Part II
In order for a person to be worthy of Torah, he must know
the value of and the reverence due to Torah. Without this, it
is impossible for one to absorb Torah. Chazal encapsulated
all of those advantages in one single place, and that is in
the text of the Ahavoh Rabboh and Ahavas Olom
prayers and blessings preceding Krias Shema. It is a custom
to evoke great arousal in the Shacharis service of
Shavuos, and especially in Ahavoh Rabboh, to fervently
beseech that we be granted the privilege of receiving the
Torah. Its basic theme is the love which conditions our
receiving the Torah.
*
"Have mercy on us and imbue in our hearts . . . " In order to
merit Torah, one must need an initial giving, "Implant
— give — in our hearts." The initial Giving of
the Torah was also a gift. Our request applies to all the
levels and approaches that there are in studying and
acquiring Torah. For even the one who has reached the highest
level of Torah knowledge still falls short of knowledge in
the wisdom that remains beyond his intellectual grasp. He,
too, must ask "imbue in our hearts."
This was the prayer of Shlomo Hamelech, "And may You give to
Your servant a listening heart . . . to differentiate
between good and bad" (Melochim I, 3:19). This is why
the prayer includes several levels of study and knowledge of
Torah for which we ask.
"To understand (lehovin)" — this is the power to
discern one thing from another. "To become wise"
(lehaskil) — that the knowledge be integrated to
become part of our intellectual process, to be absorbed in
our minds. "To hear" (lishmo'a) — this denotes
an inner understanding of something that one already knows.
"To learn" (lilmod) — to learn again something
that he has already understood and integrated, in order to
reveal deeper levels of understanding the Torah. "And to
teach" (ulelameid) — that he be privileged to
teach what he has learned and impart it to others so that he,
too, gain.
One of the 48 ways in which the Torah is acquired is by
"learning in order to teach and learning in order to do." In
addition, one who teaches will grow from his students even
more. In the merit of his teaching others, Heaven will
increase his knowledge in Torah.
"To guard, to do and to perpetuate" (lishmor vela'asos
ulekayeim) — these are included in the 48
acquisitions of Torah, as above. It is written that whoever
studies in order to actually carry out what he has learned,
who is prepared and willing to toil for days and years to
attain even a small thing and to conduct himself according to
the Truth, will merit the opportunity of learning, teaching
and doing.
The prayer continues, " . . . all the words of Your Torah
with love." All of his study in Torah will be perpetuated in
all the manners and at all the levels mentioned earlier. And
they will be performed with love, the love of one's sweet
responsibility in the Torah.
"Enlighten our eyes in Your Torah." Up till here, we asked
that Hashem "place in our hearts . . . " which relates to
those sections of the Torah that depend on the receptiveness
of the heart and one's self-sacrifice and devotion to the
words of Torah. Here the text adds that there are parts of
the Torah which are hidden from our eyes and our
understanding. And even if they do not detract from one's
study, they are still beyond him. One needs special Heavenly
assistance to illuminate his eyes to understand them. He asks
for this illumination through the words, "Enlighten our
eyes."
"And make our heart cleave to Your commandments." Just as the
Torah has parts and subjects that are hidden from our eyes,
so is there a lack in our perpetuation, guarding and
execution of the commandments. Sometimes a person feels
removed — even estranged — from them, and he does
not cling to them. Here, he also needs special siyata
deShmaya. This request is the completion of what we
previously prayed for: to guard, do and perpetuate.
"And unite our hearts to love and fear Your Name." Up till
now we only mentioned avodas Hashem through love,
without referring to fear at all. We pray that we achieve
perfection, wholeness, and that we can unite in our hearts
both love of Hashem and fear, both in study and in the
perpetuation of study. The supreme level here is that through
one's love of Hashem, he will always be afraid to do anything
that is counter to Hashem's will.
"That we not be ashamed ever that we have trusted in Your
Holy Name." Siach Yitzchok brings in the name of the
Ramchal regarding the verse, "In You, Hashem, I trusted; may
I never be ashamed" (Tehillim 31:2), that this is the
source for the wording in Shemoneh Esrei " . . . that
we not be ashamed that we trusted in You." We are assured
that if we place our trust in Hashem, we will not rue it or
be abashed and we will be awarded the good we asked for.
When we pray to be worthy of receiving the Torah in all its
aspects, we are restating what we said before regarding " . .
. our ancestors who trusted in You and You taught them the
codes of life." In this same measure, we trust in You and
surely we will not be ashamed, neither in this world nor the
next.
"We will rejoice and be gladdened in Your victory." The Gaon
explains that the joy is a result of the showering of renewed
goodness that comes in the present, while the gladness is the
ongoing influence that has been always present, from the
distant past.
Torah is our heritage from the times of our ancestors. This
causes us ongoing joy, while the Torah itself is renewed by
each new generation with its respective revelations in it.
And so should it be, "Every day, they [the words of Torah]
should be like new." And in them shall we always find
happiness in that we have found Your victory and liberation
in Torah.
"And gather us up in peace from the four corners of the
earth." Chazal say in Chagigah 5b, "The fact that they
went into exile is the ultimate cause of bittul
Torah." The wholeness and excellence at the Giving of the
Torah was because the entire body of Israel stood at Sinai in
unity. In later generations, a perfect and complete
revelation in Torah can only take place when all of Israel is
gathered and unified in Eretz Yisroel and not
scattered in the diaspora.
"And lead us erect to our land." "Kommemiyus, explains
Rashi (Vayikra 26:13) means with upright posture. The
advantage of this, as explained by the ancient sages (see
Radak Bereishis 2.7.) refers to man as being the only
creature who walks erect on two feet and whose head is always
up. This indicates that his goal is to look ever upwards, to
strive upwards to reach the heavens, to be above corporal
things, removed from material things, from the earth upon
which he stands. All other creatures face downwards, toward
the earth, because their essence and connection is to the
material world, the earth upon which they stand. Thus did
Shlomo Hamelech teach in Koheles 3:21, "for the spirit
of man rises upwards, and the spirit of animal descends
downwards."
We pray to be worthy, prepared and fit to receive Torah at a
level where we will adhere to the above, that we stand
spiritually erect, striving ever upwards.
"For You are a G-d Who effects salvations." The word
yeshuo denotes a salvation without any help on the
part of the one being saved. The meaning here is that even if
the person is not worthy of being saved vis-a-vis his own
deeds still, in the merit of his ancestors and the great love
which You have always loved us, You shower us with the
richness of Your Torah even if we are not worthy thereof.
The name `Keil' (denoting Powerful), shows that Hashem
is capable of carrying out salvations at every level and
against every adversary or impediment. Thus, we are able to
make all the previous requests we mentioned.
"And You have chosen us from every nation and tongue."
Hashem's choice is eternal; it is immutable.
"And drawn us close to Your great Name. Seloh. Truly." Ever
since we were brought close to Hashem at Sinai, we have
enjoyed an ongoing sense of belonging, of affinity to
Hashem's great Name. Hashem prepared us for it and made us
receptive in order "to thank and praise You, and to unify You
in love." Hashem chose us, drew us near to Him, and revealed
to us His uniqueness at Har Sinai, as is written, "You have
taught and shown us to know that Hashem is Elokim; there is
nothing beside Him." The realization that everything is Yours
and everything given to us originates from Your hand,
including our material and spiritual existence —
prepares us and makes us capable of thanking, praising and
unifying You through love.
"Who chooses His people Israel with love." The closing
compares to the opening, showing the advantage of Hashem's
love towards His chosen people, as is written, "For it is not
due to your increased numbers among the nations that Hashem
has chosen you . . . but because of Hashem's love for you"
(Devorim 7:7). Based on this, we ask Hashem to
continue to make us worthy of His Torah. This is the blessing
of Krias Shema, where we find the command to "Love
Hashem your G-d with all your heart."
It has been asked how this can be commanded, if love is
something one feels in one's heart. The answer is that when a
person contemplates Hashem's great love towards us, his heart
will reflect that love and he will feel welling up within it
a responsive, mutual love. This will enable a person to keep
the commandment of, "You shall love Hashem your G-d will all
your heart." This is why it was preceded with the words, "Who
chooses His people, Israel, with love" (Gra).
*
HaGaon R' Chaim of Volozhin ztvk'l wrote about the
wealth and extent of kavonos which the Anshei Knesses
Hagedoloh incorporated in the words of all the prayers which
they instituted. We cannot begin to arrive at an iota of
them, and all we have written is merely to rouse us to try to
direct our hearts and emotions as we stand in prayer before
Hashem. We must inspire ourselves with thoughts of the great
advantages of Torah, as delineated by Chazal.
"Whoever comes to be purified is assisted therein." May it be
the heavenly will that we merit receiving from the great
light and spiritual bounty that is channeled down in this
season, which is exemplified through a cleaving to the Torah,
since "Hashem and His Torah are one."
(Said in the Beis Medrash of Ponovezher graduates, Ohel
Tomor, on Wednesday of Parshas Behar, 5765.)
