Receiving the Torah Anew

GLOBAL RELIGIOUS LEADERS זצ“ל Rabbi Avraham Shapira Receiving the Torah Anew hag Matan Torah is the holiday of the Oral Law. says,4 “Were it not for this day, how every day and at any time, but there is Of the Torah Sages of many Yosefs would there be in the particular significance in repeating it in every generation. Matan marketplace?” In other words, thanks to the days leading up to Shavuot. Torah is renewed in every Matan Torah, I am different from your These are the days in which the light Cgeneration, and the day the Torah was regular Yosef, and hence he instituted of Torah begins to appear, just as at Har given in the past is a day infused with special foods on Shavuot. But at first Sinai the light of the Torah began to the spiritual energies for the Torah to glance it is not clear why he says this. sparkle even before then, and therefore be given every year. Every year, there is After all, if it wasn’t for this day, the we don’t say Tachanun on these days, a return to what was, and just as Pesach entire world wouldn’t exist, not only Rav like the Rishonim say we don’t say is the time of freedom every year, so Yosef. Rather we learn from here that Tachanun on Fridays at Mincha, because Shavuot is the time ripe for receiving Rav Yosef is not referring to the Giving the light of Shabbat already begins to the Torah anew in every generation. of the Torah to the entire world, but appear before Shabbat actually begins. When we celebrate Shavuot, we are to his private Kabbalat HaTorah, and The elevated reality of Chag and not celebrating an historical event in hence we learn that everyone has their Shabbat begins before the holy days the past but the essence of the day that own private Kabbalat HaTorah. themselves. Therefore, it is incumbent regenerates itself year after year. upon us specifically during these days to The Yerushalmi says,1 “In all the Accepting the yoke of Torah reinforce our Torah study and the way .sin) and The Yerushalmi cited above stresses that we prepare for Matan Torah) חטא korbanot it is written concerning Atzeret (Shavuot) it is “since you accepted upon yourselves the May we merit receiving the Torah HaKadosh Baruch yoke of Torah, I consider it as if you have together as a people, and each of us .חטא not written Hu said to them, since you accepted never ever sinned.” It is not enough to individually, with awe and fear, love upon yourselves the yoke of Torah, I receive Torah, but one must accept the and joy. consider it as if you have never ever yoke of Torah. The effort, the challenge, sinned.” And the Korban HaEida2 in Torah is the main aspect of the Torah. explains that concerning all korbanot it A person can fulfil the mitzvah of 1 Rosh Hashanah 4:8 Talmud Torah in the smallest amount of 2 Rabbi David Frankel, 1704-1762 ועשיתם שעיר עיזים אחד לחטאת ,is written and concerning Atzeret it is not written time, even with one word, but the crux 3 Shemot 24:7 and of the Torah, the life of the Torah, is the 4 Pesachim 68b ,שעיר עיזים אחד but just לחטאת that’s because “every year on Atzeret is yoke of Torah. 5 Pirkei Avot 2:12 like the day we stood at Har Sinai and We learn all this as an introduction 6 Shemot 19 received the Torah anew… and therefore to Torah, as a preparation. The Torah’s 7 According to the start of the chapter there: “In no sin, on this day.” command: “And make yourself fit to the third month to the Exodus of Bnei Yisrael from ,חטאת there is no The regenerational reality of Kabbalat learn Torah,”5 is in itself a difficult, deep the land of Egypt, they came to the Sinai Desert on HaTorah every year is what allows a and complex instruction and one must this day.” person’s sins to be atoned for every learn it profoundly just like any other year anew. And every time we read the piece of Torah. there is Before the description of Matan 3,כל אשר דבר ה’ נעשה ונשמע pasuk another, new acceptance of Torah. Torah, the Torah describes the people’s Rabbi Avraham Shapira zt”l served as the preparation across many verses,6 and Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel from 1983 For each of us this section carries eternal lessons. The to 1993. He was also the Rosh Yeshiva of This annual Kabbalat HaTorah is for preparation for Torah is Torah in itself, Merkaz HaRav in Jerusalem. He passed each and every one of us. Rav Yosef and it needs to be “on this day.”7 away in 2007. There is a need to repeat the exercise 18 | .

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