichsav and Torah Sh’Baal Peh. This is because the nature of Man is to transmit and nourish, whereas Woman is to take in and develop. The Torah Sh’Bichsav is composed of pasukim. Torah Sh’Baal Peh conveys the meaning of the pasukim.

I recently heard an incredible explanation of a cryptic statement of the Chazal (T.Z 21) from my great Rebbi, Rav Nochum Lansky Shlita. He explained that when Moshe hit the rock instead of speaking with it, serious repercussions followed. The relationship between Torah Sh’Baal Peh and Torah Sh’Bichsav was deeply disturbed. The level of understanding of Torah Sh’Baal Peh was hindered; no longer would there be clarity among all. Now there will be questions, difficulties, and even disagreements. The concept of a Rebbi or teacher of Torah became essential. This is hinted by the word מריבה , since it contains the letters רבי .

While my Rebbi didn’t explain why this punishment was a consequence of this particular sin, I would like to suggest a possibility. It is specifically through dibur that Moshe Rabbeinu was instructed. It is well known that the both speech and hearing were used in the chayte of the Etz HaDaas. The Nachash spoke lashon harah about Hashem and gave an aitzah raah as well. Speech is known to be one of the main differences between animals and man. We have bechirah and speech; they have neither. Speech is so special because of its refinement. Through careful adjustments of our mouth and tongue, we are able to make precise sounds that communicate specific messages. A person who is angry, instead of speaking may bang his hand on the table to convey his point, when he really is just trying to get your attention.

It is well beyond me to convict Moshe Rabbeinu of any wrong doing. Rather I am simply trying to understand the reason as to why Moshe Rabbeinu deserved punishment. I would like to clarify that it may not have been as much as a punishment as it was an affect. Meaning that Moshe Rabbeinu was the one who transmitted the Torah from Hashem to Bnei Yisroel. It could be that due to his favoring his staff over his words, he created a shift in the World that made the Torah that he said over more unclear. That means that his ability to teach Torah to

Bnei Yisroel is the same as the ability to cause water to flow. When he was unable to utilize this strength properly it weakened it entirely.

The other understanding could have been that due to the fact that Moshe Rabbeinu used his staff instead of his words, Hashem punished Bnei Yisroel by making it that they would need to work harder to understand what they are being told.

The damage that was done by the hitting of the rock has been instilled in our relationship to the Torah. In reality the Torah was never created as one, but rather as a pair that functioned in unison. The perfect model of a relationship is where one gives and the other takes in and utilizes. Where one side takes or gives too much, there is a lack of balance.

It is well known that there are several parables associated with the relationship of Torah Sh’Bichsav and Torah Sh’Baal Peh. The bond between Man and Woman is by far the most recognized. It is the Man who represents the Torah Sh’Bichsav and the Woman who represents the Torah Sh’Baal Peh. The Man is the one who gives and provides whereas the Woman receives and utilizes.

Torah Sh’Bichsav is the source of Torah Sh’Baal Peh as Torah Sh’Bichsav is the basis of what Torah Sh’Baal Peh explains. Torah Sh’Baal Peh interprets Torah Sh’Bichsav and gives meaning to the text that would have been unable to be comprehended otherwise.

Chazal teach us that there is a dispute in regards to the berachos for a new married couple, whether two berachos are made in regards to the forming of Man or just one. First the gemara (Kesubos 8a) questions if there were two formations. The gemara rejects the possibility that there were more than one formation and suggests that the question is if the berachos are determined by the thought or the action that was carried out. There is one pasuk that suggests that there was a thought to create two, but the action that was carried out was only one.

The Maharsha says on that gemara, that just as there was a thought to create the World with the attribute of din and saw that the World would not stand, similarly, there was a thought to create Man and Woman separately like all the other creatures. It was apparent that Man would

be unbalanced and saddened so Man was created as one with the potential to bring themselves together as one body.

Man was created as one and not as two. The Torah states shortly after the creation of Man:

“ויאמר ה’ אלקים לא טוב היות האדם לבדו אעשה לו עזר כנגדו” (בראשית ב, יח)

Even within the creation of Man as one, there was a need for Woman. The World could not stand if they were created separately. However once they were created as one, it was described as “לא טוב “, not good for Man to be by himself.

It is without a question that this was the intention. There was no mistake or that Hashem changed his mind, chas v’shalom. It was essential that Man and Woman be created as one. It is my understanding that Man and Woman had to be created in a single formation to the extent that they were one body, as that would truly bind them as one.

Through the parallel of Torah Sh’Bichsav and Torah Sh’Baal Peh being Man and Woman respectively, there must be continuity to this thought. Torah Sh’Bichsav and Torah Sh’Baal Peh were to be created as two. It was understood that the World could not stand that way, and so the Torah in its entirety was created through one.

Torah Sh’Bichsav was created just as Man was created, and then Hashem said, it was not good by himself. Man personifies the concept of one who gives. Without the ability to give, Man is unable to exercise his will. Similarly, Torah Sh’Bichsav is to be interpreted by Torah Sh’Baal Peh.

The separation of Man and Woman as well as Torah Sh’Bichsav and Torah Sh’Baal Peh is a state to enable unity in a way that closest resembles the only true one, Hashem. While nothing can be one as Hashem, it is evidently clear that Torah and Man were created in a way that they should mimic closely.

Through the hitting of the rock Moshe Rabbeinu further separated the relationship between Torah Sh’Bichsav and Torah Sh’Baal Peh. A major role in our lives is to unite the two, Man and Woman which is the two parts of Torah.

There is a wonderful Dvar Torah in the Tashbetz Katan (465) that explains many connections between the receiving of the Torah and marriage. To name a few:

• · Just as Bnei Yisroel fasted before Matan Torah so too the Chassan and Kallah fast
• · There are ten times that Bnei Yisroel is called Kallah, (seven times in  שה”ש and three times in other seforim. There must be a connection between the seven and three)
• · Those ten times are keneged the Aseres HaDibros
• · As well as the ten people needed to make the shevah berachos which we learn from Boaz.
• · Just as the even of the Aseres HaDibros were handed over, so too a Chassan gives his Kallah her kesubah
• · “חתן וכלה” בגימטריא “התורה”
• · “חתן על כלה” בגימטריא “תרי”ג” וגימטריא “משה רבינו”

The marriage between Man and Woman is to bring these two separate individuals together. To unify themselves, to be as close to one body as possible. On the chag of Shavuos, there is also a marriage between Torah Sh’Bichsav and Torah Sh’Baal Peh, just as there is by Man and Woman.

We saw from the Tashbetz and originally from Chazal, that we learn the law that the Shevah Berachos must be with ten men from Boaz. Boaz became the husband of Rus who was the great grandfather of Dovid HaMelech. On Shavuos we read Sefer Rus because she was m’gayer just as Bnei Yisroel did. We know that Mashiach is called Mashiach Ben Dovid. Rus represents the potential to bring the geulah. There is an obvious connection between the Shevah Berachos and Boaz. As we saw the Tashbetz notes that seven of the ten times that Bnei Yisroel are called Kallah are in Shir HaShirrim. He is making a connection between the number seven which personifies the attribute of Malchus which is Shlomo HaMelech, who wrote Shir HaShirrim. The Tashbetz is directly making a connection between the ten people needed for the Shevah Berachos and the Asres HaDibros.

Rebbi Akiva is called the Av of Torah Sh’Baal Peh, he was the son of a ger. Dovid HaMelech comes from Rus who was a geuris and from Yehuda and Tamar. Rus was a Moavis who came from the Lot and his daughter. Dovid HaMelech had Shlomo HaMelech through Bat Shevah. We see a theme that Torah Sh’Baal Peh comes from outside of the norm of Bnei Yisroel. Coming from gerim and from prohibited relations. This is because Torah Sh’Baal Peh is the choshech and that which is lacking and imperfect. This is how Torah Sh’Baal Peh binds with Torah Sh’Bichsav.

I want to suggest that the Shevah Berachos are the Torah Sh’Baal Peh as they are learned from Boaz, and the Aseres HaDibros is the essence of Torah Sh’Bichsav. In this relationship we see how they can become one. Therefore it is understood that the geulah will come through the yichud of Torah Sh’Bichsav and Torah Sh’Baal Peh.

The whole world stands on these principles. The bond between Man and Woman is connected to the bond between Torah Sh’Bichsav and Torah Sh’Baal Peh. This model extends to Klal Yisroel as well. In this relationship, Hashem is the Chassan giving to Bnei Yisroel. If we are lacking unity, we are not a vessel that is capable of receiving the Torah. That is why at the time of Matan Torah, all of Bnei Yisroel were m’gayer. They all became new people…without any blemish…nothing between them.

In the other relationship between Torah Sh’Bichsav and Torah Sh’Baal Peh, if the Torah Sh’Baal Peh doesn’t properly interpret the Torah and complete the relationship, there will be a lacking, a distancing. The sfaykos that came from the hitting of the rock caused more difficulty in understanding Torah Sh’Baal Peh. There is a great need to understand it and then apply it to the Torah Sh’Bichsav. Without this, the balance of giving and receiving is off.

On Shavuos we are in a way “renewing our vows”. We accept the Torah as we did the first time. Had we accepted the Torah fully and did everything we could do, in regards to unity as Klal Yisroel and in our learning of Torah, making it shalaim, we would have had the geulah. This year we should go and m’gayer ourselves! Remove the sinas chinum and truly embrace all of Bnei Yisroel. Make Klal Yisroel a kli kibbul that can properly accept the Torah HaKedoshah. Then take the beautiful Torah, the holy of holies. Learn it and treasure it. Unite the Torah Sh’Bichsav with the Torah Sh’Baal Peh. Let the true will of Hashem Yisborach be “מלא הארץ דעה “, and the World will see clearly the Torah for what it is.

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Machshuvah, Shavuos Achdus, Ameles B'Torah, Limud HaTorah, Moshe Rabbeinu

A Day of Joy

Shavuos is a day of unparalleled joy. Even though on other Yomim Tovim, one can exempt himself from partaking of the physical aspects of the Yom Tov, on Shavuos a person is obligated to dine on the choicest food. So much so, Chazal tell us that on Shavuos Rav Yosef would prepare the finest cuts of meat, and say, “If it were not for Shavuos how many Yosef’s would there be in the marketplace.”   What makes Shavuos such a special day? A person who becomes entrapped in the physicality of this world can be dragged down to the lowest depths, to the point where he acts worse than an animal. Torah aids a person to elevate the corporeal pleasures of life, and reach a level of closeness to Hashem, the greatest pleasure possible in this world.  For this very reason, the Yom Tov is called Shavous, the festival of weeks. Before we received the Torah, the Jewish people kept Shabbos, and this brought some element of holiness into the life of every Jew. After we received the Torah, through all of the mitzvos that a Jew performs daily the kedushah of Shabbos was extended into the entire week, and all of the Shavuos of a Jew became filled with sanctity.

A Day of Fear

Chazal tell us that Hashem held Har Sinai over the heads of the Jewish people, and said “If you accept the Torah, good, and if not, this will be the place where you are buried.” Yet at the same time the Torah recounts that Klal Yisrael said na’aseh v’nishmah and accepted the Torah willingfully. How can we reconcile these two concepts?  Hashem desired that our Torah learning should be accompanied with this dual attitude of joy and fear. The yirah helps us recognize that we are not studying for a university degree, but striving to understand the will of Hashem. Knowing that our very existence hinged on whether we accept Torah, helped instill within us from the outset this attitude of awe.
Every time we learn Torah, we should try and continue to experience some of the fear that we felt at the time Torah was given. This attitude enables us to appreciate that Torah is the word of Hashem. In this manner, our Torah learning will protect us from transgression, and constantly bring us closer to the Almighty.

A Sleepless Night

Many kehilos in Klal Yisrael have adopted the custom of staying up all night on Shavuos to learn Torah. Some people might find this difficult and at times seemingly counterproductive. What is the reason that we push ourselves so hard on this Yom Tov night? As mentioned previously Torah requires that we incorporate within ourselves an attitude that Torah should be studied with both joy and fear. After we have achieved this, there is another important outlook that we need. Even when learning Torah is very difficult, we must nonetheless continue.

Many of us have busy schedules, and when the time comes to sit down and learn Torah, we might find ourselves exhausted, and find it difficult to fulfill our daily quota of Torah learning. On Shavuos night, we show ourselves that even during these times, we must try to push on, and do our best. Remembering our mesiras nefesh on Shavuos night helps fill us with strength for the entire year.

Keep Going

By saying na’aseh v’nishma we promised to keep the entire Torah even before we heard what was written. This pledge was a display of our great love of Torah. Yet there is even a deeper meaning behind this commitment.

After finishing a mesecha or any other achievement in Torah, it is normal to feel that one has accomplished a lot. While it is good to feel positive about one’s success there is also a danger to this attitude. This mood could easily turn into complacency, and one could decide that he needs to take a break for a while.  When we said na’aseh v’nishmah we commited ourselves to counter this feeling. Klal Yisrael promised that even after we reach great heights through naaseh, we would continue to be nishmah and heat even more. Remembering this commitment can help us always be on the up, and to reach great heights in our Torah learning.

Time Out

We have mentioned a number of important attitudes that one should strive for in their Torah learning including joy, fear, mesiras nefesh, and continual striving to reach higher. Like any accomplishment in our service of Hashem, these goals will not come automatically. Only by taking some time to stop and think about our obligations to learn Torah can we hope to fulfill this mitzvah properly.   For this reason, the Torah refers to the Yom To as Atzeres, literally stop. Only by pausing prior to the Yom Tov, can we hope that our Shavuos will elevate us to achieve these goals. Taking some time out to think that our Torah learning should be infused with these feelings, then we will be able to incorporate them into our daily Torah learning.

For this reason, prior to the festival of Atzers we were given the shloshes yemei hagbala. These three days are a time to think about what it means to accept upon ourselves a commitment to limud HaTorah. If we take time out during this time to think about this mitzvah before Shavuos, we will definitely see the fruits of our actions with great success in our Torah study during the rest of the year.

(Rabbi Travis is Rosh Kollel of Kollel Toras Chaim in Yerushalayim and is the author of Shaylos U’Teshuvos Toras Chaim and “Praying With Joy – A Daily Tefilla Companion” a practical daily guide to improving one’s prayers, available from Feldheim Publishers. Rav Sternbuch’s weekly shiurim on the parasha are now available as a sefer entitled “A Voice in the Darkness”. For more information about his work contact dytravis@actcom.com.)

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Shavuos

From where does the custom emerge for us to eat dairy products on Shavuos? In general, the entire Yom Tov seems preoccupied with food! “Everyone agrees that on Shavuos one needs to have physical enjoyment as well” (Pesachim 68b). The Karbon, sacrifice, of the Shney HaLechem, two breads, was brought as well, another hint to edibles. The Yom Tov is called “Chag HaKatzir”, the holiday of the harvest (of the grain in the field). It is most surprising that a Yom Tov celebrating our holy and spiritual Torah should have such a physical stress?! Shouldn’t we rather fast the entire day and separate from earthly drives? What does this all mean?

A fundamental and inspiring lesson lies behind all this! Chazal (Eruvin 54a) tell us that “this temporal world is like a wedding, one must grab and eat while the food is available”. The simple meaning of this dictum is that one must accomplish as much Torah and Mitzvos as he can while he is alive. There is another depth here as well. Why is this world like a wedding? Imagine that one attends the most exquisite and fancy Jewish wedding ever held. The hall and its ambience are breathtaking, the food is unbelievable, the fifty-piece band is heavenly and the guests are most distinguished! Interestingly, there is one short phrase that determines whether this event has any worth or not. The Groom must say the marriage pronouncement of “Harey Att Mikudeshes Li…, You are sanctified to me (as my wife)…” That is the most important element, worth more than any of the fanfare present. With it, we have experienced a breathtaking wedding. Without it, the entire event would be almost worthless! So too, this world is a beautiful party filled with all kinds of exciting delicacies, foods, music and enjoyment. Our job is to be “Mikadesh it”, to dedicate ourselves to sanctify and elevate it, by using it for the service of Hashem. We do not shun the world. We strive to use it as a conduit to thank Hashem. Hence, just as “you are holy to me” makes the wedding, so too, when we bring Hashem into the picture by elevating the mundane, we make the world!

When one partakes of a delicious meal, his body feels it very strongly and his emotions are stirred. He can take this elevation and use it to thank Hashem ever so passionately. Whereas, without this physical stimulation, he never would have risen to these grateful feelings. Thank You Hashem for giving me such delicious food and for creating such a graceful world. Thank You Hashem for my beautiful spouse and family and for all of the good which You bestow upon me to enjoy and savor. I recognize what You do for me and I wish to serve you better now! The world is a wedding and we are the Groom who sanctifies her!

With every one of the ten commandments that Hashem uttered, the world filled with a varied fragrant scent (Shabbos 88b). Why was this necessary? I suggest that this was precisely to show the significance of physical sensations and their importance to Torah observance. Hashem does not want us to negate our bodies and their feelings. He wanted to keep our nerve endings stimulated in order to show us that a Torah Jew knows how to use this world to draw inspiration and closeness to Him through his pleasurable experiences.

The Angels in Heaven wanted the Torah, but Moshe fought for us to get it. Moshe said that only physical can properly keep the Torah. We have the opportunity to elevate our physicality. humans

It is well understood now why the Tashbaitz states that we learn many laws regarding a wedding specifically from Matan Torah. Indeed this was the wedding between Hashem and us in a very deep way!

Shavuos is the Holiday that Hashem states that He wishes for us to eat and enjoy pleasures for ourselves. This is to teach us that the entire foundation of our service of Hashem does not focus on self-denial or torture. Rather, it revolves around taking enjoyments and using them to grow closer to Hashem. To grow in our gratitude and appreciate of what He has given to us.

Milk represents a mother’s care for her baby. It is the most nourishing and delicious substance that a mother can offer her child. It is a vehicle of love and closeness from which a mother and child form a close bond. We are enjoined to partake in milk products as a reminder that Shavuos is a time to feel Hashem’s love for us. It is a time to partake of earth’s delights and to thereby elevate and be Mikadesh, sanctify, them by letting them bring out our warm appreciation and feelings towards Hashem.

The lesson is vital and relevant. Our bodies have feelings and through them we can draw close to Hashem. It is specifically for this Holiday that we find food stressed repeatedly. For it is in this Shavuos celebration of our accepting the Torah that we acknowledge the importance of our bodies. May we be inspired this Shavuos as we take in all of the enjoyment that Hashem brings us. May we recognize how much He cares for us. The dairy products hint to the ultimate nourishment and care that one has for their children. We are Hashem’s people and we will smile when we say “cheese” at our fantastic wedding with Hashem!

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Hashkafah, Machshuvah, Shavuos Ahavas Hashem, Kedusha, L'shma, Limud HaTorah, Ruchnius / Gashmius