Shavuot
Deuteronomy 14:22-16:17
Numbers 28:26-31
Habakkuk 2:20-3:19
A woman appealed to the Rebbe of Kozhnitz, complaining that her husband planned to leave her because he no longer found her attractive. “He chose me as his bride and I was beautiful in his eyes. We lived through joy and grief, always side by side. Now that I’ve grown older and my face is wrinkled, how dare he claim that I am no longer attractive to him!”
The rebbe well understood this argument. He looked heavenward and cried, “G-d, this is the argument of Your people. When we stood at Mount Sinai and said, Naaseh venishma [we will do and we will understand], we were like a bride to you. You chose us among all the nations. So now because of our sins and mistakes in a troubled and challenging world, how can you say [perish the thought] that we are ugly in Your eyes?”
At times it does seem that we have moved far away from the generation that accepted the Torah and are no longer worthy of being a unique people. We have tarnished our image to the extent that it may be argued that we are no longer the beautiful bride G-d chose. Yet the Kozhnitzer Rebbe declared this approach to be an error. We have been promised unconditionally that we are the Chosen People eternally. When and why was this promise made?
Before the Torah was given on Shavuot at Mount Sinai, G-d said, “And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and Holy Nation; and these are the words that you shall speak to the Children of Israel” (Exodus 19:6). Rashi comments on the expression “and these are the words,” explaining that this means, “Say these words, no more and no less.” There are hundreds of messages from G-d delivered through Moses, but only here does G-d specifically warn not to add or to omit from that which He has stated, stressing “no more and no less.”
Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk explains that Maimonides (in Hilchot Zechiah Umatanach, Chapter 3) teaches an interesting law regarding gifts. If someone gives a gift only on condition, then the terms must be stated both positively and negatively. For example, “If you get all A’s on your report card, I’ll take you to the circus” is expressed in positive terms, while “If you fail to get straight A’s, I will not take you to the circus” clearly expresses a negative. If the second part of the deal — the negative consequence — is not clearly stated, then the circus gift is still due the recipient.
In Exodus 19:5, G-d said to the Jews, “And if you will listen well to Me and keep My Covenant, you shall be to Me a treasure from among the nations.” Happily, He never expressed this contingency in the negative form. He never said, “And if you will stray from the Torah, you will no longer be My Chosen People.”
In the retelling, Moses could have done one of two things. He could have added conditions or consequences, saying that our failure to do our part would result in our losing our special status, or he could have said less, omitting the promise of our special relationship with G-d. But Moses was directed to say neither more nor less. Thus, our special status comes without conditions.
Therefore, the will of G-d is that even if we fail to fulfill the provision of “If you will…,” we are nevertheless to receive the Divine gift of being His treasured people. Why did G-d promise to cherish us no matter how lacking in spirituality we become? He must surely have seen the inner core that is the soul of our people that (albeit often misguided) tries to become closer to the Almighty. He saw within us the promise and potential of remaining forever deserving in His eyes.
May we always strive to live up to the name and title of an exceptional people, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
Shabbat shalom and chag sameach.