Community Magazine April 2013

If the Torah were to remain in the heavens, it would have remained “stationary” like the angels. They are incapable of developing the Torah, because they are incapable of developing themselves. The Torah belongs here on earth, with us, because Gd wants it to grow and develop, and this can only be done by human beings, who are endowed with the unique, Gd-like power of creativity. No angels are allowed to take part in this endeavor! Capturing the Torah The Talmud applies to Moshe Rabbenu the verse in Tehillim (68:19), “ Alita lamarom shavita shevi - You ascended to the heavens and took captives.” Moshe “captured” the Torah, wrestling it from the hands of the angels who initially refused to relinquish their treasured possession. The word “ shevi ” is comprised of the letters “ sin ,” “ bet ,” “ yod ,” which are the first letters of the name Shimon bar Yohai, the great sage whose passing we commemorate on Lag Ba’omer. The rabbis teach that when Moshe ascended to the heavens, he brought with him the soul of Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai. In his struggle against the angels, Moshe showed them Rabbi Shimon, author of the Zohar , who essentially introduced an entirely new field of Torah study. There was no greater exemplar of hiddush , of the creative element of Torah scholarship, than Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai, and Moshe therefore drew upon his immense contribution in demonstrating to the angels why the Torah belongs in the hands of human beings, and showing them what invaluable gems can be produced in the earthly Torah factories. Likewise, these three letters also represent the name “Yitzhak ben Shelomo,” referring to the Arizal (Rabbi Yitzhak Luria of Safed, 1534- 1572), the great master of Kabbalah, who interpreted the Zohar and charted an entire new path of Kabbalistic study. Another towering figure to whom this word alludes is “Yisrael Ba’al Shem,” the legendary Ba’al Shem Tov (1698- 1760), who founded the Hassidic movement which forever changed the Jewish people, and introduced the study of Hassidism. Moshe brought these holy tzadikim with him as proof of his argument, as evidence of what would be lost if the Torah were kept in the heavens. Moshe “captured” the Torah by showing the angels the dazzling accomplishments that could be made by the earthly scholars. Gd chose us as His servants, but in His infinite kindness, He also invites us to be His partners in the process of creation. When we think about it, this thought can be a great motivator for us in our efforts to apply the laws and teachings of the Torah to our very complex lives. When we confront and overcome challenges, we create ourselves anew. When we help our children work through their difficulties, we create them, and ourselves. And certainly by spending time learning Torah and probing the depths of its wisdom, and by supporting Torah scholarship and Torah publications, we contribute to the creation of Torah, to the ongoing process of its growth and development. And in this way we become Gd’s loyal and beloved partners, working with Him hand-in-hand, as it were, moving the world forward and creating it anew, each and every day of our lives. Dedicated inmemory of   Sarah  bat LucetteKishik  24 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE