Thursday, June 6, 2024

Thursday's Thoughts on Shavuous

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on Shavuous this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

R' Frand began the vort by noting that the Jews did not say Na'aseh V'Nishma in Parshas Yisro. Instead, the words appear in Parshas Mishpatim (Shemos 24:7) which states וַיִּקַּח֙ סֵ֣פֶר הַבְּרִ֔ית וַיִּקְרָ֖א בְּאָזְנֵ֣י הָעָ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ כֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה נַֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה וְנִשְׁמָֽע.

But why is the statement found in Mishpatim? Rashi states that the Jews said it at Har Sinai, on the 4th of Sivan and relies on the concept of Ein Mukdam U'M'uachar B'Torah. However the Ramban and Ibn Ezra disagree and state that the Jews said it on the 7th or 8th of Sivan and it was separate from Matan Torah.

R' Frand next made reference to Shemos 24:9-10 which discusses Moshe, Aharon, Nadav and Avihu and the 70 Zekeinim going up and viewing the Kisei HaKavod. R' Frand first quoted the Rashi on Shemos 24:10  וְתַ֣חַת רַגְלָ֗יו כְּמַֽעֲשֵׂה֙ לִבְנַ֣ת הַסַּפִּ֔יר וּכְעֶ֥צֶם הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם לָטֹֽהַר , explaining that the reason Hashem had brickwork under the Kisei HaKavod was to remind Him of the enslavement in Egypt and that Hashem had great simcha when the Jews left Egypt.

R' Frand observed that Hashem did not need a reminder as He does not forget. Instead, the image was for Moshe and Aharon and the others to see that Hashem was Noseh B'Ol Im Chavero. 

But why was that needed at the time that the Jews received the Torah? In fact, the person that Moshe perceives Hashem at the Sneh, Rashi explains that Hashem chose to appear in the Sneh and not a tree or larger edifice, because Hashem wanted to show that He was with the Jews during their enslavement in Egypt.

R' Frand quoted R' Mattisyahu Solomon Ztl who said that the reason that this was referenced here was to show that part of being able to receive the Torah is to be able to sympathize with other people's troubles. Indeed, Pirkei Avos lists this as one of the 48 qualities needed to learn Torah, yet this has nothing to do with intellectual ability.

R' Frand quoted three explanations of why this is mentioned in Pirkei Avos. The Alter M'Kelem says that a person with a Nefesh Yafeh can acquire Torah and one can achieve that by being Noseh B'Ol. The Maharal explains that the Torah was given to the Clal and therefore to acquire Torah a person must be empathetic to the needs of others. Lastly, R' Chaim Volozhin that in order to acquire Torah you need to be able to really listen to your Chavrusa.

R' Frand closed the vort by noting that the simcha that Hashem showed is also part of being Noseh B'Ol. R' Frand quoted R' Motel Pogramanski who stated that if a person does not feel for others he is not a mench. But to truly join in another person's simcha you need to be a Malach.

R' Frand gave the mashal of two neighbors. One has many children who are looking for shidduchim, while the other has children who quickly find their mates. If the neighbor with single children can truly dance and rejoice with his friend despite his own children being single, he demonstrates his ability to be Noseh B'Ol even at a simcha.

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