Rus clung tearfully to her mother-in-law Naomi, and begged to be allowed to go back with her to Eretz Yisroel; back to a Land ravaged by famine and to a life that would surely be fraught with difficulties. “Where you will go, I will go. Where you will stay, I will stay. Your Nation is My Nation and Your G-d is my G-d as well.” What an amazing and powerful statement!
What better way to begin our Shavuos preparations than with a timeless niggun of devotion and faith, united in declaring our readiness to accept Hashem as our One and Only King.
Banim Atem LaMakom – We are all Hashem’s Children. This special tefillah reinforces this powerful idea, and is a timely reminder of the awesome relationship and responsibility that we share with our Father in heaven.
This Aramaic introduction to kriyas haTorah – sung in an ancient, emotional tune – has uplifted Jews through hundreds of years of persecution and exile, reminding us of our glorious status as the Am HaNivchar, and of the eternal nature of the Torah and the Jewish people.
The truth is, this poignant poem is more than words, more than prayer, more than music – but rather a delicate, enduring fabric woven from them all.
Both the brachos and the klalos are addressed in the plural form – the words of the parsha imploring us to internalize the actuality of our united soul, to understand that we actually NEED each other in order thrive, and thus strive to exhibit genuine kindness and compassion towards our fellow Jew – no matter what.
The shminis that is to be played l’asid lavo will come into existence when we once again achieve the great level of achdus that we are truly capable of; a level that we so excellently exhibited when we initially accepted the Torah. When that day comes, the 8th note will be heard; The perfect unity of music, symbolized by the perfect unity of mankind.
If we could somehow comprehend the sweetness of the Torah and of the guaranteed goodness that we are promised therein, we would become obsessed with the Torah and would chase the opportunities to fulfill its words at all times. Silver and gold would have absolutely no value, and nothing would distract us from trying to acquire its wisdom because the Torah contains all the pleasures of the world. There truly is nothing else to pursue!
What an honor! What a privilege! What a responsibility! Hashem chose us to serve Him and to learn His Torah, and He gives us the Torah anew each day. Therefore, when we say this powerful bracha, we have the ability to feel that we are standing at Har Sinai receiving the Torah amidst the same great thunder and fire. What an incredible concept.