By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D.
This week’s Torah reading has been described as a pivot point in the Book of Exodus, where we drill down to the details of behavior in an ideal relationship with Hashem.
We see repeatedly that behavior over belief is what is critical in our faith. It says quite dramatically:
וַיִּקַּח֙ סֵ֣פֶר הַבְּרִ֔ית וַיִּקְרָ֖אבְּאָזְנֵ֣י הָעָ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ כֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה נַֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה וְנִשְׁמָֽע: “And he took the Book of the Covenant and read it and within the hearing of the people, and they said, ‘All that the Lord spoke we will do and we will hear.’”
This phrase builds upon an earlier expression found in parashat Yitro: “All that Hashem has spoken Na’aseh —we will do,” that is preceded by the introductory statement, “And all the people replied yachdov —in unison…” (19:8).
This is indeed one of the most famous phrases in all of Torah, discussed extensively in the Gemara in Shabbos (88a,b). Rabbi Simai taught, when Israel accorded precedence to the declaration “We will do” over the declaration “We will hear,” 600,000 ministering angels came and tied two crowns to each member of the Jewish people, one corresponding to “We will do” and one corresponding to “We will hear.”
We do. No ego. We just do. Then, we hear and learn. With no ego whatsoever in a relationship, we are more likely to create true intimacy, and similarly in our relationship with Hashem, we say Na’aseh and then Nishma.
We learn that we were given two crowns because we said Na’aseh and Nishma in that order. Our marriage with Hashem connected us to His crown, his keter, כתר and the totality of the Torah. Interestingly, the gematria of this word is 620, which corresponds to the text of the Ten Commandments, our codebook for optimal living and a better world.
We are given a choice in life. We can dive into something without knowing for certain what will happen to us in the future, or to move forward knowing the vast difficulties that will certainly exist. The first challenges our heart and is referred to as pure faith emunah peshutah, while the second challenges our thinking and is a more rational faith, emunah amukah. We do both. We do and we hear. We act and we later understand and study. We do not do one without the other. And for those wise thinkers, we do so without worry.
Interesting, the word for worry is דאגה. This includes the beginning letters of the Hebrew alphabet, alef, gimmel, dalet and hei. Notice the letter that’s missing? Bet ב which stands for “bitachon,” trust in Hashem. Without trust, we worry. If our “marriage” to Hashem rings true here, what about our marriage to our life-long love in this world, our spouse? That too is a mysterious excursion with each other that leans on trust, not worry. When we say Na’aseh and Nishma, this places us on a holy level ready to take a Heavenly leap without first recognizing the depth of this commitment, with trust, not worry.
With this healthy mindset, the giving of the Torah at Har Sinai is compared to a marriage as the Medrash in Vayikra Rabbah Acharei Mot (20) says:
“On the day of his marriage and on the day of the joy of his heart;” on the day of his marriage, this is Har Sinai, on the day of the joy of his heart, this is the Ohel Moed.
The Tashbetz writes (Sec. 467, quoting the MaHaram M’Rutenburg) wedding customs derive from Hashem’s marriage with the Jewish people: “Bear the following principle in mind — we derive all the customs of groom and bride from Matan Torah, where God appeared as a groom before the Jewish people, the bride.” Hashem is the husband, and we are His “bride.” We bless every new couple with the b’racha that their becoming one be just as the wedding of of Klal Yisrael to Hashem at Har Sinai. We merit the Torah and our deep relationship with Hashem by following the path of the angels, obeying first with trust and then understanding His word. We do for each other, and we listen and learn from each other.
Behavior more than belief. In the words of Louis Nizer, the noted Jewish-American trial lawyer, author, artist, and advisor to some of the most powerful people in the world of politics, business, and entertainment, who passed away in 1994, “True religion is the life we lead, not the creed we profess.”
To lead a life of true religion, we act truthfully and with equanimity, inwardly and outwardly. To do so, we wisely follow the words we read this week, והיה שם / “be there,” “Come up to Me on the mountain, and be there.”
We do. And then we hear. Deed before intention. Can we go the Mountain and not be there? Can we be in a relationship with Hashem or our spouse and not be there? What does “be there” mean? Are you being in the moment in your relationships, in your activities, in your life, in your prayers?
Our approach includes taking an action without specifically knowing why it’s important or how it will work out…we trust that doing so will lead to our understanding. But does that mean we do so without focusing on its meaning or importance, mindlessly rushing through words without understanding them?
When we look at and reorder the letters of “be there,” והיה, we see the Name of Hashem, יהוה. When we take the time to reorder our lives, to “be there” to be present in life, to be mindful, He is with us. Perhaps this is what Shabbat is for. The Sfas Emes teaches us that being there, being still, brings an entirety of peacefulness to us. We can “…throw away the hammer, there’s nothing left to do, go on home and find the gift that’s waiting there for you…”
The Chortkover Rebbe teaches us that while we may do, Na’aseh, in similar and united ways to each other, yachdov, we certainly understand, Nishmah, and study Torah differently from our fellow Jews. In his wonderful book, “The Wisdom of Getting Unstuck,” by Shimshon Meir Frankel, he notes, “Hashem’s Torah is our address, and as long as we keep it at the forefront of our minds, we’ll continue to walk the straight path, and our legs will be compelled to move in the right direction.”
I’ve long urged for a “United Kehilla of San Diego,” IY”H, in which all the streams of our religion come together in meaningful ways to strengthen our relationship with Hashem and walk in a proper and yet different unconditionally accepting manner with each other in our community. We need more yachdov, more achdus, unity, amongst ourselves as we continue to create links in the chain of our faith created so many thousands of years ago.
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Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D., prepares a weekly D’var Torah for Young Israel of San Diego, where he and his family are members. They are also active members of Congregation Adat Yeshurun. He may be contacted via michael.mantell@sdjewishworld.com