Shavuot: Chag Matan Torah? (Pt II) Rabbi Shai Finkelstein

Hello everyone. So we will continue. We're on page three and uh we try to understand the two different countings and we try to understand the names for and then now we are on page three and we are going to move from counting for agriculture purposes and things like that to the counting of the we count for what? Foragan. So says, we are in the middle of page three. So when you bring a new offering to Hashem meaning will be a holy time and you will not are you're not allowed to to do any any work. Okay. So then the midrash which is a late midrash around 12th century says the following page page three in the middle it's underlined. Yeah. Okay. meaning I learned all the issues of of holidays and I didn't really find anywhere that himself is called it's called which means stop working but it doesn't call it's not named but our sages They called it. Okay. So the rabbis called it and obviously the question is if the Torah does not call it really. Okay. So why do you want to call it? So it says like that. Okay. So in this mid she basically says we would like to create what? or to create some kind of a unification between all the and therefore because we found the word where in so also was borrowed and applied also on okay so that's technical that's nice can't say no even though I will tell you that shavot could definitely be an exception why it's not the same date of sukkot and pesa There is no special there unlike it's only between and is excluded. So will be an exception but the rabbis wanted to put it in one unit. Okay. Yeah, there is but it's not seven days. Only the are seven days but the itself the what? So I would call it a technical a technical answer. So now let's see something with much more content. So, the says the following. What's the question? The what should be exactly which means first the midrash understands that what the chot is the end of pes is basically the end of pes. Therefore the fores is 50 days after. Therefore the midrash asks if is always 50 days after. So the ofkot should be what? 50 days after which will bring us to where to we don't need to guess. Take 50 days from so that will be 50 days will be exactly this is why many many people say that what that the day of when we are sign and seal the mash is when it's not only the right so that's his question why is really attached connected to not 50 days after it. Ah oops. Okay. Sorry. So the sh is sponsored uh in memory of Mel and David either by their children. So the mit brings the answer of was an amor in Israel in the third century and he says the following in the fourth century beginning of fourth century. So it's a parable to what to a king that had many children. Some of them were close by and some of them were in distance. So those who are close to him will come very often and when they will leave he will be okay because he knows that they are close by because he knew even if they left today if he wants them to come tomorrow they will be here tomorrow. For this is a beautiful parable says those who come from afar when they go when they come and they leave he will be said. Why? Because he knows that what that the next time they will come it will be you know once in a blue moon. So what does he do? He would ask him what just one more day. Just stay one more day. Okay. It's beautiful. Basically in the winter after we start asking for rain and it's going to be rainy and muddy and people will say what ah not coming back so quickly and the next hug will be what pes. So Hashem says just one more day. I had so much fun with you during sukkot. just stay one more day and we will have a meal together and whatever so to speak and then this is the reason why sukkot the onkot is not 50 days after okay now the interesting part of this midrash is people don't read it well sometimes the midrash understands that shot is what is the end of pes so So what is in between the so everyone attribute it to whom to the ram. Everyone attribute the idea that the days between is the intermediate days based on the ramban. This is a midrash before the ram that talks about the idea that is the end of pes. Now also logically it makes sense why because when Hashem appeared to him to himself to Moshe and he told him about he told him what no which is therefore the ultimate goal of wasra so will be the ultimate goal of what of pes okay one more one It says, Torah. We know that also calls but not from but from not to do any. So the midrash is making a some kind of a similarity between between and and also is how do we know that's exactly when said to I forgave you and now here take the second take the sometimes we don't pay attention to the idea that really is we look at it as a day of affliction and day of atonement whatever it But it's really a this is where we achieved atonement. So now he says like that. Oh, now it's becoming interesting. First we have a historical um I will call it testimony that they said what? So when was it? 50 days after whatever Shabbat it was, right? You remember the first Sunday, the Sunday after the first Shabbat, okay? Whatever we did last last week. So basically in order to what to show them that they are wrong, what do we do? We say we received Torah twice. We received one on Shot and one on and then and that in both of them you bring the Okay. Why do you bring the offering? for which means we say that there is with the Vav comes to teach me what the date which is you're all so nice you all smile that makes no sense but that's Okay, you are all like swallowing it like I'm telling you. I know I'm giving you candies. But uh it makes no sense. But why it makes no sense? Because we really have no proof. We remember we spoke about it last week. We are in a way in on the on the weak end of the interpretation. You remember we spoke about that the Shabbat must be that we want to show our power that we can still the Shabbat is really a moed and we can dictate when exactly is the date. In a way in terms of interpretation that's dukim has more of a base. However after we establish that this isra that's it and we going to what to find all the hints and gimatriot in order to what to prove it. Exactly. Yes. When did they coy the dates? When did that what above? It was a proclaimed thrill. Never. What? Not in the itself says now choose one. Now we will talk about a little bit about the lack of time uh and the absence of time in on shave but we'll talk about that a little bit later. Uh but that seems to be the midrash is telling you we will do everything we can in order to tell the you are wrong and we are right. Okay take a look at the said something really interesting. He says like that right? So we need to count from the day after Shabbat whatever it is based on the so the counting you know okay you know what let's do some trivia how many countings do you recall in the Torah one by one okay let's let's talk first about counting time Before we counting people counting time. Okay. Eighth day. Good. Six days. The six days of creation. Um. Okay. You know what? I'm going to limit it to count days. Counting days. Shabbat. Good. One. How about that? The seven days for purification. Okay, good. Okay, what else? Counting foresh. That's more witnesses. Okay. But not the right. Good. Now if that's true, so you try to find the common denominator between all these all those countings, right? Okay. Now, you know what? I I'll give an introduction before we go in. When we talk about counting for the ye for the jubilee year or when we talk about the counting for the shmita who is counting farmers what farmers who else is counting okay there are certain counts that the bin is the one to count and there are certain counts that we count for example Each one of you need to count. And part of it is that because each one of us prepare himself himself or herself in his or her way for the receiving of the Torah, right? Okay. Now, what do we learn from from what do we learn from it? Something very important. And what does it mean? That she counted and She's she's great and and she's and she's believed. Now, I'm not going to discuss the following issue. I'm just going to say it and I will just let you. Yeah, why not? um you believe her incorrect meaning if she says that she's nida she's she said she's she's right so so on you believe a woman right but she cannot be an adah even two of them cannot They can't, right? She can what? She cannot count. It's But no, no, you can. You can. But it's not a But you But this is not You can't count it for me. Of course it can. He said it. So I You don't want to know. Oh, we have so many things that you don't trust in. But when it comes to it's fine. Okay, that's an interesting thing and I'm not going to talk about it. So, we'll move on. So, believe that it's a personal life. Okay. So there is there is you you can you can try to find justifications and reasons and which are but it's interesting it's just very interesting that the Torah gives her name to Torah for one thing and for other things she can't and not only that she can't she's not being trusted uh in in things that looks pretty simple quote unquote and not correct but whatever we're not going to talk about it now there are some interesting reasons for that u but uh I looked at the crowd immediately and there is more than 50% women and therefore I am not going to say anything because it's dangerous because we can't. Um, okay. So now what? We don't attack. Yeah, that's what I was told. Yeah. So really the purpose of of receiving the Torah is to perform it forever for eternity. is not going to reveal himself to everyone just for a one-time deal. He revealed himself to us. He gave us the Torah. It's forever. It's for eternity. And why? Because Hashem is forever. Therefore, whatever he gives, it's forever. even when the Jewish people will be spread all over the universe and expelled from their land. So even then they will keep every detail and every mitzvah. So this is a very ideal um vision that the mesh had that by the way in front of his face the reality that he faced was not what he is describing but he says that basically the expectation was that the Jewish people will take the Torah everywhere they go and they will live their lives based on all the values and all the mitzvot and they will be separated from the other nations. Therefore, he says that from that day on as a day. This is so creative, so brilliant, but so not but it's beautiful. He tried to explains why Shabbat means what? The first day of Pes. That's when we count the Omar. Why? Because all year long you are allowed to eat. During PES, you are not allowed to eat. You eat matsah. and you separate yourself from everything you did until now, which is basically a a a reflection of what we supposed to do to separate ourselves from the other people, from the other nations. Therefore, immediately after the first day that we did it, we start counting the omare for what? For receiving the Torah because receiving the Torah is again yet another reminder for what? for our mission to be separate from everyone else. Beautiful mam. Beautiful. But you know what? You can do it every after Shabbat. Every every after Shabbat, every after any other Shabbat because Shabbat also separates us from everyone else. You can do it after Yonipur. You can do it after we are the only ones who shake the Lulaf, right? But I think the idea is in order to understand the is really to say that and it's it's like the same bread but it's different. So you can live with them but you can be separate from them. So that's the idea of why we call Shabbat immediately after the first day of of PES. The fat has obviously a little bit of aidish ver on it. And he says like that. So this is not the first time the does something like that and most of the andid basically try to understand what is behind. So PES he defines it as what? As the redemption of the salvation of the soul and why we became we became the nation of God and we basically were able to maximize our potential of what of our spirits. Okay. This is the day we receive the Torah. Okay. So is for the nephesh. I will call the to the shot is for the for the and then sukkot is for what is for the goof for the place. Okay. A very basicish idea. You have okay. However, you would think it should be the opposite. You start with goof. Then you go to if you understand what's the difference between neph and shama. So we'll just say and then the shama, right? And not sh. Okay. Unless you start with unless you start what? Right. So he continues and he says we say it every Friday. Friday night. Children of God. Children of power. And who are the powers? The strength of the land. This is why by the way we say Elohim. Why are they called Elohim? The other gods because they have some kind of power from the word. Okay. So now on Friday when we sing we know it's not that we are the children of angels or God we are the children of the forefathers. Okay, that's according to what is. So, we the children of we are the children who received what the Torah. So you need to know that you are part of this special is and you need to want to include yourself as part of Israel and to keep these three because that basically constitute who we are the fathers the Torah we it is us and then let's call it the land okay and now let's see one moreish and then we will do some kind of a a recap the word is the land the whatever it's the land go Torah. It's called He's asking a very good question. What's the Torah? Right. But we call the Torah itself which means is to take is to receive. Right. We receive the gave and we receive. No. Yeah. But here it's from the word. Right. So what's that? Hashem gave from his perspective and we receive. But he gave you. But someone took it. We took it. We took it. So we should call it how you could take you could not from Hashem's perspective. It should be because he gave it. So we're talking about it from Hashem's perspective. The whole Torah is from Hashem's perspective. It's not from our perspective. But it's still giving. It's Hashem's Torah. Hashem wrote it from his perspective. No. My kindness because everybody you can whatever you receive, you have to give to the next generation. That's a nice Josh. We'll talk about it. Yeah. It's still giving. It's still giving. Still giving. Right. But but it is something that it's not static. Eternal presence. Okay. It's all good. Rashot really you can all give a nice dash on but uh it's simple. Just very simple. By the way, I don't know if you paid attention. First is a very strange one. Based on the language, it should be no keep the same thing. And you keep the word received and he gave it to you. normal sale. See how we all so biased. It's it's incredible. It's beautiful. It's great because the teachers in kindergarten really instilled it in us with all the good things and with all the mistakes. But uh it's good. You know how many of you still like are really into this thing that the stones, you know, when Yakov wanted to put his head on them, they all fought against each other, right? That's exactly what it says in the Torah, right? That at least what my Ghana told me until I realized that it's not what the Torah says, but that's okay. I mean, the Midash is beautiful, but it's not the Okay, now let's go back. So, let's see what the has to say and then we will see. Okay. translate. No. So there is a day we receive the Torah which is matan. This is your matra on we received it. to accept it is every day that you sit and learn. Interestingly enough, when else the Jewish people receive the Torah and what's the word that the learns it from? Meaning they accepted they reaccepted what they accepted before. Which means what? There is a day we receive the Torah, but then every day we received it. We receive it or recommmit ourselves to it every day. Now, after everything we learned, I want you to be very honest. Why can't we make things little simpler and say, So we all so to give it one day you people would think okay I have one day and then the rest of the days who cares okay one interpretation yes what else the what no connection to pes okay no in order to create a connection to pes you need to say Shabbat and good. Very good. Second. Third. Doesn't say in the Torah. It doesn't say in the Torah. What? Uhhuh. It says first and last. And why? Why don't you say what he said? Okay. Because we don't want to have one day that is designated for that. Okay. Very good. Third. Fourth. Yes. Because it's not the day. It's the period of time between pesos that creates the mantra. Okay. Close to what you said. Okay. Very good. Fourth. Fifth. We have 20 minutes. Oh, okay. So, you because you don't say it, so you create you generate a lot of discussions about it. Okay. That that's that's good. It's a different holiday. Say it. Say it. No, it's connected. I'll help you out a bit. A bit connected. There was no we didn't celebrate holiday. They had to recreate it. Very this is where the Yeah. The basis of the holidays in the Torah is all agricultural. Not all a lot. Yeah. Okay. So, what do we have here? And this is where the point is and this is what I want to talk to you about. I hope we'll have enough time for that. This is but this is the real point of this entire thing. According to the Torah, there is no Torah. There's no such a thing. Look at the entire Torah. There is nowhere that we have. We have we have which is anod or the the four species whatever it is and why there is no need for that. Do you need to what do you do? You go to midi, you go to arsai and dance there once and then do a golden calf and then dance again. Like what what are we supposed to do? Learning to you don't need a day for that. That's it. So pesa comes along to celebrate and and all of that. Good. Sukkot comes to celebrate Sukkot mash and the four species of of the four species which also come to celebrate the idea of water. Okay, we all understand it and comes along as we said it's wants to be with us. We do not need it does not signifies anything but we understand that when you come to Israel what do you do you live in the country that it's a farming country and you based on seasons and each season two things here you can use the Rambam in Morim that says that many of our mitzvot are to contradict what the other nations did which means every nation had some kind of a celebration for their harvest harvest for the planning planting and for collecting the and and so we also had something. So those are seasonal holidays. They are called like that in which means they are basically I want you to come three times a year to beta mikdash to bring a kurban on on the sh to bring the bikim and you know and it's going to be drilled in your mind it's not about you it's about Hashem is the one to give you the kashm is the one to give you the power is the one to give you the creativity and therefore Also, it's also a lesson in trust. I expect all of you to come to beta mikdash, leave your homes for even sometimes two weeks and I promise you nothing will happen to your homes, nothing will happen to your villages. Everything will be wonderful and you do it three times a year. Okay? Now, the beta midash is gone. And I spoke about it, I think once here. I spoke definitely on Shabbat Shabbat Chuva once after the beta midash was destroyed. a central part of our religious life was gone. Not only that, we cannot bring sometimes in Jewish history, we couldn't even go to Yusha. When the Romans change to capital, they banned Jews from going to Yosha. Okay? So, we couldn't even go to do. So, what do you do? So, let's start with Shah. What do you do on Roshana? You blow the chauffeur. So you in a way you kept it. What did we do on Roshashikdash? Not much. Yeah, we blew the chauffeur and that's it. Yonipu. Oh, Yonipuru was a major issue. Why? Because the entire Yonipuru in beta mikdash was all about the Coen Gad. Now I don't have Coen Gad. I don't have Avoda. I don't have the two heigots. I don't have the lottery. I don't have this red thing that turn into white. So what do I do? The people were very passive during. So now what do you do? Unbelievable. You turn it all about the people. What do the kuhanim do when the beta mdash is destroyed? When we c when we observe yip same thing we do fast, pray do chuva z. and they don't have a special a special min or a special din or a special or a special mitzvah to do something more than us. So that was a cognitive decision. If I want to keep yipur, I keep the idea of kap atonement but not through the cog rather by through whom? you why do we do the oh just a reminder that's it there is no it's not that the kohanim needs to say it it's all of us saying it so this is the seda okay comes along okay what do we have we have a sukat that's what they had also on your so what are we missing sak We we're missing so we do everywhere else and we say that and we have the water and so we are missing the note but there's not too much to change okay was the main thing so comes along in zero C he says what let's make a sandwich Okay. Okay. Matah, which is not our mata. Probably it's more like a and you have a barbecue and you have a little and that's what you have. Okay. And that was probably not in the time of the beta mikdash. What they probably did was they read. You don't need much. The question is on us. Why do we make up a pick up read from you want to be a guy and you are done? What do we do? We develop most of the is what? Why do we do that? because we switched from the kohanim toanim for the rabbis and the rabbis were what they want to develop to so that's pes now comes the long shot okay what do we do so the kibutim but that's they do it the right way they do it in a way that resemble what they did in the betam they bring him so the rabbis thought to themselves who is going to bring bikurim a many of the people lost their land. Okay. So there is no land. But even if there is a land, the idea of the is to bring them to the coe how can I do that? So I need to substitute something. So let's think about it. So what should we do? Maybe avat. So then the rabbis and I'm trying to to think what did they had in mind. They said to themselves this is 50 days after pes and there is called now we don't have any that celebrates what matan that made us a nation so we are going to what to create a day that celebrates Torah Now, how ancient do you think is the custom to learn all day, all night? Middle Ages. Mama. Middle Ages. Middle Ages. You are correct. What? You're correct. You are correct. Middle Ages. Middle Ages. And the min to recite all the Torah and everything. That was also around that time. Okay. Now, why do we do that? Why do we stay all night? It's nice. The what? Cheesecake. No. No. That's a little different. You want to tell me because you have a fleshic dinner and then you need to say it wait six hours and then you can eat your cheesecake at 3:00 in the morning. That's like No. So, the idea is what is why do we need to do it all night? anticipation because that's what oh we find a midrash and in the midrash it says that the night before receiving the Torah one of two things happened they slept and Moshe had to wake them up or they didn't sleep and both of them are reaction to anxiety okay you know that God is going to reveal himself to to you there are two ways to react to it. You don't sleep or you do sleep. Right? So this is a very simple psychological reaction. So what do we do? We stay all night in order to resemble or to correct what they did or to imitate what they did. Okay? So one of those two things. Now interestingly enough, it caused it caused the issue. What is the issue? What should you learn? What should you learn? That's question number one. And then you will see a difference between question number two. If you didn't sleep all night, how can you say? So you need to have someone we always find one to recite the for us. Good. Okay. What else? What other problems we have? Oshana people said also yes there are some people who do that but uh it's less popular than uh than right it's also on too okay and what else do we do on shot we read right we read why should we read because we got the Torah because we got the Torah what should we read. But the rabbis who wanted to dictate the nature of the day, what did they do? They created the idea of they try to define the date and then to in basically inject it with what? With those component that brings you to what? to the idea of matan when they probably start doing it immediately after the mikdash I don't know exactly when I will tell you that all the minim of staying all night and all that that's much much later middle ages that's a babalonian okay was adopted by Israel but later on Now there is a huge difference between and on we receive it we received it on we are happy in it we weren't happy when we received it I don't think that we were very happy to what they created we were happy we received it that's and that's what the Babylonian did by the way again in in In Bel they they finish the Torah every year they took their time twice in seven years. Okay. Yes. Someone else. Yes. When did they start okay? When did they start with? I don't have the year but this is something interesting. Why to read? Okay. So first and then she goes to the this is the time of the harvest. Very good. So seasonal a B it's what? Oh, so the says why do we need all there is nothing there? I mean there's a lot but there is nothing there. So why do you need it? It's all about kindness. And really when you see theim it's not just a nice kindness, you know, to prepare cookies for someone. I'm talking about true kindness to the ultimate in a way level of kindness which is what? Did you hear that? Root staying with her mother-in-law. Okay, that's nice. That's not about That's about So more more. Yes. More. She what? She gives her son to her mother-in-law. She gives her son to her mother-in-law. At the end, the end of is so critically important. The birth of they call no me. She is like the mother of the son and who disappears. She disappeared. She's not there at the end. She's gone. She basically lost quote unquote her identity. Leave it alone. She built up her identity. I'm not going to give you a show now on but she lost maybe we'll do it next. She lost her exactly and that's like the ultimate that she does. But the idea of root of migrat again I don't know exactly when they establish the fact that you need to say on on but the idea is what is the idea of is called toat what is how does the define no no not where is inra when do you performat it's unbelievable what says Not you need to teach it. You can't keep it to yourself. That's toat is that you give what you were able to possess by your own mind and your own efforts with others and teach them. That's and that's what we learn from that's what we learn from. So um I hope you have a little bit more insight into this very interesting haganal whatever it is we'll celebrate it. That's it.