Sunday evening, we begin the Holiday of Shavuot, which commemorates G-d’s giving, and our receiving, the Torah at Mount Sinai. Imagine several million recently-liberated slaves gathered at the mountain. They’ve experienced incredible miracles during their Exodus from Egypt, and for seven weeks they’ve been refining themselves – under Moses’s guidance – in order to receive the Gift of all Gifts: The Torah.
The Creator of the Universe will finally speak to humankind. What secrets will be revealed? Which mystical messages will resonate from there throughout the coming millennia?
Finally, the voice of the Divine: “Do Not Murder!” “Do Not Covet What Isn’t Yours!”
Can you imagine the people scratching their heads, saying “So THAT is it. What is the big deal?” It seems too simple.
Which is exactly the point.
The Torah is indeed an infinitely deep reservoir of wondrous messages. However, the Torah’s primary thrust is that life - the routine, day-to-day humdrum that we consider simple and mundane – can be cosmic, connected to the Infinite One. Holy.
How? By bringing G-d into our lives, even in the simple things. By accepting that G-d created us for a purpose, and that life is about accepting that perspective and living a life of responsibility.
So, if I refrain from hurting my neighbor because I believe it’s wrong, then I am serving MY value system. I’ve made a good choice, but not a [consciously] G-dly one.
When I recognize that, aside from my good instincts, G-d says it’s wrong to hurt someone, then I am submitting to a life of Divine direction. When I make a good decision with G-d as my guide, I am serving the Divine, and actualizing the reason for my existence.
So, G-d put seeming ‘no-brainers’ into the Torah to teach us that there’s no such thing. A ‘no-brainer’ means the action is reflexive and there’s no need for G-d consciousness. But there always is. Actions taken reflexively may happen to be good; but, when we take reflexive actions, our decision process is missing more than a brain, it is also missing an essential awareness of the role of our Divine creator in giving us purpose and the roadmap for fulfilling that purpose.
Join us on Monday morning to hear the Ten Commandments publicly, as they’ve been read – and internalized – for 3,333 years. And re-commit to a Holy life.