06/11/2024
As we approach the holiday of Shavuot, beginning this evening, I’m reminded of the Talmudic dispute in regards to the holidays; must we divide our attention between nurturing the soul and the body, or is nurturing the soul exclusively, adequate?
Yet, when it comes to the holiday of Shavuot, all agree that one must nurture the body as well, so it be very clear that the receiving of the Torah is a cause of celebration. (For this reason, a fast for one who has a bad dream, though permitted on Shabbat and other Jewish holidays, is prohibited on Shavuot.)
This year we experienced Jew hatred that was unparalleled since the Holocaust, systemic Jew hatred promoted by universities, politicians and masses calling for our annihilation.
The Megillah tells of two pioneers of Jew hatred: Achashveirosh and Haman. Haman was willing to finance the extermination of the Jews, but Achashveirosh declined the money and committed to doing it gratis. The Talmud gives a metaphor to illustrate this account:
There were once two men who each owned a field. One had a mound in the middle of his field; the other, a ditch. The owner of the ditch, noticing the other’s mound of dirt, said to himself, “How I wish I could use that dirt to fill my ditch.” Meanwhile, the owner of the mound thought to himself, “If only I could use that ditch as a destination for my troublesome pile of earth!” Thus, a deal was struck with no money needing to be exchanged, as they both found a common solution that was mutually beneficial.
Why does the Jew get under the skin of the Jew hater? Because the Jew exposes a gaping void in this person’s life. G‑d gave the Torah to the Jews at Sinai, and with it, a higher purpose. When he sees the Jew, he cannot escape the ditch in his own field. The word “Sinai” is closely related to the word “Sinah”—hate.
A Jew is a representation of Torah, and our very existence makes the Jew Hater feel inadequate. Our gift at Sinai of a blueprint to a deeper conscience was the source of the hate of all those seeking to decouple themselves from living with a conscience.
The Torah was given at a mound-like mountain, rather than a towering mountain; it’s said Hashem did it this way to promote humility in the pursuit of Sinaiic morality and conscience. If so, why did He not give the Torah in a valley? The Gur Rebbe answers that it was to teach us not to be TOO humble!
We have in this a lesson in Jewish pride, to remain proud of our values. Remain proud of what we stand for, and never assume a valley-like posture in the pursuit of humility.
We need to share our pursuit of nourishing our soul with nourishing our bodies, because Hashem Created us [with our bodies] sacred, needing to nourish them.
It is this motif of seeking people’s bodily and material needs being met which has led us to build our Chesed House at LIJ’s campus of hospitals (LIJ, Cohen’s Children’s, Hillside Psychiatric, and North Shore), so no ailing or convalescing Jew feels alone, and for us to be nearby to shoulder their burdens and to sustain the ability of their loved ones to be there for them, with our center nearby to accommodate them, especially during Shabbos, holidays, and yes, Shavuot!
We see exciting progress in the building of the Chesed House. We hope to complete it real soon, so not to further delay its opening to serve the many who need it.
It is only with your help that all progress was made (we are most grateful to you!), and with your continued help, we shall complete it very soon, please Hashem!
