Shavuos - Combining Heaven and Earth

You're listening to the Weekly Partial Podcast with Ari Goldwag, recorded with Hashem's never-ending assistance in Ramat Beit Shemesh, Israel, 5786 2026. This week tonight, tomorrow we have Shavuos, Shabbos if you're in Eretz Yisrael, we're going to read Parshas Nasso. If you're in Chutz La'aretz, it will still be Shavuos. So, in the coming weeks, we're going to have that offset. We'll deal with that when it comes. I'd like to share with you some thoughts about Shavuos. I'd like to share with you some midrashim that relate to Kabbalas HaTorah. And I want to preface it by saying that uh this morning I was struggling to find something to speak about. And um the name Rabbi Mordechai Fochler came up, who is my sister's father-in-law, was my sister's father-in-law. And there's a sefer from Rabbi Mordechai Fochler, who was a rav in South Africa and also in the UK. And there's a sefer and he talks he has essays on Pesach and Shavuos. And in that sefer so he um brought some midrashim which I found quite interesting. I'm going to expound and expand a little bit of my own type of thinking about them and I I hope to mention a little bit of what he says as well. Then he just says Shavuos, we celebrate Kabbalas HaTorah, we've been counting down the days, counting up. Seven weeks, seven times seven. We're getting to the 50th day tonight. And on the 50th day Hashem, right we count from Pesach until Shavuos. We're going to see, we're going to talk about why is it that the Torah was not given immediately in Nissan, right after we left we left Egypt. And the midrash is going to address this point. But we've been counting down. Counting down from Pesach in Nissan through Iyar and now we're in Sivan. And this is when we receive the Torah. So I'm going to read to you the measure. It's in the Sifta Rabati, I think. Aseres Hadibros. Parshas Matan Torah. The measure says, the 10 Commandments, the section of the Torah which speaks about the giving of the Torah, Amru Ruach Hakodesh al yedai Hamelech, Melech Yisrael. >> [sighs and gasps] >> Divine inspiration spoke through King Solomon and said as follows. This is a pasuk in Shir Hashirim. Pasuk says, So in Shir Hashirim, Song of Songs, chapter 5 verse 13, Lichayo karugas habosem, migdalos merkachim. His cheeks are like a a a beautiful um fine smell. A a tower or towers of fine smells. Sifsosav shoshanim noflos mor over. And his lips are like roses that they have again a beautiful smell, the smell of mor. In Hebrew it's myrrh, m y r r h, if I'm not mistaken. Passing you you pass by and there's a wonderful smell. So the pasuk in Shir Hashirim is speaking about Hashem's praise of Klal Yisrael, the Jewish people, that we with our cheeks and with our mouths, with our lips, there's something unique about us. We smile. We speak. And that's unique. And it's related, as we'll see soon, to the concept of the giving of the Torah. Says the measure, Can I give me amar Hamelech hazeh? Corresponding to what did King Solomon say this pasuk? Lo amar ela keneged osei teshuvah. It's referring to something unique and special about this time, the time of the giving of the Torah. K'she nitna ha'Torah l'Yisrael. When the Torah was given to the people of Israel, "Mish da'agu kol ha'olam kuloi." The whole world shook. Okay? The whole world is shaking. "Kol ha'olam kuloi." And this comes to Aitz Chaim al ha'Torah, and I would say that it's what it's what the world looks like when the Jewish people are facing redemption. And here, we're talking about first we had the Jewish people go out of Egypt, which was our physical redemption, but then 50 days later we received the Torah. We have a spiritual redemption. Having physical freedom is only important in so far as we can fill our physical freedom with a spiritual freedom. Okay? So, whenever there's a freedom, whenever there's a redemption, the world shakes. Right? Think about what's going on now in the world. Klal Yisrael, as we're moving into the age of Mashiach, so the whole world is shaking from those who wish to prevent Klal Yisrael from holding on to and taking possession of Eretz Yisrael. Right? That's what's going on with the war with Iran, with the wars that have happened over the last decades. There's a shaking up of the world that happens when Klal Yisrael is about to receive the Torah. This comes to Aitz Chaim al ha'Torah, so what do the nations of the world naturally do? They come to Bil'am. Bil'am was the prophet of the nations, Bil'am the wicked. Remember the shamayim v'ha'aretz v'ha'olam ha'olam nidonim k'veishalom. People sensed that something huge is about to happen, something great is going on. So, they said, "Maybe Hashem is about to bring a flood to the world as he did in the times of Noah. Or maybe the world is being judged as it was before. So, in response to this Russia said, and he said appropriately, he said correctly, Kings of the land, do not do not be afraid. Don't don't get tumultuous. Those who are in the land came. The one who dwells on high, which is the one who dwells in heaven is coming in his honor to to reveal himself upon his children with compassion. An amazing thing. Hashem has come with his compassion. He has appeared to give to his nation the Torah and wisdom and instruction to those who are his beloved ones. Okay, so there was a sense, there was a recognition amongst the nations of the world, the leaders of the world that something big is happening. Something huge is happening. They were afraid. They thought maybe they're going to be judged, destroyed, who knows what. And tells them Hashem is revealing himself to the Jewish people. Hashem is now going to guide them. It's very interesting when we look at this and we'll see more about the connection between heaven and earth. As we look at this we see that he's talking to or I don't know if it's a probably based on a sounds very sounds like something in in uh somewhere. But he's saying those who dwell upon the land don't don't get all confused and sit tumult as they say in Yiddish. Don't get all bothered and worried because Hashem who dwells on our in the heavens, the heavens are coming down to dwell on the earth. Which to me means to say that it's true in a sense that there was a judgment that was going on for the world. Right? We know Hasal say that Hashem turned to each of the nations of the entire world and said to them, "Do you want to accept the Torah?" Each of them said for their own reasons, "No." Which means to say that there was a judgment going on. Cuz all the all those things that Hashem said were all already they were already obligated in the was the Shimon says B'nei Noach. So Hashem appears but he saves the world as it were by giving instruction to the people who will accept it. And ultimately, as we've seen over the last few thousand years the nations of the world also to a certain extent accept that which it says in the Torah. Christians on their level the Muslims on their level. Now the Medrish the Medrish is giving us like kind of a key a a an an opening to understand that everyone's affected by the Torah. And it's a connection between heaven and earth. But let's see. The Medrish says something further which is remarkable. V'lamah nitnah Torah b'Sivan? B'lo meisharim orachim. Medrish says, "Why was the Torah given in the month of Sivan?" That's the month we're in now. We're at the beginning of Sivan. Love Sivan. Why didn't Hashem give the Torah in Nissan? They should have come out of Egypt and receive the Torah immediately or maybe in Iyar the month that immediately follows. Why did it take a whole 50 days? Why do we have to get to a third month? says something which on the surface is a little bit opaque, but we're going to hopefully understand it. It says this is an analogy to a king that wanted to make a chuppah. He wanted to show off his daughter. He's marrying off his daughter. He wants to show her off. >> [snorts] >> One of the One of the king's advisers, particular person said, The first adviser said, "Look, you want to show her off. You want to show off your beautiful princess. You want to show off, right? And obviously Hashem is the king, and Klal Yisrael is the princess. You want to show her off, so put her on top of a huge elephant. She'll be high up. She'll be seen by everybody. Make a beautiful uh display. Bring her around and and show her off to all of the great ones of your kingdom. I'm going to appeal to the fire. Another person said, "Look, to put her on top of a uh an elephant an elephant is very high. It's It's not so It's not the same level of splendor. Like when something is too high and far, you know what I'm saying? It's hard to see. I'm sorry. It's not like an elephant is quite an ugly animal. It's not like if you want to express how great she is, put her on an animal that's more, you know, beautiful. Not so Not so tall. People won't to crane their necks. Another key of Sisyphus. Instead, put her onto a horse, which we find that Mordecai It was done for Mordecai. And then show her beauty to all of the great ones of your kingdom. On there was a third advisor of the king who said, "Look, it's true, there are advantages of each of these and disadvantages. The elephant is too tall, maybe. The horse is very nice. But But they're missing something and that's the mouth, which remember in the Shir Hashirim, the beauty that Hashem referred to, the the cheeks that smile, the the lips that speak. So, this third wise man said, "If you want to show her off, put her on the shoulders of a human being. Let her sit on the shoulders of a person who can speak, who can sing, who can clap, who can dance." Those are That's what it matters, it says. Mouth to speak, hands to clap, feet to dance. Ours is Yafia. And you can And it's right to put her onto the shoulders of a human being to show off this your your daughter's beauty. She did not want to give We need to understand what this means. This is the opaque part. She did not want to give the Torah in Nissan and not in in Iyar. We have Nissan Mazel Nissan to Iyar, mazal Iyar shor. The zodiac sign and the zodiac signs are of Jewish origin, guys. So, the zodiac sign of Nisan is the the lamb or the sheep. And the zodiac sign of Iyar is the ox. So, those are two different types of animals. They represent two different types of things and or perhaps we'll get a little bit of a deeper insight shortly into what they each represent. But, they're animals. And if you're going to put the Kabbalat Torah, the crowning of the of the princess, the Jewish people, if you're going to make that occur in Nisan, the character of Nisan is related to a sheep and the character of Iyar is related to an ox. Ein Eloheinu Melech Ha'Olam LeChadesh LeShabeach. So, you're you're putting the princess onto the wrong month, onto the wrong animal, the wrong type of being. Lakach Hashem Hakadosh Baruch Hu HaTorah b'Sivan. That's why Hashem gave the Torah in Sivan. Why? Mivne sh'mazal Sivan Te'omim. What is the zodiac sign of Sivan? The zodiac sign of Sivan is the twins. U'Te'omim Adam Adam. And twins are a human. When you have twins, it means two twin human beings. And V'Adam Yesh Lo Peh Ledaber V'Yadayim Lespok V'Raglayim Lerakod. The human being has ability, has a mouth to speak, hands to clap, feet to dance. So interesting. Mouth to speak, hands clap, feet to dance. So, what is the measure saying? The measure is saying that there's something special about Sivan that happens. There's something unique about the character of Sivan that it it's like carrying, it's like being carried. The Torah is being presented. The The chuppah of the Jewish people is happening in Sivan. In the month of the human beings, of the twins. Of the twins. You could also say, "Why is twins? Why couldn't it be, I don't know, the archer?" Well, in Chazal, it's it's the actual the the bow and arrow itself. So, it's not the archer who's a human. But, what's the what's the concept here? What's the concept here? So, I'd like to share with you there's there's a whole section here in the measure, which I I I don't want to read it inside, it will take too long, but I I'd like to just mention it because it's also very much related to the concept. And then we're going to see inside the part of the measure which really gives the deepest hint as to what's going on here. The measure says that it's a famous thing. When the when the Torah was given, so the angels were upset. "Why are you giving this Torah to human beings? Why are you letting this amazing spiritual powerful teaching, why is it going down to earth?" They wanted to stop Moshe Rabbeinu. The measure here says that they were crying. The angels were crying. The heavenly hosts were crying. And you know, let's read it inside cuz it's so beautiful. K'she natan Hashem Torah l'Yisrael, eretz samecha v'shamayim bochim. When Hashem gave the Torah to the people of Israel, the earth was rejoicing and and the heavens were crying. U'mipnei mah eretz samecha v'shamayim bochim? Why was the earth Why was the physical realm so joyous and why were the heavens crying? It says the magician of the martial it says imagine you have a king who wants to make a hooker for his daughter but they crack my necklace with slight so the people of the royal city they didn't come the city dwellers the ones who live near the palace they didn't come learn us they didn't give any praise but it from this one of the shower the people of the outlying cities the suburbs they came they praised the king but the shower the milk they had all types of instruments harps and violins the the king put out a proclamation saying where are you guys? Why didn't you come? You guys live near the palace you understand the great honor the king you know how to praise the the princess properly why didn't you come? the earth gave their praise think about it even Russia understood that something momentous was going on the earth gave its praise the heavens did not give their praise our God is good who will be the yes men of arts you guys should be giving all of the praise you understand the spiritual value of the Tyra you understand the my daughter which is the Tyra you guys are you understand it more so than the physical realm, the people on the land. They said that the earth needs to be the one to give the praise. Right, think about it. Who is the king? I I don't know. Who does the king take care of more? The people in the royal city? All of the dignitaries? Or does he take care of more? Is he more concerned about and worried about the people who live in the outlying areas? I would say that the dignitaries can take care of themselves. They're rich. They're they're okay. The the king is more concerned about the people throughout his kingdom. So, in a certain sense, the the the Torah, which is given to to mankind, for us to be able to revel in and to have a a deeper reality in this world. We live in a in the physical realm. We're going to infuse the physical realm with the spiritual. So, that's those who to whom the Torah is given, so it makes sense for them to praise. The heavens were sad. We're going to give praise? We're losing the There's a certain thing that happens. The heavens are crying. And I And I think that what it's saying or what it's hinting to here is that the world doesn't come to completion with the animals, with the For some reason, Nissan represents a certain aspect. Represents the animal aspect of the world, perhaps. Or as the Midrash says in the continuation, it represents the light. Iyar represents darkness. Let's Let's read the Midrash inside before we run out of time. So the magician interesting thing. Why did I show create the world in Nissan and not in year? We all think that the world created in Tishrei it was in potential. It was brought into actualization in Nissan. It's a conversation for another time. But why did I show create the world in Nissan? And not in a year because at the time when I show created the world He said to the to the the angel of darkness move out of my way. I want to create the world with light, which means to say there's a physical aspect which is called darkness and there's a spiritual aspect which is called light. I show wants to create the world with light. Okay, so he says to the darkness move out of the way. So Nissan is the month of light. The the angel of darkness is compared to the ox, which is the physical aspect as we said. So I show says to this ox to the angel of darkness move out of my way. If you don't move out of my way, I'm going to scream at you. So so I show says I I want to create the world with light. What So I am out of my way, right? So the angel of darkness says to Hashem, "What do you create after light?" And we're like, "Hashem?" He says, "The second thing I'm going to create is going to be darkness, right?" Hashem created the light and dark. This is where it comes to Shamayim and Aretz. First he makes the Or and then he makes the Choshech. He makes the darkness. So, what happens? That's that's Iyar. The Maggid understands. V'achar Choshech Mata Beru v'Imalay T'omim. After the second month, which is Iyar, which is representative of the physical aspect versus the spiritual, then is the physical. What happens in the third month, which is which is Sivan, I'm related to I'm in now I have twins. N'mata Beru T'omim she'also l're'ot Adam b'Or u'v'Choshech. The human being can see light and dark. The human being has the ability to see light and dark. U'v'Shamayim Adam Adam. So, so here's the depth of what the Maggid is saying. We're actually not going to get to what Rebbe Nachman said, but I do appreciate him giving me this Maggid to to look at and to explore deeply. What the Maggid is saying here is like this. Listen in. This is it. This is the bottom line. The human being is a combination of heaven and earth, of light and dark. He has twins. Twins. He's a human being. The human being is twins. This we find also that the twins refers to Hashem and Klal Yisrael. Y'notzei T'masei, where the T'masei, the the perfect one of Hashem, and also the T'aim, the the twin as it were, because we have within us darkness and light. We have within us this combination. We don't just have heaven. Heaven is sad when the Torah is given away. But the Torah is the heavenly aspect of reality. And when we receive the heavenly aspect of reality, we infuse our physicality, which is the darkness, with light, and we become the twins. We become the twins. Nisan is light. Nisan is creation. Iyar is darkness. Right? Think about it. We have Nisan, and we have the the uh the miracles, we have the revelation of Hashem letting us out. But then what happens? Iyar is a time of work. It's a time of darkness. Where's the Torah? We didn't get the Torah yet. Right? I would say, if you think about many important events over the last 75 years or so, a little more, have occurred in Iyar. It's the physical aspect of the redemption. Klaal Yisrael's returning to Eretz Yisrael. There's a physical aspect and outer aspect, which needs which needs to be infused with what? With Sivan. Sivan is where we get the physical the spiritual redemption. Physical aspect of redemption comes and combines on shvuous. Comes and combines with matan Torah, with the receiving of the Torah. It's not enough to have an animal aspect. It's not enough to have a spiritual aspect. We need to find that balance of shamayim and aretz, of heaven and earth. And that's what the Torah does for us. The Torah gives us this balance. Gives us the the human being who can speak, who can clap, who can dance. No other animal can do these things. We do find that the angels can sing. Right? They sing. They sing the praises of Hashem. But only the human being has that ability, that special Coming back to the this beautiful beautiful smell, this beautiful rayach gan eden, the smell of of the garden of Eden. And it comes from our our cheeks. Our cheeks, they smile, they speak. They form words. It's it's the communication, the connection. The beautiful smell that comes from the lips, the rosy lips of the Jewish people. How does it come? It comes from us talking Torah. Comes from us speaking about the will of Hashem. It comes from us being that combination of heaven and earth. Of having a spiritual aspect inside of ourselves. The angel inside of us connected to the physical aspect of ourselves, which is it's it's a twin, right? It's the twin. The twins are the spiritual and the physical. Hashem, klal Yisrael. That's when the Torah is given. The Torah is about bringing together these two aspects. These two polar opposites, light and dark. The human being sees both. Human being has the capacity to perceive light and dark, the spiritual and the physical. And because we combine that, because we have that, the Torah is what gives us the ability to find that balance between It's not it's not about denying our physicality, it's about infusing our physicality with spirituality. That's why we have chatzi lashem, chatzi lachem. Shavuos is a a special unique holiday where we have all of these different foods, special sweet foods, and we learn the Torah all night, and I would say that we also have to snack all night as we're learning the Torah. It's bringing together these two aspects. So, I want to bless you, ask you to bless me. Should help us that we should be we should merit this to see the light and to see the dark and recognize that these two come together in us. Should help us to be the twins. To be the ones upon whom can ride. Upon whom can show off his beautiful princess, which is the Torah. May we be to carry the Torah on our shoulders. Thank you so much for listening. Have a wonderful and a wonderful this. This podcast was made possible [music] through the gracious donations of listeners like you. For more podcasts like this, please visit www.arigoldwag.com [music] or search on iTunes >> [music] >> Ari Goldwag.