On Shavuot, we celebrate the fact that "Moshe Kibel Torah MiSinai - Moshe received the Torah at Mt. Sinai." But what was it exactly that Moshe Rabbenu received? Was it the entire Torah as we now have it or, only part of the Torah? This question is asked not only by modern Bible critics, but by our greatest sages in the Talmud as well. The Talmud in Massekhet Gittin (60a) records a dispute on this matter. The first and most popular view is that of Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish, known as Reish Lakish. Reish Lakish says that Torah Hatumah Nitnah - the Torah was handed down as a complete unit. The Jewish People received the entire Torah at Mt. Sinai. The Torah that we have today is exactly what Moshe received. The second view -- the one we don't hear about very often -- is that of Rabbi Yochanan, said in the name of Rabbi Bana. He says that Megillah, Megillah Nitnah - the Torah was presented by Hashem little by little, in separate sections, throughout the life of Moshe Rabbenu. At the end of his life, Moshe took all of the parts he had received and sewed them together to create the Torah that we have today. So, at Mt. Sinai, all he received were those parts of the Torah that were needed at that moment in time. Looking at this short piece of Talmud, I see an amazing paradigm. It seems to me that there are two types of Jews today: one we can call the "Hatumah Nitnah Jew" and the other we can call the "Megillah, Megillah Nitnah Jew."
The Hatumah Nitnah Jew is the one described by Reish Lakish: this is the Jew who was exposed to Torah and mitzvot from birth, the Torah was presented to them as a complete unit, from the very beginning. Yiddishkeit was always part of their essence. Leading a Torah life was a given for them: they grew up knowing what a Jew does. Nowadays we call this type of Jew "FFB - Frum from Birth." The Hatumah Nitnah Jew is best illustrated by the great Rabbi Yehoshua, whose mother brought him to the House of Study while he was still in his bassinet so that he would hear the Torah learning and absorb it from infancy onward (Yerushalmi, Yevamot 1:6, 3a).
The Megillah, Megillah Nitnah Jew is the one alluded to by Rabbi Yochanan. This is the Jew who was not brought up within the context of traditional Judaism. He or she was introduced to Torah later in life; only then, as part of an on going spiritual journey, were they are exposed to more and more Torah, little by little, in sections. This type of Jew is commonly known as the "Baal Teshuvah - the one who has returned." The Megillah, Megillah Nitnah Jew is best illustrated by the famous Rabbi Akiva, who became religious at age forty. As a mature adult he entered kindergarten, learning the alefbet. Little by little, section by section, he became fluent in Torah.
The Hatumah Nitnah Jew and the Megillah, Megillah Nitnah Jew received the Torah in very different ways. But on Shavuot -- the anniversary of the Jewish People receiving the Torah -- they both experience the same challenge. Regardless of whether someone was exposed to Torah all at once or section by section, learning and observing its law is a lifelong process. Every year, both types of Jews undoubtedly learn about new details of Halakhah and more proper ways to perform the mitzvot. No one knows it all. Shavuot challenges both types of Jews to have the same attitude as the Jews who gathered around Mt. Sinai. When they received the Torah, they said "Na'aseh Venishmah – we will do as we are commanded and then we will try to understand." Their first reaction when learning Torah was "how can I translate this information into mitzvah observance?" The Megillah, Megillah Nitnah Jew - the Baal Teshuva – may experience this challenge, this influx of new Torah information, more often, but the Hatumah Nitnah Jew experiences it as well. They too must respond actively and enthusiastically.
We all know that there is a custom to eat milchigs on Shavuot. But most of us are not so sure why. One explanation is quoted by the Mishnah Berurah in his commentary on the Shulhan Arukh (494:12). He says that he once heard from a great rabbi that after the Jews received the Torah, they returned to their homes and they were hungry. But they had just received all the complex laws of Kashrut: the many requirements for slaughtering an animal properly, the precision required to check a knife to ensure that it does not have any nicks, the complex rules for removing the forbidden fats and sinews, the process of salting and soaking the meat and the detailed halakhot of kashering their now treif pots, pans, dishes and utensils. It was all so much new information. So what did the Jews do? They ate dairy! It was much easier. Therefore, we do the same thing on Shavuot. These Jews could have said, we will eat the treif meat one more time -- it's already here. By the next meal, we will figure out all these mitzvot. But they did not. They immediately accepted their new Torah information and would not violate it.
May we strive to do the same as we renew our commitment to the Torah and its mitzvot.
Rabbi
Mordechai Friedfertig
Congregation B'nai Shalom
Williamsville,
New York
Email: mordechai at utj.org
Copyright 2001-2003 by Mordechai Friedfertig