The Link Between Shavout and Matan Torah | Rabbi Shai Finkelstein | May 5 2026

I surely lose my breath held up at Sarah and um So we will start today with a I have a seven Shabbat in Matan Torah. There a connection the link between Shabbat and Matan Torah and I will try to explain why and like what do you mean by what's the link? Shabbat is Matan Torah, no? No, maybe. Yes. Okay, so let's see. So it says in Vayikra Ukratiem beatzem hayom hazeh mikra kodesh yihyeh lakhem. Kol melakha avoda lo ta'asu. Chukkat olam bekhol moshvotiekhem ledoroteikhem. Okay, so just last week in parashat Emor we read about all the khagim. Pesach, Shavuot, Sukkot, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. And it says that you need to announce beatzem hayom hazeh on that specific day that it should be a mikra kodesh. Mikra kodesh it's a basically most of the times mikra kodesh means what? A day that you are not allowed to do melakha. That's basically what it is. Kol melakha avoda lo ta'asu. Chukkat olam bekhol moshvotiekhem ledoroteikhem. Okay, so if I will ask you, okay, so what do we do on Shavuot? What's the mitzvah of the day? Cheesecake. Cheesecake? Based on the pasuk. Nothing? Nothing. There is a korban like any other khag or shabbat or whatever. There is a korban musaf. And you bring um a shtei lekhem. Specific korban but if you are not interested in bringing a korban or if you are not interested in coming to Yerushalayim because there's really nothing too too exciting going on. You know, there's no water libation, wine libation, a kohen gadol gets into the kodesh hakodashim, korban Pesach. There's nothing. There's no tikkun leil Shavuot. So I would assume that Shavuot was not that popular, right? But leave alone the the popularity of the khag, the problem is that we don't know what we do. There's there's nothing. It's a khag without anything in specific which by the way makes it very unique. Rosh Hashanah has tekia shofar. Yom Kippur has tsom ve'avoda. Sukkot obviously arba'at minim, the arava, the water libation, everything. Pesach korban Pesach. Shavuot Shmini Atzeret, yes. Do what? Shmini Atzeret is a it's like a separate khag. It's not like a continuation. Yeah, there is a korban and it's like a continuation of Sukkot. So you are still there. Pesach korban Pesach Shavuot gornisht, klum, nothing. So Abravanel, Rabbi Yitzchak Don Abravanel, 15th century Spain says ashilah yud zayin. He asked many questions. One of them is question number 17 says lama lo nitna Torah ta'am lekhag hashvuot shehu zman matan torateinu kemo she natan bekhag hapesaḥ uvkhag hasukkot uv'yom hakipurim hata'amim shebe'avuram nitztavu Yisrael aleihem. So he's asking basically two questions. A, why the Torah does not define khag Shavuot as what? As khag matan Torah. That should be the khag of matan Torah and also there's like no reason for the khag. Which is interesting. Pesach is zekher litzi'at Mitzrayim. Sukkot also zekher litzi'at Mitzrayim ananei hakavod or Sukkot Sukkot mamash, right? Uh Rosh Hashanah Yeah, tekia shofar but that's we will call it zekher lema'aseh bereishit and you know my Yom Kippur we understand it's a Yom Kippur. Khag Shavuot has no reason for the khag. And definitely there is no specific date. How do we know what khag Shavuot is? Seven weeks, khamisha yom akharei. So I So but obviously we have an issue here. This is a an anomaly. All the other khagim has reasons and this one has no reason. So let's start with Abravanel. So the Abravanel not only asked the question, he also try to attempt to give an answer and he says the following. Hinei lo natna Torah ta'am lekhag hazeh sheyihyeh zekher leyom matan torah. Lefi shelo hukba hakhag lezikhron matan torateinu. He says I'll tell you. You know why the Torah does not give a reason that Shavuot is khag matan Torah because it's what? It's not. Oh. Az ma anakhnu osim bekhag hashvuot? Right? So what do we do on khag Shavuot? So ki hatorah elokit asher hayta beyadeinu vehanvu'ah asher hi beyadeinu edut al atzma ve'ein tzorekh lekadesh yom lizkor otah. It says the Torah does not need a specific day to remember it. The Torah itself is a testimony for our special relationship with Hashem. Every day the Yom Matan Torah. Kol yom yihyu be'einekha kakh hadashim. Every day you look at Torah it's like new. It's like the day that you received the Torah. So therefore we don't need a day to remind you. Pesach is a reminder for what? For yetzi'at Mitzrayim. Sukkot is the same because from time to time I need to remind you where did you come from. But khag Shavuot it's a khag matan Torah. It's the day that we received the Torah and therefore we don't need a reminder. We know for sure that you're going to remember it every day. So therefore khag Shavuot is not zekher lematan Torah. Okay, it does not say that matan Torah didn't happen on Shavuot yet but it's not a reminder. Yes. You translated as matan Torah as received. We get we're given it but we didn't necessarily receive it. The people didn't necessarily receive it. Semantics for now. For now it's semantics. Yes. Yes, yes bikurim. So that's the mitzvah of the day you're saying? Yeah, but that's only if you have a farm, only if you have a field. If I don't if I deal with real estate and I don't have a farm I don't bring. But it's three three three times you're supposed to come to Beit Hamikdash. Mhm. And this is this one of them. Yeah, supposed. No, I'm I'm not trying to be supposed to come. It is really a major question. Did they really do it or not? We know that even when probably when they reached the highest level of of aliyah laregel we're not talking more about more than 30, 40,000 people. And if you can assume how many people were in Israel it's I'm not sure it was even 10%. Okay, but because of different many many many reasons, okay? Okay. So um aval haya ta'am khag hashvuot lehiyoto atkhalat ktzir khitim. Really khag hashvuot is because it's the beginning of the harvest. Ki khemo shehaya khag hasukkot letakhleet asifat hatvu'ot the same way that Sukkot is also signifies what? Asifat hatvu'ot. Basically bringing the harvest in. Kakh haya khag hashvuot betkhilat asifatam. So the same way khag hashvuot was at the beginning of the harvest. Ki ratza Hashem Yitbarakh shebe'atkhalat asifat hatvu'ot shehem mazon adam sheharishona mehen hi hakhita shebekhag hashvuot hayu matkhilim liktzor ya'asu khag lehodot lenoten lekhem lekhol basar vetakhleet hatvu'ot ya'asu khag akher. So then he says, he says really the main reason for Shavuot is that it's khag ha'asif which is the beginning of what? Of harvesting. Because that's the beginning of harvesting Hashem wanted you to what? To come to Beit Hamikdash and to bring a korban which will be almost like a korban todah. So you will remember what? To be thankful to Hashem who gave you the ability to start the harvesting. Very similar to Sukkot when you bring in all the harvest that you harvested and you can be haughty, you can be pompous because oh look how wealthy I am. Hashem says to you what? Leave the house and go to Sukkot to something temporarily to to show you that you are not here forever. Same thing on Shavuot when you begin the harvesting Hashem already wants to remind you what? It's not because of your efforts and it's not because of you, it's because of me. Okay. Akhshav And therefore by the way, the first thing that you all harvest is the khita, the wheat and that's also why the korban comes with khitim and therefore it comes to remind you it's me. Okay. Ve'ein safek Now he says there is no doubt. Shebe'yom khag hashvuot nitna Torah. He says I have no doubt that what? That really khag Shavuot was khag matan Torah. Mhm. By the way, when he says there is no doubt it means that someone else doubted it, right? By the way, just as a just as a question, when exactly matan Torah was? Yeshurun. The next day, vav. Anyone would like to throw another another date? Seventh, right? All opinions are correct. The Torah the Talmud says in Shabbat atoran nitna be'eitiv bevav sivan uvzayin sivan. >> It depends how you calculate. Okay. So, hey Sivan, vav Sivan The only thing that they all agree upon is that it's Sivan. And the second thing that they agree upon is it was given on Shabbat. Okay, interesting. So, he says I I have no doubt that Hag Hashavuot that was the day that we received the Torah or the Torah was given But the Hag was not for the purpose to remember or to celebrate Matan Torah. Now, you can understand that obviously there is a problem here. If I don't harvest and if I don't live on in in Eretz Israel, so what is the meaning of Hag Hashavuot? It should be Matan Torah, right? Only Matan Torah. So, we would expect probably that somehow somewhere around the destruction of the Bet Hamikdash Hashani Hag Hashavuot will get some kind of what? Of a different direction. Right? Or if not after that, at least during the 11th, 12th, 13th century will start having more focus on what? On Torah. In Babel, was it It what? In Babel, did they talk about Uh we'll see. Yeah. Um So, he on Rosh Hashanah we also have something similar. It's really what? We say we don't When we celebrate Rosh Hashanah, we don't celebrate it for what? For being the first day of creation or the sixth day of creation we don't know, but rather we we we celebrate Rosh Hashanah for what? For Yom Hadin. We don't call it what? Yom Bri'at Ha'Olam but we call it Yom Hadin. Okay. Really Shavuot is the day we received the Torah but the Hag was not uh uh it's it's it's purpose, it's aim is not to remember that came to fulfill the Hag Hashavuot. And also in Parshat Mishpatim Hag Hakatzir the day the Hag of the of a harvesting the first thing that comes out of your field uh the Hag Ha'asif Hashana and the day Hag that you collect all the harvest which is Sukkot Hag Hag Ha'asif Tekufat Hashana Hag Hag Hag Hashavuot So, all those quotes basically try to what? To prove the the fact that that Shavuot is all about the agriculture component of the Hag. Nothing to do with the Torah even though Torah was given on that Hag on that day our celebration is not because of that. In Halway Shavuot So, you see that this Hag is basically named after the weeks, the Shavuot and you need to bring on that day not for Matan Torah Hag Hag Hag So, basically the Barbanel says what? Really the connection between Shavuot and Matan Torah is what? Is only the date. The date. Shavuot is the day that we received the Torah, but you will not find on Hag Hashavuot any component that basically celebrates what? The idea of Matan Torah. Okay. It Okay, so don't forget that was after the destruction of Bet Hamikdash. So, what are they going to say? Zman Matan Korbanotenu? Zman Bikurim? Well, people will have no clue what they are talking about. It was always there. That's what the Barbanel said two things. Hag Hashavuot was always Hag Matan Torah. That was the day we received the Torah. Hey, vav or zayin, lo meshaneh. However, we do not celebrate it. This is not the main focus of Shavuot and why? Because the Torah does not need a day. Because it's everyday. That's basically the claim that the Barbanel would like to convey to us. Okay? The what? We did not get what? What? No. Uh what do you mean? He broke the Yeah, he he received it, we didn't. Yeah, okay. The second was Yom Kippur. Okay. Rabbi Shimshon Raphael Hirsch Hag Yeah, thank you. Shavuot is a bit different than all the other Hagim. Shavuot is not named after any of the Mitzvot that applies that apply on it, which is for example it's not called Hag Hag It's called Hag Hashavuot, which is basically a name that was given to him because of what? Of the counting of the Shavuot. It's called Shavuot named on what? For the Sefirah the the counting that was prepared for it. The Hag Matan Torah was not at all on that day Sinai Torah was given and received in a process of 40 years. The 10 Commandments that were heard from Sinai are not more holy than any other Mitzvah of the 613 Mitzvot that was given to us by the hand of Moshe. [clears throat] Rabbi Shimshon Raphael Hirsch is saying here something that I'm going to open up for a bit of a discussion. He says the Torah was not given on Shavuot. But rather it was given to us in a process of 40 years. [clears throat] Really, you should say that the Torah was given to us when? Date, give me a date. Zayin Adar, February. The Torah says that on his last day he wrote the Torah and he gave it to each tribe. Which means the Torah was given to us when? Zayin Adar. So, it's not only a Hag for the Hevra Kadisha. Right? It's also for us. That's what we should celebrate its completeness. Not sure about what? The last eight Pesukim. We discussed that at length few years ago. Because the last eight Pesukim obviously describes Moshe's death. So, I don't know if he did it. I mean the Gemara has already already asked the question. Okay. So, now So, Rabbi Shimshon Raphael Hirsch does not deny the fact that the 10 Commandments were probably given on Shavuot, but it says the 10 Commandments are not more or less important than any other Pasuk in the Torah. By the way, as a result of it, the Rambam was very much against standing while we read the Aseret Hadibrot. Why? Because if you stand for all everything that we read, every Parsha, so what's the difference? But if we sit and then we stand for Aseret Hadibrot so it makes it more special. Right? So, how do we do that? So, we are making it even though that itself so it makes this Aliyah very important because the rest of it you sit. So, that's why we here for example in Italy we start standing from the beginning of the Aliyah. But but what? Do you stand Or you stand all the time, right? If you want. So, the thing is is that we have this this problem and I will tell you all also that the 10 Commandments in a way Hakhamim tried to I would say reduce a bit its importance and why? Because sometimes they they thought that the Aseret Hadibrot is so important that they maybe thought about even putting it in the Tefillin every day, but Hakhamim says no, people would think that this is only the Aseret Hadibrot. What? we don't we don't do it. So, that's that's the first thing. However, there is something in the 10 Commandments that definitely is different than any other mitzvah, which is the first two commandments, according to all opinions, they heard it directly from Hashem. So, what he says here that the 10 Commandments, I agree. The 10 Commandments is a whole are not more or less important than all the other mitzvot. However, the first two Now, you can argue that the first commandment is maybe not exactly a commandment. It's more of a concept, okay? Or a declaration, or an opening statement. But the second one So, this is a very interesting comment that he says, but So, okay? But he wants to claim that the Torah, as it was given to us, was given to us really only after 40 years. Now, I need to open up here a little bit of a sugrah. Um okay. I hope you're not going to jump from your chair, so just sit, relax, and enjoy. Okay. So, what did we receive on Har Sinai? What did Moshe receive on Har Sinai first time around? Luchot. That's it? The what? Yeah, but I'm talking about mitzvot. Like, besides the 10 Commandments, anything else? So, they claim that um he received everything. Mhm. >> Everything. That's why Shemita is written next to the Torah that he So, what do you what do you mean by everything? The Torah Shebe'al Peh Oh, even the Torah Shebe'al Peh? This one. Mhm. No, you don't don't be afraid. Say it. Right? Hazal basically say that on Har Sinai we received he received the entire Torah, including Torah Shebe'al Peh, including Mash Talmid Vatik Atid L'Chadesh. Even whatever a student would make a chiddush, he would know that, right? First, it's very depressing. Oh, okay. So, that's Gemara. That's another Gemara in Menachot. Okay, so he didn't understand Rabbi Akiva. But whatever whatever that means. Okay. But before that, why is it depressing? Because when I say chiddush, I want to say that it's what? That it's a chiddush, which means no one else said it before me, right? And now I'm being told that what? Moshe Rabbeinu already knows it. So, you don't say you don't say anything new. Okay, so that's a bit depressing to me. Not so bad. I mean, it's not as depressing as something else. But it it is a bit depressing. Okay. Oh, I so I'm not sure what does it mean Kol HaTorah Kulah. Does that that means the Torah Shebichtav, Torah Shebe'al Peh, the Torah Shebe'al Peh that until I was born or or even more, I don't know. Yeah, you're a good Jew. You didn't answer my question, but you said something else. Very good. You basically says that on Har Sinai we got the authority, the authenticity of Torah, right? But in terms of mitzvot, you didn't answer my question. Like, what did he receive? Answer is, we know for sure the 10 Commandments, right? Okay. With the 10 Commandments, we also know that there are other mitzvot that he probably received. And by the way, the fact that he received it does not mean necessarily that he needs to convey it immediately. It might be that what? That some of it comes with time, right? B'not Tzelafchad. So, you know what? Here, B'not Tzelafchad. I I you know what? Not that. Mekalel. We did it last week, so you that's something that you forgot already, okay? So, we have the Mekalel. You remember what's happened with the Mekalel, with the blasphemer? Last week's parsha. At the end of the parsha, this guy comes along, he goes into the in the into the camp. I gave a drasha on that for people who were here. And he goes out and he he had a fight with another Israeli man, and he blasphemed he became a blasphemer, okay? And they brought him to Moshe Rabbeinu, and he put him what? In Mishmar. Like, they guarded him until Hashem would tell him what to do. So, that was not told to him on Har Sinai. B'not Tzelafchad. Same thing. Pesach Sheni. Okay. So, three things that were not given to him on Sinai. Oh, Zimri No, there he knew he couldn't. Because okay, it's Hazal. I need Hazal. Um because really most Hazal says that really Pinchas came to ask if if Pinchas Okay. Moshe Rabbeinu couldn't do that because his wife was a Midianite. And Zimri came to Moshe, and he says to him, "Ben Amram, which is obviously an not a respectful way to talk to Moshe Rabbeinu. Ben Amram, Zot Muteres O Asurah? My my girl, is she okay with me or not? If you tell me yes, okay. If you tell me no, who gave you permission to marry Tzipporah?" Yeah, that's a that's If you think chutzpah is only the 21st century phenomena, no. Baruch Hashem, it it happened many many years before. So, that's what happened with Moshe Rabbeinu. So, go. Okay, so you basically say what did he do for 40 days and 40 nights, right? So, he probably learned. Right? He studied all the Torah. So, what was wrong with the Mekalel, Pesach Sheni, and B'not Tzelafchad? He was in recess, like what? So, obviously we have we have an issue here. Okay, that's number one. That's number one. Second question that we obviously have. So, if he learned the entire Torah, all Hamisha Chumashim, so you already know everything about the Meraglim and Korach and Milchemet Og and all the rest of it. Like, so all the Mitonenim, all the complaints, everything. So, he knows everything. So, what's the surprise for him? If he knows that Korach is going to argue with him, what? Oh, okay. Maybe all the mitzvot, right? Now, what about mitzvot that they came as a result of of the complaints? He also learned them? Okay. Because we don't know. And because we don't know, obviously you understand why Hazal comes along and what? And try to fill and to fill in those gaps. Okay? So, also we can understand and we should understand that part of it is because of historical circumstances that Hazal had to say probably more than before. What what do I mean by that? Especially when you have people who challenge Torah Shebe'al Peh and say that the rabbis have no authority to make Torah Shebe'al Peh, oral Torah. Who do I Who am I talking about? Tzedukim, Isiyim, Kutim. Okay, later on, early Christians and all of that. Everyone who challenged Torah Shebe'al Peh. So, Hazal had to say what? No, it was also given at Sinai. If you believe in Hamisha Chumashim, you also need to believe in what? In Torah Shebe'al Peh. Very similar to whom? To you remember Rabbi Akiva? The Gemara in Shabbat Daf Lamed. Yeah, Im Ata Ma'amin Li Ba'Alef Bet, Ta'amin Li Gam BaTorah Shebe'al Peh. You need to believe in it. So, I need to create some kind of an authority and authenticity. So, if I tell you the Torah Shebe'al Peh was given at Sinai, so if I believe in Hamisha Chumashim, I believe also in Torah Shebe'al Peh. Now, the thing is, when you talk about Torah Shebe'al Peh, so what do you mean by Torah Shebe'al Peh? Everything? Only the Kelalim, the principles? What does it mean Torah Shebe'al Peh? That's B. C. We know, at least Hazal. Hazal themselves, they say that after Moshe Rabbeinu passed away, 3,000 Halachot were forgotten, and then Atniel ben Kenaz was able to bring them back. What does that mean? It means what? That whatever God gave to Moshe Mhm. were able to be duplicated by human brain. You hear what Hazal are trying to tell you? This is This is the the magnitude of what Hazal are trying to say. That whatever was given at Sinai, we now can do it, quote unquote, by ourselves. So, can we make mistakes? We definitely can. But what do we do when we make a mistake? There is a problem. If you admit that you made a mistake, what can what it can lead? If you made one mistake, maybe everything else that you made was what? Was also a mistake. There is a discussion in the Gemarot, what what is the law when what is the Halacha when a Beit Din made a mistake. The what? Oh, you don't even go there. Just But the name of the name of Okay. The badin made a mistake. So, what do you do? Do you re-judge it or not? So, it depends. It's if it's something that it's written in the and you made a mistake. So, if you're going to admit it, what do you think people would think about you? What kind of a day on is it? So, maybe you should what? You should say quiet, quiet, quiet. It's all good. Or you can say no, the opposite. If the badin admit that they made a mistake, that give them what? More validity. Look. They could hide it and they decided to what? To be transparent. That's today the the word, right? To be transparent and to tell everyone we made a mistake. So, this is an interesting discussion in terms of authority. But then later on you have another issue. And the issue is, let's say we agree and we believe obviously that the sages has the authority to create different things, right? So, can they create new holidays? Hanukkah and Purim. And immediately the in Shabbat in asked what? How can they do that? And how can we say the blessing of that we have been commanded and commanded commanded where in the Torah we have Hanukkah and Purim? So, the needs to go and say all there are two verses. One one of my favorite as a rabbi You heard it? Do not deviate from what I say or tell you. Which by the way creates another You're okay with me? Creates another discussion between the army and the army. The army says even if he tells you the right is left and left is right, you should believe him. Even if he tells you the the right is left and left is right, you should believe him. Wait, wait, wait. Which means what? Even if you No, no, no. If I tell you your right left your right hand is your left hand and your left hand is your right hand. I Very good. And what do I need to do according to the army? Still believe you. Still submit my cognitive abilities because the rabbi said so. The says to him you mean you mean and small small. Which means if it makes sense. That's obviously a problem because what makes sense to you does not necessarily make sense to me. Who was the author of make sense philosophy? Korah. Rabbi Soloveitchik has an incredible essay on Korah. And he says, you know, the Midrash talks about two main questions that Korah asked our teacher. One, if you have a room full of books do I need a mezuzah? And Rashi says Rashi. And Moshe says Yes. And then he says to him, if I have a blue do I need a still a blue string? And Moshe says yes. And Korah says no make sense. Everything is alive. What would I You have all those books and you have a Torah you tell me that what? That you need a mezuzah? Makes no sense. That's the problem when you talk about makes if it makes sense or not, if it's logical or not. Why? Because many things are not exactly logical. A, B where is the limit of the sages? Okay, Hanukkah and Purim as we say sababa. What about all the the sages all the boundaries the the the limits that the sages created? When do you say you don't have the authority? Not only enough because we can't get it, but like who gave you the authority? Meaning how much can you expand the authority? Yes, I think someone there Yes. Oh, that's a good question. Also a question. The sages also have something to say about it. The question was but the Torah says you should not add and you should not detract from the from the So, first and foremost the sages who are obviously also in charge of the Torah, they say that the interpretation for not to add or not to detract is in the itself. Which means instead of four in the I add a fifth Okay, that's in the itself to add. That's a problem. Okay? Alternatively Okay, you know what? You took me there. Okay. We are opening up another You're with me? Okay, very fun day today. So let's go. That's a between the Rambam and the Ravad. Okay, let me ask you a question. From um you should not cook a kid in its mother's milk. That you should not cook a kid in its mother's milk. It's mentioned how many times in the Torah? Three. Very good. What do we learn from the three times? Eating. No, eating and and and cooking. Very good. Good. What cooking, enjoying it, benefiting benefiting from it and and um and eating it. Can you eat Well, now I'm going to be the most popular rabbi. Can you eat chicken and cheese? Rabbi Yossi ate it. But can you do it? Can you do a chicken cheeseburger? Chicken cheeseburger? Something like that. What? We we basically declared no. Very good. Why? Why do you think the rabbi Uh not because of that. Oh, so Susie said maybe it will lead to other things like a slippery slope. That was not the reason there. The reason there was people are confused. Meat chicken, same thing. So, therefore if you will not prohibit the chicken, people would also eat at the end of the day meat with cheese. Yes. Oh, there's a between and Okay. Now, but but let's just go back for for that one. Okay, so the rabbis basically declared that cheese and chicken are not allowed together, right? Very good. Good. Can I as a rabbi said when you come to me and you ask rabbi, can I eat chicken and cheese? And I'll tell you no. And if I ask you now, is that from the Torah? Can I say yes? Okay. Take a look. There is something very interesting. The Rambam say that if I say it's from the Torah I will violate the Torah. I will violate the Torah that you shouldn't add to a Torah. Why? Everything begins with Adam and Eve. If you want to see it, it's an incredible shot of the Torah. He says like that. It's Rambam and Ravad. Adam and Eve heard from God what? You should not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Shouldn't eat, right? Then Adam goes ahead and talks to his wife and he says to her what? God said not to touch. Don't eat, don't touch. Which means Eve thought that God says don't touch, don't eat. When she met the snake the snake says to her what's going on? Why don't you eat from that? Immediately the first thing that Eve says was what? God said don't touch. According to the Midrash the snake pushed Eve she touched the tree and nothing happened. The snake says to her, the same way that nothing happened while touching it, nothing will happen to you if you will eat it. The mistake of Adam according to [clears throat] this Midrash is that he he violated what? The Torah. He should have said what? God said don't eat. I will add. You know what? Maybe it's better for us what? Don't touch it. So, we will not be tempted to what? To eat from it. Says the Rambam based on this he says, if a rabbi says that this is from the Torah knowing that it's not but it's only a rabbinic decree he's violating the Torah. I will tell you and I'll say it and going to Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai Meron Lag BaOmer of 2026 when there is a threat from Lebanon from the Hezbollah First Lag BaOmer is not mentioned in the Torah. You're with me? Lag BaOmer is not mentioned in the Torah. Lag BaOmer is not mentioned as a play as a as a holiday that you need to go and celebrate on on his grave even in the town. But there is you should watch yourselves. There is a commandment to what? To watch yourself and to make sure that you are safe and not to endanger yourself and definitely not endanger others. Okay? But when things become almost like a Torah status and people think that this is like a commandment from the Torah, that become but it's not even secondary, become now Nonsense. No, no, it becomes exactly the most important thing. What people think, what what we know it's maybe even secondary or even third on the list now becomes what? The top of the the top of the list. That's sometimes a problem when people don't know what is rabbinic and what is the writer. Now, I understand many people are here and I you know And what about all the again that they made? You don't have to follow them otherwise they criticize And that's fine to to to listen to this idea but the question is is the again the limits where do they come from? And where are the limits? The Torah itself already talks about again again no of the none which means what? You make one decree, you don't make a decree and based on that decree you make another decree. Okay? There is one decree with you. Now, what is included in one decree that's a different question but you can't make again again. So therefore let's go back to what Moses received on Mount Sinai. So basically we understand that when you go through the time you can basically get different answers to what exactly he received on Mount Sinai. Okay, I'll give you one more example of wow. Yeah, I hope we'll finish it by um So you will know what to celebrate, right? So I'll give you one more example. The in another place it says I I vote key move at all Torah at all of them that I am Jacob kept the entire Torah and fulfilled it even before it was given. So basically Abraham had Seder right? And he asked the Torah and he did the Torah and and he did the Torah He was not holding it was not meat. It was this bio made meat whatever it was the the thing. So and the new milk that it's not the it's a power. So the thing is is what? Is that they are saying something that obviously it's very hard to understand on the on a simple understand oh kept the entire Torah. What are they talking about, right? His descendants are not yet in so you're telling me that what? He celebrated what he blew the what he did he did the Torah he did the Torah. Do you know why? The idea is that especially when you look at the at the names of the of the by the way I am a member you understand that we have a we had a problem. We have a vote right? And I am a vote and none of them is what we will call today a religious person. Also none of them is what? Is Jewish by birth. You look at me like I said so I mean that's that's what the Torah says. Abraham came from the ark and Isaac really came from where the ark but but from the ark did the ark go through a conversion or was it made in somewhere? What shame and ever and then they did a conversion? Abraham went through a conversion Abraham received the Torah believed in God and that's it there's no Torah again. So we have a problem and the problem became even larger when Christianity came along. Christianity loved Abraham. You know why? Because hospitality believe in God and they all the only problem that they had with Abraham was the Torah. So what did they say? Jesus did it once and he took it for all of us. That's it. That's how they got rid of the Torah and then they were able to what? To welcome everyone else. Isaac they loved. But he did one thing that really speaks to them. He died and he came back. On the Torah when he was put on the altar his soul was taken away and then he came back. Who is their problem? Jacob. Jacob he is a problem for them. He's called Israel. He has the tribes. He went to he comes back. Okay? So Jacob always was a problem for them and also he fought with and is according to the is Rome, Italy and Christianity. Therefore the Torah said when they saw where the wind blow in in terms of the vote what did they do? They insert an understanding that they kept the entire Torah before it was given. So now they also understand that it makes no sense. What do you mean that Abraham had a Seder in in Sukkot? Answer is they understood the significant the the the spiritual significant from every Torah and the Torah says that Abraham's inner is teaching him what God wants. Meaning in every Torah there is a revelation of what wants from you. It's not only just to shake the Torah. It needs to affect you in some spiritual way. So they understood it and based on that that's what it means that they kept the entire Torah. So why am I telling you all of that? It all yes. So back in the days they don't know it's a Not making it up. They are they always try to find some kind of a proof in the Torah some of it it's very clear some of it a bit complicated. I'll be very honest. Complicated for us. Complicated same thing as impossible to understand is that complicated? Um no, it means that I cannot understand everything but Okay. Smarter than smarter people than I. Ah Thank you but they are. So the thing is is that you have you know the Torah also said I am a comma the he the comma many the Torah who was the wisest person on the earth he tried to understand the Torah and he couldn't. What did he say? The Torah many does not mean that someone else cannot figure it out. Okay? So the idea yes but it's challenging and that's exactly my point that I want to get from my up to here that when he spoke about the 40 years and we got into all this discussion. Torah by the way is probably the most challenging thing to deal with. And I'm telling you that as a rabbi. Um you have many times you need to understand where do you derive the um the conclusions from. A. B. Many times it's not clear. C. There are so many of the D. Many times you have this tension between your cognitive understanding and your emotional feeling towards that specific question. So it's very challenging but for sure we can say we can all agree upon that without the Torah by the way we will not be here today. With all its complications and with all of our complaints without the Torah by the way and the commitment to the Torah by the way we will not be here. If you want to I am here look around. When there is no commitment and there is no dedication and there are no rituals it cannot be sustained for too long. Yes. So the question was on it says move it all of them and all of them are on the run. They all seem to stay on the run all of them. So first and foremost the verse is basically talking about the fact that they accepted what? The Torah. The Torah comes along and say that they re-accepted Torah. Re-accepted and why? Because on Mount Sinai they received it by all of them. They were forced to. The Torah says the Torah by the way in all of them Torah in love can't they have all of them? If you accept it great and if not you will be buried right here. On Purim they accepted it from their own Torah from their own will. That's the this is the meaning of Torah by the way all of them all of them all of them. So Oh, okay. I need to finish. So we will continue with the Torah um next week and until then you are on the suspense. What exactly Moses received on Mount Sinai? By the way, don't come with too many expectations for next week. I don't think I can add too much to that but we will continue to understand. Don't forget the title of this is the link between the Torah and the Torah.