HAR SINAI

    This Shabbat we will  be reading the Parshah of B’har. I find the opening sentence very insightful as Hashem speaks to Moshe “ B’har  Sinai” on Mt.Sinai. This statement begs the question: why was it necessary for the Torah to emphasize that Hashem spoke to Moshe on Mt. Sinai?

     The Midrash informs us that Hashem chose Mt. Sinai as the place for the giving of the Ten Commandments because it was the lowliest of mountains,   to teach us that the Torah can only be received by a humble person. Humility is a pre-requisite for Torah to affect man in a most favorable way.

    With this thought in mind one could ask if Hashem wanted to teach us humility, why not give the Torah in a valley instead of on a mountain?

     I sense the reason that a mountain was chosen instead of a valley suggests an important idea in the  Hashkafah of Judaism.

   Our Torah wants to emphasize that Judaism requires both attitudes : Humility and Pride and that that they are not contradictory.  Our Torah was given on Mt. Sinai which was “lowly” among the mountains and yet it was a mountain to emphasize pride in living according to the Torah. 

   We must always remember that for Torah and Yahadut to flourish in our day and age, we need both personality traits, that is Pride of being a Jew , a pride that brings with it hope and belief and a Humbleness that says I need to learn more, to know more and that there is still room to improve and grow in Judaism.

Shabbat Shalom and may it be an inspiring Shabbat in bringing more Pride and Humility into our Jewish lives.