We arrived at Mount Sinai on Rosh Chodesh Sivan and waited to receive the Torah the subsequent Shabbos.
The students of the saintly Rebbe, Reb Menachem Mendel of Rimanov, once inquired of him as to what the Jews, not having yet received the Torah, preoccupied themselves during that whole week?
He responded that they delved into the prayer of Ahava Rabbah!
It is reported that the disciples of the Chasam Sofer recited this prayer with such fervor and intent on Shavuos morning that it lasted for three hours into the morning.
This tefillah expresses the unconditional love G-d has for his nation.
With unbounded love You have loved us G-d, our Lord; [With] great and abundant pity have You pitied us… have compassion on us and put into our hearts to comprehend, and to be intellectually creative, to listen, to learn, and to teach, to preserve, to practice, and to fulfill all the words of instruction in Your Torah with love… וקרבתנו לשמך הגדול — and You have brought us close to Your great Name, סלה באמת — forever in truth; that we may give thanks to You, and proclaim Your Oneness, with love. Blessed are You, Hashem, Who chooses His people Yisrael with love.
The Holy Arizal instructs us to fulfill the command to remember the day we stood at Sinai to receive the Torah when reciting the section where we extol, וקרבתנו לשמך הגדול — and You have brought us close to Your great Name.
G-d drawing us so lovingly nigh, is the essence of the message from Sinai.
That drawing us near stems from סלה באמת — forever in 'truth', an unassailable love not contingent on any benefit G-d may have, as if it were possible, but on His assertion of our inviolate worth, His unconditional love, and His confidence in our ability to achieve our personal spiritual greatness.
The Arizal adds that this bringing of us close 'to His great Name', alludes to another command to remember — the eradication of Amalek.
The verse states that G-d's Name is incomplete until we erase any vestige of Amalek from our midst. It is only then that G-d's full Name will be restored
'You must remember what the nation of Amalek did to you when you were traveling after you left Egypt' — when prior to the receiving of the Torah, after having experienced remarkable miracles in defeating our enemies, Amalek, קרך בדרך — 'he cooled you down' and reduced your boiling heat, for the nations had been afraid to attack you, but Amalek came and was the first to do so, providing the possibility for others to do the same. This can be compared to a bath so boiling hot that nobody could enter. One reckless person came and leaped down into it. Although he was scalded, he cooled it down for others. (Devarim 25 17, Rashi)
Amalek is a negative influence that infiltrates our souls, trying to shake our faith in ourselves. It casts doubt in our abilities and standing before G-d.
The historic occurrence of this external enemy was immediately counterattacked by G-d's infusing us at Sinai with a demonstration of his eternal love for us, that will fortify us to deflect these seeds of self-doubt and unworthiness.
As we approach the Yom Tov of Shavuos, a day where according to the Arizal we are judged on our allotment for spiritual success in the ensuing year, we must reaffirm G-d's faith in us that will provoke a renewed faith in ourselves to cleave to G-d and his Torah with greater fervor and commitment, mirroring the love we receive from Hashem every moment of our lives.
May we recite the prayer of Ahava Rabbah, enunciating and contemplating each word, sensing the love that permeates our relationship with Hashem, meriting much Syata D'Shmaya in our growth in Ruchniyos, and experience in real-time that G-d 'shall bring us to peace from the four corners of the earth and lead us upright to our land!'
חג שמח
באהבה,
צבי יהודה טייכמאן
