Kabalat Hatorah: A Family Affair
The two major historical events in Jewish history that defined who we are, are rooted in and a result of the importance of family. The well-known connection is the Pesach experience and our people’s exodus to freedom in order to serve Hashem and to develop our eternal bond with him. “Seh l’Bais Avos Seh l’Bayis- the command to take a sheep for the Pesach sacrifice, one for each family, underscores the profound connection between family and the ultimate requirement commanded to the people to prove their worthiness for geulah. In fact, this is most likely the source of our culture and tradition, that Pesach of all Yom Tovim and Moadim, has the strongest family orientation-the Gantza Mishpacha sitting by the Seder.
As well, a Medresh in Parashas Bamidbar, speaks to the same towering connection, our worthiness as a nation to be the one and only recipient of Hashem’s Torah is due to the importance of family. This message is so vital to who we are, that Chazal organized the weekly Torah readings so that Bamidbar always precedes Shavuos. The Medresh brings a dialogue between the other nations of the world and Hashem. They were complaining that it was unfair that He should give his Holy Torah to Israel and to no one else. They obviously understood at least in part the eternal value of having a connection to Torah. Hashem answered that the clear distinction that made Israel worthy of kabolas HaTorah and which ultimately sets them apart from the rest of humanity is their pure lineage. Hashem pointed out that the children of Yaakov, the B’nai Yisroel went through an intense scrutiny of their families by being subjected to a census- a counting of each Jew and the presentation of their lineage papers to Moshe and Aharon. Hashem told the other nations that unlike themselves the lineage of ever-single Jew was pure and direct back to their father Yaakov.
In our times there is a major assault by western society on the traditional institution of family and all values that we associate with it not seen since the times of our becoming a nation. We are aware that these influences bang at our doors much the same way as in Mitzrayim. We must withstand those pressures and raise ourselves up to Hashem’s lofty standards much the same way as our ancestors. In that Zechus, we should merit quickly the return of Hashem’s palpable presence in our lives and a geula shlaima.