"And I will surely hide My face on that day . . . So now, write this song for yourself and teach it to the Children of Israel, place it in their mouth, so that this song shall be for Me as a witness regarding the Children of Israel" -- Deuteronomy 31:18-19.
We inhabit a world where nothing is as it superficially seems, where the consciousness of every entity is at odds with its essence and its raison d'etre.
The most basic concern of every species and every individual entity is its own preservation. Satisfying its needs and wants naturally trumps all other considerations.
In truth, however, "All that the Holy One, blessed be He, created in His world, He created solely for His glory" (Ethics 6:11). Every creation is a cog in G‑d's master plan, whose objective is to bring glory to the Creator.
The Torah and the Jew share a unique bond because they both are exceptions to a universal ruleWe are here to serve G‑d. But our instincts tell us that we are here to serve ourselves.
The Torah and the Jew share a unique bond because they both are exceptions to this rule. The Torah is G‑d's missive to this world; it has no personal selfish agenda. Its every word clearly expresses its purpose -- serving the Creator. And the Jew? Thousands of years of anti-Semitism, humiliation, persecution and pogroms quickly dispel the notion that self-preservation is his primary motivation. Within the heart of every Jew blazes a divine soul which recognizes that serving G‑d is its ultimate calling, and all personal needs, even life itself, is of secondary importance.
This relationship between the Jew and Torah expresses itself in the deep love and respect the Jew has for Torah. We are now in the High Holiday season, when many Jews who don't step foot in a house of worship throughout the year pay a visit to their synagogue. Pay attention to these precious Jews as the Torah is taken out of the Ark and passes their way. Watch as they lovingly and reverently kiss its velvet cover. The past year's Saturdays spent on the golf course... the non-kosher restaurants... the non-Jewish spouse... None of these matter at this moment. Right now, the Jewish soul has found its holy counterpart, and lovingly acknowledges this truth.
"And I will surely hide My face on that day."
G‑d told Moses that the day would come when He would hide His face, when His presence and providence would be utterly concealed. This is true in a global sense, but as is the case with every word of the Torah, it is true in a personal sense as well. There will come a time when G‑d's face which is within every one of His children will be hidden; when skeptics will doubt the very existence of a Jewish soul.
"So now, write this song for yourself . . . so that this song shall be for Me as a witness regarding the Children of Israel"
Write a Torah scroll. See how the Jew naturally reveres it. The testimony is incontrovertible. The Jewish soul still burns bright within the hearts of the progeny of Abraham.
"Teach it to the Children of Israel, place it in their mouth."
Now that the Jew's relationship with G‑d and Torah has been established, it is time to live accordingly. The adoration for Torah should not be relegated to the High Holidays. Study Torah and place it in your mouth. Your lifestyle will then be in harmony with your truest self.
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