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Yavneh Academy
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Yeshiva University of Los Angeles
Torah Academy of Bergen County
Salanter Akiba Riverdale High School
Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School
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Shalhevet School
The Frisch School
Denver Academy of Torah
Maayanot Yeshiva High School
Fuchs Mizrachi High School
DRS Yeshiva High School for Boys
The Weinbaum Yeshiva High School
The Marsha Stern Talmudic Academy
Shulamith School for Girls of Brooklyn
Yeshiva University High School for Girls
In This Issue
National Revelation or Personal Devotion?
by Asher Young (Northwest Yeshiva 15)
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Making the World a Better Place
by Matt Fixler (JEC 15)
Page 4
A Tale of G-d and Men the Two Sets of Luchot
by Yehuda Goldberg (MTA 17)
Page 5
The Parallel Between Divine and Human Love
by Shira Levie (Frisch 15)
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A New Theology
by Micah Gill (Shalhevet 16)
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Preparing Ourselves for Kabbalat HaTorah
by Pammy Brenner (Maayanot 15)
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National Revelation
or Personal Devotion?
by Asher Young (Northwest Yeshiva 15)
It is well known that Shavuot is the holiday when we
received the Torah; yet, the day also has special significance
because it commemorates one of the most unifying moments
in Jewish history. According to tradition, Shavuot marks the
day when all of Klal Yisrael stood at Har Sinai and stated in
unison, Naaseh vnishma, We will do and we will hear.
This event was monumental mainly because this was the only
time Klal Yisrael had a direct national encounter with G-d; yet,
there are other, more personal elements to Shavuot as well.
The Torah was written for each Jew as an individual and by
examining the method in which Klal Yisrael received the
Torah we should be able to see how each individual has the
capability to have a unique and personal relationship to the
Torah.
The first lesson we learn from the giving of the Torah is
that everyone has the ability to learn. The Torah was made for
each person at his or her level. According to Ramban and Ibn
Ezra, Moshe was standing at the bottom of the mountain while
the nation received the Torah. They learn this fact from the
pasuk, which specifically states right before the actual transfer
of the Torah that Moshe went down from the mountaintop.
Rabbi Zvi Grumet learns an amazing lesson from this
pasuk, which specifies where Moshe stood. Moshe did not
want to be on the top of the mountain because he did not want
to be seen as above the rest of the nation. Despite the fact that
he was obviously the leader of Klal Yisrael and a known
talmid chacham, Moshe did not want to be viewed as greater
than the rest of the nation; rather, he wanted all of Klal Yisrael
to feel as though they were on the same level as him, because
the Torah was no different for him than for the rest of the
nation. All of Klal Yisrael had, and still have, equal claims to
the Torah, no matter the position they are at. A Jew is a Jew
its that simple.
The second lesson we learn is the passion that one must
possess for Torah learning. In the tractate of Shabbat (88a),
Rav Avdimi states that G-d told Klal Yisrael that unless they
accepted the Torah, Har Sinai was going to be their burial
place. Yet, this Gemara seems to be problematic because the
Jews had already accepted the Torah unconditionally when
they said Naaseh vnishma. Why would G-d have to
seemingly force them into accepting it again?
One answer is that when Hashem gave the Ten
Commandments, Klal Yisrael was frightened by the fire that
was surrounding them, and they considered going back on their
word. Yet, if the fire caused Klal Yisrael to hesitate, why
wouldnt Hashem simply get rid of the fire surrounding the
tablets? Then, there would have been no issue, and the Jews
would have readily accepted the Torah!
Rav Shmuel Birnbaum offers a brilliant insight as to why
the fire was necessary. He states, Torah without fire isnt
called Torah. Essentially, Torah cannot be learned properly
without passion and enthusiasm and an internal fire which
drives a persons learning. Torah is linked with the emotional
element of individual drive, and only through a personal
enthusiasm towards learning Torah can one find an eternally
meaningful message. The fire surrounding the tablets was
needed to teach us this lesson, and for this reason G-d did not
get rid of the fire.
These two lessons demonstrate that the giving of the Torah
was not only a communal event that unified us as a nation, but
it was also a more personal event. The Torah was given for the
individual as well, and every individual has the capability to
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A New Theology
by Micah Gill (Shalhevet 16)
One of the most renowned and striking lines in Jewish
literature is the famous pronouncement of naaseh vnishma
at Har Sinai. As the story is relayed in Parashat Yitro, Bnei
Yisrael stand at the foot of Har Sinai and experience Gods
revelation. The text reads: Vchol haam roeem et hakolot
vet halapidim vet hakol hashofar vet hahar ashen All
the people could see the sounds and the flames, the sound of
the shofar and the smoking mountain (Exodus 20:15). This
narrative portrays a dramatic and transcendent event that
could be considered the most consequential moment in our
national and religious history. It is in this context that Bnei
Yisrael emphatically declare Naaseh vnishma We will
do and we will obey (Exodus 24:8).
Naaseh vnishma, a phrase that permeates Jewish
education, is typically treated as the pinnacle of Jewish faith
and conviction. This approach represents a significant aspect
of our religious lives and, more importantly, the way we
approach our relationship with God. In this regard, naaseh
vnishma underscores Bnei Yisraels seemingly unilateral
relationship with God in which the Jewish people commit to
complete subservience to their Creator; in practice, this means
that Gods commands are meant to simply be obeyed.
The Gemara in Masechet Shabbat (88a), however,
famously records that there were in fact two moments of
revelation. The first comes at Har Sinai in the form of
coercion: Shekafah Hakadosh Baruch Hu aleihem et hahar
kegigit God held the mountain over their heads like a
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Torah Vaavoda
by Elad Jeselsohn (Maimo 18)
On Simchat Torah we read Parashat Vezot Habracha. In
that parasha we read the brachot that Moshe gave Bnei
Yisrael before he passed away. Moshe initially gives the
brachot in the age order of the shivatim with Reuven,
Shimon, Levi, and Yehuda, and then he does something that
one would not expect. After the bracha of Yehuda, Moshe
does not continue by giving a bracha to Yissachar, but rather
he skips to Zevulun, Yissachars younger brother. Yissachars
bracha only comes afterwards. The Midrash Tanchuma on
Parashat Vezot Habracha provides the reason that Zevulun
came first: The tribe of Yissachar had the ability to study
Torah full-time because of its brother shevet, Zevulun, who
would supply Yissachar with money. The Midrash says that
the tribe of Zevulun actually got a bigger schar than the tribe
of Yissachar because they provided for Yissachar while
Yissachar learned Torah.
As we all know, on Shavuot, Hashem gave Bnei
Yisrael the Torah to learn, treasure, and follow. While this is
certainly key, perhaps if one looks at the story of Yissachar
and Zevulun one will see that there is another element at play.
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Choosing to Persevere
by Juliet Matthews (Kushner 16)
Shavuot is a holiday of many themes. These themes are
the basis of the numerous names given to the holiday. Chag
HaKazir, The Harvest Holiday, and Yom HaBikurim, The
Day of the First Fruits, reflect an agricultural meaning, for this
holiday was originally a harvest festival. Also, the theme of
counting and time is shown through the commonly used name,
Shavuot, meaning the Festival of Weeks. Shavuot is the
culmination of Sephirat HaOmer, the counting of the Omer.
We begin counting the Omer from the time we "leave Egypt,"
on the second night of Passover, until Shavuot, when the Jews
received the Torah. For this reason, this holiday is also called
Zeman Matan Torateinu, The Time of the Giving of the
Torah. This journey from Egypt to Matan Torah represents a
metamorphosis for Bnei Yisarel; they left Egypt as one nation,
and by Shavuot they had become another. Bnei Yisrael was
now ready to receive the Torah.
On Shavuot, we read the Megillah of Rut, which, like Bnei
Yisrael's journey, can be looked at as a metamorphosis. As a
young child, Rut is raised as a Moabite, but ends up marrying a
Jewish man. Her husband dies, and, instead of returning to her
people, she continues to live with her mother-in-law. She
remains Jewish and eventually marries Boaz. The great King
David would later descend from Rut, and it is said that Moshiach
will be her descendant as well.
Rut came from a nation that was ruthless to Bnei Yisrael, yet
she became a major Jewish role model. An important lesson to be
learned here is the importance of perseverance in life, for we see
that both Rut and Bnei Yisrael were at low points, but they
nonetheless rose up to achieve greatness.
Rut took a risk and went with her gut. She left the life she
knew to go with a way of life that felt right. In life there are
always choices, and these choices define who we are as people. It
is often difficult to make them, as many paths are filled with
desirable items that can distract us from our goals. As
individuals, we must do as Rut did: reflect, decide what we want
our future to be like, and then move in that direction. What may
not be popular may be right and what may not be the norm may
be the salvation. In life, Hashem gives us choices; we have to use
these opportunities wisely, for who knows? As with Rut, the
future of Judaism may come from our decision.
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Editors-in-Chief: Ariel Amsellem (YULA 15) and Yisrael Friedenberg (MTA 15)
Editors: Pammy Brenner (Maayanot 15) and Liat Clark (Maayanot 15)
Coordinators: Ariel Amsellem, Yael Blau, Pammy Brenner, Liat Clark, Rivka Coleman, Yosef Coleman, Talia Edelman, Baila
Eisen, Liat Fischer, Matt Fixler, Yisrael Friedenberg, Micah Gill, Tali Greenberg, Matthew Haller, Eitan Jeselsohn, Eitan
Kaszovitz, Hillel Kaslowe, Yehuda Koslowe, Shira Levie, Yael Marans, Miriam Mayor, Noah Notis, Davey Schoenberg, Avi Siegal,
Aryel Tucker, Miriam Weintraub, Cindy Yankovich, Benji Zoller
Questions? Comments? Please contact kolhanearimpub@gmail.com.
This publication contains Torah matter and should be treated accordingly.