-Caveat Lector-
I like the delightful interpretation of Goyim to mean 'nations'
> Shavuot - Jewish Holy Days - - Project Mind Exoteric SiteShavuot - 6 Sivan
> B'S"D
>
> Shavuot, also known as "Chag HaBikurim," "Atzeret" and "Zman Matan
> Torateinu," is the festival commemorating the giving of the Torah to the
> People of Israel. It is one of three pilgrimage (to the Temple in
Jerusalem)
> festivals, including Pessach (Passover) and Succoth (Tabernacles). Shavuot
> falls on the 6th of Sivan, exactly 50 days counting from the second day of
> Pessach. These 50 days are seen as seven weeks (49 days) of "Omer" counted
> scrupulously, day by day, plus the crowning 50th day of Shavuot, itself.
> Each day has a unique, spiritual meaning gleaned from Kabbalah and Jewish
> cosmology that we are invited to study, contemplate and experience as best
> we can. This is considered a time for self-examination and repentance
during
> which one avoids exuberance.
> On the very first Shavuot in the Jewish year 2448 from Creation, just over
> 3300 years ago, the Creator revealed Himself to Israel as a nation in a
mass
> epiphany that briefly welded the six hundred thousand souls of Israel into
> one united consciousness where each soul was concerned only for the other
> 599,999 with no thought for itself. To stress the unity of this
experience,
> the Torah describes Israel in the singular "VaYachan Mul HaHar" (and IT)
> [rather than they] camped opposite the mountain. A beautiful, rabbinical
> expression for this inner disposition is, "K'ish Echad, U'B'lev Echad" (as
> one man and with one heart).
> In this atmosphere of awe of the Creator and love for others, Israel
> accepted the Torah (the blueprint of Creation) and the commandments,
> therein, unconditionally (Na'asseh V'Nishma), as its eternal law.
> One of the most important implications of having received the Torah as an
> absolute obligation is that, as far as obedience is concerned, it
precludes
> initiative. While we can struggle to understand and interpret to our
hearts
> content, we are not allowed to add to Torah or detract one iota from it.
As
> beings with free will, we can, heaven forbid, choose to disobey the
Torah's
> commandments but in doing so we would be contravening the covenant made
when
> lsrael accepted the Torah. One Midrash goes as far as to suggest that Mt.
> Sinai was held over the heads of Israel as a threat, suggesting that the
> choice of accepting the Torah was predestined for us and that refusal
would
> have resulted in total annihilation. It is clear that the obeisance
involved
> in accepting the Torah put Israel at the level of "servants" of the
Creator.
> But beyond the 248 positive commandments and the 356 negative ones, there
is
> a remaining area known us "Reshut" (permission or option). This is a
domain
> of existence where initiative and innovation is not only possible but an
key
> indicator of maturity. The choice of one's profession fits into this
> category just as does the investigation of this world including science.
> Science, in Torah, is neither recommended nor forbidden. In fact, it is
not
> explicitly mentioned in Torah. This is not because Torah preceded science,
> since Torah spans all of existence. It is because to command anything in
the
> domain of Reshut would be to preempt initiative and invalidate the status
of
> Israel as a full partner with the Creator in Creation. It would be to
revert
> to the level of obligation (Mitzva, Chok UMishpat).
> Little or no initiative is expected of servants or of those who are
engulfed
> in a state of awe. Initiative is what a father hopes to observe in his
sons.
> It involves emulating the father. Attempting to be like the father,
> emulation (Hashva'at HaTsura), is defined in Kabbalah as love. In
> contradistinction to awe - an attitude of looking up to a higher
authority -
> initiative involves looking downwards and concerning oneself with living
> creatures and aspects of existence that are less privileged than oneself
> (Ahavat HaBriyot). When a son emulates his father in exercising
initiative,
> he is no less in awe of the father than the servant since one does not
> emulate someone whom one does not look up to. Rather, the state of love is
a
> more highly evolved state superimposed upon awe "Ein He'eder B'Ruchniyut"
> (new spiritual stages don't replace old ones but are added to them).
> This is why, in the Shma prayer, we are exhorted to love the Creator and,
> elsewhere, in Torah, we are commanded to love others as ourselves. The how
> of this loving has remained a secret that is only now beginning to be
> revealed as the creativity that reveals the infinite (and thus the
abundance
> and compassion of the Creator) in this, apparently, finite world.
> Creativity, receiving from above in order to give, below, is, par
> excellence, the emulation of the Creator - love. Initiative and innovation
> are thus the earmarks of purposefulness. They are also telltale indicators
> of our faith in and love of existence. Each new fact and possibility that
we
> reveal is an indication and confirmation of faith (Kiddush HaShem) and
> inspires us to new levels of exploration, discovery and development.
> It is important to make the distinction between awe and love. The
obligation
> that Torah represents is non-negotiable. It is a given. Torah and Mitzvot,
> (precepts) properly followed, condition Jewish life making it balanced,
> just, sacred and pure. Without this conditioning, we will lack the
> perspective and inner resources to exercise initiative and to innovate in
a
> way that will express true emulation and partnership with the Creator. So
> without denigrating Torah and Mitzvot, in any way, it is now possible to
> characterize the principal role of Torah, at least until now, as a
spiritual
> hygiene, maintenance and transmission ensuring the kind of life that can
> lead to proper initiative and the fulfillment of our messianic destiny.
But
> nothing can lead us to initiative unless that is our purpose.
> There are many phrases giving expression to Jewish purpose and mission and
> to the characteristics of the Jewish People meant to accomplish it.
> Expressions defining this mission include "Tikkun Olam B'Malchut Shaddai"
> (total world transformation), "Gilui Gadluto Yitbarach" (to reveal His
> greatness), "Makom Ladur BaTachtonim" (to make a place for Him in the
lower
> realms), "Timcheh Et Zeicher Amalek" (eradicate Amalek), "L'0r Goyim" (a
> light unto the nations), etc. For a discussion of Jewish purpose and how
it
> is to be pursued see the essay, "Applied Kabbalah," at our website:
> http://www.projectmind.org
> The supernal energy quality (Sfira) associated with Shavuot is Binah
> (understanding) and the watchword associated with Shavuot is "Bilah
HaMavet
> LaNetzach" (may death be swallowed up forever). Torah is called "Etz
Chayim"
> (the Tree of Life) and the concluding prayer we say when we are called to
> the Torah goes "V'Chayei Olam Natah B'Tocheinu" (and you planted eternal
> life within us). All this attempts to point us in the direction of the
> infinite. So while Shavuot puts the emphasis on our obligation towards
> Torah, just like Torah, it does not lack in hints as to where Torah should
> be taking us. The lesson we have yet to learn, as a maturing Israel, is
that
> initiative and innovation, in the realm of Reshut (in parallel with our
> efforts to deepen our relationship with the obligations of Torah) are
> indispensable to a practical and operational relationship with the
infinite
> and thus with the Creator.
> David Devor
>
>
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