Shabbat

Embrace Shabbos Chapter 31: The Essence of the Jewish People

Rabbi David Sutton October 31, 2024

add or remove this to/from your favorites

We all appreciate the concept of the seventh year (Shemittah) being a sabbatical year, a time designated for spirituality and strengthening Jewish identity. We will see in the upcoming lesson that every Shabbos has in it a microcosm of the Shemittah concept.

The Sefer HaChinuch (306) gives the following explanation of the mitzvah of Sefiras HaOmer, which mandates counting the days from Pesach until Shavuos:

Since the entire essence of Yisrael is only the Torah, and heaven and earth were created because of the Torah…and it is the essence and reason why they were redeemed and left Egypt — so they could receive the Torah at Sinai and observe it…we were commanded to count from the day after the festival of Pesach until the day the Torah was given, to show in ourselves, in our hearts, the great yearning for this monumental day that we longed for….

The Sefer HaChinuch also makes this point later, in discussing the mitzvah of Hakheil, the assembly that was held every seven years, during Succos following the Shemittah year, at which the Torah would be read before the entire nation (Devarim 31:12). Interestingly, the mitzvah of Hakheil is somewhat similar to Sefiras HaOmer, in that Sefiras HaOmer requires counting seven sets of seven days, and Hakheil is observed after the Shemittah year, following a seven-year cycle. Consistent with this resemblance, the Sefer HaChinuch explains the mitzvah of Hakheil along similar lines to his understanding of Sefiras HaOmer. He writes (612):

The entire essence of Yisrael is the Torah, and it is through it that they are distinguished from all nations and peoples to merit eternal life, the everlasting delight that cannot be exceeded in all creation. Therefore, since it is their entire essence, it is appropriate that everyone assemble together at a specific time to hear its words, so the sound will be heard amidst the nation — men, women, and children — saying, “What is this great assembly, that we have all assembled?” And the answer will be, “To hear the words of the Torah, which is our entire essence, our splendor and our glory”… And they will all bring the passion for it into their hearts…

We might add that not coincidentally, in our times, the Siyum HaShas is celebrated every seven-and-a-half years, when thousands upon thousands of Jews assemble and are reminded that the Torah is the source of our splendor and glory, which is precisely the purpose of the septennial Hakheil gathering.

Just as the Torah commands to gather the people every seven years to hear words of Torah, we are also commanded to assemble to hear words of Torah every Shabbos. We read (Shemos 35:1) that Moshe assembled the entire nation and conveyed to them the command of Shabbos observance. The Midrash (Yalkut Shimoni), commenting on this pasuk, writes that Hashem told Moshe to hold a large assembly to instruct the people regarding the laws of Shabbos, so that they will learn from his example, and for all generations, Jews will assemble in large groups on Shabbos to learn Torah. And so just as the entire nation assembles every seven years for Hakheil, we are to hold smaller-scale assemblies every seven days, on Shabbos, for the exact same purpose: to learn Torah, for people to see the supreme importance and inestimable value of Torah, and recognize that it is the essence of the Jewish people.

Every nation has certain aspects that have come to define its culture. The Swiss are known for chocolate and watches. Italians are known for pizza and pasta. The French are known for fashion and wine. These features have a way of lending a nation its special identity and unique character. In fact, many years ago, there were commercials aired in the United States urging people to buy American cars, and the commercials said, “Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet.” The idea was that just as baseball, hot dogs, and apple pie are defining characteristics of American culture, purchasing an American car should also be part of this culture.

The Jewish nation has always been characterized by the sight of people seated around a table studying. We have always been known as the Am HaSefer — “People of the Book.” Our very identity is associated with the study of our sacred texts. And every Shabbos, we are to strengthen this identity by devoting time to learning. American weekends are characterized by the sight of fathers who are off from work playing ball with their sons, teaching them how to shoot a basketball and how to hold a bat. For us, Shabbos afternoon should be a time characterized by the scene of fathers sitting with their sons and showing them how to learn Gemara. Shabbos is when we must reinforce our awareness of the essence of the Jewish people, that our nation’s essential and defining characteristic is our passionate love for, and unwavering commitment to, the study and practice of Torah.

This is one of the primary concepts of Shabbos — a mini Hakheil of sorts. Let us appreciate it!

Check out our Shabbat page for recipes and articles here!

Reprinted from Embrace Shabbos by Rabbi David Sutton with permission from ArtScroll Mesorah.