Kabbalah for Everyone
So let’s imagine now that you heard these words tonight and you accept them. We accept the tradition from the ones who came before us. Very good. And we think about that great day always. Very good. And we even give it over to our children and grandchildren. Excellent! You’re a witness, a loyal witness for Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Don’t think it’s a small thing; you’re living successfully.
But that’s not enough; you’re not done yet. There’s something else that Kabolas HaTorah means, something that we overlook. And that is that we ourselves have to be mekabel the Torah. Not only that we are eidim, that we know that it happened and speak about it, but we choose Kabolas HaTorah just like our forefathers did.
Kabbalah Forever
Kabolas HaTorah is not a one-time thing. It happened at Har Sinai, but it’s something that takes place every day.
Here’s a girl who marches into a synagogue, takes a seat in the ladies’ section, opens up a siddur and reads the English. For the first time in her life she’s in a synagogue and something stirs in her, an emotion; a little flame is kindled. And she walks out with a holy flame burning in her heart. She’s mekabel the Torah. Whatever her Torah is, it’s pretty small, but she’s mekabel her Torah.
A boy comes from the Midwest. He brings with him his baggage, all his worldly possessions and he’s at the railroad station in Manhattan. Why did he come to New York? He’s looking for the Torah.
Kabbalah at Midnight
A true story. He called me up at 11:00 at night. I said, “What can I do for you?”
He said he read Rejoice O’ Youth and he wants to come to me. He was in Grand Central Station. It’s 11:00 at night.
“Do you have money?” He has no money.
“Do you have friends?” No friends.
So, I’m stuck now. He read Rejoice O’ Youth.
“So come here,” I told him. I gave him my address.
He came to my home with his luggage and duffel bags. It was 12:00 at night now and I always go to bed at 11:00 but I had him on my hands now. So he told me his life story. It was very late when I finally went to bed but I saw that he was serious. He was ready for Kabolas HaTorah. Now that’s one story out of thousands. Kabolas HaTorah takes place every day.
Kabbalah for the Frummeh
But I’m not talking now about that. I’m not talking only about a baal teshuvah, someone who knows nothing and now he wants to start doing. I’m talking about ourselves; I’m talking about the Orthodox, frum Jews who keep everything. Even we have to be mekabel the Torah.
Let’s understand that. Everybody knows that Hakadosh Baruch Hu said, ְ כֶ םְּ כֶ ם לְ בַ דּא אִ תֹוְ ל – ‘Not
