Part III. The Gift of Love
The Authentic Yisroel
Now, this privilege that we acquired at Har Sinai when we became the Am Yisroel is not something abstract, something that we can’t put our finger on. We only attained it because תּוֹרָה וּמִצְווֹת חֻקִּים וּמִשְׁפָּטִים אוֹתָנוּ לִמַדְתָּ – You began teaching us the Torah u’mitzvos at Har Sinai. It means that to acquire the title “Yisroel” and all of its attendant greatness requires a commitment to live on a higher plane, to be a naaseh v’nishma Yid. To be Yisroel, you have to live like Yisroel.
You know there’s a certain fraudulent religion, one of our imitators, that claims to be Yisroel. They want to say that all the promises of the Torah belong to them. And that’s why the Pope will tell you — if you’re ever unfortunate enough to get an opportunity to talk to him — that he represents the true “Israel.” Of course, it’s one big sheker, a big joke, because Yisroel means Torah, and mitzvos, chukim and mishpatim, and the Pope himself eats chazir and he wears shaatnez, although it’s openly forbidden. He shaves with a razorblade.
You know, up till 1870, once a year the Jews of Rome had to visit the Pope to show their homage, their loyalty to him. It was a ceremony, a display of subservience that they were forced to do. Every year, they came to the Pope carrying a sefer Torah and he would receive them. And then he would turn away and say in Latin, “They have the law but they don’t understand it.”
And then the Pope went to his lunch to eat pork. He understands. The Pope who ate pork on Yom Kippur, he knows what the law is. We don’t understand the law. He knows.
Easy Come, Easy Go
The answer is they want to be Israel and to have the promises of Israel, but still to sell Christianity. And if they’re going to be required to keep the Torah, the goyim aren’t interested. So they invented a system where all you had to do was sign on the dotted line and say, “I believe b’emunah sheleimah in Yoshka.” You don’t have to keep anything, but if you don’t accept him, you’re damned to Gehenom.
Even Avraham Avinu is there, they say. Avraham Avinu was in Gehenom all the centuries waiting for this fellow, JC, to come along and save him from Gehenom. Moshe Rabbeinu too. That’s what they say openly. Everybody is in Gehenom; they’re waiting there all these thousands of years until he comes along and he’s going to redeem them. Because no matter how good you are — even if you kept everything and you’re the biggest tzaddik and you never did a thing that’s bad in this world — you won’t go to Gan Eden unless you believe in him.
Christian Gimmicks
And if you accept him, then even if you’re a criminal, a drunkard, even if you’re an adulterer or a murderer, the minute that you say, “I believe in so-and-so,” you are saved. There’s a writer, DeHaan, a well known Christian writer and he explains that. Without any Torah and any mitzvos you are now a candidate to go to the kingdom of heaven. But if you won’t say that, nothing will help; no matter how righteous you lived, you are sentenced forever in Gehenom.
That’s the doctrine. It’s a built-in gimmick to sell Christianity, to get members, and this garbage has been accepted by a great part of humanity. Because it’s easy; no more Har Sinai required! You can imagine yourself chosen and still do whatever you want.
But the Jews, they didn’t buy it. Because we already stood at Har Sinai and we know that when we became Hashem’s nation, it came along with Torah u’mitzvos chukim u’mishpatim. It came along with a Torah.
Obligations of Ahavah
But not like people think, it’s obligations and rules and prohibitions. Oh no. It’s an expression of Hashem’s greatest love. When Hashem took us out of Mitzrayim and brought us to Har Sinai, He said to us, “I love you, Yisroel, and therefore I’m going to take you now to be My kallah. And I’m going to give you the very, very great gift, a chasunah gift of the Torah.”
The mitzvos, all the aseis and all the lavs, are expressions of great love that Hashem showed us. That’s what we say in Ma’ariv, אַהֲבַת עוֹלָם בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל עַמְּךָ אָהַבְתָּ – Hashem, You loved Your people with an everlasting love. And right away it explains what this love is: תּוֹרָה וּמִצְווֹת חֻקִּים וּמִשְׁפָּטִים אוֹתָנוּ לִמַדְתָּ –You taught us the Torah and the mitzvos, the laws and the statutes. Hashem says, “Because I love you with an ahavas olam, an everlasting love, that’s why I’m going to give you the Torah.”
Everybody knows that when a chosson loves a kallah, he buys jewelry for her. Now, he’s not doing it merely to show off. He gives her gifts to show that he appreciates her. He gives her a diamond because he wants to say, “You’re a diamond to me.” That’s why she runs right away to the jeweler to ask, “How much is this diamond worth?” She wants to know how much he loves her.
Now, just like that diamond is a symbol of love, the Torah is our diamond. The Torah u’mitzvos chukim u’mishpatim, those were the wedding gifts, the sivlonos, to the Am Yisroel. That’s the אַהֲבָה רַבָּה, the great “love” that Hashem showed us. I’m going to give them jewelry to show how much I love them. Torah u’mitzvos chukim u’mishpatim. Ay-yay-yay! The mitzvos, all the aseis and all the lavs, are expressions of great love that Hashem showed us.
Jewels for the Jews
Now, when the kallah gets an expensive diamond ring, she doesn’t put it, let’s say, on a chair and forget about it. A special gift like that she guards — it’s too important to her. And she’s happy whenever she has a chance to display it, to wear it, to show it to others. Even if she’s not wearing it right now, sometimes she’ll go to the box where she keeps it and she’ll admire it. She’ll show it to her friends. Because to her it’s a symbol of her chosson’s love.
And therefore when you have an opportunity to do a mitzvah, it’s not only an obligation; it’s a sign of His love for us. And we want to show Hashem that we appreciate Your signs of love. That’s why we’re very careful with the mitzvos; it’s a happiness for us to fulfill what You gave us because each one is a different piece of jewelry, a distinct ornament.
The Maalah of a Mitzvah
You know, a mitzvah is a tremendous thing. The fact that you put on tefillin makes you a different person. You’re changing your nature, you’re changing your mind, you’re changing your neshamah, you’re gaining in perfection.
And a mitzvah means reward, too. Reward is a big thing! We’re not going to disdain and look down on reward! Oh no! Don’t think it’s nothing. Even more than reward; הָעוֹשֶׂה מִצְוָה אַחַת, קוֹנֶה לוֹ פְּרַקְלִיט אֶחָד – when a person does a mitzvah, he acquires a malach that will speak for him (Avos 4:11). If you fulfill the mitzvah of mezuzah, or the mitzvah of birkas hamazon, the mitzvah of krias shema, the mitzvah of sukkah, of shofar, you dropped some money in the tzedakah box, or you sat down to learn for five minutes, you’re creating actual living beings that will speak up on your behalf. So a mitzvah is a tremendous accomplishment.
The Privilege of a Mitzvah
But we’re not talking about that now. It’s true but now we’re saying something else. Even if a mitzvah didn’t change you and even if there was no reward for a mitzvah; even if a mitzvah didn’t create a malach that will speak up for you forever — just to be commanded, to be chosen, that already makes life worth living.
What a privilege it is to keep Shabbos! It’s a privilege when you can wear tzitzis or put on tefillin! It’s a privilege when you put a sheitel on your head! It’s a privilege when you can honor your father or mother!
So you’ll say a Japanese can also honor his parents. But that’s nothing yet because he’s not commanded. גָּדוֹל הַמְּצֻוֶּה וְעוֹשֶׂה – It’s greatness to be commanded (Kiddushin 31a). Because when you’re commanded, it shows that Hashem loves you.
What a great privilege to have a mezuzah on your door! You pass by a mezuzah, it’s an ornament, a special gift that Hashem gave to the Am Yisroel. And every mitzvah, that’s what it is. It’s another badge of honor.
Covered With Badges
It’s like the man who was chosen by the king for all the honors, all the regalia, so he wears all of his badges and he’s proud. This obligation and that obligation, each one is another jewel. This mitzvah is a sapphire, this one a ruby, an emerald. One mitzvah is gold with diamond inlays set into it. Six hundred and thirteen of them, and then hundreds more of dinim that are d’Rabanans! How can they even fit on you? You have to pin some to your pants and your hatband because there are so many; every mitzvah is another piece of jewelry that is pinned on you by the Creator of the world.
And they’re medals that should be envied by all the peoples of the earth, because no matter how they will try, they cannot get it. Suppose a gentile decides from now on he’ll eat kosher. Or he wants to put up a mezuzah or wear tzitzis. It’s not a badge; it’s an imitation. If you look closely, you’ll see it’s not the genuine one that the king bestows. People can make things that look like the royal insignia, but they have no right to wear them — unless he converts; unless he joins this exclusive society.
And so when we’re getting ready for Shavuos it means we’re getting ready to demonstrate to Hakadosh Baruch Hu that we appreciate this jewelry, this tremendous gift of diamonds and pearls and rubies that He gave us. We’re so happy that He made us obligated with the Torah because the mitzvos are a sign of His love.
Jewels on the Shelf
And so when you pass by and see a Shas on the shelf — you’re in the shul and you’re running out after Shacharis to catch the train, but you stop for a few seconds and look at the bindings. Ah, Mesichta Brachos! A fine piece of jewelry for our nation. Shabbos! Ah-ah-ah! It’s a gold necklace studded with precious diamonds.
When you see a Shas on the shelf, you have to know how to look at it. That Shas is a symbol of Hakadosh Baruch Hu’s greatest love for us. That’s how you should look at the Talmud or a set of Mishnayos. They are ornaments for our nation.
Not only a Shas; the Rishonim are ornaments too. We’re so happy that He gave us these things. He gave us the Teshuvos HaRashba. He gave us the Rambam and Rabbeinu Yonah. And also the Gedolei Achronim. They made us even more wealthy. Here you have the Shach, you have the Taz, you have the Magen Avraham. The Am Yisroel has hanging from its ears, the Ketzos Hachoshen and the Nesivos. All kinds of beauties, kinds of ornaments. Hanging over our necks is Chovos Halevavos, the Rambam, the Rif, Emunos V’deios, all the great chibburim. What a beautiful nation we are, bedecked with jewels from our Chosson!
The Seforim Shtieb
That’s why every Jewish house has shelves and shelves of seforim. Whether you learn or not, the seforim show your appreciation for that great gift that Hashem gave us. That’s why every young couple that begins to feather its nest after marriage should have an ambition to line the walls of their home with bookshelves of seforim. That should be your dream house! If your wife wants drapes, okay, nothing wrong with drapes; you can buy her drapes at the five and ten, too. But that’s not the beauty of a home — a beautiful home is where the walls are covered with shelves of seforim. It should be the showcase of pride in your home.
I always say that even if you’re never going to open it, it’s worth all the money in the world to have a big Shas — buy the biggest one you could find and display it in your home. The Shas, the seforim, should be placed in the most prominent place in the home. When you walk into a Jewish home, it shouldn’t be the chandelier or the curtains that you see. It should be a big Shas, shelves and shelves of seforim should be showcased in your living room. The seforim shrank, that’s the glory of our nation.
So in case your wife tells you, “Look, Chaim, you used this sefer only once, or maybe you never even used it yet. So why did we spend so much money on the seforim?” So tell her, “Chana’le, just to have these ornaments on the shelf, that’s our pride. These are the jewels that make us a happy nation.”
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