Shavuot: B'Chol Levavcha, With All Your Heart
Rabbi Tom Samuels
This Thursday night we will celebrate the Festival of Shavuot, when Moses received the Torah at Mount Sinai. Our ancient sages tell us that the Israelites did not only accept the Torah, but that did so Bechol Levavchem Uvechol Nafshechem, with all of their hearts, their minds, and their souls.
What does this mean, to embrace the Torah so fully and completely? Is this even possible?
The 19th century Hassidic master, the Kotzker Rebbe, answers this question with another question: When God beckons Moses to ascend Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, why did He insert the words, “be there”:
עֲלֵה אֵלַי הָהָרָה--וֶהְיֵה-שָׁם; וְאֶתְּנָה לְךָ אֶת-לֻחֹת הָאֶבֶן, וְהַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוָה, אֲשֶׁר כָּתַבְתִּי, לְהוֹרֹתָם
Come up to Me on the mountain and BE THERE, and I will give you the stone tablets with the teaching and the commandments.” (Exodus 24:12).
Wasn’t Moses already up on the mountain? Why insert these seemingly redundant words, that Moses “be there” with Him?
The Kotzker Rebbe taught that the words indicate God telling Moses that to be in a sacred relationship with the Divine, to receive His Torah, Moses needed to do more than simply show-up. He needed to “be there,” fully present with his entire self.
Let us aspire to be like Moses this Shavuot, and to accept the Torah Bechol Levaveinu Uvechol Nafsheinu, with all of our hearts, our minds, and our very souls.
Rabbi Tom Samuels
This Thursday night we will celebrate the Festival of Shavuot, when Moses received the Torah at Mount Sinai. Our ancient sages tell us that the Israelites did not only accept the Torah, but that did so Bechol Levavchem Uvechol Nafshechem, with all of their hearts, their minds, and their souls.
What does this mean, to embrace the Torah so fully and completely? Is this even possible?
The 19th century Hassidic master, the Kotzker Rebbe, answers this question with another question: When God beckons Moses to ascend Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, why did He insert the words, “be there”:
עֲלֵה אֵלַי הָהָרָה--וֶהְיֵה-שָׁם; וְאֶתְּנָה לְךָ אֶת-לֻחֹת הָאֶבֶן, וְהַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוָה, אֲשֶׁר כָּתַבְתִּי, לְהוֹרֹתָם
Come up to Me on the mountain and BE THERE, and I will give you the stone tablets with the teaching and the commandments.” (Exodus 24:12).
Wasn’t Moses already up on the mountain? Why insert these seemingly redundant words, that Moses “be there” with Him?
The Kotzker Rebbe taught that the words indicate God telling Moses that to be in a sacred relationship with the Divine, to receive His Torah, Moses needed to do more than simply show-up. He needed to “be there,” fully present with his entire self.
Let us aspire to be like Moses this Shavuot, and to accept the Torah Bechol Levaveinu Uvechol Nafsheinu, with all of our hearts, our minds, and our very souls.