New York - An Inspiring Shavuos To All Our Readers |
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News Source: VIN News Staff
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New York - As Shavuos approaches, VIN News would like to wish all of our honorable readers “ah gut yom tov!”—a pleasant and enjoyable holiday surrounded by family and friends.
Everyone is familiar with the simple, basic meaning of our ancestors’ declaration “na’aseh v’nishmah”—we will do and we will listen to everything that G-d says.
But VIN News would like to suggest a different interpretation—not “we will do and we will hear” but rather, “we will do” so that “we will hear.”
Sometimes, or even most times, you gotta know what you’re doing before you do it. Nishmah comes before naaseh.
But other times, you can only know what you’re doing by first doing it—by just jumping in, taking action and doing it.
In those cases, naaseh comes before nishmah—and not only that, the naaseh, the action, brings the nishmah, the understanding.
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The message: When our fathers and mothers were confronted with the Torah, they didn’t first study it and then appreciate it, they didn’t first intellectually dissect it and then realize the moral supremacy of the life dictated by it. Rather, they first blindly embraced it—and then, by living it, they heard the message taught by it.
This Shavuos, let us understand our precious Torah by living it; let us arrive at nishmah through the vehicle of naaseh.
May we all have a meaningful and personally inspiring Shavuos. And, while we’re at it, let us understand the deeper meaning of bosor v’cholov… by enjoying that cheesecake.
**Alternate side parking (street cleaning) regulations will be suspended on Wednesday and Thursday, May 19-20 for Shavuot. All other regulations, including parking meters, remain in effect.
**VIN News will be offline from May 18 7:00 PM, until May 20 9:30 PM
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Read Comments (21) — Post Yours »
1
May 18, 2010 at 11:09 AM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
kabalos hatorah bsimcha ubpnimius to all of klaal yisroel and may we be zoche to the geulah shlaimah bkarov mamash!
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May 18, 2010 at 10:49 AM am haaretz Says:Report as Inappropriate
does any one have dvar torah to share with us on shavous please..im empty handed
3
May 18, 2010 at 11:23 AM kiki Says:Report as Inappropriate
Please learn on behalf of a Talmid Chochom in a coma; (if you can learn a bit extra in his zechus, it would be extremely helpful;) Akiva Shamai ben Ahava Rivka. Thank you.
4
May 18, 2010 at 11:34 AM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
“ does any one have dvar torah to share with us on shavous please..im empty handed ”
The real dvar torah is contained in the brief VIN story you commented upon. Focus your energy on BOTH components of "naaseh" "vanishma". All too often we hear but don't translate what we hear from the ebeshter into actions. Don't simply blindly embrace the words of torah. As the article says, analyze, understand and then affirmatively decide that you wish to embrace those words and commandments because they reflect a moral and proper lifestyle rather than blind adherence to the words of hashem. The same with the words of poskim and rabbonim. Listen carefully, analyze and affirmatively decide to accept or reject a course of action based on what is right not because who said it.
6
May 18, 2010 at 11:40 AM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
honorable readers “ah gut yom tov!”—a pleasant and enjoyable holiday surrounded by family and friends
VIN and the rest of us should also remember and wish a "gut yom tov! to the less fortunate amongst us, who will not be surrounded by family and friends.
7
May 18, 2010 at 11:48 AM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
“ does any one have dvar torah to share with us on shavous please..im empty handed ”
Hashem told moshe rabeinu to answer to the malachim y we the people deserve the torah, and the answer that worked was that we have a yezer hara and angles don't!! Therfore we are only what we are because of our yezer hara, people allways say if only I didn't hace this probloem or these taaves or or or then I would be different or learn better or more, all our issues in life (yezer hara) are who and0what we are and we have to overcome them that's the point
Gut yom tov to all
Gotta go to mincha in Jerusalem
8
May 18, 2010 at 12:41 PM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
May we all be zoiche to Kabolas hatorah bsimcha ubipnimiyos k'ish echad b'lev echad on the yahrzeits of Dovid Hamelech and the Baal Shem Tov May we be zoiche to greet Melech Hamoshiach!!!!!!!!!!!
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May 18, 2010 at 03:07 PM chaim Says:Report as Inappropriate
What's the deal with the round luchos! It was square?
10
May 18, 2010 at 03:27 PM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
“ What's the deal with the round luchos! It was square? ”
Litvashe minhag has always been to depict shnai luchos ha'bris (the "tablets")_ as rounded on top...the square representation is primarily a sephardeshe minhag No-one, however, is really certain as to the exact shape of the tablets. Even chazal were in conflict and Talmud Bavli and Yerushalmi record conflcting traditions. The Bavli view was that the tablets were approximately 22 inches square, whereas the Jerushalmi view characterized them as oblong, about 22 inches by 11.
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May 18, 2010 at 04:24 PM chaim Says:Report as Inappropriate
What's the deal with the round luchos! It was square?
12
May 18, 2010 at 04:45 PM Kama Yosef Says:Report as Inappropriate
“ What's the deal with the round luchos! It was square? ”
The minhag for hundreds of years was to picture the luchos with a rounded top to symbolize a heart, we love the Torah and Torah is the heart of our nation. (even though chazal are clear that they were square tablets)
13
May 18, 2010 at 05:46 PM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
“ The minhag for hundreds of years was to picture the luchos with a rounded top to symbolize a heart, we love the Torah and Torah is the heart of our nation. (even though chazal are clear that they were square tablets) ”
Where do u get that??
14
May 18, 2010 at 06:31 PM AH Says:Report as Inappropriate
“ The minhag for hundreds of years was to picture the luchos with a rounded top to symbolize a heart, we love the Torah and Torah is the heart of our nation. (even though chazal are clear that they were square tablets) ”
I have never heard of this idea. Do you have a source for it? The association of the standard "heart shape" with the heart goes back only a couple hundred years, and surely it would have taken time for this association to become firmly entrenched before someone would have had the idea to extend it further.
I've always heard that, on the contrary, this shape was devised by the non-Jews to represent a pair of tombstones, in order to symbolize the death of Judaism, G-d forbid.
In any case, since as you say Chazal are quite clear that they were four-cornered (square according to the Bavli, rectangular according to the Yerushalmi), then no, the round-topped shape has no place in Jewish life.
15
May 18, 2010 at 06:36 PM AH Says:Report as Inappropriate
“ The real dvar torah is contained in the brief VIN story you commented upon. Focus your energy on BOTH components of "naaseh" "vanishma". All too often we hear but don't translate what we hear from the ebeshter into actions. Don't simply blindly embrace the words of torah. As the article says, analyze, understand and then affirmatively decide that you wish to embrace those words and commandments because they reflect a moral and proper lifestyle rather than blind adherence to the words of hashem. The same with the words of poskim and rabbonim. Listen carefully, analyze and affirmatively decide to accept or reject a course of action based on what is right not because who said it. ”
Sounds like you've precisely inverted the writer's point. No, when you receive the word of Hashem, whether directly or via your posek or rav, the first and foremost thing to do is "naaseh," to do it - yes, indeed, to "blindly embrace the words of Torah"! Afterwards you can analyze and understand the morality and propriety of it. But remember that Hashem, not you, are the ultimate arbiter of truth.
16
May 18, 2010 at 06:47 PM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
according to all opinions it was square the only question is how tall and thick it was, the round Luchos come from the pictures the way the Christians drew Moses on Mt. Sinai. theres no source any where for round Luchos and goes against years of Torah and Halacha.
17
May 18, 2010 at 07:02 PM Kama Yosef Says:Report as Inappropriate
I heard it in a shiur I think from rav berkowitz on 107.9 radio.. This idea was new to me too but the luchos have bean traditionaly pictured in this way by koshere yidden for hundreds of years, many very old shuls and in many printed sefarim both european and sefarde the luchos were heart shaped. We must note that is impossible to picture the luchos mamash like they were anyway because they were a nes..
18
May 18, 2010 at 07:11 PM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
“ I have never heard of this idea. Do you have a source for it? The association of the standard "heart shape" with the heart goes back only a couple hundred years, and surely it would have taken time for this association to become firmly entrenched before someone would have had the idea to extend it further.
I've always heard that, on the contrary, this shape was devised by the non-Jews to represent a pair of tombstones, in order to symbolize the death of Judaism, G-d forbid.
In any case, since as you say Chazal are quite clear that they were four-cornered (square according to the Bavli, rectangular according to the Yerushalmi), then no, the round-topped shape has no place in Jewish life. ”
Even the reason you give is doubtful, at least the heart is posetive
19
May 18, 2010 at 07:21 PM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
God gave us square liches and he wants ourselves (the talmid chuchem) to cut the corners according to the environment of to day
.
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May 21, 2010 at 02:08 AM Milhouse Says:Report as Inappropriate
“ Litvashe minhag has always been to depict shnai luchos ha'bris (the "tablets")_ as rounded on top...the square representation is primarily a sephardeshe minhag No-one, however, is really certain as to the exact shape of the tablets. Even chazal were in conflict and Talmud Bavli and Yerushalmi record conflcting traditions. The Bavli view was that the tablets were approximately 22 inches square, whereas the Jerushalmi view characterized them as oblong, about 22 inches by 11. ”
What a load of garbage. Litvish? Sefardish? What on earth are you talking about? This is not subject to minhag. NOBODY at all claims that the luchos really were round at the top; this is just an artistic convention that arose a few centuries ago.
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May 21, 2010 at 02:09 AM Milhouse Says:Report as Inappropriate
“ The minhag for hundreds of years was to picture the luchos with a rounded top to symbolize a heart, we love the Torah and Torah is the heart of our nation. (even though chazal are clear that they were square tablets) ”
There was never any such minhag. I can't imagine where you picked up such nonsense about a heart. It's a convention invented by goyishe artists, who had no idea what the luchos looked like, and made up an image.
24
May 21, 2010 at 02:11 AM Milhouse Says:Report as Inappropriate
“ The real dvar torah is contained in the brief VIN story you commented upon. Focus your energy on BOTH components of "naaseh" "vanishma". All too often we hear but don't translate what we hear from the ebeshter into actions. Don't simply blindly embrace the words of torah. As the article says, analyze, understand and then affirmatively decide that you wish to embrace those words and commandments because they reflect a moral and proper lifestyle rather than blind adherence to the words of hashem. The same with the words of poskim and rabbonim. Listen carefully, analyze and affirmatively decide to accept or reject a course of action based on what is right not because who said it. ”
You've got that backwards. We have to accept first, blindly. Kabolas ol is the ikkar. Only after that can we try to understand as well.