Something here just doesn't seem right.
I'm looking over the Torah's description of all the chagim, which is part of this week's sedra, and I notice something that doesn't make much sense.
After discussing Pesach - the year's first chag - the Torah starts talking about Shavuot (next on our "hit parade"). There are the laws of bringing the Omer, barley offering, which I understand. There is the detailing of the korbanot, the animal offerings and the twin loaves of bread; and the laws of the festival itself. So far, so good.
But then, inexplicably, the Torah stops talking about the holidays and outlines two specific mitzvot we must follow: leket and pe'ah. We are told that a farmer must leave a section of his field available to the poor to cultivate; and that if he drops part of the harvest, he must leave it there for the poor to come and collect.
Now, I realize that the shalosh regalim are agricultural festivals at heart. But why should we interject - in the "miten d'rinum" as we say in Afrikaans - these two particular commandments? And why are they mentioned specifically in the section dealing with Shavuot?
I think the Torah is sending a mighty message, about Shavuot and about Judaism in general. As we prepare to commemorate the giving of the Torah, we stop and are reminded that the essence of the Torah is giving, helping, sharing, caring. If you want to know how Hashem wants His Torah celebrated, it is through each Jew looking out for the welfare of the next Jew. Do you want to serve G-d? Do you want to reach the Torah's ideal? Then leave a corner of your field for the poor and the needy.
Once, a cheder was learning how to write the Aleph-Bet. Suddenly, little Yossi's pencil broke. Yossi asked Dov, sitting next to him, to lend him another pencil, but Dov refused. The Rebbe, seeing all this, told the class to stop writing.
"Dov," he said, "please give me examples of the Aleph-Bet."
Dov answered, "Aleph is Echad, Bet is Bayit, Gimel is Gadol."
"No," said the Rebbe, "try again."
Said Dov: "Aleph is Elokim, Bet is Baruch, Gimel is Geshem."
The Rebbe shook his head and looked at the confused young boy: "Aleph is lend your friend a pencil; Bet is lend your friend a pencil; Gimel is lend your friend a pencil."
That is Torah; the rest is but commentary.
I'm looking over the Torah's description of all the chagim, which is part of this week's sedra, and I notice something that doesn't make much sense.
After discussing Pesach - the year's first chag - the Torah starts talking about Shavuot (next on our "hit parade"). There are the laws of bringing the Omer, barley offering, which I understand. There is the detailing of the korbanot, the animal offerings and the twin loaves of bread; and the laws of the festival itself. So far, so good.
But then, inexplicably, the Torah stops talking about the holidays and outlines two specific mitzvot we must follow: leket and pe'ah. We are told that a farmer must leave a section of his field available to the poor to cultivate; and that if he drops part of the harvest, he must leave it there for the poor to come and collect.
Now, I realize that the shalosh regalim are agricultural festivals at heart. But why should we interject - in the "miten d'rinum" as we say in Afrikaans - these two particular commandments? And why are they mentioned specifically in the section dealing with Shavuot?
I think the Torah is sending a mighty message, about Shavuot and about Judaism in general. As we prepare to commemorate the giving of the Torah, we stop and are reminded that the essence of the Torah is giving, helping, sharing, caring. If you want to know how Hashem wants His Torah celebrated, it is through each Jew looking out for the welfare of the next Jew. Do you want to serve G-d? Do you want to reach the Torah's ideal? Then leave a corner of your field for the poor and the needy.
Once, a cheder was learning how to write the Aleph-Bet. Suddenly, little Yossi's pencil broke. Yossi asked Dov, sitting next to him, to lend him another pencil, but Dov refused. The Rebbe, seeing all this, told the class to stop writing.
"Dov," he said, "please give me examples of the Aleph-Bet."
Dov answered, "Aleph is Echad, Bet is Bayit, Gimel is Gadol."
"No," said the Rebbe, "try again."
Said Dov: "Aleph is Elokim, Bet is Baruch, Gimel is Geshem."
The Rebbe shook his head and looked at the confused young boy: "Aleph is lend your friend a pencil; Bet is lend your friend a pencil; Gimel is lend your friend a pencil."
That is Torah; the rest is but commentary.