Letter froM the rabbi

rabbi Joseph eisenbach

Dear Friends,

It is interesting to note that the festival of Shavuot does not have an independent date of its own, as do all other Jew ish holidays; no month or day is specified in the Torah as the time for its celebration. It is only specified that Shavuot is the “Fiftieth Day” of the count ing of the Omer the counting which we begin on the second day of Passover, on the day af ter the liberation from Egyptian bondage. In this way the Torah emphasizes that Shavuot is the goal of Passover: that the Sea son of the Giving of Our Torah is the culmination of the Season of Our Freedom. This teaches us that the true and complete free dom, both for the individual as well as for the community, and both materially and spiritually, can be attained only through Torah.

We live in a time and in a coun try where, notwithstanding ex ternal “freedom,” in general we are still largely “enslaved” and at a loss how to free ourselves from the shackles of spiritual and mental confusion. The only key to the bars and shackles of our enslavement is a Torah edu cation. For our children and every Jewish child is “our” child this means an uncompro reading Jewish texts privately, and teaching and inspiring oth ers.

On Shavuot, the Rebbeiim would bless the congregation misingx Jewish education. For ourselves this means attend ing Torah classes, studying and to “receive the Torah with hap piness and inner feeling.”

This blessing intimates that not only does Shavuot commemo rate when we were given the Torah, but also the time when we accept and “receive” the To rah.

In a talk some years ago, the Lubavitcher Rebbe explained that our personal experiences on Shavuot should reflect both of these qualities: giving and receiving the Torah. The Rebbe urged every Jewish man, wom an and child to become a teach er of Torah. The Rebbe also explained that not only would the people being taught benefit from the Torah study, but that the teacher would benefit great ly as well.

Our Sages have assured us that an increase in Torah study will bring about increased blessings in all matters. May this also lead to the ultimate blessing, the advent of the age when, “A person shall no longer teach his colleague... because they will all know Me,” with the coming of Moshiach and the ultimate and complete redemption. May it be in the immediate future.