During the Torah reading of this week’s portion Yitro, an outpouring of renewed healing, Torah, redemption and salvation come to the world. Here are 10 facts about The Shabbat of Yitro a.k.a. the Shabbat of Matan Torah, the giving of the Torah
1. This Shabbat an outpouring from heaven of giving the Torah comes to the world.
This Shabbat the Shabbat of Parshat Yitro is called the “Shabbat of the giving of the Torah”. Hasidic giants explained that during the Torah reading each year on this Shabbat, there is the same great spiritual outpouring that there was in the world at the time of the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.
2. Shabbat Parshat Yitro= The Holiday of Shavuot.
The ‘Seer of Lublin’ said that this Shabbat is equal in its attributes and holiness to the holiday of Shavuot, when we received the Torah, and it is possible to attain on this Shabbat a lot of Torah as is possible on the holiday of Shavuot. Rabbi Elimelech Biderman explains that we should believe that the whole idea of the giving of the Torah is eternal and is relevant year round. However its main source and renewal comes from this Shabbat and the holiday of Shavuot.
Rabbi Yitzchak Zilbershtein told over that his father in law Rabbi Elyashiv of blessed memory once told someone sick in his ear that “just as at the time of the giving of the Torah all the sick got cured and healed, so too every year this outpouring of health renews itself. You can ask G-d for a total recovery from any ailment even those that seem from a natural perspective to be incurable.” The sick person asked, “When can one merit this?” Rabbi Elyashiv answered, “When the 10 commandments are being read.”
3. Get paid for sleeping
A taxi driver once complained to the Steipler Gaon, Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky: “I work all day and can’t even make it to a Torah class at night because I’m sure I’ll fall asleep”. The Rabbi answered: “You should know that if you go to the evening Torah class then even if you fall asleep you will get credited in heaven as if you heard the whole class. In heaven all they want is that you do what you can, and G-d will do the rest”.
4. Every Jew is worthy for Torah
The Hatam Sofer explains that the Jewish nation received the Torah specifically after they left Egypt having no merits or mitzvoth. “And because of this the Torah was given in such a wondrous occasion when we first left Egypt and weren’t worthy of it. To teach us that no Jew should despair from his portion in Torah! Even if he is on a low spiritual level still he is like the greatest of the great.”
The Beit Aharon explains the following saying in the same manner. “It says “And They stood below the mountain”, meaning that even if you feel ‘under the mountain’ because of your many sins, still you shold be like those that “stood” and stand up and say “I am here and even from my (poor) situation I’ve come to receive the yoke of Torah and contemplate the Torah’s directives.” There’s no Jew that should say “toiling in Torah is far from me” for everyone has hope for his end and the Torah is waiting in the corner hoping that you will come and take it and crown yourself with the crown of Torah. He should start bit by bit and he will merit the crown of Torah.”
5. Every Jew can succeed in Torah.
Rabbi Yisrael Salanter of blessed memory would explain why we don’t know the exact location or even the exact day of the giving of the Torah. “This comes to teach us that a person shouldn’t say “here in my place in my study hall or yeshiva or kollel where I am presently I can’t find it in me to be successful. If I change my place then I’ll be successful. And the same thing can be said about time. A person shouldn’t say “in this time and this present situation I can’t toil in Torah.” Rather he should know that he can learn Torah in any place and in every situation a few hours each day and this his obligation”.
6. Imagine that you just received the Torah today.
A young man went into the “Sar Shalom”, Rabbi Shalom Rokeach the first Admor of Belz and told him “I cannot serve G-d for I have done a grave sin”. The Sar Shalom told him the words of Rashi in this week’s Torah portion on the verse: “On this day they came to the Sinai desert, every day the Torah should be as if it was given today”. The rabbi elaborated: “The Torah entreats us to consider it as if G-d is giving the Torah again every day in order that a person shouldn’t wallow in regret of the sins of his past. Rather he should imagine himself as if the Torah was just given today so all those sins were from before the giving of the Torah and now he can receive the yoke of the Torah anew.”
7. G-d needs every Jew
The Midrash Rabbah writes: “Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai says, if the nation of Israel would have been missing even one Jew, the “Shechina”, the divine presence would not have revealed itself to them as the verse says; “For on the third day G-d descended in front of the eyes of the entire nation onto Mount Sinai.” This tells us that if even one Jew was missing the divine presence wouldn’t have come. Each and every Jew is that important to G-d, even if he seems very distant from G-d.
8. G-d loves the converts
It says in the Midrash Tanchuma: “Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish says, the convert is very dear before G-d more than those that stood at Mount Sinai. Why? Because all those that stood at Mount Sinai if not that they saw voices and torches lightning and the mountains trembling and the sound of the Shofar blasts they would not have accepted the kingdom of heaven. But this convert who didn’t witness all that and came to make himself complete with G-d and accepted the kingdom of heaven upon himself, is there anything more dear?”
9. One who toils in Torah is spared from Gehinom (purgatory)
It says in the Book of Zohar: “Rabbi Yitzchak says, why was the Torah given in fire? To tell us that one who toils in it is spared a different fire, that of Gehinom… Rabbi Yosey opened with the following… how beloved is the Torah before G-d for anyone who toils in it is loved in heaven and loved on earth and G-d listens to his words and doesn’t leave in this world or the next world.”
10. Making established times for Torah learning is a segula (a spiritual remedy) that promises an honorable livelihood.
It is said in the name of the Admor of Belz that “one who accepts upon himself to have set times to learn Torah and keeps his word not to move from that appointed time for learning for even the largest profit possible will have his livelihood guaranteed to come in the proper honorable manner and he won’t lack for sustenance.”