

The Torah was not given to the Jewish People as a group of individuals. Its giving re- quired them to be a klal, a united entity, the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.

When the Jewish People stood at Sinai they were “like one man with one heart” (Rashi). Interestingly, Rashi uses almost exactly the same phrase to describe Pharaoh and the Egyptian army at the crossing of the Sea: “With one heart like one man.” A subtle reversal of the order. The Jewish People are “like one man with one heart.” The Egyptians “with one heart like one man.” What is the significance of this reversing of the word order?



A spoon, for example. A spoon consists of two parts. Its matter is the metal. Its form is its purpose: To scoop and stir. That’s why it has a scoop at one end and a long han- dle. Its form expresses its purpose. The function of a thing is its spiritual dimension, its spiritual identity in the world.


The word for “man” in Hebrew is ish. Ish comes from the word aish meaning “fire.” Fire symbolizes spirituality. It is the nature of fire to rise upwards; it is the nature of spirituality to aspire upwards. The nature of fire is to dominate; the nature of spiritu- ality is to rule: A small nation imbued with a spiritual ideal can overcome a large na- tion which is apathetic and decadent. This has been the lesson of history. Someone with a spiritual motivation will ultimately rule over someone with a physical motiva- tion because the physical desires inertia, to be passive, to take it easy.

When intellect dominates the emotions, when the message dominates the medium, then we have the very picture of how the Torah was given. “Like one man with one heart.” The man – the intellect, the spiritual component leading the heart – the raw material, the medium.


As we accept the Torah this Shavuot, let us commit to becoming more spiritual and intellectual. Let us commit to having our message define who we our and our hearts will become the medium.