02 Feb TWO DIAMONDS A CHASSIDIC REBBE AND A COW

Two intriguing stories about the eternal impact of Har Sinai– one fable about two engagement rings and one actual story about a Chassidic Rebbe and a cow. First the tale of the two rings. Typically, a husband presents his bride with only one engagement ring- a ring she will treasure throughout her marriage; it would be unusual and even a bit abnormal to gift two separate engagement rings…unless the husband didn’t trust the woman to look after the original one. In that instance, it would be wise to present the young bride with two engagement rings to assure that she always has a backup. The midrash applies this story to the events at Har Sinai. Atop this mountain, G-d and the Jews were married, and this marriage was riveted upon two diamond rings. The iconic Jewish response of ‘na’aseh v’nishma’- the dual promise to both perform mitzvoth as well as listen to G-d- amounted to two engagements rings. According to the midrash, G-d implored the Jewish people: you may misplace the engagement ring of ‘na’aseh’ but preserve the engagement ring of ‘nishmah’ What makes the ring of ‘na’aseh’ so insecure and, likewise, what renders the ring of ‘nishmah’ so durable and eternal? The ring of ‘na’aseh’ reflects commitment to Divine commandments, a novel concept for ancient religions which saw G-ds as merely stronger versions of human beings. In those paganistic systems, wholesale submission to the commands of a Higher being was absurd. Har Sinai introduced a broad system of mitzvoth spanning the entirety of human experience; we live ‘summoned lives’ beckoned to fulfill the commands of a transcendent G-d. The ‘na’aseh’ declaration cemented our readiness to submit to commandments. Furthermore, the sequencing of ‘na’aseh’ prior to ‘nishmah’ was also momentous. We enthusiastically accepted Divine obligation before studying the details or analyzing the logic of G-d’s commandments. Having been rescued from Egypt and transported through the dry ocean bed, the Jews had enough trust in G-d to accept religion as an “article of faith” without inspecting the fine details. Trust lies at the basis of any relationship and, even more so, forms the cornerstone of religious belief. At Sinai, the stout faith and the fervent embrace of mitzvoth glittered through the declaration of ‘na’aseh’!! However, the ‘na’aseh’ ring is also transient. G-d recognized the inherent weakness of human nature and the frailty of religious commitment. However precious the stone of ‘na’aseh’ seemed, G-d knew, that with the passage of time, commitment to His word would eventually wane. It didn’t take more than a few weeks for the Jews to construct a golden calf and relinquish their ‘na’aseh’ conviction. Throughout history, not every Jew would be faithful to the call of ‘na’aseh’. Historical pressures, financial poverty, philosophical confusion, cultural drifting and, of course, hostile anti-Semitism, would cause Jews to wander from the path of mitzvoth and disregard the ring of ‘na’aseh’. For this reason, G-d cautioned us to protect the ring of ‘nishmah’ even if we were to turn a blind eye to the glow of the na’aseh ring. The ring of ‘nishmah’ is based upon something even more fundamental than the Torah and mitzvoth delivered on this mountain. Even if the mitzvah pledge of ‘na’aseh’ is renounced, the memory of ‘nishmah’ will still persist. Beyond whatever ‘content’ we received at Sinai, the entire Jewish people spoke directly with G-d in an unmediated fashion. Judaism stakes a bold claim which no other religion has ever asserted nor will ever allege- that 3.5 million people stood, shoulder-toshoulder speaking directly with G-d in a non-hallucinatory fashion, and in a manner which was corroborated by joint experience. We didn’t receive the word of G-d indirectly, through a prophet, but directly heard His voice. Jews may stray from the specific mitzvoth of Sinai or may neglect the Torah delivered from Heaven, but the voice of G-d forever resonates within the deep recesses of every Jewish soul. No matter how far a Jew strays from Torah and mitzvoth, the voice of G-d and the memory of the direct conversation with G-d remains etched in Jewish identity. Though the ‘na’aseh’ diamond of Torah and mitzvoth may ultimately be lost, the ‘nishmah’ diamond never disappears; the echo of the Sinai conversation haunts Jewish consciousness and resonates eternal within a Jewish heart. For this reason, Har Sinai began with the recital of the most iconic pasuk in the entire Torah. Prior to delivering the Ten Commandments, G-d launched Har Sinai by reciting ‘shema yisrael’. Before delivering the content, G-d announced that the “conversation” was about to begin and that the Jews should literally listen to His voice- shema yisrael. It is not incidental that no matter how distant a Jew strays, he can still recite the verse of shema yisrael. That verse was G-d’s way of showcasing the value of the conversation with Him even in the absence loyalty to Torah and to the legal mandates of Sinai. The haunting pasuk of shema, which describes the conversation with G-d lingers within the subconscious of every Jew, regardless of their fidelity to Torah and mitzvoth. Now to the story about the cow. Reb Moshe of Kobrin the 18th century Chassidic Rabbi once joined Reb Avraham Yehoshua Heschel of Apta for Shabbat arriving early to participate in the pre- Shabbat recital of the book of shir hashirim. The sacred melody of their sweet singing filled the air and Rav Avraham looked radiant as Shabbat approached. Suddenly, a stench-filled farmer burst into the room bringing with him the foul odors of cow stables. What possible question could warrant this rude interruption of the hallowed moment? The farmer began moaning about his cow which was afflicted with a life-threatening illness. Much to Rav Moshe’s shock, Rebbi Avram of Apta answered the question patiently, compassionately assisting the desperate owner of the stricken cow. Unable to contain his astonishment, Rav Moshe, the guest, asked Rav Avram why he tolerated this impolite disruption of his Shabbat preparations. Rav Avram answered that this simple villager wasn’t actually interested in a remedy for his cow. He was seeking a connection with his Rebbe and through his Rebbe, a connection with G-d. He desperately wanted contact with the Rebbe, and the cow story was merely the pretext. Sometimes, in life, people seek connection with us and supply pretexts for grabbing our attention; we all must learn to read between the lines! For that simple farmer the content of his question wasn’t nearly as important as the conversation itself. So it was for that anxious farmer and so it is for so many people who are puzzled by religious confusion. Har Sinai was a moment of Torah content but also of a direct conversation with G-d. Sadly, for many, the content has become less compelling but the conversation with G-d is unforgettable. Some Jews wear two rings, others wear one; they each dazzle !