A thought for Shavuot 5777

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May 30 2017
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A thought for Shavuot 5777-In honor of the graduation of my granddaughter,Shira Levitt, from Beren Academy in Houston-May 2017/Sivan 5777


 


It is curious that our holidays are generally marked by specific rituals and Mitzvot, such as Matza, Sukka, Arba Minim etc.The exception seems to be the holiday of Shavuot (unless you count eating cheesecake, which I have never personally enjoyed very much). Surely this holiday defines who we are as Jews in terms of our ‘constitution’ and our purpose in the world. In which case, why is there not a significant set of rituals to mark this holiday? In fact there is only one section in Shulchan Aruch devoted to laws of Shavuot, which seems grossly under represented when compared either to Hilchot Pesach or Hilchot Sukkot, which contain dozens of laws and customs. Why is Shavuot seemingly so ‘underwhelming’, when our expectation would be quite the reverse?


 


A beautiful response to this question is found in the writings of R’Aharon Kotler zal( born in Lithuania,d.1962 in USA), the founder of the Lakewood Yeshiva and central personality in the revival of Torah life in postwar America.He explains the pasuk which is written in connection with the giving of the Torah:


 


 



יח  אֶת-הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה דִּבֶּר יְהוָה אֶל-כָּל-קְהַלְכֶם בָּהָר, מִתּוֹךְ הָאֵשׁ הֶעָנָן וְהָעֲרָפֶל--קוֹל גָּדוֹל, וְלֹא יָסָף; וַיִּכְתְּבֵם, עַל-שְׁנֵי לֻחֹת אֲבָנִים, וַיִּתְּנֵם, אֵלָי.


18 These words the LORD spoke unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice, and it went on no more. And He wrote them upon two tables of stone, and gave them unto me.



The Targum translates וְלֹא יָסָף as meaning “it has never ended”,meaning that the emanations from Sinai have not stopped in the last 3300 years since the Torah was given. Every time a person opens a Torah and reads it, he/she is experiencing the Divine revelation which the Jews received at Mt Sinai.In the Torah is the word of God as if it is being revealed at this moment,and the ‘great voice ‘ experienced when the Torah was given is still found in the Torah every time one sits and studies the word of God.The wisdom which Shlomo exhibits in his day also was found in the Torah as was the details which the prophet Yechezkal gives us regarding the rebuilding of the Temple.The Ramban mentions this in his introduction to the Torah, and we have seen how the Vilna Gaon has shown us the intrinsic link between the written and oral law,as does the Torah Temimah in his commentary.Everything is found in Torah.


The Rabbis explains the word ‘anochi’ as a rashei tavot(abbreviation) of the words:’ana nafsha katva verva’ meaning that God was telling the Jewish people that His ‘soul’ is found in the Torah as set down for us at Mt.Sinai.


’The Torah is not a book, it is a universe”(Rabbi I. Bernstein zal).


The Vilna Gaon explains the phrase ‘daltai Torah’-’the doors of Torah’ as meaning that every letter of Torah is like a door which once opened can reveal depths which we never imagined could even exist.


 


Rabbi Kotler explains that you only commemorate past events and the giving of the Torah is not a past event.It is happening every day.


This is seen in pirkei avot ch.6 where it says:


משנה מסכת אבות פרק ו משנה ב


…………..אמר רבי יהושע בן לוי בכל יום ויום בת קול יוצאת מהר חורב ומכרזת ואומרת


‘A voice emanates from Sinai every day……’


Revelation does not need commemoration and in fact this would produce a wrong conclusion, that it happened once and can never happen again. This is not the case with Torah, as the revelation is happening on a constant basis.If one studies Torah with the correct application and intensity we can have the revelation at the time of learning.This is the greatest aspect of Shavuot and why no rituals are needed as reminders of the past.The giving of the Torah is a contemporary event which we can all experience by studying the Torah every day of our lives.


 


It is with great joy and satisfaction that we celebrated Shira’s graduation and especially her commitment to Torah observance and learning gives us great nachat and pleasure.


My bracha for Shira is that she continue to experience the great joy of Torah study both in Israel next year and at Stern College in the future.May you become a true source of light to your family and to the Jewish people.


With much love from Zaidy.


 


Rabbi Ian Shaffer Cherry Hill NJ Shavuot 5777/May 2017


 



 

Venue: Stern College Stern College

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In honor of the graduation of Shira Levitt form Beren Academy -May 2017/Sivan 5777

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    Anonymous: 

    Learning on the Marcos and Adina Katz YUTorah site is sponsored today by Judy & Mark Frankel & family l'ilui nishmos מרדכי בן הרב משה יהודה ע"ה and משה יהודה ז"ל בן מאיר אליהו ויהודית