There is this special bond between the Torah and the Jewish people in the very first words of the Torah,
" For the sake of the Torah which is called ראשית דרכו- the beginning of HaShem's way, and for the sake of Yisroel who are called " The first of HaShem's crop.
Matan Torah is literally the beginning, the Torah and the Jewish people, who were paired together at Har Sinai, as Rabbi Saadia Gaon once said,
" Our nation is a nation only on account of it's Torah"
Defining this statement within the words themselves, when addressing the Jewish people as they are about to enter the land of Canaan ( Israel ) Moshe says,
" On this day you have become a nation to HaShem, your G-d."
There is a unique relationship between the Jewish people and the Torah, and it's expressed in the blessing we say each morning " Who chose us from among all the nation's and gave us His Torah."
We have this tradition that HaShem offered the Torah to all the nation's of the world, who refused to accept it, with only the Jewish people accepting it wholeheartely. If so, how come that HaShem chose us from all the nation's to give us the Torah?
HaShem offered it to everyone, and we were the only ones who said yes! Therefore the answer is that in offering the Torah to the nation's, HaShem was not choosing them, but giving the Nation's an opportunity to chose Him.
The Jewish people alone were chosen by HaShem to receive the Torah. The " choosing " did not begin on Shavuos, it was a process which had it's roots in the lives of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs, which continued in our experience during both the golus and in the redemption from Mitzrayim, and final stage of Har Sinai.
For the nation's accepting the Torah was a question of opportunity, for the Jewish people it was a matter of destiny. The neshama of each individual among the Jewish people is rooted and connected to a letter of the Torah, as we are literally one.
The " letter- neshama " connection expresses itself in the highest significance of every single Jew.
What is the effect of Torah study?
When we accepted the Torah at Har Sinai, with the words " We will do and we will listen" we did promise Na’aseh ve’nishma,
" We do - with the performance of the mitzvos We will listen - with the words of Torah."
The beneficial effect of Torah study extends well beyond the one who is studying it, and to get to some meaningful level of understanding as how to stufy Torah is to maintain Creation. Based on the teachings of our Sages, that the Torah is " The Blueprint " of Creation. As the Zohar states,
" The Holy One, Blessed be He, looked into the Torah and Created the World "
Every Jew has the opportunity which allows us to reach the most highest level of Torah study, with sincere intentions of the well- being of the world is the highest level of Lishmah.
There is a beautiful passage in Pirkei Avos
" Whoever engages in Torah study for it's own sake...the entire world is worthwhile for him. "
Isn't it an beautiful idea and a benevolent vision of the world that rests with someone who learns Torah lishmah. When we consider that Torah lishmah itself involves learning Torah to promote the well- being of the entire world.
Matan Torah
In our entire history and that of the world was the revelation at Har Sinai, were HaShem appeared to give the mitzvos,
" Only guard yourself and protect your soul greatly, lest you forget the things that your eyes saw and lest you remove them from your heart, all the days of your life and make them known to your children and your children's children, the day you stood before HaShem, your G-d, at Chorev. - Devarim 4:9
The revelation at Har Sinai as the basis of our faith, to understand at the deepest level that it was not only witnessed by the Jewish people of that generation, but by all neshamos of future generations and this goes beyond providing a basis for authenticating Matan Torah. The Torah is not only about HaShem's instructions of how we are to lead our lives, but it is the basis of our relationship with HaShem.
May Shavuos inspire us all to align our success and achievements in all aspects of our lfe with that of HaShem, and may it bring us closer to the the time of the second Shofar which will bring the Moshiach ben David, speedily in our days!
May we all be blessed to have a special and meaninhful relationship with HaShem and to receive the Torah b' simcha u'v pnimiyus.
What did we hear?
One of the most major events in our history and that of the world is the Revelation at Har Sinai, where HaShem came to us and given us the Ten Commandments. The Torah reminds us constantly, that will remember this event, which is preserved in our conscioneness and since that day 3,333 years ago we passed this on to our children, generation upon generation.
"Only guard yourself and protect your soul greatly, lest you forget the things that your eyes saw and lest you remove them from your heart al the days of your life: and make then known to your children and your children's children, the day you stood before HaShem, your G-d. " Devarim 4:9
What was the goal of the Revelation and why was this necessary? If it was simply to give us certain commandments, could Moshe not have given the Torah commandments with the Ten Commandments?
Moshe was assigned by HaShem to communicate the mitzvos from HaShem to the Jewish people and this pas only possible in this role, the confirmation took place as HaShem appeared to the Jewish people and they witnessed His communication with Moshe, this was the authentication of Moshe's being HaShem's emissary with Matan Torah.
"HaShem said to Moshe : " Behold, I am coming to you in the thickness of the cloud, in order that the Jewish people wil hear as I speak with you and they will also believe in you forever.
Rambam in his famous dicussion of The Revelation, to the community in Jemen, Iggeres Teiman:
Remember the revelation at Har Sinai, which HaShem has commanded to remember constantly " Only guard yourself and protect your soul greatly, lest you can forget, the day you stood before HaShem, your G-d, at Chorev."
" For inquire now regarding the early days that preceded you, from the day that HaShem created man on earth, and from one end of the heaven to the other end of heaven." Has there ever been anything like this great thing or has anything like it be heard ? Has a people ever heard the voice of G-d speaking from the midst of the fire as you have heard, and lived ?
The reason for this experience was in order to strengthen our faith to the degree that no force could ever change it. This truth was made known to us directly in order that our point of view to be firm and that we would not falter in times like these, where unrest and oppression is against us.
The Revelation of Har Sinai, as the basis for our faith can be understood at a deeper level. The Sages tell us that the Revelation was not only witnessed by the Jewish People of that time, but by the souls of all future generations. In truth the meaning of the Revelation goes beyond providing a basis for authenticating of Matan Torah. The most crucial ideas regarding the Torah is that it does not only presents HaShem's mitzvos for how we should lead our lives, but is the basis of our relationship with HaShem.
Through performing mitzvos, we elevate ourselves and ultimately the world to a state of Godliness and to attach ourselves to HaShem.
In the relationship between learning Torah and keeping mitzvos,there are two realms of fulfilling HaShem's will, the idea of Torah study is a mitzvah that is by nature obligatory. For a person to study Torah and neglect to perform mitzvos that commands is not only violation of the mitzvos, but also a violation of learning Torah, as our relationship with the Torah would be fundamentally lacking.
" Whoever says, " I have only Torah" does not even posses Torah " ~ Yevamos 109b.
Serving Torah is greater than learning Torah but why would serving Torah be greater than learning Torah?
The ultimate goal of Torah study is to elevate ourselves, the extent to which we are affected by the Torah is entirely dependent on a level of our regard for the Torah. Serving the Torah is a pratical expression of our regard for a Torah scholars and their knowlegde they possesses and develope this regard within us. All of this inceases the level to which we will be impacted by all we learn. And as this is the ultimate goal of learning Torah, we can undrstand how serving the Torah can be greater than studying Torah. ~ commentary Ein Ayah to Berachos.
What did Moshe receive at Har Sinai?
And I will give you the Tablets of Stone and the Torah and the Commandments that I have written to instruct them" ~ Shemos 24: 12.
•The Tablets of Stone ~ these are the Ten Commandments.
• The Torah ~ this is the Chumash
• The Commandments ~ this is the Mishnah
• That I have written ~ these are Nevi'im and Kesuvim
• To instruct them ~ this is Gemara
All these teachings were given to Moshe at Har Sinai.
The Torah exist in the forms of names of HaShem and this explains that initially the entire Torah was given in this form to Moshe at Har Sinai.
And to this we said " We will do and we will hear ". One of the most famous words in Judaism. This is what our ancestors said when they accepted the Torah at Sinai.