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Bamidbar Shavuos is the Yom Tov on which we celebrate receiving the Torah on Har Sinai from Hashem through Moshe. It does not have any mitzvah, performed by all, directly associated with it - other than the mitzvahs to keep it and prohibition of work. This may be a reason that in Anglo-Jewry it is - sadly - the most neglected Yom Tov, it doesn't have the "excitement" of the Lulav and Suckah or the Matzos and the Seder. May we merit to see in our days, the masses of the Jewish people inspired to seek the wisdom of the Torah in all its splendour as was in days past, and once again "The nations of the world will see that the name of G-d is upon you." The Shabbos before Shavuos we should dedicate to preparing for the receipt of the Torah. It was for this reason that the mitzvah of Shabbos was given to us at Mara, our camping place in the desert before the Torah was given at Har Sinai. Shabbos is when we can best create an atmosphere of unity and togetherness. This is a prerequisite for receiving the Torah. As is well known, the passuk says, "the Bnai Yisroel encamped around the mountain." The Hebrew uses the singular for encamped when grammatically the plural would have been correct. Explains Rashi that they encamped there "like one person with a single heart" all dedicated to the service of Hashem and the receiving of the Torah. (Sfas Emess) Parshas Bamidbar is nearly always read on the Shabbos before Shavuos - The Yom Tov when we celebrate the receiving of the Torah and Hashem's revelation before us at Har Sinai. Numerous thoughts are associated with this juxtaposition. · Through the keeping and study of Torah it is possible to make even the most desolate desert into a veritable Gan Eden. (Rav Zevin) · The preface of Parshas Bamidbar to the receiving of the Torah informs us in order to receive the Torah we must first make ourselves like a Midbar - a desert. Just as a desert is desolate and empty of all, so too, a person should be filled with humility and see himself as empty without the Torah. · Just as in a desert time and place are not really relevant, it is the same all over, so too for the Torah, time and place are not really relevant, the observance of the Torah must be in the same way at every time and place. · In order to separate with at least one week between the reading of the Tochacha (rebuke) last week and the festival of Shavuos when we are judged concerning the year's fruit. In the same way we make sure that a Sedra is always read between the Tochacha in Ki Savo and Rosh HaShanah. · In Bamidbar we discuss the positioning of the various Shevatim - tribes - in the desert. This was first done at Har Sinai when the Jewish people encamped there. R' Chaim Leib, the Rosh Yeshiva of Mir, was at a festive gathering with his students. As they discussed various matters and the need for communal work he said to them: "do you understand that a masmid (one who studies diligently) who learns day and night prevents a non-observant Jew in America from converting?" The students looked in amazement and one blurted out, "Rebbe, what has one got to do with the other?" Answered R' Chaim Leib, "The masmid in the yeshiva learns twenty hours a day. The average bachur learns only fourteen hours. The former yeshiva students, who work for a living, learn three hours a day. The merchants of Minsk learn an hour a day. The merchants of Warsaw daven three times a day. The people in Moscow keep Shabbos according to Halachoh. The people of London eat kosher food. The lowest rung in the ladder is the totally unobservant Jew in America who has not converted. "However, if the masmid in the yeshiva learns less than twenty hours a day, the others will also learn less than before: the former yeshiva students will stop learning Torah so frequently: the merchants of Minsk will stop learning their one hour a day: the merchants of Warsaw will stop Davenning so regularly: the people of Moscow will no longer keep Shabbos: the people of London will eat nonkosher food: and the totally unobservant Jew in America will end up converting." This is how the Jewish people are linked together. |
