“What has Shemitta got to do with Har Sinai?”
“What does last week’s coronation of King Charles III have to do with Rashi?”
Well, if you’re still reading this, I think there could be something…
Rashi opens up the Parsha by asking why, of all the Mitzvot, Shemittah is highlighted as being given on Har Sinai. He famously answers that we can learn from this example that, just as Shemittah and all of its minute details were conveyed on Har Sinai - so too with all of the Mitzvot - both their general rules and specific laws were given at Har Sinai.
Why is this important?
Well, here I think the coronation example can possibly be instructive, lehavdil. Why so much pomp, fuss and massive expense to celebrate the crowning of a king that has no meaningful military or judicial might? The cost is estimated to have been between £50-£100 million in the midst of a serious cost-of-living crisis in the UK?!
Without guessing what the actual motivations were, I think the principle is that epic life experiences and highlights are important for the human condition. It could be that precisely because of the day-to-day crises, it is important to help people to raise their heads up high and behold something special, beyond and grand - even if just for a moment. The journey is tough step by step - but the struggle is part of a bigger picture and goal.
Hashem bestowed Bnei Yisrael with the ultimate gift - our Holy Torah. Every moment and interaction in our lives should be guided by the Torah’s wisdom. But, at the same time, the things we do consistently can too easily become a drag and a burden. That’s why we need to constantly remind ourselves of the connection to Har Sinai - the cosmic sound and lights show (far superior to the Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle) that changed everything and set the world on a different course - with Bnei Yisrael leading the way. Just handing over an extensive rule book to a nation of recently freed slaves, would likely not have got the job done.
It’s vital to invest in religious high points in our lives and then we need to seek out ways to consistently keep that connection alive ‘as if it was given today’.
Was Lag ba’Omer this week just a day to finally get a haircut or was it a night to dance joyously around a bonfire with friends and passionately reconnect with our core mission? What is the next opportunity on our religious calendar that we can use to reignite the flame?
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