Dear NILI Community,
As we usher in the month of Sivan, we are preparing for the holiday of Shavuot—not only to commemorate Matan Torah, but to reenact the experience of Matan Torah by accepting the Torah anew in our own lives. How do we do this practically?
According to the Chidushei HaRim, the Gerer Rebbe suggested that the Shabbat before Shavuot should be called "Shabbat Derech Eretz," based on teachings of our sages that "derech eretz," being a good person, is "kadma la'Torah," prerequisite to our observance of the Torah (Vayikra Rabba 9:3). This is consistent with the Kabbalistic tradition of utilizing the time of Sefirat HaOmer as a time to refine our character. On the other hand, the association of Sefirah with a time of mourning commemorating the deaths of Rabbi Akiva's students attributed to their lack of respect for one another, underlies the dangers of neglecting the foundational nature of Derech Eretz to living a life of Torah. This experience led Rabbi Akiva to conclude that loving your neighbor as yourself is the most important guiding principle of the Torah. Without the foundation of basic love and respect for others, we cannot fully integrate the rest of the teachings of the Torah.
This premise of Jewish unity is hinted at in the Matan Torah experience itself, in the Torah portion we read on Shavuot. The pasuk tells us that Bnei Yisrael journeyed from Rephidim, to the desert of Sinai and encamped at Har Sinai (Shemot 19:2). In the middle of the pasuk, however, there is a shift from describing Bnei Yisrael's travels and encamping in the plural form to describing their encampment at Har Sinai in the singular: "Va'yichan sham Yisrael."
Rashi famously writes that when Bnei Yisrael camped at the foot of Har Sinai they were "Ke'ish echad be'lev echad," like one man with one heart. The unity that was foundational to the Matan Torah experience is still foundational today. Our sages similarly teach that "kol Yisrael arevim zeh ba'zeh," the entire Jewish people are responsible for one another—we are all interconnected like one body and one heart (Talmud Shevuot 39a). Rav Kook expounds that "All our limbs are connected organically. Therefore, when one limb suffers, all limbs feel its pain. This connection can also be felt within a spiritual unity of connected souls" (The Spiritual Revolution of Rav Kook).
We feel this message and urgency of unity all the more palpably since October 7th. As we prepare for Shavuot this year, let's prioritize living the imperative of "derech eretz kadma la'Torah," treating each other with love and respect in our daily lives. In doing so, we can more fully embrace the Matan Torah mindset of "Ke'ish echad be'lev echad" to create the foundations necessary for this year's Kabbalat HaTorah, to integrate and infuse our daily lives with Torah, meaning, and purpose.
Chodesh Sivan Tov,
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