Shavuos - Celebrating our Standards

The sixth of Sivan is the holiday of Shavuos. It is mentioned a number of times in the Chumash as the festival of weeks and the festival of the first fruits. The Talmud makes a calculation which shows that it was the date that the Holy One blessed be He spoke to the nation if Israel on Mount Sinai and told them the Ten Commandments. The prayer book gives it the appellation of the giving of the Torah.

The Ten Commandments are of supreme importance. They simply and concisely give a person a code of conduct and focussing on them results in a moral compass. Not to steal or murder is obvious. Even so, there are those that go astray often to their own detriment. These standards can also be at the root of honesty and peace. Even for a promiscuous person, there should be limits and a start would be respecting the exclusivity in marriage. Looking at it wider provides thought for proper physical conduct. A person should always be truthful, however the standard should be higher in a court proceeding or when a promise is given.

Respect for parents safeguards the most basic of human relationships. It's important to take a day off from work to rest and use it in the pursuit of religion. Religion should be taken seriously, and one should have basic and exclusive faith in God.

The point is that there is something in a man that requires external standards and it is important that they be rooted in religion. For some they are a matter of morality. For others it is a matter of sanity. It is important for them to be on a person's mind all the time and be used when evaluating a situation and arriving at a decision. Without them we are lost. For this reason there is ample reason to celebrate the receiving of the law.

לע"נ  האמא מלכה בת חיים ז"ל נלב"ע טז ניסן תשנ"ח

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