Shavuot

Shavuot 5766 — The Power of Being Commanded

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Shavuot is called zeman matan Torateinu, the time of the giving of our Torah.

 

Why don’t we call it zeman kibalnu Torateinu, the time when we accepted the Torah?

Years ago, some of the shtetls in Eastern Europe were too small and too poor to afford a full time rabbi.  So there were itinerant rabbis, preachers, and teachers who would travel from town to town, sharing words of Torah, bringing the light of God’s word to the outback and beyond. Nowadays, Torah is everywhere.  Even here in Toledo, a town with fewer than 4,000 Jews, we have six rabbis.  Chabad has been producing so many rabbis it seems like any town which has enough Jews to have a minyan has a Chabad.  The University of Judaism has doubled the number of Conservative rabbis being ordained in America every year. Some of my colleagues are worried about what we’re going to do with this glut of rabbis on the market. Incredible words of Torah – written, audio and even video – are available anywhere there is an internet connection 24 hours a day.  Torah is “given” everywhere.

But is anyone listening?

My D’var Torah for Shavuot explores the relationship between faith and obedience.  How is it that we come to accept the Torah and all of those rules today?  Does faith lead to obedience?  Or does obedience lead to faith?

Click Here to read the D’var.

Chag Sameach (Happy Holiday),

Reb Barry

Barry Leff

Rabbi Barry (Baruch) Leff is a dual Israeli-American business executive, teacher, speaker and writer who divides his time between Israel and the US.

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