Mishpatim – “Na’aseh v’Nishma” – By Whom and For Whom?
There is a plethora of explanations and interpretation among our commentators regarding the most familiar phrase in this week’s Parashah, “Na’aseh v’Nishma” – “We will do, and we will hear/understand.” (Ex. 24:7) We often interpret this as meaning that Judaism places the emphasis on deeds, with the commitment to better understand the background and details only following that impactful experiential encounter with the set of instructions offered in the Torah.
Of course, this acting initiative should not be seen as de-prioritizing genuine and reflective Torah study. There is an inspiring commentary offered by the Pardes Yosef attempting to understand this response as opposed to that uttered by B’nai Yisrael last week in Parashat Yitro. When Moses first ascends to Mount Sinai, God commands him to tell the people that if they accept the covenant, God will make them a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation” Upon hearing these words, the people respond, “All that God has said, we will do” (19:8).
That first time, the people respond all together (yachdav) that -they will do, while this week, a simpler “and they said, ‘we will do and hear’”. The Pardes Yosef suggests that it is impossible for every Israelite (Jew) to perform every Torah instruction, as some mitzvot are designated only for certain demographics – priests, women, those living in Israel, etc. When the response is we will do and hear/understand, that latter element follows the interpretation of equating the study of Torah with the performance of the deed, i.e., sacrifices. Therefore, the element of the hearing/understanding is an honest one for any individual, even if they do not / are unable to perform certain mitzvot, as they will fulfill it through study.
When only the doing is mentioned in Yitro, it necessitates that all Israel respond together in the spirit of, “Kol Yisrael areivim zeh lazeh”. As we are responsible for one another, so long as some have performed the mitzvah, it is as if we all have performed those mitzvot, in a powerful statement of community identification, obligation and, perhaps, vicariousness.
Such should be our sense and sensitivity today. Despite the increased accessibility of virtual minyanim, there are still so many in our community, within and outside of Beth David, who are not able to gather for, or attend services, lifecycle ceremonies, educational programs, and social events. Even that mitigated virtual experiential element is denied them for a variety of reasons. It is incumbent upon us to ensure that they remain connected in some manner, feel that they have not been forgotten, and have the confidence that we are “areivim” / responsible for them; thinking of them as we indulge in any of those activities, possibly following up with a phone call or even email to share our experience with them, and encourage them that “we will do what can to keep them in community, we will hear/understand what are their needs and challenges”, even if not in that order.
Shabbat shalom,
Michael
mrubin@bethdavid.com