Now that we've seen the importance and the need to prepare for matan Torah, we ask, how does one prepare for matan Torah?
Consider the following mashal:
A talmid chacham enters a shoe store, looking to buy a pair of shoes, size eight. The generous store owner replied, "You’re a talmid chacham, so I want to give you extra. I'll give you a size ten." The man replied, "Your generosity doesn't help me. A size ten shoe will slip off my foot. I need a size eight."
Similarly, there are great, impressive kabbalos that you can take on, but if they are beyond your abilities, you will fail. Rather, find something you think you can do. Even if it seems small, it is really a lot.
A town had a custom
that a chasan should have two silver cups filled with gold coins the night of his wedding. This was a good omen, a sign that the new couple would have wealth in their married life. If the chasan was poor and didn't have silver cups and gold coins, he would borrow them from others for the night of the chasunah and return them after the chasunah.
Once, a chasan didn't have the two cups with coins. He went to a wealthy person (whom he knew was a miser) and said, "I have one silver cup with gold coins, and I need the other one. So, I am only asking for one silver becher filled with gold coins." The wealthy man replied, "It is just for a good omen. So, I recommend you place a mirror next to your cup, and it will appear like you have two cups with coins." The chasan replied, "When I told you I have one cup with gold coins, I meant I have a mirror. I am lacking the other cup."
The nimshal is for Shavuos. It is called Shavuos, weeks, because the yom tov is like a mirror that mirrors everything we did to prepare during the weeks of sefiras ha'omer.
One counsel is to take on a kabbalah tovah, a good resolution, to improve your ways in some manner. The kabbalah tovah doesn't have to be hard, just something that fits your needs. We can learn this idea from the word לכם וספרתם. Find the kabbalah and service that is לכם at your level, and you will grow from there. Mitzvah goreres mitzvah, one mitzvah draws others. You will be surprised at how high you have risen from that small kabalah tovah in a short time.
Another way to ready ourselves for matan Torah is with the mitzvah of sefiras ha'omer. The tefillah after sefiras ha'omer states, לספר עבדך משה ידי על צויתנו אתה עולם של רבונו ומטמאתנו מקלפתנו לטהרנו כדי העמר ספירת, "Master of the World, You commanded us through Moshe, Your servant, to count sefiras ha'omer to purify us from our kelipos and our tumah."
But what should a person do if almost all the days of sefiras ha'omer have already passed and he didn't take advantage of these special days? The Chidushei HaRim replied that everything could be accomplished on the final day. It is never too late. On the last day of sefiras ha'omer you can free yourself from all your kelipos and be prepared for matan Torah.
This is hinted at in the pasuk, ממחרת עד יום חמשים תספרו השביעית השבת, "Until the morrow of the seventh week, count fifty days." This implies that on the final day of sefiras ha'omer you can count all fifty days. On the last day, you can acquire the purity you need to prepare for matan Torah.
But some people haven’t taken advantage of sefiras ha'omer, and not even the final day. What will be with them? How will they be pure for matan Torah?
The Arugas HaBosem zt’l says there is no need for despair. It isn't too late. You can amend everything you need on Shavuos itself. The proof is that it states about Shavuos (Vayikra 23:21), יהיה קודש מקרא הזה היום בעצם וקראתם לכם. This pasuk implies that even הזה היום בעצם in the midst of Shavuos, you can make a decision of קודש מקרא, that you will live a life of holiness, and that will be sufficient.
The Arugas HaBosem writes, "Moshe Rabbeinu foresaw that the Jewish people would be on a very low level in galus, and they won't be able to properly prepare themselves to be fitting to receive the light of the yom tov of matan Torah. He yearned that each Yid should experience the light of the King's face that shines on Shavuos. Therefore, Moshe added another day on his own [and the Torah was given a day later – on the fifty-first day] ha'omer. If Shavuos would immediately follow sefiras ha'omer, it would indicate that receiving the light of matan Torah is impossible without keeping the sefirah properly. But since Shavuos didn't directly follow the sefirah, it shows they are not dependent on each other. Even when the Jewish nation cannot purify themselves properly, the light of matan Torah will not be lost from them because of that."
Another counsel to prepare for matan Torah is to study Torah! Even if it is hard, try hard and push yourself. This will prepare you for matan Torah.
Reb Shmuel Salant zt’l would often repeat the following story:
There were two brothers, one was a wealthy businessman, and the other was a scholarly but poor talmid chacham. The businessman would periodically give money to his brother so that he could devote himself to studying Torah.
One day, the wealthy man said, "Since I am supporting you, it would be proper that we sign a Yissachar/Zevulun agreement so that I can receive half of your reward in Gan Eden."
The scholar replied that he wanted to ask Reb Chaim Volozhiner before signing such a document.
Reb Chaim Volozhiner told him he could sign the document, but he should tell his wealthy brother that he was receiving half of the reward even without the document. Furthermore, Reb Chaim Volozhiner zt'l said, "Tell your brother that although he will receive reward with you, it won't be divided fifty-fifty. Your reward will be greater because you study Torah הדחק מתוך, amidst poverty and hardship. Your brother can receive the reward of Torah study, but it isn't הדחק מתוך for him."
Perhaps we can say that there are different kinds of הדחק מתוך תורה. There is studying Torah when one is financially poor, studying Torah when one isn't in the mood to do so, and studying Torah when one doesn't realize that his Torah study is precious. (For example, when a person only has a short period of time available to learn). When one studies Torah at these times, it is הדחק מתוך תורה because he forces himself to study Torah. Therefore, his reward is very great.
Reb Shmuel Salant would repeat this story to emphasize the immense reward of those who study Torah הדחק מתוך, when it is hard.
