Earth, Fire and Water Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky The Jewish Center Shavuos, Day I 5769

Transcription

1 Earth, Fire and Water Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky The Jewish Center Shavuos, Day I 5769 If you had to think of the most ironic place to spend Shavuos, where would it be? These were the thoughts running through my head as I boarded a flight to Las Vegas almost exactly five years ago. YU had sent a friend and me, along with another couple, to deliver shiurim in the community throughout Yom Tov, in a shul two miles off the Strip. I had heard that Las Vegas was one of the fastest growing Jewish communities in the country, and I knew that there were restaurants and minyanim frequented by the many religious Jews who travel there regularly on business- and pleasure... Still, it seemed a tad ironic to spend the holiday commemorating receiving the Torah in the place known as Sin City. How were we supposed to spread Torah far and wide if What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas? I needn t have worried. It was one of the more memorable, interactive Shavuos experiences I have ever had (prior to beginning at The Jewish Center, of course). Upon further reflection, I began to realize that Las Vegas, a city in the desert near the Valley of Fire and Hoover Dam, was a most appropriate location to spend Shavuos. The Medrash relates that while the Torah was given on Mount Sinai, a mountain was not the only physical manifestation associated with giving the Torah. א פרשה וילנא) (וילנא רבה במדבר ז וידבר ה' אל משה במדבר סיני למה במדבר סיני מכאן שנו חכמים בג' דברים ניתנה התורה, באש, ובמים, ובמדבר, באש מנין (שמות יט) והר סיני עשן כולו וגו' ובמים מנין שנאמר (שופטים ה) גם שמים נטפו גם עבים נטפו מים ובמדבר מנין וידבר ה' אל משה במדבר סיני ולמה ניתנה בג' דברים הללו אלא מה אלו חנם לכל באי העולם כך דברי תורה חנם הם שנאמר (ישעיה נה) הוי כל צמא לכו למים, ד"א וידבר ה' אל משה במדבר סיני אלא כל מי שאינו עושה עצמו כמדבר הפקר אינו יכול לקנות את החכמה והתורה לכך נאמר במדבר סיני. 1

2 Why was the desert in which the Jews wandered for 40 years called the Sinai Desert? The Medrash answers that Torah, which was given on Mount Sinai, is compared to three different natural phenomena- to water, fire and the desert. And why is it compared to these three things? The Medrash answers that water, fire and the desert are free, and just as they are free, so is the Torah. Let me ask you: If you were going to compare the Torah to anything to make it enticing, would it really be these three elements, capable of wreaking such havoc and devastation? We know this is true for water; Just this past week, Cyclone Alia killed more than 250 people, rendered 500 more people missing and 650,000 people homeless. We know about the destructive power of fire, too. Since it became a state, California has had at least 15 major wildfires, and hundreds of other low-grade ones, including one that is occurring right now. And without the proper precautions, the desert can be dangerous as well. On the first day we were in Vegas, we went to the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, located about 15 miles west of Las Vegas and easily seen from the Strip. This area, which is visited by more than 1 million tourists a year (a figure that would be higher if people came to Las Vegas to see nature), is famous for its magnificent sandstone peaks and walls, and La Madre Mountain- affording terrific views and excellent climbing and hiking. Throughout the area, there are signs warning about the dangers of deviating from the marked paths, including rattlesnakes and flash floods. Perhaps the most dangerous aspect of it, though, was the heat, which can reach temperatures of 105F. Because it is a dry heat, it is possible to become dangerously dehydrated without even realizing it, doing lasting damage to in a few short hours if water is not your constant companion. The desert is, indeed, a dangerous place. So why does the medrash use this imagery, comparing the Torah to such potentially destructive forces? 2

3 Perhaps the answer is that in describing the giving of the Torah in these terms, the Medrash is addressing perceptions people have of it and those who study it- perceptions that prevent them from committing to more Torah study. Some have the perception that Torah is a fire, causing those who study it to burn with righteous fury and indignation, and turn black. Indeed, there is a colloquial term in the world of Israeli religious society that describes certain Yeshivos as masreifot, or incinerators, for having precisely this effect. We all know of people who have undergone this transformation- as they take on more serious Torah study, they adopt certain dress and speech patterns and they no longer find interesting many of the things and people they used to. While they may feel fulfilled and they may have a new found purpose in their lives, but for those who have not embarked on the journey- particularly parents, and in some cases, children- it seems that the people we know and love have stepped into a religious version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. It is for those people that the Torah is compared to a fire, for while fire can be a force of incineration, it represents passion and illumination as well. Whether it is our light bulbs, our stoves or our cars, fire is also a positive force for creativity and energy, which can improve life without transforming it beyond recognition. For some people, the Torah scares them away because it is a fire. But for others, though, it is the Torah s likeness to water that scares them off. It is no accident that the study of Talmud is referred to as entering the Yam HaTalmud, the sea of Talmud. Torah is so vast and deep that beginning to study it can be scary, and furthering one s study can be daunting. After all, there is no end to how much one can learn and it is so difficult, if not impossible, to master it completely. It is for this reason that the Torah was given through water, for while water can be overwhelming, it is a life force as well. In the Indo-European oceans, close to land, 3

4 one can find a remarkable creature- the black tip reef shark. Perhaps the most remarkable feature of this shark, and others of its kind, is that it has no swim bladder, and must therefore swim constantly to avoid sinking. The shark does not always swim quickly or over wide distances- it just keeps moving. The black tip reef shark is not just an amazing creatureit is an appropriate metaphor for Torah study. For those who are reticent to begin studying Torah because of the apparent futility of this enterprise, the Torah is compared to water to teach us that, one does not have to swim quickly over great distances in the Sea of Talmud, and one does not have to amass vast quantities of information in a short period of time- we just have to keep swimming. Torah study, even in small amounts, is a critical component in the religious life of any Jew- it is the lifeblood that prevents us from sinking as individuals, as communities and as a nation. But if some people are scared off by the transformation of those who study Torah, and others are scared off by its vastness, there is a third reason people do not wish to embark on a program of Torah study; it is like a desert- dry and lifeless. Dispassionate or incompetent teachers and apathetic friends can do this, as can over-intellectualization or an emphasis on picayune details without placing them into a broader context of a vital value system. For those who view Torah study as dry, The Torah was given in a desert to counteract this perception. Chazal tell us that many of our great religious leaders were shepherds, including Moshe, David and Amos; being alone in the stillness of the desert was when they were intellectually and spiritually alive. Torah study does not have to be dry and uninspiring! Think of what interests you in the secular world- for every area, there is a parallel in Torah study. If you enjoy politics, you will be riveted by a thorough study of the early prophets, and particularly of the rule of David as described in the books of Shmuel and Melachim, or of 4

5 tractate Sanhedrin with its discussions of Jewish governance. If you like thrillers, read the book of Joshua or Judges. If you like Poetry, study Sefer Yeshaya or Tehillim. If you like psychology, the book of Mishlei, along with classic Mussar texts, is filled with psychological insight. If it is philosophy that interests you, study the classic works of Jewish philosophy, ranging from Maimonides and Rav Yehuda HaLevi to Rav Kook and the Rav. If you have a legal mind, study Bava Metzia. If you like mechanics and math, study Masechet Middos, detailing the dimensions of the Tabernacle and the Temple, or tractates Eruvin and Sukkah, detailing the laws governing the construction of these two structures. There is something for everyone, in any discipline, to find interesting and exciting, so the Torah will be alive and stimulating. On this Shavuos, our challenge is to recognize these barriers to Torah study, and find the areas that overcome them. To find an area of study that ignites our passion and illuminates our lives like a fire, to engage in it regularly without drowning, like water, and attain intellectual and spiritual clarity and vitality, like the silence of the desert. If we are able to do this, we will truly merit receiving the Torah, in all its forms and manifestations, with great joy. 5