Rabbi Mitchell Kornspan
We Did It!
That’s right! Our Torah Class did it! We just finished the entire book of Bereshit (Genesis), learning every sentence, delving into what the great commentators have taught, and sharing our own insights. We didn’t do an overview; we learned carefully each and every pasuk (sentence). What a rewarding feeling the members of our class have and are sharing with each other. It took us a little over three years, as we met after Kiddush on Shabbat afternoons.
We want to share this Siyum (the completion of a book of the Torah), with you on Shabbat, January 2nd. This coincides with the completion of the last book and the last verse of Bereshit in synagogues all over the world that very morning. It all just fits together so nicely! To this end, the Torah Class is sponsoring the Kiddush on this Shabbat in honor of the Torah, and our studies. The drasha (sermon) that morning will be one in which we finish Bereshit together.
Studying the Torah is so important that our sages taught us: “These are the things, the fruits of which one enjoys in this world, while the reward remains in the World to Come: honoring one’s father and mother, performing deeds of kindness, making peace between man and his fellowman. And the study of Torah is equal to all of them.” (Mishnah: Pe’ah 1:1.)
Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, who is one of the great teachers of Torah in our generation explained: “To say that ‘the study of Torah is equal to all of them’ implies that Torah study is on a higher level than performing the commandments. It shows that the importance of Torah study transcends that of an aid to the fulfillment of the commandments. Otherwise, we would be faced with a strange contradiction: If the study of Torah is merely an aid, a guide to fulfilling the commandments, how can it be more important than actual performance of the commandments themselves?
In reality Torah and its study must be in an entirely different light. Torah, as its Hebrew root implies, is a form of ????? – teaching. It teaches man the path he should follow, and is indeed a guide to fulfilling the commandments. Yet it is also far more than that. It is a comprehensive guide, the expression of Judaism’s conception of everything in the world. Every subject lies within the compass of Torah, and Torah tells us how every subject is to be understood, how we should relate to it and act toward it. Hence, whether the subject is concrete and practical or abstract and spiritual, whether it expresses an immediate and living need or is entirely theoretical and without practical application, since it is related to Judaism’s world view it is related to Torah, and Torah does indeed deal with it
Establishing Halakhah (practical law) and providing guidance in fulfilling the commandments are only part of Torah. Torah seeks the essence of all things, in every area of life. It embraces the entire world and what lies beyond it. The ultimate purpose of Torah is not, then, only to scrutinize the commandments and reach practical conclusions regarding them; it is, rather, to provide a comprehensive world view, bringing out both the essential relationship of Torah to every subject and also the subjects’ connection with each other.”
I love the way Rabbi Steinsaltz teaches. When we plumb into the depths of Torah, we are discovering a weltanschauung, a world view. Much of what we take for granted in our society, as being the best way to believe and live, is based firmly on the Torah. If we take the time to deeply learn the Torah, we begin to fathom new insights into G-d, our relationship with our Creator, and our relationship with each other.
Every time we place the Torah back into the Holy Ark, we recite “Kei lekach tov natati lachem…” (For I have given you a good teaching; do not forsake My Torah. It is a tree of life for those who grasp it, and all who uphold it are blessed. Its ways are pleasant, and all its paths are peace.”)
I encourage each of you to reserve some time each day to learn Torah, and when you are able please join us in class. It will be well worth your while!
I am very proud of each member of our class, and the thought and effort they put in each week to learn our precious Torah. To each of them I say: “Yasher Koach!” Looking forward to seeing you in shul.
B’shalom,