Published March 18, 2010
Translation: Blessed are You, HaShem our God, King of the Universe, who has chosen us from all the peoples and given us His Torah. Blessed are You, HaShem, Giver of the Torah.
Theme: An essential concept of the prayer
Express thanks to Hashem for having chosen us as the single nation in the world to live a life of enlightenment and to enlighten the world with the holy Torah.
Insight: Deeper meaning
What does it mean to have been chosen as the bearers of the Torah? Perhaps the most obvious meaning is that the Jewish people have been given the gift of morality - a true compass for distinguishing right from wrong. The Gemara relates that “Hashem says, “I created the Evil Inclination and I created the Torah as an antidote.” However, the greatness of Torah is not limited to its power against the evil inclination. Chazal teach that that the angels protested Hashem’s gift of the Torah to mankind, claiming that its holiness was suited only to Divine realms. Moshe Rabeinu was able to convince them that the Torah’s mitzvot and prohibitions were (at least on a basic level) directed to human beings; prohibitions against stealing, killing, speaking loshon hora and so forth were meaningless to angels, who have no inclination toward evil. Nevertheless, the angels still argued that there was no place for the holy amidst the profane.
The Darchei Mussar explains that Moshe Rabbeinu was able to convince them that the Torah was as essential to life on this planet as the air we breathe, that the Torah was the final, essential element that would sustain the functioning of G-d’s Creation. Not only was it necessary for our survival, but also, it was the only means by which we could draw close to G-d again when we, as fallible mortals, would inevitably stray.
Alei Shur explains that the most essential ingredient in any successful t’shuva program is Torah knowledge. Hashem aids us in our quest for complete t’shuva if we undertake a serious daily Torah study program, using the many facets of Torah knowledge to refine the many facets of our personality. To Jews, the Torah is mayim chayim, refreshing, life-restoring, living waters. It is an “elixir of life” that brings healing to the world. And it is ours.
Editor’s 2 cents - That Torah knowledge is essential to T’shuva can be seen in Chazal’s choice of brachot of request in the weekday Amida. The first bracha is ATA CHONEIN, a request for knowledge. This is followed by HASHIVEINU, a petition for Divine help in Repentance.
Visualize: Images that bring the prayer to life
The Reiss family seemed to have a golden touch with financial matters. For generations, the family had prospered in all its ventures. Somehow, they always seemed to know when to invest, when to hold back, what properties would turn a profit and what to avoid.
One day, the elderly Mr. Reiss summoned his oldest son, Reuven. When Reuven arrived at his father’s home, he found his father seated in his armchair with a folder on his lap. Mr. Reiss opened a folder and removed from it an aged, yellow batch of papers, neatly written in delicate script.
“This is letter was written 230 years ago by my great, great, great-grandfather,” his father began. “This contains his secrets to business success. It is an infallible guide that has brought our family tremendous prosperity. I received it from my father, and now it is yours.”
Reuven’s awe and pride at receiving the “secret family formula” is the awe and pride every Jew can feel when he realizes how priceless is the wisdom he has been chosen to receive.
Q&A I recite the blessings on the Torah in the morning, learn, daven and then go to work. After a long day of work, I learn Torah again at night. This seems to be an interruption between the blessings I made in the morning and my Torah studying at night. Why do I not have to recite another blessing ?
If one interrupts his Torah study and engages in his business, this is not ruled as an interruption, since his intention is to resume studying. Therefore, he need not repeat the blessings when he resumes. Mishneh B’rura (Siman 47:22) states that even for someone who does not usually study, we generally assume that he intends to study at any time of day in which the opportunity arises. Such a person should therefore also be lenient and refrain from repeating the blessings.
Editor’s 2 cents - We can also suggest that the scope of Birchot HaTorah encompasses more than Torah study. As the first bracha defines the mitzva in question as LAASOK B’DIVREI TORAH, it can be argued that proper Torah behavior in one’s conduct of business and in his daily life is included in LAASOK and therefore, one’s activities during the day between learning sessions is not an interruption at all. That Torah is the distinguishing feature between Israel and the other nations, must include Torah leaning AND practice, mitzva observance and high moral conduct in everything.
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