Helllllooooo!
Wow. It's been a while. I haven't written a d'var Torah during these last two weeks. I've been very busy with starting YU and adjusting. But B"H, I will not allow a third week to go by without boring you with my long autobiography. That would be irresponsible of me.
So I started YU, and it is difficult. Trying to become a talmid chacham couple with a full semester of college classes is easier said than done. But I will not complain. I know I'll get used to it. It is very nice to be in a place where there are, on average, 74 minyanim for mincha, and something like 29 roshei yeshiva.
Tonight, we had a very important Rav come speak in YU. Rav Itamar Schwartz, the author of Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh and Da Et Atzmecha, spoke and really got us in the mood of Rosh Hashana. Think about how serious these days are, as the entire world weighs on the balance, and every action may tip the scale to either of the two sides (Rambam).
In honor of the end of the year, I will give a d'var Torah that stresses the importance of the Torah. May we all end off this year and begin next year with a great level of appreciation of the Torah.
"This commandment" is very close to us. Which commandment, you may ask? Well, I may respond, there is a dispute. One opinion says it refers to teshuva, and a second says it refers to the Torah (as a whole). We will be discussing the latter opinon.
Moshe Rabbeinu is speaking about the Torah and tells us that it's not in some remote location. It's not across the sea, and it's not in the heavens. Rather, it's very close to us. It's in our mouths and hearts. Let's think about what our leader is telling us. He's basically entertaining some possible excuses for us, and then rejects them. "I can't learn Torah because it is way above me...I'm incapable" - "It's not in the heavens...it's actually in your heart. Sorry." "Um....I can't learn Torah because that means I have to take transportation to somewhere, and it's too hard..." "Actually, it's not on the other side of the sea...It's on your side...it's actually in your mouth." If you look around, there is so much Torah everywhere. There are so many cheap books, there are so many shiurim, there are billions of websites that spread Torah. It is soooo easy to learn Torah. There can be Torah available to you in the palm of your hand with all the gadgets that technology provides for us. You can call up numbers and listen to a short halacha. There are softwares that have more texts than anyone from the last century would ever even dream of having.
The list of excuses can go on and on, but Moshe is a busy man. He figures you'll get the point. The point is, we can justify whatever we want, whenever we want, however we want. We can always come up with an excuse. But we have to realize that that's all they are - excuses. It all boils down to one thing - you are fooling yourself. Hashem is not being fooled. You can bet on that. I'l guarantee it. If after 120, you realize that you actually fooled Hashem, I will apologize to you. But I don't like apologizing, so I wouldn't say that unless I was 1000% sure that you can't fool G-d. So who are you fooling? There is so much Torah at your disposal. Open your eyes. OK. That's enough from the mussar department. I'll give it over to the vort department.
Let's play a logic game.
Steven is renting a room from Larry, the Landlord. Larry gives Steve a list of rules. Part of the rules is that he has to clean up the room once a week. Larry tells Steve, "But you don't have to go far to get a broom because I put one in the closet - so you don't have to ask yourself, 'Oh no! Who's gonna go buy me a broom now?' You don't have to go far to get soap because I put some under the sink - - so you don't have to ask yourself, 'Oh no! Who's gonna go buy me soap now?'"
So here's the question that I have for you. Let's say the landlord didn't provide soap. Would Steve have to pay? Let's say he wasn't kind enough to provide the broom. Would that mean that the rules change? OF COURSE NOT! That was an act of kindness, a favor. He didn't have to provide the broom and soap. He could have said these are the rules - follow them, or leave and don't let the door hit you on your way out. And if he would do that, Steve would have to go buy the broom and soap.
Same with us. (Rashi) When Moshe tells us that the Torah isn't far away, that it's not across the sea, that it's not in heaven, what is he really telling us? He isspelling out the limits we would have to reach for the Torah had it not been provided for us. If the Torah was in heaven, we would have to elect a worthy candidate who would ascend and retrieve the Torah for us. That would be our obligation as Jews. We must learn Torah. And if we don't have it, we must obtain it. This is what Moshe Rabbeinu is teaching us indirectly. The Torah is not is the heavens. It's very close to you. But, if it were in the heavens, you would have to go up and get it. So take advantage now tha tyou have it.
So this is it. The last week of 5769 is staring us in the eye. It's here. It's our last chance to make a change. It's our last chance to realize and truly acquire Torah that it not be far from us, but be right in our mouths and in our hearts. Do not let this opportunity to go.
Shabbat Shalom!
Have a great end-of-year!
And I ask for forgiveness if I have ever offended or wronged anyone, whether through the emails or another way.
Adam Sabzevari
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