Community Magazine July 2016

22 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE profundity of the mitzvot , then we earn their respect. This is the second stage of our commitment to mitzvot . After establishing our unconditional commitment and unquestioning obedience, we are then to probe and explore the mitzvot so we can appreciate their beauty and depth to the greatest extent possible. This will serve to enhance our observance and make it more exciting. But this must be founded upon a firm, solid foundation of unconditional commitment. “We Will Do and We Will Hear” This explains one of the most famous phrases in the entire Torah. At Mount Sinai, after Moshe informed the people that Gd would be giving them the Torah, they proclaimed, “ Na’aseh venishma – We will do and we will hear” (Shemot 24:7). The Talmud tells that this proclamation was so significant that Gd granted each member of the nation special spiritual “crowns” in response. The people were saying that first and foremost, before anything else, “ na’aseh ” – they were committed to obeying Gd’s word down to the very last detail, no questions asked. Then, after establishing this commitment, “ nishma ” – they would proceed to listen and learn, to eagerly plumb the depths of Torah wisdom and understand to the very best of their ability. The Hebrew word for “reason” is ta’am , which, interestingly enough, also means “taste” or “flavor.” The reason for something is the “seasoning,” the “spice” which makes the act more enjoyable. Just as a person cannot have a satisfying meal consisting of just spices, likewise, we cannot base our religious observance solely on reason and rationale. The “food,” the essence of our commitment, must be complete and unbridled subservience to Gd’s authority. However, in order to ensure that the “food” is not bland and tasteless, and is instead exciting and a source of great joy and satisfaction, we must, as much as we can, add “seasoning” by learning and exploring so we understand what the mitzvot are all about. This message is conveyed by the tefillin which men wear on their arms and heads each day. Halachah requires that the tefillin shel yad (the tefillin on the arm) must be worn any time the tefillin shel rosh ( tefillin on the head) is worn. Meaning, one must put the tefillin shel yad on the arm before placing the tefillin shel rosh on the head, and at the end of the prayer service, one must remove the tefillin shel rosh before removing the tefillin shel yad . The two parts of the tefillin represent the two areas of religious life – action and study. The tefillin shel yad is worn on the arm, symbolizing the actions and conduct required by the Torah, while the tefillin shel rosh , which is worn near the brain, symbolizes the pursuit of Torah knowledge in which we are to engage throughout our lives. Halachah requires wearing the arm tefillin whenever we wear the head tefillin because the primary component must be the actions. Studying is crucially important, but only after we are committed to acting in accordance with Torah law regardless of how much or how little we understand. The tefillin shel yad and tefillin shel rosh are both vitally important, but the tefillin shel yad must always come first. Dedicated in memory of the pure neshamot of the Sassoon children Proudly Serving The Community For Twenty Years