They journeyed from Rephidim, and they arrived in the desert of Sinai, and they encamped in the desert, and Israel encamped there opposite the mountain (Exodus 19:2)
The much awaited and anticipated event unfolds in this week’s Parsha. After 210 years of servitude, the Children of Israel stood at the base of Mount Sinai, ready and willing to receive the Torah. But this was not just another event – this was to be the most important, seminal event of our national existence. God Himself would speak to the people. This direct dialogical connection would serve as the foundation for the ongoing relationship between God and His chosen nation. So important was this event of Sinaitic Revelation that every Jewish soul past, present, and future was present. Each and every one of us was there. Each of us said the words, “Naaseh v’nishma, we will do and we will listen;” each of us accepted God and pledged ourselves to the destiny of the Jewish people.
And yet, despite the importance of this event, it happened in the middle of nowhere. The location of the greatest revelation has disappeared into the sands of time. Why not give the Torah in the Land of Israel? Perhaps, on Har HaMoriah, the site of Akeydas Yitzchak (binding of Isaac), the future site of the Beis HaMikdash (Temple)? An event of such magnitude should have occurred in a place of great holiness and importance. Why did God choose to give us the Torah in the middle of the desert?
Rav Kalonymus Kalman Shapira (1889–1943, Grand Rabbi of Piacezna, Poland, who authored a number of works and was murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust) was a beacon of light for so many who were shackled in the darkness of the Warsaw Ghetto. Each and every Shabbos (when conditions allowed), the Rebbe would gather his minyan of the broken hearted and would fill their souls with the fiery and uplifting words of Torah. In a place where there was not enough to sustain the body, he made sure to help sustain the souls of his brothers and sisters. The Rebbe was murdered by the Nazi beasts, but his drashos live on in his sefer titled, Eish Kodesh. The Rebbe answers the aforementioned question in a magnificent and riveting fashion. As part of the daily Shema, we recite the phrase, “V’Ahavta Es Hashem Elokecha B’Chol Levavicha …., You shall love Hashem, your God with all of your heart …” Rashi explains: “What does it mean to love God with all of your heart? Shelo Yihey Libcha Chaluk Al HaMakom; your heart shall not be divided against God.” Rashi highlights an important dynamic. It is easy to love Hashem when things are good. It is easy to feel a connection when God gives you what you want and life is going your way. But what happens when I am faced with challenge? What happens when I encounter adversity? How do I feel about Hashem when life is not going according to plan? The Torah commands us to love God with all of our heart. No matter what is happening in life, I need to find a way to love my God. No matter if things are good or if they are difficult – I give my heart to Hashem. . Pause for a moment and reflect that the Rebbe was sharing these words, on Shabbos, January 7 1940 in the Warsaw Ghetto. His congregation was comprised of broken souls who had lost so much, and yet the Rebbe was telling them about the need to still love God. This is a level of emunah and connection that we can barely understand.
