Week's Roundup - The Joy of Shavuous - the Giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai (starts tonight) - why it's vitally relevant to every human being
Highlights from this week's learning and events; An eternal message from the Torah about how G-d Al-mighty wants the Torah message of His Divine Wisdom to reach every single man, woman and child.
Did you know that the Torah has an eternal Divine Message that applies to every single human being? Authentic Torah learning grounds us in reality, both what we can observe and what is beyond our observation, grasp and even understanding, and leads to practical positive action. Positive for us and positive for those around us. Torah reveals our Divine Innate Spiritual Compass and brings our Spiritual Backbone to the forefront of life.
If you have adopted some or all of Enlightenment thinking, learning Torah will challenge everything you believe and hold dear.
In each Week’s Roundup, you will find a special topic, links to this week’s learning, the Torah perspective on current events, upcoming learning and action suggestions. This week we embrace receiving and internalizing G-d Al-mighty’s Divine Wisdom. Learn, take hope and take action, and share.
Tonight starts the Torah Holiday of Shavuous — we celebrate the giving of the entire Torah on Mount Sinai, most spectacularly the Ten Commandments.
Why the celebration? Without the Torah, G-d Al-mighty’s Divine Wisdom, we would descend into devastating chaos, both personal and national.
We rejoice because we experience freedom, the freedom of knowing that G-d Al-mighty is intentionally lovingly recreating each one of us at every instant and that choices in line with His Divine Wisdom will increase our freedom.
The Torah states:
וְהַ֨לֻּחֹ֔ת מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה אֱ-לֹהִ֖ים הֵ֑מָּה וְהַמִּכְתָּ֗ב מִכְתַּ֤ב אֱ-לֹהִים֙ ה֔וּא חָר֖וּת עַל־הַלֻּחֹֽת׃
The tablets were G-d’s Work, and the writing was G-d’s Writing, engraved/incised upon the tablets.
On this verse, the Torah Sage, Yehoshua ben Levi, makes us aware of a deep insight:
אַל תִּקְרָא חָרוּת אֶלָּא חֵרוּת, שֶׁאֵין לְךָ בֶן חוֹרִין אֶלָּא מִי שֶׁעוֹסֵק בְּתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה
Read not haruth [‘engraved’] but heruth [‘freedom’] [same letters slightly different vowelization], for there is no free man but one that occupies himself with the study of the Torah. (Pirkei Avos - Ethics of the Fathers 6:2)
Every human being is responsible to study the Torah as it applies to him, meaning the Divine Commandments and Guidance that applies to every human being. From there flows his freedom.
Freedom from G-d leads to Slavery to Men
If someone had a wicked plan to enslave other men, he would realize that so long as his targets are free men in connection with G-d Al-mighty, he has no chance of enslaving them.
So how what could possibly be offered to a man to exchange his Divine freedom for slavery? To exchange his experience of G-d Al-mighty for the fear that comes with being under the control of another man?
The way to do it is to convince the target that the price of the freedom he has, the price being listening to G-d Al-mighty’s Divine Guidance, is limiting him from ‘real freedom,’ from being able to do whatever he wants whenever he wants.
And it’s true! G-d Al-mighty’s Divine Guidance really does limit us from doing whatever we want whenever we want.
So the one with the wicked plan will tell others that they don’t need the guide rails of G-d Al-mighty’s Divine Guidance, the Divine Guidance is a thing of the past, ancient ideas for primitive and prejudiced people. Today, he claims, you can be free of the Commandments and no one will care.
We all live with this temptation, a constant moment by moment temptation. In every instant, we have the free choice to follow the Divine Guidance or not. But when there is constant propaganda to not follow Divine Guidance, playing with our minds and our innate Divine sense of what is in our own best interest, many succumb.
But that brings only temporary freedom. The thinking fills with fears, fears of not getting what he wants and fears of losing what he has.
The one with the wicked plan has more in store, concocting endless fears and crises, to drive the untethered man into greater and greater submission.
Hence, the war against G-d Al-mighty in every country — removing prayer from schools, removing the Ten Commandments from public display, insisting in teaching and writing that Creation is just a random accident, dissolving the Day of Rest, disparaging parents and parenting, promoting murder of lives unworthy of life - fetuses and the sick and elderly (euthanasia/physician assisted suicide), the dispersion of sexual energy into chaotic and non-procreative results, theft through tax, fines, and the redistribution of wealth, bearing false witness against others, and desiring what others have.
All the opposite of the Ten Commandments.
Once a man throw of the ‘Yoke of Heaven,’ he becomes a ‘free agent’ and literally feels liberated and able to do whatever he want. But the ensuing feeling of disconnect leads to despair and a person can be picked up by anyone devious enough to do so.
So for example, the Torah says don’t be afraid of anyone or anything, only be in awe of G-d Al-mighty. When a man forgets G-d Al-mighty, he will be afraid of everyone and everything. If someone suggests that there is an invisible danger in the air he will run in fear and lock himself in his home. And if not that particular fear, perhaps he thinks he knows better or does not trust the person telling him the air is dangerous, some other fear will grip him and he will do whatever is suggested to help him calm that fear - and hence, slavery to another man.
A Simple Solution
Simple: Take note of Shavuous. Open a Chumash, the Five Books of Moses, and learn Exodus Chapter 19:1 to 20:23. Teach it to your family. Teach it to people you know. And, attend the public reading of the Ten Commandments in a Synagogue on the first day of Shavuous.
And, it must be internalized.
And for something to be internalized there must be openness of heart. And for there to be openness of heart there must be joy.
Hence, the blessing the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe would give for Shavuous is, “Receiving the Torah with Joy and in an Internal Way.”
May you and your family merit that this Shavuous.
Shoot your comments and questions below!
In this Torah learning, we discuss how G-d Al-mighty brought the Torah to every single human being:
Shabbos is coming, a reminder for every human being that they are an intentional creation of G-d Al-mighty right now and a continuing beneficiary of His Love, His Joy and His Abundance! What an incredible moment to increase even more in joy!
Action: Use the link above to check Yom Tov and Shabbos Candellighting times in your city around the world. Yom Tov and Shabbos Candlelighting time in New York City this week — Thursday 5/25/23 is 7:57 pm and Friday 5/26/23 is 7:38 pm and Shabbos ends at 9:05 pm.
Here is some of the learning we did this week:
These videos are available in the content library at RabbiSmith.org (in parentheses) and also on YouTube by clicking the name of the learning. When you watch on YouTube please like, share and subscribe so the message of hope reaches more and more people. See below at the end of this article a list of upcoming classes both in person and on Zoom.
Check out our new YouTube shorts here. Make sure to subscribe while you are there so you get notified as new ones come out.
Sunday Learning
👉 2023-05-21: Mitzvos Hashem: Rabbi Steif #61: False conception of Satan leads you to utter confusion
Wednesday Learning
👉 Zecharia 8:23: the Giving of the Torah - let the world know the Divine Wisdom (Zecharia 8:23 Playlist).
Thursday Learning- Cancelled due to Shavuos
On Substack this week:
On Substack, I write about the practical implications of Torah learning, and how to keep our thinking clear, grounded in honesty and common sense. Here’s The Rabbi Smith Bulletin for this week: A lot of great activity on Notes. Check them out on my Substack Profile1 or at the The Rabbi Smith Bulletin.
A Torah perspective on the world around us…
Ask in the comments below about topics and news you would like the Torah perspective on.
A peek ahead…
What’s going on in the Holy Land
Restarting the Rambam Mishnah Torah
A thought in concluding for now…
Thank G-d, we live in the most inspiring and incredible times in the history of the world. We have a great and beautiful mission before us. The need in the people is great, time is of the essence and the undertaking is massive, but eminently doable with the help of G-d Al-mighty. Please consider a generous gift to bring this message of hope to thousands more people, by clicking here.
May G-d Al-mighty bless you and Gut Shabbos!
See more actions further down. Torah learning and positive actions are the key to our future.
Upcoming Learning:
All learning uses the following Zoom link: https://bit.ly/BeisMedrash. Sponsor learning in honor or memory of a loved one.
👉Yeshiva Shem V'Ever
Shabbos Afternoon (Saturday) 4 pm Eastern
We will be learning Torah relevant to non-Jews with Jews and non-Jews.
Tanya: Sha'ar Hayichud v'HaEmunah - the Gate of Oneness and Faith
In person in Passaic, New Jersey, only.
👉Rabbi Steif Mitzvos Hashem
SUNDAY 7 am Eastern (1 pm Germany time)
Rabbi Steif wrote this holy book to avert the Holocaust by making sure that both Jews and non-Jews should know clearly G-d Al-mighty's rules for non-Jews.
👉Zecharia 8:23 - Weekly Torah Portion, Prayer and Talmud
WEDNESDAY 8:00 pm Eastern
Learn the week's Torah Portion (parsha) as it is relevant to every man, Prayer for every man and portions of the Talmud that are relevant to non-Jews
👉Emunah (Faith) in Action
THURSDAY 10 am Eastern
Only with tranquility of the soul can we hear G-d Al-Mighty's voice clearly, know what to do and have the strength to do it effectively
👉Gate of Oneness
Words on the Torah Portion
The Torah Experience - Life Fully Lived
THURSDAY 8:00 pm Eastern - Not this coming week due to Shavuous
Study the Gate of Oneness (Sha'ar HaYichud) by the Mittler Rebbe which teaches us how to think clearly. Delivered by Rabbi Shimon Chyrek. Rabbi Smith speaks on the weekly Torah portion at the end of the class.
Actions:
Take note of Shavuous. Open a Chumash, the Five Books of Moses, and learn Exodus Chapter 19:1 to 20:23. Teach it to your family. Teach it to people you know.
Attend the public reading of the Ten Commandments in a Synagogue on the first day of Shavuous.
This message of Hope can and must reach even more people, with you help. Please gift generously to propel this message to more people. Time is of the essence. The mission is monumental, but with G-d Al-mighty’s help it eminently possible. May G-d Al-mighty bless you for your generosity.
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Excellent article.