We are approaching the festival of Shavuot, when the Torah was given, 3319 years ago.
In general, one should prepare for all aspects of life. Whether it's an exam, a job interview, or a party, one prepares accordingly to make the most of the event. The same applies to Shavuot (and the other holidays in the Jewish calendar). The following is an adaptation of a portion of a letter from the Rebbe in 1983 (Likutei Sichot, vol. 23, p. 346).
To learn how to prepare for Shavuot, we must observe in the Torah how the Jewish people prepared the first time, step by step:
- Moshe told the people (still in Egypt) that the purpose of leaving Egypt was to receive the Torah at Mount Sinai.
- The Jewish people saw dozens of miracles in Egypt and at the Sea of Reeds and felt the closeness of God.
- Immediately after leaving Egypt, they began to count the days and weeks, with anxiety, thirst and desire to reach that very special day in which God would reveal himself to them and give them his guarded treasure.
Meanwhile, God gave them "bread from heaven" to eat, brought forth water from a rock, surrounded them with clouds of glory, and led them through the desert.
- After all this, when they arrived at Mount Sinai, on Rosh Chodesh Sivan - the first day of Sivan - the Torah itself mentions the impressive level of brotherhood and love for one's neighbor that they had - like one man with a single heart.
- Finally, standing before the Mount, Moshe instructed them on how they should continue their preparation and purification to receive the Torah.
This explains how much effort we must put into preparing for Shavuot. The festivities do not have (at least not in their revealed form) an automatic effect on a person; rather, one must prepare to feel the energy of each of the special days.
Sometimes we look at our personal circumstances and think we don't have time for so much preparation (whether it's children or work) or that we lack the ability or knowledge to prepare adequately. However, King David tells us that "God will give strength to his people" (Psalms 29:11). Beyond the literal meaning (that God gives us the strength to live), our sages explain that "strength" refers to the Torah; that is, even before the giving of the Torah, we already have the strength to receive it and fulfill it completely.
May we receive the Torah with joy on this festival of Shavuot and internalize it, so that we may realize that it is our life and the length of our days.