This week we learn about the Jews receiving the Torah directly from G-d at Sinai. It was the high point of human history. Never before had there been such an event and never will there be anything like it again.
G-d, the Creator of all physical and spiritual existence, actually 'chose' a nation of several million slaves, took them from Egyptian bondage with great miracles and revealed Himself and spoke to them on Mount Sinai.
No other religion, race or nation even CLAIMS such a thing happened to them! Only the Jews.
But was it really necessary? After all, it didn't seem to work very well.
While the other religions began with one or a select group of men and now have have billions of followers Judaism has only a fraction of that and many don't even believe in the religion!
So why Sinai?
Also another unique factor of Judaism is its many detailed laws and prohibitions. Perhaps if it was more simple it would be more popular.
To understand all this here is a story, (Tzfat Merom weekly #13) about a pupil of the great Tzadik Rabbi Yoel Sirkush (1561-1640), the author of the 'Bais Chadash' (Ba'ch) on the Tur.
Rabbi Sirkush was a master of all aspects of the Torah; both revealed and mystical and, as well as being a Talmudic and legal genius, he also was familiar with the 'upper' worlds.
One of his pupils was a sixty-year-old wealthy Jew by the name of Yosele HaGvir. This Yosele was a Torah expert and was a teacher in his own right, but he was first and foremost a devoted pupil of the great master Rabbi Sirkush and did whatever the Rabbi told him to do without hesitation.
... almost.
It so happened that one summer day there appeared in Rabbi Sirkush's Synagogue a distraught Jew by the name of Reb Shaya who said he must urgently meet with the Rabbi and when he was told by the Rabbis helper that he would have to wait he began explaining the urgency of his predicament.
He lived in a nearby town and made his living by running the inn he rented from the local Baron, selling liquor and food to the local population. But just a few days ago the baron appeared at his inn and announced he was doubling the rent, if he didn't get paid within a week Reb Shaya would have to leave and turned on his heels and left!
Poor Reb Shaya almost lost his mind! He had a wife and seven children! Where would they go in such a short notice? And how would he live? What would he do?! Someone told him about Rabbi Sirkush, and that's why he came.
The Rabbi's secretary suddenly appeared, tapped Shaya on the shoulder and told him very politely that the Rabbi could see him.
Reb Shaya entered the Rabbi's study and repeated his sad story upon which Rabbi Sirkush replied. "Go to my follower; Yosele HaGvir. Tell him I sent you and that he should talk to the baron. Yosele will be able to help."
Reb Shaya left the Rebbe with wings on his feet and hope in his heart. He only had to find this Yosele and everything would be all right.
But it wasn't so simple; when he found Yosele HaGvir he was packing his bags to go to the great bazaar in Krakow (the town where Rabbi Sirkush presided) and the delay of several days required to travel to the baron, get an audience and convince him not to raise the rent would cost him fortune.
All the begging, pleading and arguing of Reb Shaya fell on deaf ears. Yosele just kept replying, "Listen, my friend. No reason to worry. Man's yearly income is determined when the Shofar is blown on Rosh HaShanna, speeding now won't help. Just have a little trust in G-d. Without trust in G-d what is life worth anyway... even WITH the inn! Etc. etc." Yosele shook Reb Shaya's hand and set off to the Bazaar.
But when Reb Shaya returned home his wife really gave it to him over the head. "What!? And you let him go!? Did you tell him it was urgent!? Did you tell him we have only a few more days?! What about out children!? That man was a follower of the Rabbi... why, you should have gone back to the Rabbi and told him to force him to go now! What a fool you are!! Now we are going to get evicted! What's going to be with me?! Where will we go!? And so it was, non-stop, for the next FOUR days!
Three days later, after the Bazaar was over, Yosele HaGvir didn't forget Reb Shaya and immediatelyh traveled directly to the Baron's house certain in his heart (but with a small doubt in his mind) that it wasn't too late and his efforts, G-d willing, would succeed.
And sure enough, he was right! He immediately entered the Baron's castle, met with him for almost an hour, had a few l'chaim's (drinks), business agreements and, last but not least, not only convinced him to let Reb Shaya stay but even to lower his rent!
From there, Yosele traveled to Reb Shaya to tell him the good news. As he approached the house he could hear Reb Shaya's wife yelling hoarsely from inside as though she'd been at it for a while! But when he knocked on the door and gave her the good news, she calmed down, thanked him profusely and promised never to yell at her husband again.
But the story isn't over.
Ten years later Yosele G'vir passed away at a ripe old age but several days later he appeared to his teacher Rabbi Sirkush in a dream.
He explained that he had been granted permission from heaven to relate what had happened to him when he got up there so the Rabbi could pass the message on.
It seems that when he reached heaven, he found himself in a long line waiting to be judged. The Judges were great holy men that he didn't recognize and when each ones turn came, groups of angels and monstrous devils created by their good and bad deeds respectively, came to testify for or against them.
When his turn came his judgment did not take long because he had done so many good deeds and helped so many people. But just as he was about to be escorted into heaven a large angel suddenly appeared and blocked the way!
"Who are you?" He asked the angel "And why are you stopping me?"
The Angel, reading from a document, answered "I am here regarding the good deed you did for one 'Reb Shaya' about ten years ago. Remember? When you spoke to the Baron on his behalf? Well, you saved his life, but it seems that because you delayed a few days by going to do business instead of going straight to the Baron, you caused him and his wife four days of anxiety. You should have taken your own advice and told yourself what you told Reb Shaya; that your livelihood is determined on Rosh Hashanna, and rushing off to the Bazaar can't add or subtract!"
Therefore, I have been ordered to prevent your entrance into heaven for four days!”
This answers our question.
True, G-d didn't have to give the Torah with such miracles and in such detail but then the Torah would have been like Yosef HaG'vir's Mitzva in our story; it would have been affected by nature and incomplete.
The Torah is infinite truth in its every detail. And the truth is that G-d wants us to perfect this physical world EXACTLY according to His will. And that is found only in the Torah.
So it could be that if the Torah was given in a more normal way, as a spiritual book in a spiritual way to a select few like the other religions, Judaism would be less demanding and consequently more popular. But then it would be lacking G-d’s truth.
Therefore, G-d gave it personally and spectacularly to millions of Jews so each would know that EVERY DETAIL is an exact directive to change this world in a unique G-dly way.
And eventually this truth will be accepted by everyone (As we say in the Shma Yisroel prayer (see Rashi on Deut. 6:4); that Moshiach will bring all mankind to live according to the exact will and wisdom of the Creator.
But until then, the Torah gives us the power, especially when we learn it with joy, to increase completeness and add blessing to the world! As King David said, "Torat HaShem Tmima, mshivat Nafesh (Ps. 19:8) "The Torah of G-d is complete, it returns the soul."
Therefore, as Maimonides writes: the entire power of Moshiach will be from the Torah and his goal will be strengthening Torah Judaism and bringing all mankind to observe its directives (Jews to 613 commandments and 7 Noahide commandments for the gentiles).
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1188356/jewish/Melachim-uMilchamot-Chapter-11.htm
And as the Lubavitcher Rebbe said repeatedly; this should happen at any moment. We are standing on the merits of thousands of years of Jewish service, hopes, prayers and suffering. Now just one more good deed, word of even thought, if done with selfless JOY can bring .... MOSHIACH NOW!!!
Rabbi Tuvia Bolton
Yeshiva Ohr Tmimim
Kfar Chabad, Israel
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