Po Ve Sham

Think about it! The Torah was delivered on Mount Sinai at the time in the midst of our walking in the desert.

This means that if you compare it with milk or with the “food for our souls” as our Sages z”l did, this delivery would be closer to the idea of “Take away” than to sitting in your place or even in a restaurant…

In Shavuot we celebrate the giving of Torah to us, we are so happy with this gift therefore it is natural that we ask ourselves how do we need to keep it!?

Every day while reciting the Shemah we say: …” These words, which I am ordering you today, are to be on your heart; and you are to teach them carefully to your children. You are to talk about them when you sit at home, when you are traveling on the road”… (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)

Once I heard Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach (on a video) referring to this verse and remarking that there are two different Torahs; one of when you sit at home and another of when you are traveling on the road!  I have no doubt that the one which was given to us on Sinai when we were walking on the road is a Torah for walkers. From that perspective it is not a surprise that the Jewish law is called Halacha, a word which derives from the Hebrew word Halicha, walking! So how do we keep the Torah, symbol of our millenary, memory, conversation, search… How!?

Many of our fellow Jews, if we stay with the metaphor of Torah as food, keep their Torah in a kind of a cultural “freezer”, taking it out when needed. But I believe the contrary. We need to try to receive Torah s a life legacy, warm and dynamic in accordance with the way it was given to us.  In receiving Torah we confirm our commitment with the search of deepness and meaning in life. Thus we say: “She is a tree of life to those who hold her fast and blessed are those who look for her”. (Proverbs 3:18)