Chag Sameach!
In case you have lost count amidst the many obligations and celebrations of May, today is Shavuot. It is the culmination of the counting of the Omer, and it is—according to rabbinic tradition—zman matan torateinu, the time of the giving of our Torah.
In teaching and thinking about Shavuot, I have often focused on the notion of giving—why do we focus on the giving and not the receiving? But this year, on this week of graduations and culminations, I want to think about torateinu, our Torah.
On the surface, the meaning seems clear—we are, collectively, celebrating this Divine gift, this sacred text and tradition that we all share. It is OUR Torah, a communal inheritance of our communal stories. That alone seems enough to celebrate, to be sure.
There is a classic—and funny—story told of a student eager to learn everything from his teacher. The student takes copious notes in class, attends every possible office hour, and even—at one point—follows the teacher into the bathroom. Even there, he thinks, I have something to learn. But the final straw comes one night when, getting into bed beside his spouse, the teacher notices movement in the room. Looking under the bed, he finds his student hiding. And as he is throwing him out of the house, the student cries out: This too is Torah, and I must learn it!
Funny yes, but also a reminder that Torah goes far beyond the words we read; we teach Torah in the way that we act and the words that we speak. We carry Torah into the world in our relationships, in our work, and in our homes. Our Torah shows up in our kindness, our compassion, our laughter, and our tears. It can show up in our fears and our frustrations; we can teach from our celebrations and our successes. Each of us has Torah to teach; each of us has Torah to learn.
This week here at Wise, our Wise School 6th graders will stand on the bimah as graduates; our AMC learners will do the same as they celebrate the culmination of their early childhood years. Each of them has learned Torah, and now—we hope—each of them will teach their Torah in the years to come. And today, standing at Sinai—we are all invited to be givers of Torah. What might you give this year
Chag Shavuot Sameach.