Motzei Shabbat. 1:15 AM. We're driving home from a Sheva Berachot we played at. I'm half-dozing off, and in a dark place in my mind after a hard night. I open my eyes to see. In front of us -- one car on the right, one car on the left, and one car spinning in the middle of the road. David, the driver, says, "Oh my G-d," as the car leaves his control on the oil slick on the road. We're driving straight into the side of the spinning car -- brakes gone. And then we drive straight through, between the right-hand car and the spinning car that spins just in time to let us through. As we hit the dirt road on the side, the brakes return inches before a big metal pole in front of us. G-d saved us.
My only thought, however, was "I'm going to die." No fear, no repentance, no flash of my life in front of my eyes. And I choose to ignore the message from G-d. I have choice to ignore one of the clearest miracles of my life. And yet, G-d saved me.
We all have a relationship with the One and with each other; whether we ignore it or search for it, it's there. You know, the Gemara describes the experience of Mt. Sinai as G-d holding the mountain over us and saying, "Accept this or die." Yet, in the Song of Songs, we call it, "He kissed us with the kisses of His mouth." The deepest, most amazing thing is the relationship itself. We love G-d and choose the relationship.
This is true between G-d and man, and between people, as Ruth teaches us -- "Your people are my people, and your G-d is my G-d. As you die, I will die, and there I will be buried." This is the challenge and true message of Shavuot. Let us learn the avodah and love of "And G-d spoke to Moshe saying…"
Rav Raz Hartman
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Rav Raz Hartman, born to Israeli parents, grew up in Southern California. He was attending U.S.C., majoring in Music Peformance, when he met Rav Natan Greenberg. That meeting eventually result in Raz's coming to the Bat Ayin Yeshiva, where he studied for six years and was given Semichah in 2003. He is married to Leah, and they live, with their three children, in Nachla'ot, Jerusalem. Raz serves as Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo, and founder of the v'Ani Tefillah minyan. He has produced several albums of Jewish music. |