19 May SHAVUOS: NOT JUST ANOTHER JOE

If Not For This Day, We
Would Just Be ‘Another
Joe’
All brachos, with the
exception of Birchas
HaMazon, are Rabbinic
in origin. However, The Shaagas
Aryeh (Rav Aryeh Leib ben Asher Gunzberg;
1695-1785) argues that the bracha recited
before learning Torah is Biblical in origin.
The proof, the Shaagas Aryeh says, is a
Talmudic passage in Nedarim [81a], which
attributes the destruction of the Land of Israel
to the fact that Jews did not recite the blessing
before learning Torah. The Shaagas Aryeh
argues that if this bracha was not of Biblical
origin, it would never have been singled out
as the cause of the destruction.
The Ran (1290-1375) in Maseches Nedarim
quotes a novel insight into this Gemara in
Nedarim, in the name of Rabbeinu Yona
(1200-1263). The Gemara in Nedarim is
expounding a pasuk in Yirmiyahu. The pasuk
in Yirmiyahu says that the destruction
occurred because “they abandoned my
Torah” [9:12]. Rabbeinu Yona explains that
the reason why the Gemara did not want to
interpret the pasuk literally (that people

abandoned the Torah and simply did not learn
it at all), was because the Gemara previously
mentioned that prophets and scholars were
consulted regarding the interpretation of this
pasuk and none of them had an adequate
interpretation. It would not have been
difficult to figure out the literal interpretation
of the pasuk. Therefore, Rabbeinu Yona
explains that “they abandoned my Torah”
must not refer to something blatant or overt.
The Gemara indicates that it was necessary
for G-d Himself to reveal to us the nature of
the problem.
Rabbeinu Yona continues by explaining as
follows: that generation certainly occupied
themselves with constant Torah learning.
That was why no one could figure out why
the Land was destroyed until G-d, who
knows the depths of people’s hearts, revealed
the real source of the problem: People did not
recite the bracha over learning Torah. The
Ran explains that this means that they did not
consider Torah prestigious enough to be
worthy of a bracha. People did learn Torah.
Everyone had fixed times for studying Torah.
However, they did not consider the Torah
learning so important. They did not appreciate
what they had. That is why they did not recite
the bracha over Torah.

When one studies Chemistry or Accounting
or Law, one may find it intellectually
challenging. They may be deep and
stimulating, but one does not recite
a Bracha over them. However,
a Sefer Torah, a Chumash, a Medrash –
these do require a Bracha to demonstrate that
we know the value of what we have been
given. The generation of the Destruction
apparently lacked this appreciation – to the
extent that the Talmud says “they abandoned
my Torah” – i.e. – they did not even possess
the Torah.
The Izbitcer Rebbe (Rav Mordechai Yosef
Leiner of Izbice; died 1854) once quoted an
amazing Hagaos Ashrei (13-14th Century
glosses on Rabbeinu Asher’s Commentary)
in Tractate Bava Metziah to explain this idea
of having something, without REALLY
having it. In the case cited there, Reuven
bought a piece of metal, which he believed
was made out of lead. Reuven paid the price
based on the per pound value of lead. He
subsequently sold the piece of metal
(presumably lead) to Shimeon, Later,
Shimeon discovered that the piece of metal
was in fact silver and was worth far more
than what he paid for it. Upon hearing this,
Reuven wanted to either receive full
compensation from Shimon or undo the
whole sale.
The Hagaos Ashrei rules that Shimeon can
keep the metal and need not make any
further payment to Reuven because
Reuven never “owned” the silver. Since
Reuven never realized what he had – he
thought he only had lead – he never legally
acquired the value of the silver. Since
Reuven did not legally own the silver,
Shimeon does not have to pay him for it.
The Ishbitzer Rebbe says this is the
meaning of “they abandoned my Torah”.
People can think they have the Torah, they
can learn the Torah, and the Torah can
even be in their possession. But if they do
not appreciate what they have, then they
do not have it. The prophet can accurately
label this “they have abandoned my
Torah”. According to Halacha, if one does
not appreciate what he has, he does not
really have it.
This is one of the tasks that we must work
on as we approach the Holiday
of Shavuos. We can never take for granted
that which Torah does for us.
The Talmud relates [Pesachim 68b]
that Rav Yosef would make a tremendous
party on Shavuos. He would say, “If not
for this special day (on which the Torah
was given), look how many Yosefs there
are in the market place”. If not for the fact
that I as a Jew have that precious gift of
Torah, I would literally be ‘just another
Joe’.

Sometimes we forget the meaning of a world
without Torah. A world without Torah is just
a matter of the thickness of the veneer. It is
literally a situation of “each man is prepared
to swallow up his fellow man” [Pirkei
Avos 3:2]. The line between a human being
and a wild animal – without the guiding
moral force of Torah – is indeed very thin.
However, the Torah makes us different and
elevates us. The Torah makes us Godly
instead of beastly. Where would we be
without this Torah? This is the essence
of Shavuos.
On Shavuos we read the story of Rus and
Orpah. Rus and Orpah were sisters, daughters
of Eglon King of Moav. They were from
royalty. They had to choose between going
back to a strange land with a woman who was
an old widow without a possession in the
world or returning to their father’s palace.
Who really made the rational decision?
Rav Leib Chassman (1869-1935) once
commented that if we look at the situation
with a cold calculating eye, Orpah clearly
was the one who made the logical decision.
Rus made an irrational decision. Why follow
Naomi? It does not add up.
Rav Leib Chassman says that the only answer
is that Rus realized the difference between a
life with Torah and a life without Torah.
When the dilemma was put into those stark
terms, Rus had a relatively easy decision.
Life without Torah is not worth living. This is
the essence of Shavuos.
Every Yom Tov has its own message – that
idea which we are supposed to appreciate
about the holiday. The main idea
that Shavuos must inculcate into our psyches
is “If not for this day, where would we be?
What would we look like without this
Torah?” The scary thing is that if we fail to
properly appreciate that which Torah does for
our lives, we are left with what
the Talmud calls “they have abandoned my
Torah”. This is our challenge as we approach
the Yom Tov of Shavuos. Everyone should
have a good and meaningful holiday.