20 May, 2007

Nasah V'neshma

The second day of Sivon Klal Yisroel said "Kol asher debar Hashem nasah" Everything Hashem says we will do. Before we were offered the Torah Hashem went to all the nations of the world and asked if they would like the Torah when they asked whats in it Hashem told each nation something which is their weakness e.g. Edom was told "Tho shall not kill". Hearing this all nations rejected the Torah but Klal Yisroel said "Nasah V'nishma" we will do and then hear. What exactly went on here? What did Hashem offer? Why did he tell them precisely what he knew they wouldn't agree to? What does nasah v'nisha mean?
Hashem came down to this world to find a bride for the Torah- something that was created before the world, meaning that's its outer worldly. To be able to marry the Torah one has to be someone that's willing to go out of this world, to be able to live a life of total sacrifice to what it says in it. The first step in this marriage is, willing to change ones self, to change your outlook, your will, your earnings in order to conform to that of Hashem and his Torah. Accepting the Torah means living your life, as hard as it may be according to Hashems will. The first stop in looking for a bride was to the nations of the world. When they asked whats in it that showed that they wanted the Torah to confirm to them, to their own needs and will. That is why Hashem told them about a mitzva that was opposite then their respective personalities and of course the answer was a no, they were not willing to change, they wanted to stay part of this world and all its tyvas. Not so was the case when Klal Yisroel was asked, we answered nasah v'nishma we are willing to make your will, whatever it might be and entail, our will. We are willing to go trough fire and water, to give up our lives, and most of all to change ourselves, our own personalities all for Hashem and his Torah. Even before we knew what was in it we said we are willing to go through the struggle whatever it might cost us to have the privilege to marry the Torah. We have made some mistakes through the years, forty days later there was the sin of the eigal- the golden calf- but that didn't deter us from the pass on which we started, striving to be that perfect nation living life according to the perfect Torah. (That is why the dancing with the Torah doesn't happen happen on Shevous only on Simchas Torah to show that even if we make mistakes theres a Yom Kipper and then a Succos showing that we're married to Hashem and to his Torah and hes always waiting for us with open hands.) That is the preperation for Kabbolas Hatorah willing to change yourself and conform to Hashems.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice machshava!

I am not sure what you meant at the end when you were explaining why we davka dance at simchas torah and not on shvuos. Can you clarify? ...Thanks

Anonymous said...

cn - i concur - nice machshava!

Maybe Reb Y meant that it is like the mitzvah tantz at a wedding which takes so long and ends so late. Same here - the mitzvah "tantz" of the marriage on Shavuos lasts all the way until Simchas Torah! (total Purim torah!)
A gut Yom Tov to all!

Reb Y. Brachfeld said...

cn- there is a reason why it was in parentheses. ;)
reb z- nice thought but what i meant to say was that only after we made a mistake and Hashem took us back do we relize how much he loves us and that we realy are married to him and his Torah. Hope this clarifies it a little.

Anonymous said...

Reb Z, rumors are that you were overheard discussing this blog one night before maariv.

Reb Y, Yasher Koach for the clarification.

Incidentally, I just saw a whole piece from Reb Shimshon Pincus (first introduced to me by Reb Y.) where he discussed the two main periods of moadim. Pesach--shvuos is the original leida and growth of klal Yisroel, while Rosh Hashana-Sukkos/ST represents round two--the return after chayt, which shtims well with what you say.