By: Chaya Sora Jungreis-Gertzulin

Shavuos is in the air. Z’man mattan Torahseinu. The Yom Tov we celebrate the giving of the Torah. Our receiving the Aseres HaDibros, Ten Commandments to live by. Commandments that have the power to elevate, not just one man, but an entire society.

Today, the Ten Commandments are in the news. Jews and non-Jews alike have come to the realization that the morals and ethics embedded in the Ten Commandments are display worthy in every classroom. Rules to live by. To know that there is a G-d above. To honor and respect one’s parents. Not to steal. Not to kill. Not to be a false witness – the importance of truth and honesty. Not to be jealous of another’s belongings – for when one becomes obsessed over something, it can lead to unscrupulous acts.

How tragic that there are those in today’s society being raised devoid of these ethics and morals. How many public schools have become breeding grounds for crime – from little petty thievery, to gang fights and even school killings. Tragic acts, whose prohibitions can be found in the Ten Commandments. Equally tragic is the thought that, despite sincere intentions, a poster hanging in a classroom is going to be a miraculous panacea bringing peace and tranquility, respect and civility.

Becoming a mentch, an upstanding member of society, doesn’t begin in adult life. Morals and ethics must be taught from the youngest age. When our children are just babies, we sing to them lullabies of Torah words. They go to sleep to the words of Shema, they wake up to the words of Modeh Ani. Children can’t be expected to magically morph into responsible adulthood. It doesn’t just happen, but must be a taught way of life. A life our little ones are surrounded with from the moment they are born.

We read in the first parsha of Shema, “V’shinantam l’vanecha, You shall teach them (words of Torah) diligently to your children, v’dibarta bom, and you shall speak of them, b’shivticha b’veisecha, while you are at home, u’v’lechtecha vaderech, while you are on the way, u’v’shochbecha u’vekumecha, when you lie down and when you get up.” (Devarim 6:7) To live, eat, feel, speak, even breathe Torah. To integrate Torah into every aspect of our lives, every fiber of our very being.

This is so much more than a poster hanging on a wall can ever accomplish. Studying Torah is so much more than a school course. It is a way of life. HaShem’s perfect prescription.

We know there are no coincidences. Whether we are in favor of hanging posters of the Ten Commandments in classrooms or not isn’t the point. But how amazing is it, that this week, the time of kabolas haTorah over 3,300 years ago, is the same week the story is in the news.

As I think about the upcoming Yom Tov, some childhood memories come to mind. Memories that one never forgets. Memories that remain etched in your heart and soul. Memories that even years later can be seen in your mind’s eye. For me, one such memory is Shavuos in our home. My father would lead a Torah study learning with members of the shul seated around our dining room table.

At midnight, my mother would take us children out to the back porch. She would tell us that at that very moment, the heavens were opening up. HaShem is waiting for us to proclaim “na’aseh v’nishmah” just as the Jewish nation did at Sinai.

My mother told us how our ancestors pledged their children as the guarantors of the Torah, and that now, we children were the guarantors of our generation. HaShem was waiting to hear the powerful words of “na’aseh v’nishmah” from us. It was up to us to continue on with the unbroken chain from Sinai.

As I looked upward, gazing into the night sky, I was certain that I saw the heavens open.

Shavuos isn’t merely an historical event, commemorating the past. It marks a continuous commitment for each generation to reaffirm its acceptance of HaShem’s Torah. That no matter what comes our way, we stand ready to proclaim “na’aseh v’nishmah”. While the word “Shavuos” means “weeks”, representing the seven weeks between Pesach and the receiving of the Torah, it also alludes to the word “shevuah”, meaning a vow, a promise, for it is on Shavuos that we renew the vow to make Torah the centrality of our lives. In return, HaShem vows His eternal devotion to us, and keeps His promise to us as His Chosen People.

HaShem gifted the Torah to us, but unlike other gifts, it comes with the responsibility of “living the gift” – keeping mitzvos, doing good deeds and being an ohr lagoyim, a light unto the nations of the world.

We learn about our nation standing at Sinai and receiving the Torah in Parshas Yisro.

“In the third month from the Exodus of Bnei Yisroel from Egypt, on this day, they arrived at the Wilderness of Sinai” (Shemos 19:1)

“Bayom hazeh, on this day”. Rashi questions why the words “bayom hazeh – on this day” are used. Wouldn’t it have been more correct for the Torah to state “bayom hahu – on that day”?

Rashi explains that the receiving of the Torah should be “chadoshim” – fresh and new, “k’ilu hayom nesanam” – as if it was given to us each and every day.

Bnei Yisroel arrived to Sinai on a spiritual high in anticipation of receiving the Torah. The Chumash tells us “on this day…” Don’t lose the inspiration, the excitement of something new. Like the first time we put on a special outfit, drive a new car, or visit an exotic new country – we get a thrill. So too, when it comes to Torah, that special feeling of chadash – newness, should remain with us always.

As Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Alter, the first Gur Rebbe, said “The giving of the Torah happened at one specific time. But the receiving of the Torah happens all the time, in every generation.”

Na’aseh v’nishmah. We will do, we will listen, we will accept. Words not just for Shavuos, but words for each and every day. Words of the soul.

Wishing you Shabbat Shalom and an inspiring and joyous Shavuos!

Chaya Sora

Chaya Sora can be reached at [email protected]

This article was written L’zecher Nishmas/In Memory Of HaRav Meshulem ben HaRav Osher Anshil HaLevi, zt”l and Rebbetzin Esther bas HaRav Avraham HaLevi, zt”l