It states in the verse Dervarim 26:16 - This day, the Lord, your God, is commanding you to fulfill these statutes and ordinances, and you will observe and fulfill them with all your heart and with all your soul.

Rabanu Bachya explains that when Moses said these words it was during the fortieth year. He asks is this be possible since 40 years had passed since the Torah had been given. Therefore he quotes the Tanchuma:1, that says the verse is speaking figuratively and that every day, you shall regard the commandments as if they are brand new, as though you are just today being commanded regarding them!

Rabanu Bachya goes on to explain that man's heart has a tendency of being ruled by what his eyes see. When something is within his range of vision he is liable to remember it, whereas as soon as it is out of sight he tends to no longer focus on it and to forget it. Miracles do not continue indefinitely and therefore are apt to be forgotten. The Torah therefore has to warn us not to allow this natural process to affect us and insists that just as the people at the time of the miracles were firm in their faith and belief, we in our respective generations must be no less so. The very experience of the revelation Mount Sinai (including thunder,smoke, shofer etc.)is to be recalled by us every time we study any of laws of the Torah!

So how is it possible to produce such excitement and involvement every time we learn Torah? What is the special quality needed to produce such stimulation and enthusiasm?

Gemara Shabbath 88b discusses the concept that the Jews first accepted the Torah before we knew what it contained. It states: There was a certain Sadducee who saw Rava engrossed in his studies while the fingers of his (Rava)hand were under his leg and he crushed them and caused them to bleed. ‘You rash people,’ he exclaimed, ‘who gave precedence to your mouth over your ears still persist in your rashness. first you should have listened, if within your powers, accept; if not, you should not have accepted.’ Rava answered him, ‘We who walked in integrity it is written of us, The integrity of the upright shall guide them. (Proverbs 11:3) But of others, who walked in perversity, it is written, but the perverseness of the treacherous shall destroy them.

Rashi explains that we trusted G-d as one would out of love. We relied on him not to burden us with something we could not up hold.

It appears that Rava only explained why we accepted the Torah before we knew what it contained but he did not justify why he didn't realize that his hand was bleeding. Where is Rava's defense for his lack of awareness?

Obviously Rava's lack of awareness came from his excitement and total involvement in his learning. From Rava's answer we see that the same quality that produced our pure acceptance of the Torah also produces our enthusiasm for the Torah. That quality is Trust. If the Torah comes from HaShem then it must be the most precious treasure this world has to offer and the ultimate source of value and pleasure. If we are lacking excitement and passion in our learning and mitvoth it means we are lacking in our trust of G-d!

Our sages tell us that at Purim we re-accepted the Torah with a love even greater than at Mt. Sinai. We can now understand that this was because our trust in HaShem increased even more.

Rav Simcha Zessiel explains that this is also the pillar of educating children. As long as the child trusts the parents and feels that the parents are out for his good the child will continue to follow in their ways. So never break that relationship and the children will eventually come around.

The bottom line is, if you want to increase your enthusiasm for your Torah learning work on your trust for HaShem. You will then find a boundless flow of energy and excitement in your avodas HaShem.

Have a wonderful Shavuot!


I saw these two chazzals connected by Rav Henach Leibowitz and used some of the translation on Rabanu Bachya from Rav Eliyahu Munk

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Rabbi Mitterhoff,