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Sanctifying the Permitted
We will read the Ten Commandments on Shavuot (celebrated Thursday night to
Shabbat, or to Saturday night outside of Israel) on Friday morning (be there!),
when we celebrate G-d giving the Torah to the Jews on Mt. Sinai. Shavuot and G-d's
giving of the Ten Commandments have a special significance that affects our
entire year. The Ten Commandments begin with the words "G-d spoke all of these
things to say". Many commentaries ask the same question: The words used in the
beginning and end of the verse, "spoke" and "to say" are used throughout the
Torah when G-d requires that the information be transmitted to people who were
not present at that specific time. And yet it is a basic tenet of Judaism that
all the Jewish people were present at Mt. Sinai, even the souls of those yet
to live; they all heard the Ten Commandments. If so, why do we need
the word "to say"?
Rabbi Dov Ber, known as the "Magid of Mezrich", was the
main student of the Baal Shem Tov. He answers by explaining that the whole
purpose of giving the Torah on Mt. Sinai was to infuse the Ten
Commandments of the Torah (as hinted by the word "spoke"), into the Ten
Utterances with which G-d created the world - "Let there be light", "Let there
be a firmament", etc. (hinted at in the verse by the word "to say"). The Ten
Commandments were spoken to the entire world in order to link and arrange them
in relation to the Ten Utterances. This is the reason these two words are used
here.  | | " It is our job to cause the light of the Torah...to illuminate the physical aspects of the world...." | | |
The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains how we can apply this teaching in
our relationship to the world and to better serve G-d. It is our job to cause
the light of the Torah, as embodied in the Ten Commandments and Jewish
tradition, to illuminate the physical aspects of the world, as exemplified by
the Ten Utterances. Religion and the world are not separate (contrary to the
belief that when you are in synagogue you act one way, and in the "real" world
you act differently).
A Jew is not only required, he or she is actually empowered,
to act according to rules and standards of the Torah in all aspects of life.
Clearly, the focus here is not about those things that the Torah forbids, like
eating pork or stealing, but rather specifically about things that the Torah
permits. We have to infuse those areas with Jewish energy, not to get lost in
the physical. For example, when we eat, to remind ourselves that since the
destruction of the Temple, the kitchen table is like the altar. When we pray, we
are like the High Priest in his intimate relationship to G-d. Even sleep is so
our soul can ascend to heaven, to be refreshed, so we can again awake and serve
G-d with all of our strength. As Shavuot approaches, let each of us make a
resolution to take some part of our lives in which until now the world dictated
how we were to behave, and imbue it with the light of Torah, allowing us to
elevate it and make it holy.
This directive to take initiative is also found in this week's
Torah portion. "Naso" hints to the essence of the entire portion and therefore
indicates what is expected of us during the week. "Naso" means "to carry"
or "to raise up". This week we are commanded to see ourselves on an elevated
level - that we are not just followers, but also leaders. No matter what a
person's current situation, in some area they have the ability to lead, to
influence someone else for the good. Just as the poorest person is also required
to fulfill giving charity to help another, even a person poor in knowledge can
still direct someone else, who is on a lower level, in a positive way.
Similarly, the word "naso", "to raise", is telling us
that when faced with an obstacle, we have the strength of "Naso" - to rise above
and overcome this difficulty. Everything we do this week is with this ability.
With this knowledge nothing can stop us from fulfilling our goals!
Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach, Shaul
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