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Shavuos 5776 - Getting Personal

By Rabbi Paysach Diskind

Posted on 06/10/16

Parshas HaShavua Divrei Torah sponsored by
Dr. Shapsy Tajerstein, DPM - Podiatry Care.
(410) 788-6633

Shavuous will soon be upon us and the joy that it brings as we remember the romance that HaShem displayed to us as He decorated Mount Sinai with flowers as one would decorate their Chupah on their wedding day. There is so much to celebrate on this day. Not only did HaShem entrust us with His Torah but He chose us to be His Own. We were chosen to have that special bond of love with the Creator that no other nation has.


There is, however, some room to dampen this joy when considering the following question. There are two ways to understand the relationship HaShem forged with His people.



  1. Was HaShem’s choice of the Jewish people limited to the single unit of the Jewish people but not with the individual members as they stand unique and distinct.

  2. Or perhaps His relationship with every single member of the Jewish nation.


The difference between these two options is significant. Do I have my own personal relationship with HaShem? Do my specific personal needs and desires make a difference to HaShem? Does HaShem care for me as an individual or only as another number in the unit called the Jewish people. Can I rejoice with my family and friends for the relationship that I personally have with HaShem? From the perspective of option 1, there is nothing personal for me, Paysach Diskind, to celebrate. It is only inasmuch as I am a member can I celebrate. However, with option 2 although the bond was created with the nation and not with the individual, nevertheless, it was with every single member of that nation. Every member, inasmuch as they are a member of the nation has their own personal relationship.


This week, we shall read Parshas Bamidbar which is entirely dedicated to the counting of every single adult male of our people.  There were two components to the census. The first, every member of the people contributed a half shekel coin and by counting the total number of coins they knew how many people there were. The second, every family presented their family tree to Moshe illustrating their genealogy. If the purpose of this count was to know the size of the Jewish people why was it necessary for such tedious involvement on Moshe’s part?


To answer this question we must first appreciate the following. HaShem built His relationship with the Jewish people as a nation and He did not build His relationship with any individual person. This is the reason HaShem did not give the Torah to Avraham or to Yaakov, because His relationship is only with an eternal unit. Avraham and Yaakov are not eternal as they stand by themselves. The Jewish nation, on the other hand, is eternal. It lives on and on, generation after generation, millennia after millennia. Although HaShem’s bond could only be with a nation it is nevertheless includes every individual in the nation.


The reason every person’s genealogy was important in the census was because their genealogy represented their unique qualities. It was important to understand from where every Jew comes. Every person has their unique perspective and their unique experiences that form their thought process. The family and environment of the individual creates unique challenges and strengths, talents and approaches for every individual. As you multiply all these differences across 2.5 million people you will discover a multidimensional tapestry of a nation that is very rich in understanding, in talent, in experiences and in strengths. It is with this nation that HaShem wishes to have a relationship. The nation with which HaShem is building His relationship is not the single dimensional people but rather that rich tapestry of diverse experiences all converging in a total commitment to each Him.


So as we sit down to our Shavuous dinner this Saturday night we can have the unbridled joy knowing that the bond we have with HaShem is personal. This joy opens for us the window of understanding and appreciation how every Jew plays a critical role in our own relationship with HaShem. Yes, every Jew with their struggles and their triumphs all make up the beauty of who we are and who we became on this special holiday.


Have a wonderful Shabbos and very joyful Shavuous.